TheInterstat comments

Posted in: Why is Japan such an unpopular tourist destination? See in context

@JaneM; you are making assumptions there. For your information, I have travelled extensively, by bicycle all over the country, for years. My opinion remains the same. Even in the middle of the country side, there is endless grubby concrete roads, abandoned industrial buildings and everyone smokes constantly. Up the top of the mountains you do get a long distance view, but it is hardly beautiful; merely a long horizon of hazy pollution and power cables.

I realise this is a Japan focused site, so most people will be out to defend the place, but taking a step back, it genuinely is grim.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Posted in: Why is Japan such an unpopular tourist destination? See in context

Why would anybody really want to come to Japan, when the alternatives are so much more attractive?

Compare a holiday in Japan, with spending the same money to go around Europe, through some geniunely beaufitul areas, incredibly wide open and clean air, with people who don't stare at you, smoke constantly in restaurants and on the street, etc., and you can see why people don't want to come here. If I didn't work here earning money, I would not be here. None of you would, given a free choice of anywhere to live or travel to.

It is a smoke-filled grim concrete xenophobic factory; literally the mirror opposite of somewhere like the south of France, or the Spanish islands.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Posted in: Nikkei ends 2014 at 15-year high See in context

Traders get profit. Brokers get commission.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: At some point it will become clear to everyone that Japan has rung up debts that it has no ability to pay back other than through printing money: there simply aren’t going to be enough economically pr See in context

The biggest 'debts' here are not money.

The biggest debts have been created by the culture itself; tenuring idiots into positions way above their brain computing power, refusing to entertain the idea of immigration, creating a crushing culture where people don't have kids, etc. All of this is the real debt. It has been building and building and we are now seeing the interest payments becoming too much to handle. Like any massive debt, when it gets too big, like it has now for Japan, there is no way out. You can't just file for cultural bankruptcy, because there is no alternative and nowhere for them to go.

Personally, I have watched the whole thing with mirth, as CLEARLY it was going to end up like this. They are reaping what they have sewn, and I really have no sympathy whatsoever. As soon as I have rinsed them for as much money as they will give me, I will stop putting up with their crap, get on a plane and swan off, leaving them to their fate.

They brought this on themselves.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Posted in: Toyota to give away fuel-cell patents to boost industry See in context

Nothing wrong with Toyota taking the lead and forcing their technology to become the standard, if it works.

There comes a time when we need to forge forward into the future, and if these guys are standing up and saying 'follow us', then they are the alphas who get to say how things go. Completely fine by be and I applaud this move by them.

There will be some twisting and turning for sure, but it is overall a benefit, and pretty exciting stuff.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Posted in: Bodies found near site where AirAsia plane crashed See in context

Does this article really need to say Bloated bodies? That is way too graphic for no reason.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Posted in: Nikkei ends 2014 at 15-year high See in context

How does my comment deserve a downvote? I was literally just talking standard trading stuff. Weird. Anyway, this volatility is ace for making money on the market. Celebrating the fact that the nikkei is a bit higher than before is a little odd, but sensationalism sells I suppose.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Posted in: Sign of the times See in context

Amazing the need for something like this, whatever it actually is, when everyone is carrying a multi-core touchscreen computer in their pocket at all times.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Posted in: Doubts remain on North Korean role in Sony attack See in context

Fadamor; yeah, some good info in there, but it should also be considered that when an anonymous (lower case a) attack comes from a country like North Korea, the country is implicated as an administrative whole. When it comes from a group who admit the attack, which also happened to Sony and Microsoft with their PS4 and XBOX networks over xmas when Lizard Squad went on the rampage, there are no blockages of connections from wherever they come from, as they are not government affiliated. In that particular case, Kim Dotcom stepped in and sorted it all out, amusingly, because he was annoyed he couldn't play games at Christmas. Haha

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Posted in: Sign of the times See in context

What actually is this service for? No indication given other than some random idiom that the guy who wrote it must have found in a knackered old English dictionary propping up the table in the smoking room, and tried to impress his mates with.

Is it a phone line for emergencies when on a train? For financial help? What?!!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Posted in: Doubts remain on North Korean role in Sony attack See in context

No doubt from me over this. They did me a favour, allowing me to sell short on my Sony shares and make some quick cash.

Cheers Kim Jong Un, you lunatic!

