Shipwrecker comments

Posted in: Is regimentation and abusive treatment key to winning at amateur sports? See in context

Not if it's your own kid. (Why would anyone even attend a practice that their child is not partaking in, let alone record it?)

What a strange thing to think of, btw.

Unless your kid is practicing alone with the coach, you'll be filming other people's kids too.

You accuse the coach of being a bully. He accuses you of being a pervert. In Japan, there's a good chance the authorities and media will side with the Japanese coach over a foreign parent.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Posted in: Is regimentation and abusive treatment key to winning at amateur sports? See in context

Filming a kids sport practice sounds like a quick way to open yourself up to accusations of being a pervert.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Posted in: What do you think of "kei" cars which are popular in Japan? See in context

I have kids and we can only afford one car, so we went for a normal car for safety performance.

Genuine question: Would you still buy a kei car if there was no tax incentive?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: The next World Cup will jump to 48 teams. Is bigger better? See in context

Just think how big the sticker albums are going to be. Kids in the UK will be going bankrupt.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Couples who divorced after decades of married life are at their highest rate since 1947, when statistics were first available, according to Japan health ministry data released on Aug 24. Why do you think this is? See in context

This isn't unique to Japan. I think as people get older, they realize the time they have left is limited and who they spend that time with is one of the biggest factors in how happy they will be. My parents got divorced after about 25 years of marriage. Since then, they have both met new partners who are a much better fit in terms of personality and lifestyle. I can't imagine they would be as happy if they were still together.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Posted in: What are some of your favorite foods or drinks for coping with Japan's summer heat? See in context

We make ume syrup at the start of summer every year. It's really refreshing when mixed with fizzy water or made into jelly.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Do you think use-by dates on labels cause people to toss out food and drinks too soon? See in context

Japan's conservative approach to sell-by dates is great if you enjoy discount shopping. I rarely pay more than half price for a loaf of bread and its never even close to stale. On days where there are loads left, I'll buy it up and keep it in the freezer. Same for stuff like gyoza, wieners, etc.

You can get fresh meat really cheaply too, although it is best to cook it straight away. Like the posters above said, use your nose.

The supermarket I go to also has a trolley in the fruit & veg section where fruit that is only very slightly damaged gets discounted (although even discount fruit in Japan is really expensive).

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: How do you prepare children for an uncertain job future as technology and AI make more jobs for humans obsolete? See in context

Teach them to learn. Teach them to analyse themselves and the world around them. Encourage curiosity. Predicting the future is impossible, so give them as many tools as possible to find their own path.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Posted in: Python thought missing found inside car See in context

As a person with a fear of snakes living near Kurashiki, I'm glad I read this after it was found.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Scandal at SMBC Nikko widens with vice president's arrest See in context

@Mocheake

You forgot the token 10% decrease in wages for about six months.

8 ( +13 / -5 )

Posted in: In your experience, how hard or easy is it to get a driver's license in Japan? What were the written and driving tests like? See in context

I learned from scratch here. I took the tests through my driving school and passed both the theory and practical first time. I did the theory test in Japanese because I figured the phrasing in the test would match the textbook used in the lessons. I recommend doing practice tests first, as they help you notice patterns in the questions and to avoid trick questions. The practical test was straight forward. I've heard stories about people failing for reasons like not checking under the car for babies and not going ridiculously slow around corners, but I didn't experience any of that. I guess it depends where you take your test.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Invasive bird species battle for supremacy over Tokyo's skies See in context

Crows are definitely the king of the castle here and an absolute menace if you grow fruit and vegetables. They'll swoop in, peck a few different fruits (spoiling them all), pick up one and fly off, take one bite, and then drop the remainder onto the street. Really wasteful.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: How do you feel about all the surveillance cameras being used in public and private spaces? See in context

A lot of these security cameras (and doorbell cameras, baby monitors, etc.) are connected to the internet, often with minimal security, so they can be hacked. That makes me uncomfortable.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Posted in: Many of the problems Japan faces could be resolved by making use of digital technology ... The key to post-corona growth is to revitalize broader digital investment nationwide. See in context

"Digitalization" (or its trendy cousin "DX") comes up in my translation work several times a day at the moment. It is the perfect buzzword for Japanese government/upper management types as it sounds impressive but is also conveniently vague. I recently engaged in digitalization by replacing our wind-up kitchen timer with a digital one from the 100-yen shop.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Posted in: There was ‘007’ at the end of the subject line of an email, but I thought it was a reference number. See in context

