trinklets2 comments

@sakurasuki, there are who have those issues and you won't be able to tell just by talking to them for a few times. Just wondering if they're able to get hefty loans to go abroad, why not just get a small loan to fund a small business. I pity those trainees esp the girls who really try their best to hook up with someone who can give them visas. I find some of them really nice.

@Sakurasaki, low income people with debt, could be. But some are already drug dependents who underwent rehabs for visa purposes and regressed once settled in Japan. I belong to the low income group but I don't have those kind of debts nor a drug user hence no need to justify doing a crime if only one lives simply.

@fighto, the embassy doesn't cross check applicants even if they're using fake names as long as there's a birth certificate attesting to that name. As long as one has all the required docs, a visa is given and they're not always the best.

@kwatt, I don't think so. Sometimes the Japanese you are referring to are actual foreigners with Japanese first and last names. Heard a compatriot married to a "Japanese" and got a surprise of her life when upon his death she learned that he was actually a Korean.

In West Philippine Sea. they didn't just ordered, they blasted water cannon on Filipinos fishing vessels and even prevented the re supply vessels to the disputed islands. Seems like they want to own the whole of Asia while their "friendship" wants the whole of Europe.

Accdg to some news, even those who were in national penitentiary were able to run some criminal activities. Wonder what happened to that scandal some months ago. And the Luffies aren't all Japanese . Maybe besmirching the Japanese image.

Just maybe the crew manning the JCG plane is used to taking off and landing at their home bases where they have the runways all for themselves. Just maybe not used to busy airports like Haneda. But just the same a hefty price to learning. Tragic to the deceased and to the survivor who could be wishing he didn't survive the crash.

@Tokyo living, yes Japan shld be wary of its immigrants. Just a month ago a group of Vietnamese guys got into trouble when one chased another with a meter long samurai likeness where more than 5 patrol cars came over.

@Sakurasuki, except perhaps some language students who work 2 jobs but don't pay the right dues. Funny how their data didn't include that group.

Seems like the nationalists all the over the world(even in my own third world country) is realizing that one country is promoting itself by undermining the economies of other countries, both developed and developing ones.

Looking at the picture, just can't help think about those survival /war games. The man probably doesn't know the reality of war. Finding meaning in life is simply overcoming his own little war not being a jama or an excess bagage in the long run.

I have a hunch that a certain country is borrowing money from another country/ies and lending it to some thrid world countries. Business sense at its finest!

They had that weird alliance during the Vietnam war too. That is if my memory is right.

Affordable housing is just a bait word. I don't believe in that word. Somehow there's that issue on location, floor/lot area and the construction materials that will be used. Hence in the long run it's a bad investment.

@Bobo says if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. But if those monkeys know how to lay down, they'll get more peanuts. 760,000 left their jobs? Are they all Japanese/foreigners who are long time residents or trainees who have gone awol. With that unemployed number, there could be no need to welcome foreign trainees then.

Have everyone forgotten the economic sabotage posed by the influx of young foreign female interns? People from my native land and the likes are basically here to work and uplift the financial situation of their families. But there are researchers/interns/language students who are here not just to do what their visas allowed them.

The trainees the Jgovt allowed fills in the gap in the workforce. But some don't even contribute to social security and through some senior company staff, give work priority to them as most give "extra service" out of work hrs. Pity us residents who sometimes are at their will and dismissed to give way to more trainees like these. And when the pension plan dwindles, they'll blame it all to the govt when in fact the problem starts with them.

Beg to disagree with @wallace. When the Japanese translator of the book by Rushdie was murdered I just think foreign terrorism had already set foot. There are people who choose to work and live here to avoid political unrest/terrorism in their remote provinces. Yet, uses it as a very tool to sow fear among his province/region mates. Sad to note that they were meek as a lamb while still lining the embassy applying for their visas.

@Makoto Shimizu, like you and most of us are here mainly for economic reasons. Just sad to note that there are some who come and work here with political motive undermining the J economy like termites ruining the very house they live.

@wallace, I do think I'm one of the legally working foreigners here. Have had my permanent residence visa since 1998. But since the article doesn't differentiate trainees from immigrants/longterm residents, I do think I'm one of the 1.82M. And just to satisfy your inquisitive mind, I do pay all my taxes and insurances since I'm still working even I'll be 66 this yr.

Wonder how many from 1.82M pay the right taxes and contribute to social security fund.

Happy to learn that Pres Marcos is leaning towards the West unlike his predecessor who favored China. Looks like a sly plan to maintain his hold as president as there are rumors of him being unseated by his vice.

@awa no gaijin, most aren't noticing perhaps the inching up of another country which I think is basically run by China.

I used to work with some old men receiving pensions ¥500,000 every 2 months yet still working for some 4 to 5 hrs 5 times a week. And used to work with some old women as old as 72. Some oldies are used to making dramas all the while wasting their little money on pachinkos.

@Larr Flint, double locking the windows isn't a perfect assurance that no one could ever enter your apartment. The pros can easily remove the gaskets in glass windows and veranda doors. Take it from what I've experienced!

I just think if France ruled him to be insane, the cannibal man must have gotten the best lawyer in town. And even so, I must agree with one poster that the French people could be at fault for not protesting the verdict. But his lawyer was one hell of a lawyer paid perhaps very handsomely.

I wouldn't be surprised if social security deductions would go up if everyone with gender identity crisis would line up for workers' compensation. If a certain company doesn't appreciate the way you work and present yourself, go find another one. Else I'll think not being able to handle work related stress means not capable to work or just a drama to leech on the govt.

Unless one explicitly write "kill", using expletives and unacceptable descriptions, expressing mere opinion even beliefs is just part of freedom of speech. Just sometimes some people's view of being leftist/rightist/extremist is too rigid that if one isn't in alignment with the other one's beliefs, then you'll end up being branded as such. At times I'm at a loss whenever I'm banned from posting a comment when all I do is just write I believe.

@cleo as per @awa no gaijin description, the victim was dressed in costume and it would be hard to know if he's just holding a toy gun at that particular night. In my home country there were drunk men brandishing toy guns killed by police only to realize they were after all toys. And there were instances when people going Christmas caroling (because the treat or trick prank isn't that widespread yet in my home country) were actually thieves for home invasions. Of course the intonation American guy who said "freeze" wasn't friendly to really mean what he said. But who are we to know what's on their mind. Probably a part of the prank? No one could say. English education in Japan must teach the way they are really pronounced. Teach the L's from the R's not to adopt English to Japanese palate.

I just think it all boils down to one neglected part of learning English. Just take the English word "please". In Japan almost all Japanese cans say "purisu" and they'll be very well understood here in Japan. I just thought English is not just taught as an additional language but a skill to make communication with English speaking foreigners. Vis a vis with the Japanese style of pronouncing English words must be taught the real way they are pronounced. Just look at the tragic result of overlooking this very small and highly neglected side of English education in Japan. My heart goes to this family who just dream of a better opportunity for their son. And I might be bashed but quite sad too for that man who snuff the life of the poor kid just for trying to protect his property. Miscommunication with a high price.

@noriahojanen, include WWII and yes their true color would show up.

Single moms and pensioners who have around 1,200,000 yen income per anum is residence tax exempt and hence would be the recipient of the hand out. They are the ones described as low income earners. But what the rest of us who are low income earners and on the poverty level yet required by law to pay residence taxes. Can't they be fair enough to just give a salary threshold and include not just those who are residence tax exempt?