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Posted in: Japan's self-professed 'omotenashi' (spirit of selfless hospitality) is often misinterpreted to force pre-determined services on foreign visitors with a different set of values to behave the way Japan See in context

Haha, that makes it even more cringe. They are writing the review of their own service themselves, by flowering up the meaning of the word.

Plus all this Omotenashi jibberish don't mean jack if you ain't got no money, or you are not Japanese.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Posted in: Japan's self-professed 'omotenashi' (spirit of selfless hospitality) is often misinterpreted to force pre-determined services on foreign visitors with a different set of values to behave the way Japan See in context

^Oh yeah? Which one is that, and what do they falsely and hilariously consider themselves to be unique in?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Posted in: Why the U.S. will power the world economy in 2015 See in context

The US has always led the way. No idea where this idea that they don't has come from.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Posted in: Japan's self-professed 'omotenashi' (spirit of selfless hospitality) is often misinterpreted to force pre-determined services on foreign visitors with a different set of values to behave the way Japan See in context

There are unique aspects, indeed. Just not the ones that they would dearly with to be the only nation in possession of.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Posted in: Japan's self-professed 'omotenashi' (spirit of selfless hospitality) is often misinterpreted to force pre-determined services on foreign visitors with a different set of values to behave the way Japan See in context

This insular mutual appreciation society thing they have going on here is pure undiluted cringe, it really is. The amount of platitudes that fly around is insane, and spooks me in the same way that meeting a really really religious person who seems completely unable to comprehend even slightly different realities, or lifestyles. It is even more insane given the fact that the country has the best internet connection ever, so they can instantly access complete and thorough information in text and ultra high definition video form, 24/7, which prove in a millisecond how un-unique they truly are.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Posted in: Japan's self-professed 'omotenashi' (spirit of selfless hospitality) is often misinterpreted to force pre-determined services on foreign visitors with a different set of values to behave the way Japan See in context

"I felt more welcome in Japan than any other Asian country close to Japan."

LOL, as if that is a sign of quality.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Posted in: Nikkei ends 2014 at 15-year high See in context

Yeah it was a bullish year, commercially. Would be good if consumer confidence could catch up.

Made some pretty good returns with the volatility of the Nikkei this year. Rollercoaster all the way, and pretty exciting.

Sold short on the USD/YEN too which was excellent!

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Posted in: Japan's self-professed 'omotenashi' (spirit of selfless hospitality) is often misinterpreted to force pre-determined services on foreign visitors with a different set of values to behave the way Japan See in context

^Yeah I noticed this immediately when I arrived in 2005.

It is simply what happens in extremely nationalistic areas, where the people allow themselves to be brainwashed by the common concensus, don't question anything, and believe what they are told. Very similar to a place like Argentina.

If you are around a group of Japanese people, listen out for how often they make observations, or comments about 'nihonjin wa...'. It is an unusually high amount, and is mainly always followed by banality or outright nationalistic nonsense that is not unique to Japan at all.

A lack of cultural sophistication, essentially.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Posted in: Smoke haters go after smokers with a vengeance See in context

Yesterday I went shopping.

Outside the big OI building in town is a big smoking area.

It was pretty busy with loads of people smoking there. To get to the shops, you have to walk through the smokers. Makes no sense.

But that is not the bad thing I saw yesterday. As I was walking through, I saw a young mother, maybe 25 years old, with a very small baby strapped to her front, with one of those forward facing baby carriers that you wear like a rucksack forwards. The babies head was pretty much touching her chin, and was facing towards her.

She was smoking in the smoking area. I could not believe my eyes, and I could not believe that nobody else was appalled and considered it completely normal.

This is NOT a modern country, and that behaviour is widespread and utterly DISGUSTING, both by the perpetrator and by society as a whole who lets this happen without saying anything.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Posted in: Influenza See in context

I had the flu that went around last year. It was really really hardcore nasty. Took me down for about 3 days. I was completely battered by it.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Posted in: Smoke haters go after smokers with a vengeance See in context

The smoking in Japan shows the true state of the nation; decades behind, unwilling to change or adopt 'foreign' practices, even when they are so blatantly better.

The amount of smokers here, and the fact that it is basically encouraged and completely socially acceptable is an absolute disgrace to the Japanese, in what is nearly 2015.

8 ( +16 / -9 )

Posted in: Bringing Britain to life for Japanese visitors See in context

LOL@ all the Japanese people passing judgement on the UK, yet being utterly clueless about 99% of what it is about. I have literally never heard a single Japanese person mention anything even approaching anything from the following list...