Haven't seen the movie. I hope Bond remembered to remove his slippers before stepping onto the tatami.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Posted in: Serbia, Spain qualify for 2022 World Cup; Portugal stunned See in context

Mitrovic is one of those players who has incredible talent accompanied by an unstable personality. Great for a neutral fan as the chances of drama of one kind or another are high.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Pandemic hits sweet potatoes in Japan; prices rise See in context

Hope it doesn't reach here. We grow them every year (Bein Haruka and Naruto Kintoki this year). They are pretty low maintenance while growing and produce a big harvest on a small patch of land. The kids have fun digging them up too.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Soccer defenders more at risk of dementia in later life says new research See in context

Thanks. I can now chalk down all those missed headers as a preventative health measure and not just a lack of skill.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Posted in: Yosozumi wins another skateboarding gold for Japan See in context

Managed to catch about 15 minutes of it, including Yosozumi's 60-point run. I think the oldest of the competitors I saw was about 19. I don't really understand the scoring system but it was a good watch.

2 ( +11 / -9 )

Posted in: What's your favorite coffee shop chain in Japan? See in context

Mr. Donut for the free refills.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Posted in: SoftBank says Pepper robot remains 'alive' and well See in context

I remember taking one of my daughters to hospital with a fever when she was about two years old and they had a Pepper in the waiting area. She took one look at it and started screaming the place down. They had to let us wait in one of the empty examination rooms. Thanks Pepper.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Posted in: Do you check work emails on your days off, after you wake up in the morning or at night after you return home? See in context

I run my own business, so I check my emails a few times over the weekend, but unless something is really urgent, I won't respond until business hours begin again.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Posted in: Why doesn't Father's Day carry the same importance as Mother's Day? Or does it? See in context

Mother's Day was started as a way of raising awareness of the work mother's did in keeping children alive back when infant mortality rates were high in order to get them more support (e.g. medical supplies). The whole card and flowers thing came later. The woman who founded the day lived long enough to despise what it became.

As far as I can tell, Father's Day was started in order to try and hawk cards for Dads too.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Do you think professional sports stars should be required to attend news conferences after their game or event? See in context

No. I don't like modern sports press conferences. The players have all been media-trained to give safe (i.e. uninteresting) answers. The journalists, desperate for clickbait headlines, then start asking questions about more controversial topics, often unrelated to the sport, in an attempt to trip the athletes up. Very often you end up with interviews that are either boring or unpleasant.

If an athlete enjoys talking to the media or wants to use their platform to say something, then fair enough, but I don't think it should be a requirement.

14 ( +18 / -4 )

Posted in: Trouble mars skateboarding's rising popularity in Japan See in context

Skateboarders have taken over a quiet corner of a local park that has a couple of concrete benches and small steps. They are there almost every weekend and evening, practicing hard. They are polite, friendly and always stop when we need to pass through.

Personally I think it is good to see teenagers enjoying themselves outside and I think their dedication will probably benefit them in the long run.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Posted in: If you have been working remotely since the pandemic began, what kind of work style would you prefer after (if) the pandemic has been eliminated? See in context

I've been self-employed and working from home for many years now but one of the first things we did once we were sure this was sustainable was quit Kanto and move to a small town in the country. Our cost of living is way lower and quality of life is better. We also decided to have a third child, which definitely would not have been possible while I was doing the salaryman thing in the city.

I think if people felt confident that they could work remotely and relocate without losing their job, it would benefit the country enormously in terms of regional revitalization and higher birth rates.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Posted in: Kyoto police investigating cream puff attack on Bentley See in context

@Mocheake

I was surprised the announcer could keep a straight face while reading. This is a choux-in for non-story of the year.

It's a puff piece.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: Japan to conduct 1st major survey on myopia among schoolchildren See in context

Yearly eye tests are a good idea for young kids. They often don't realize they have a problem. My brother struggled at junior school. One day my Dad asked him to read a number plate of a car a few metres down the road and he couldn't. Turned out he was shortsighted and had trouble reading the blackboard. As he didn't know any differently, he had just assumed it was the same for everyone.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: School lunch noodles fried so hard that children and teachers chip teeth See in context

That being said, the not being allowed to ask for help thing is a bit weird.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: School lunch noodles fried so hard that children and teachers chip teeth See in context

@HBJ

If it is like my daughter's school, the eat in silence thing is a temporary COVID rule. The kids have to take their masks off to eat, so they all sit facing the same direction and eat silently. Once they have finished and put their mask back on, they are free to go back to normal.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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