Japan Today

shiboritate comments

Posted in: China suspends visa issuance to Japanese travelers, industry sources say See in context

Chiichai!! LOL. China is indeed the bully on the playground, and acting like a 7-year old. You require a test for our team to visit you? Well, we'll just ban you from coming over to our house. So there.

China is one of the few major economies providing ZERO transparency on its covid stats. So China wants to have zero disclosure AND have its people spread Wuhan bat flu all around the world again. NO THANK YOU. Sorry for individual Chinese people who want to travel, but all you have to do is take a test.

12 ( +16 / -4 )

Posted in: Man arrested for shoving commuter off train platform in Osaka See in context

@thepersoniamnow

"And yeah he wasn’t aiming at or threw it near anyone apparently."

How do you know this fact? Were you the one throwing the bowling ball??

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Posted in: Infant’s body found at trash disposal site of apartment in Kawasaki See in context

@BeerDeliveryGuy

What is that supposed to mean? "worst" of what?

I used to live in Nakahara-ku. It's near the river (Tamagawa) which is nice for running, BBQing, etc. Laid back with decent restaurants and most of the neighbors were nice people. It's convenient because it is equidistant from both Tokyo and Yokohama. The ajisai garden across the river is one of the best I have been to. The nearby Todoroki Arena / park is always really nice.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: COVID-19 cases plummeting in Japan; doctors puzzled why See in context

Japan got off to a slow start but now has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. That together with social distancing and masking.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Posted in: COVID-19 cases plummeting in Japan; doctors puzzled why See in context

@magnet

If people aren't getting sick and aren't being around people with corona then one would expect testing to also decrease. Especially if the test costs 20,000 yen.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Posted in: New station on Tokyo's Yamanote line unveiled to media See in context

My guess is Shin-sengakuji.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: New station on Tokyo's Yamanote line unveiled to media See in context

@gogogo

It is located at and will probably connected to Sengakuji-eki which has one-line service to Haneda airport 24-minutes away. If they make an express train might even be faster. Much more convenient than the airports in New York, London, etc.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Zushi City ordered to pay compensation to man whose wife was killed by stalker See in context

@Strangerland

I found a Japanese source that said that the idiot at the city hall had his pay reduced by 10% for 3 months by the mayor.

The irony is that the Zushi city hall regularly sends out emails warning about fraud and ore-ore calls etc.

I guess this jerk never bothered to read them.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Mother arrested for leaving baby son at Tokyo restaurant at midnight See in context

Japanese press says she is unemployed.

Maybe she had the kid to collect the child cash.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Posted in: M 5.3 quake shakes eastern Japan See in context

Yes, good point. Daini shut down properly despite its advanced age. For what it's worth, I agree. My roof is covered with solar panels and I do keep emergency supplies on hand. Especially lots of clean water.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: M 5.3 quake shakes eastern Japan See in context

Irrelevant. What happened to Japan's nuclear reactors today? Nothing. Anti-nuclear lobby gaining momentum? Lol. You mean you and your 5 friends welcomed a new lobbyist? Omedetou.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Posted in: Japanese idols charge fans Y10,000 to talk to them for three minutes See in context

Lots of naive posters here. The fureai events for popular singers in Japan typically go for 10,000 at which the happy fan usually gets 1-2 minutes one-on-one chat time and 1 or 2 "two-shot" pictures (which means fan poses with singer). This goes on even in the enka world. I've done this and have zero regrets about that 10,000 yen. Money well spent. So this is nothing new other than the format - personally I would rather it be in person. No need to be scandalized. It's a free country, let people spend their money as they like. Puritans, please go back to the US and enjoy your boring life.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Posted in: Tokyo begins taxi service trial with starting fares of 410 yen See in context

@lucksi - good idea! @fadamor - actually, if you do so upfront, you can always negotiate the total fare. E.g. can you take me to point x for 710? Likewise, you could say I am only paying a single fare, take me to the closest of my destination or as far as you will go with a single fare. And don't forget to collect your 90 yen!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Tokyo begins taxi service trial with starting fares of 410 yen See in context

Why not 400 yen? So if I have a 500en-dama I have to receive 5 or 9 coins in return for the shortest fare? Same as the scheme to increase one-coin fares to 510 on certain reserved-seat train fares to cover Abe's disastrous consumption tax hike. Is anybody using their brain around here?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Posted in: Premium Kobe beef, Yubari melons get brand protection See in context

Wow, Smith, you got it totally wrong. By placing laws on it you ensure you are getting the right thing. This would prevent your friends getting duped. Such laws in France have many conditions which helps to support the quality even more, such as with Champagne. The world is a better place because of it. Think of it as a copyright, but for an agricultural product from a specific region with specific quality standards.

The whale thing is totally different - has nothing to do with location - it's just a longstanding practice of Japanese. Whale steak is pretty yummy by the way.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Cup noodles and chocolates keep Abenomics' pulse beating See in context

I think the SMBC analyst's logic is inverted. Sales of more expensive ramen are up. So what? So maybe instead of 100 yen they spent 108 yen? Perhaps people who previously went to a restaurant and spent 1000 yen downgraded to 108 yen ramen. That would be a driver of LESS private consumption. Need to look at the big picture, not ramen sales in isolation. To consider ramen as luxury spending is quite absurd.

