Toshihiro comments

Three things:

There are more fish in the sea, you just have to keep on fishing

There will always be somebody better and worse than the previous

Rejection always suck, but you'll eventually have to deal with it

Just my personal view. Despite the good points about Japan, it is one repressed society that's almost devoid of social interaction. There's overwork which leads people into not having the time and energy to socialize. Then, there's the not wanting to disturb others, so they just keep themselves to themselves, leading to people who do want to socialize to not socialize. Then, there's the prevalence of adult content. While it is not bad when used the right way, it encourages that certain kind of behavior among people who think it's okay to do that kind of stuff.

manned aircraft is after all, costlier to operate than drones. Japan should probably develop UAVs that can intercept intruders to make it more cost-effective. China does this on countries it has territorial issues with, to wear their wariness and resources down into normalcy.

It's spring after all, all the loonies are coming out of hibernation. Stay safe out there, guys. Stay aware of your surroundings and be prepared to bolt or fight your way in case somebody has ill intentions for you.

The Famichiki of Family Mart. It used to be larger than a palm pre-pandemic. But during the pandemic, it became noticeably palm-sized.

not a parent but I have lots of nieces, nephews and godchildren. I second @Jay's statement. Connecting to the internet today is easier than preparing instant ramen, and the amount of information you can access is like drinking from a fire hydrant, with lots of things a kid shouldn't see until they're an adult. This is why I see lots of my peers would give their kids a child-friendly phone with a lot parental control systems in place. But I'd take it a step further, kids shouldn't have gadgets at all, maybe a gaming console, but not a smartphone.

Growing up during the 90's, the most NSFW stuff I'd see were from late-night tv shows or the occasional magazine kids aren't allowed to see. Seeing those things at a young age will really mess up one's childhood if left unchecked.

If Japan really wants to boost its food security, it should support its farmers and not regulate and require them to boost production. If we retain the idea, this entire thing would read out like something from the medieval ages where the king is requiring all peasants to increase crop yield while providing no material support or even an incentive. Come on Japan, you're better than this. This country has prevailed for centuries through famine and war. There's probably some archaic practice that was used to increase crops without the cost of wearing out the farmers.

can't win wars without logistical support, that's for sure. they may not be the glamorous and awesome part of the military, but they do the heavy lifting, pun intended.

I'm Southeast Asian (Filipino) and even in mainstream media, Japan is the most trusted country in terms of investment, even before the orange guy returned to the oval office. All I can say is this, unlike other global north countries, especially those from the West, Japan seems to understand the plight of us Southeast Asians better and tend to adjust itself to our values and customs. They're more trustworthy when it comes to deals as they have less unfavorable strings attached on agreements. I'm currently working for my home country's gov't, so I see how my country sees Japan on a professional level as well, and it holds true.

Thank goodness. Such a world we live in nowadays, you get in trouble for being honest about your mistakes. Makes one want to become dishonest instead. What does the world value nowadays, moral good or the legal system?

If Trump wasn't disliked enough for pulling what he did in the past months, he will surely get the ire of more countries now. America's allies are probably cringing hard and grinning with grinded teeth if they ever have to meet with this guy in the future. Nobody benefits from this, why do it? He's just accelerating the decline of the global economy.

I welcome this. Overlooking that this might be a case of the government being in bed with some big business, having an alternate source of power is great. Thankfully, they can drop the cool biz idea during the warmer months and just let people enjoy some cool airconditioning without the fear of exhausting the power grid.

> kiboushaApr. 1  07:09 am JST

Physical art will be a thing again. Oil painting, stone carvers, carpenters, paper-related industries. It's gonna renaissance age again, but this time it's the whole world.

Let's make giant statues again! Like the Colossus of Rhodes!

4( +5 / -1 )

This! I'd also add live performances by theater and music as well. If Fast and the Furious series taught me anything, if they can fake Paul Walker in an entire movie even before AI became a thing, they could easily make an entire movie and persona from AI. Not to mention the AI covers. I mean, I've heard Frank Sinatra perfectly singing Evangelion's theme song. Let's stick to reality more.

Yes. Marrying for love and companionship still holds true today. It's just unfortunate that media tends to hype up divorce and certain -ism tend to demonize marriage and call for people to milk their partner dry and leave them with nothing when their marriage goes south. Most people thankfully aren't like that. There's also thankfully a pushback against ultra libera values nowadays. Challenging and questioning traditions are fine, but those that hold up the fabric of society shouldn't be torn down if a better alternative is ready to replace it. As it stands and in my opinion, marriage is here to stay.

I remember going through a phase where I would attend every comic con there was in my country, and remember a feeling of belongingness and happiness. It was like a festival for people with the same interests. It was great. I think you could compare this to sporting events such as the world cup. Aside from the actual sport itself, the gathering of like-minded people over a common interest creates that sacred feeling.

All I know is this, people can gamble on anything and can bet on anything. I've seen people gambling over a board game and a basketball game. I personally don't gamble and I don't endorse it, but I get why people get hooked. The Japanese are just like people from other parts of the globe, some like to gamble. That's why there's pachinko parlors and there's shops nearby that buy the ball bearings you win.

never tried this workweek but a close friend does, here's what she told me

pros: you have one extra day to live. this is more pronounced if you live far away.

cons: you have almost little to no time to do chores and do other things after work since you're tired.