Burial, Aphex Twin, Autechre, the whole rave scene, the modern art scene, Shoreditch, the London Grime scene, massive multi-culturalism leading to entirely new afro-futuristic art forms, Chris Morris, dodgy back street Pubs, the Premiereship, hammering it around the home counties in a Jaguar then firing back to your massive 7 bedroom Bedfordshire house for an all night summer open house garden party, the punk scene, Shane Meadows, drum and bass, fusion foods, etc etc etc.

And they never will, because for them, it is all about pre-packaged activities and pre-packaged opinions.

To be honest, I don't care one bit that the Japanese don't have a clue about where I am from. Means we get to keep it for ourselves.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Posted in: Are you old enough to remember a time when there were no cell phones, no email, no Internet and no way to keep you connected to the world 24 hours a day? If so, do you sometimes think back on that tim See in context

I remember it. I grew up on the event horizon of modern communications.

Do I look back on the time before this fondly? Well, yeah, there are certain things I liked more back then than now, but that is because I enjoy spending time working things out by myself, generally, in life.

The way things are now though is WAY better. I particularly like being able to call out a persons BS with a simple Google search. I think the way that this is always a possibility nowadays has reduced the amount of rubbish people feel they can get away with spouting, which is a bonus. Linked to this, I absolutely LOVE the way that I am able to instantly find the objective truth about anything medical related, be that correct drug usage, dosage, symptoms, possible complications, etc etc etc. This is especially useful in Japan with the doctors they way they are (offensively incompetent liars on the whole); only last week I walked into a doctors office (well, a curtained off bit of a big open room) and told him to his face that what he was trying to prescribe me was wrong - slammed my phone down on desk and demanded he read what I had searched. He tried to back pedal, after realising I was not willing to take his lies, and rubbish, but the damage was done. Thanks internet!!

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Posted in: Fanatic fans oblivious to sleazy side of Koshien high school baseball See in context

Right,

My friend works for one of the schools who competed in this, this year. She had a lot of interesting info to tell me about this, regarding the boys who compete and the coaches who deal with the team. Not all of it was bad, but to summarize, the boys were given that dangerous privilege of being allowed to get away with murder in the school, and passed through all of their academic classes, purely for being on the baseball team. This meant that they were often disruptive, to the detriment of the other students. Probably a tip here; unless your kid is directly involved in the baseball team, don't for the love of God sent your child to one of these baseball focused schools, or they will get sidelined and ignored.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Posted in: Pachinko parlor politeness See in context

Pachinko is all part of the package that needs to die in Japan; Pachinko, sexism, smoking, crystal meth, old men creating the acceptable standards and not allowing the youth to dictate the social climate, etc etc. It is HORRIFIC.

2 ( +9 / -7 )

Posted in: Are Japanese growing less heat-resistant? See in context

Heatstroke is purely a behavioural issue. You have to actively do something to get it, and force yourself to be in the sun more than your body is telling you to do.

Does this sound like something the Japanese would do? Absolutely 100% yes.

Are the Japanese, as a subset of humans suddenly, after millions of years of evolution, hyper-evolving against the flow of evolution to be LESS suitable to their environment? No, of course not.

Are they continuing to do that Japanese thing of ganbarouing against all reason and logic, to the point where they are dropping dead with heat stroke. Yes, obviously they are.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Posted in: Japan's smoking rate drops to record low See in context

Smoking, like any other drug addiction causes the addicts to enable eachother; the fact that cigarettes are currently legal, make this enabling very easy and wide-spread; taking a step back, think how insane it is to be able to acceptably say 'I need to go for a break to smoke drugs' whilst at work, which is what taking a cigarette break purely is.

Asian cultures smoke a lot more than Western, because they are comparatively less modern. Again, simple as that. As they modernise, you will see a reduction in smokers, but it will take several generations for smoking to become a minority activity in Asia, including Japan. I am from England, which I am proud to say has taken steps to begin the eradication of tobacco smoking, and the associated addiction, anti-social behaviour and disease. It will be a long time until Japan follows this, but it will come, eventually. Maybe.

Anyone downvoting this, is an addict, pure and simple and will feel attacked by my comments, which they will see as criticism for their problem. I understand this, as addictions are hard to beat, but you need to do it, if you wish to modernise yourself.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Posted in: Eye on the ball See in context

Note the 3 Asian guys in the background sycophantically clapping and grinning, and the other guy looking on as any normal guy would, thinking; "sigh... what a melt."

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

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