17 ( +20 / -3 )

Posted in: Japan says U.N. envoy retracts remarks on schoolgirl sex See in context

@alphaape - I have heard that some girls shorten the standard uniform skirt. The uniform itself is not the problem. If some girls want to show more leg that's their own choice. The problem isn't the girls' choice the problem is the adult perverts who want underage girls. Personally I'm glad my daughter doesn't have to wear a burqa to go out in public in Japan.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Posted in: Japan says U.N. envoy retracts remarks on schoolgirl sex See in context

Good cause, but it does not justify using bad and misleading data.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Posted in: Seoul, Tokyo bickering days before 3-way summit with China See in context

@thepbot - good point. There's also one country which has been peaceful for 70 years and another country which is unilaterally trying to take over all oceans up to their neighbors lands and building islands in waters contested with them. Guess who each of these countries might be? And which is talking about something that happened 70 years ago to distract attention from its current aggressive stance?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Posted in: M5.2 earthquake jolts Tokyo; no tsunami risk See in context

@fizzbit - yes, yurekuru - which means "a jolt is coming" - usually sends a notification BEFORE the shock waves have propagated to your location since the notification is immediate and sent electronicly. In this case, for tokyo residents, the quake was immediately below us, so it was unusual to feel the quake before the notification. Kinda like if lightning struck close by the event (lightning) and the notification (the thunder) happen imultaneously.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Old and tired, some Japan farmers see trade pact jolt as only answer See in context

@reckless - ok fair enough - but I still think it will be a tragedy to see terraced rice paddies and millenia-old traditions vanish all so that ADM and Monsanto can get richer. @fxgai - the tragedy will be if japan ends up in a conflict with a large neighbor that decides to blockade food flowing into japan. I could probably reduce my diet by half but not by 80%. It's an issue of sovereignty. I regret that I don't trust other nations to watch out for Japan's best interests.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Old and tired, some Japan farmers see trade pact jolt as only answer See in context

@reckless - sorry, but the farmers are not getting rich. The subsidies provide approximately enough to cover most of the costs to produce for a small-scale rice farmer. The small scale farmer makes his money at a day job or from his pension, not from his paddy. If that were not the case there would be no subsidy already. If the subsidy is gone most of the small-scale farmers would immediately let their paddies go fallow and we would see Japan's 40% food self-sufficiency drop even further. This is a good idea only if you think Japan should be dependent upon other nations for its food supply.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: Consumer Affairs Agency urges people not to walk on escalators See in context

Bfarm - at Tokyo eki the commuters queue in 2 separate lines. There is a full load for both the left side and the right side, though of course thd quete is longer on the left. Having walkers reduces congestion more quickly than 2 lanes of standers would. I realize you won't take my word for it, please come see for yourself.

I teach my kids to stand and the left and walk on the right as that is the proper etiquette. I wouldn't want them to be jama or get smacked.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Consumer Affairs Agency urges people not to walk on escalators See in context

Lucabrasi - yes, like when there is a power outage or if it's an outdoor elevator and it's raining. In those cases presumably it's ok to walk on the non-moving escalator. I can just imagine these brilliant bureaucrats debating the wording on this.

Bfarm - your example just demonstrates that this plan is doomed to failure. And if the point is clearing the platform then having walkers will help to alleviate the problem as more traffic would flow over the same steps. That is atarimae.

I walk up a long escalator every morning at Tokyo eki as do many others. I've never seen an accident and everybody appears to understand what to do. Etiquette, in Tokyo anyway, is to stand on the left, and walk on the right. This seems to help clear the incredibly crowded platforms, so it's also practical. Those who don't understand the etiquette should start paying attention.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Posted in: Abe state dinner features haiku, R&B - and chopsticks See in context

Hi Toshiko, I included a link to the description of the state dinner in my second post above. It's a PDF. Some news sources have also indicated the brand. I'm not familiar with Yamaguchi, but the maker of Dassai is Asahi Shuzo located in Iwakuni. Here is there homepage. https://www.asahishuzo.ne.jp/index.php

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Abe state dinner features haiku, R&B - and chopsticks See in context

It was Dassai 23 as per the following. 23 refers to the fact that the makers polished the sake-rice to 23% of its initial weight, discarding 77% (which is used for other purposes like sweets etc).

https://www.google.co.jp/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=_o5BVaiALKbamgXa6YDgDg&url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/files/state_dinner_japan_2015.pdf&ved=0CCgQFjAD&usg=AFQjCNElXtYKr3csBGL9bKB0Pr9lkSSWXQ&sig2=VzE6DMRgvcrSB2Iks6zugQ

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Abe state dinner features haiku, R&B - and chopsticks See in context

The sake they served was Dassai 23 from Abe's home prefecture of Yamaguchi. It costs 5,000 yen for 720ml retail and is very high quality. No alcohol added (other than that produced in the fermentation) so no hangover - unless you drink too much.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: 2 men arrested for using 14-year-old girl to work as prostitute See in context

Good analysis Ramzel. I guess 21,600 means they charged sales tax. So the girl got 10-15% and the Gov got 8%.

For the record, I know well-adjusted, nice women from nice happy families in Japan who have done small scale mizushobai (although without sex) when they were schoolgirls for pocket money. I'm not convinced underage mizushobai is strictly a broken family phenomenon.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Jordan executes 2 prisoners after IS killing of pilot See in context

WilliB - I'm afraid it is not a fact that DAESH is "Islamic" - many authorities around the middle east appear to refute your interpretation. Cf. the following: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/arab-world-unites-condemn-barbaric-114242649.html

A "state" typically issues or adopts a currency and controls the supply of said currency via a central bank. It's my understanding that DAESH wants to do that but has been unable to. You need 3 currencies to travel from the east of their occupied areas to the west. Someone described their control of some pieces of land as a cross between a mafia, insurgents, and terrorists. I think recognizing DAESH as a state is misguided.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Jordan executes 2 prisoners after IS killing of pilot See in context

Seems to me that this group of hooligans is neither "Islamic" nor a "State". The term DAESH is useful as apparently it has derogatory double entendres. May all of DAESH burn in hell eternally after Allah spits on them and tells them they will never defile his name again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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