If you ask me, a compressed workweek is best for people who live close to their workplace and can manage to do their chores with little to no time.

It's just a perceived precious metal. As other commenters said, it's based on historical narratives. It's rare and looks pretty, but doesn't have much practical application. The water-diamond paradox comes to mind. The recent pandemic puts this into perspective, what good is a bar of gold or any precious metal when you can't but food because shops are closed.

Yes, especially Japan. When backpacking, you're less likely encumbered by a heavy suitcase and can travel to more remote and niche areas, something that Japan has lots of. I keep telling people that Japan isn't just Tokyo and Osaka, it has lots of hidden gems in the countryside. If you're also doing backpacking, chances are you're not the fast-paced and high-rolling traveler as well, which is great for the countryside as you won't see much neon lights and rowdy bars there. Plus, Japan has a great public transport network and is significantly safer than most countries, so backpacking is better to do there than other places.

It stands firm with Ukraine and will provide all logistical support on its defense against the Russian invasion, as well as ensuring that those that wish to seek asylum in Japan will be given. At the time where we're too intertwined and interdependent, there shouldn't be a lukewarm response on global matters like this. What happens in Ukraine could also happen in other global hotspots, including two at Japan's doorstep.

It's easy to be complacent and apathetic when disasters are just seen on tv as opposed to seeing them through your window.

80% is a credible percentage of the population. I guess behind the ultra polite and considerate facade of the average Japanese, the archaic side still resides where unwavering wills prevail and punishments are harsh.

A fair comparison on the quality between Chinese-made and Japanese-made EVs are on those small motorcycles and scooters. They're a boom in my country and I've seen Honda electric scooters alongside Chinese-made ones in our streets. The edge the Japanese-made ones have is service life and quality. A neighboring office has a Honda Sundiro SO7 and has been in use for quite some time. Meanwhile, I know several people who own China-made EVs and complain about replacement parts and aftermarket service.

This is also true for their gas-powered motorcycles. Chinese-made ones are hard to repair, but Japanese ones are a breeze.

It's a cascading effect. Large data centers consume lots of electricity, bumping up the demand for power in their area. If the local power provider can't provide enough power for all users, energy reserves will run low, heightening the risk of power outages during peak consumption periods such as winter and summer. If the energy provider does bump up their output and their means of production is through dirty means such as coal and fossil fuel, more emissions will go up in the air, ruining the environment in the long run.

I think we probably won't need an explanation on why more emissions are bad for the environment. With the advent of AI and more industries leaning more on big data, more massive data centers will exist. If you ask me, they are the new polluters. Let's not even get started on mining for rechargeable batteries.

China will never overtake Japan in the automotive business, even in EVs. It's just that China has a stronger industrial complex and its government can strong arm its manufacturing sector, which is probably why we get a boom in China-made EVs. I personally don't hate China-made EVs, I just won't trust them as much.

I have a classmate living there and says there's no place she'd rather be. Life there is slow, peaceful and there's lots of nature. Jobs are relatively easier to find as despite being a countryside due to population centers and resorts.

The local artisan-made ones that are just known in their area. I find that artisan-made chocolates taste more like chocolate should, you can find the cocoa beans in there with a hint of bitterness and sweetness. I'd argue that commercially-made ones taste more like sugar.

I lost a good friend since high school when we were 26 due to cancer as well. He survived bone cancer, only to succumb to complications and lack of proper healthcare during covid. I know that this isn't the same essence as her story, I'm just saying that cancer is also getting to us younger generations and staying healthy has never been harder considering the pace of modern life.

Good on her for keeping that fighting spirit alive and choosing to fight even when the odds are against her. I remember one saying that stuck to me from a survival manual that says the only true defeat is death, anything else is a battle in your head.

My situational awareness changes depending on the setting, time of day, and who I'm with. These reports of course raise the hairs on the back of your neck for some time, and that's good because it reminds you to stay sharp. @Hawk sums it up nicely:

While you can take certain precautions, you can't live your life being ruled by fear. Sometimes bad stuff is just going to happen.

My advice for this is to stay vigilant, but not paranoid. And always wear something you can move quickly and freely in.

I'd argue and lower the bar at people have become poor at even conversing in text, especially at long conversations and their ability to comprehend. I can't count how many times somebody got mad at me or got confused from reading my comment because they couldn't understand the nuances or the message between the lines. In terms of speaking conversations, the presence of the phone makes it unpleasant. I find it that people can't seem to last more than 10 minutes without checking their phone. Call me old but during the smart phone boom of the 2010's the people who check their phones that much were mostly high-level executives or just people who were chronically busy.

I thankfully can cope will with hay fever so I never felt the need to take extra precautions. From experience, have some antipyretic such as paracetamol in your home. To quell the irritated airways, I recommend doing a steam bath (basin of hot saltwater and cover yourself up with a blanket and inhale that steam). This never fails for me.