JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Kanto region
- RCS (RCSコーポレーション), Kanto
- Salary: ¥180,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month includes performance bonus
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- Assistant Language Teacher - TOKYO - late-March start
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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- Assistant Language Teacher - Kanagawa Prefecture - late-March start
- Interac, Kanagawa
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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Antonios_M
Great! Declare a dangerous man "insane" and let him skip punishment. Another "success" of the western world and "human rights".
Posted in: Norway killer found insane, unfit for prison
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Antonios_M
Well, let's hope that it is not radiation related (although i doubt, judging by the "confidentiality" of the illness) and that he will get well soon. Everyone who fought in order to keep safe all of us and the country as well, is a hero to my eyes.
Of course, i can't say the same for many managers and shareholders of TEPCO who made terrible choices and lied constantly in order to protect the "status" of the company.
Posted in: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant director sick, says TEPCO
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Antonios_M
Very good actors, indeed! Can't wait to see the movie.
Posted in: Beat Takeshi, Ken Takakura reunite after 26 years
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Antonios_M
Nice but how can he be 100% sure just by finding two holes and the remnants of 4 graves? It would be interesting to find something like that, and i am sure that it would attract thousands of tourists if it is promoted appropriately.
Posted in: Archeologist says he has found Pocahontas wedding site
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Antonios_M
Hmm, i have to disagree. Japanese commercials are funny for the Japanese standards and usually very successful among the Japanese audience (remember, the goal is not only to be funny, but also to attract the audience to the product).
I agree with this one though. Why would anybody want to watch the same commercial twice in a row?
Posted in: Tasty, these noodles are: Nissin gets help from Yoda
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Antonios_M
Have to agree with this one.
Posted in: Midtown Christmas
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Antonios_M
Ryokan hospitality is legendary. I am sad to admit that i have never visited a Ryokan not oven once even though i had the opportunities during business trips around Japan. I have always ended up in the faceless (but much more price-friendly) business hotel instead. I would love to visit once during vacations though.
Posted in: Old-fashioned escapes
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Antonios_M
Ok, i don't need this fancy decoration, but i have to admit it....Tokyo illumination at night is fantastic!!! And i love the Christmas spirit in Japan, even though it's artificial and made to serve commercial purposes...
Posted in: Golden tree
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Antonios_M
Definitely the right way to go!!! Of course, the psychological wounds of the girls won't disappear just like that, but at least they and their families would feel much better knowing that the monster who did this to them will disappear from the face of earth.
I definitely approve death penalty in such cases.
Posted in: China executes man for raping 14 schoolgirls
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Antonios_M
There are cases where graffiti is a piece of art and cases where it's just an act of vandalism. In this case, it's the second. I hope they catch them and they will get punished by making them clean all of the tags.
Btw, Japan is one of the "cleanest" countries in the world when it comes to graffiti (leaving authoritarian regimes aside). Back in my home country, this act of vandalism would have been just another daily routine of some punks or "kids with a lot of free time on their hands". You rarely see a clean railroad car over there and it gets even worse when you see road signs covered with graffiti. While there is graffiti in Japan, it is definitely not so popular in comparison with other countries.
Posted in: Vandals target metro subway lines nationwide
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Antonios_M
Oh, my God, another terrible incident in Saitama. I hope that the girl will recover both physically and mentally. I can't believe that world is full with these lunatics. It's such a shame and i hope the culprit will get arrested soon.
Posted in: 14-year-old girl slashed on face by man on street in Saitama
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Antonios_M
Sometimes, the logic of modern politics is just too hard to understand. Please, keep in mind that giving money to developing countries is mutually beneficial for both the donor and the receiver. However, you should always be careful AND you must be sure that you have solved all domestic issues that require packages of money (for example, the reconstruction of Tohoku area). You must never overestimate your ability for cash flow. Therefore, i would say that Japan nowadays is not in the position for offering such a large amount of money to Southeast nations.
Posted in: Japan offers Southeast Asian nations Y2 tril to build infrastructure
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Antonios_M
Best wishes to the Emperor.
Posted in: Emperor has mild pneumonia, Imperial Household Agency says
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Antonios_M
Wonderful!!!
Posted in: Hope and bonds
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Antonios_M
Believe me, there are many mountainous areas in Japan where you can get "lost". It's better to take all precautions when going for hiking in remote areas.
Posted in: Lost 81-yr-old man, granddaughter, 3, kept warm by their dog until rescued
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Antonios_M
The goal for Greece is not to turn into Germany overnight. There are certain things that need to be done in order to make the economy more competitive and improve the balance of trade. If these reforms are implemented, Greece's economy would be sustainable and therefore a reliable member of the Eurozone.
Posted in: New Greek government in race against time
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Antonios_M
Strong yen is killing Japan...
Posted in: 'Made in Japan' brand at crossroads as firms ponder moving production overseas
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Antonios_M
Thank you, global watcher. I also wish the best for my fellow Greeks and Europeans alike. I wish i could help more from my part though.
WilliB, do you realize what consequences would have to the global market a sudden dissolution of the Eurozone? Even kicking out small Greece would create chaos to the economic status quo... Now just imagine this at the scale of economies such as Italy, France, etc. The collapse of the Goldman Sachs would be a joke in comparison. I don't see any rational man wishing for something like that. As you said, i agree that creating a common currency might have been a naive mistake mainly because Europe is consisted from different countries with different economic and political background. However, the cost of taking these countries out of the Eurozone, or dissolving the common currency, is enormous.
Why not to attempt to cure the patient instead of letting him die? Yes, there were many things wrong with the common currency. But, there were some good things as well. People of Europe came as close as never before and many others found themselves enjoying a better welfare. And, YES, there are many things that need to be done and MUST be done in order to protect the economy.
Posted in: New Greek government in race against time
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Antonios_M
Hmm, very interesting. There are many things that you can blame Greece for, but i get the feeling that Greece has become the scapegoat of the global media lately. Let's clear some things out.
Greece's average retirement age is currently 61 and the goal for the government is to set it at 63 until 2013. Keep in mind though that some elders work illegally since the pension is not enough to make a living. As for the public employees: during the last census of public sector that occurred last year by the state, the number of public employees was counted as 768,009. If we consider that the total labor force is 4.6 millions, (or 5+ millions if we count those working illegally), then we have a percentage of 16.7% and 15.3+% of total labor force respectively. Thus, i can't see where the numbers of 23-25% come from that i often read at news sites. You can definitely blame the last government though, since the public employment share was 11.4% in 2002 and therefore, we have a tremendous increase during the last 8 years. (To make a comparison, the percentage of public employees in total workforce of Sweden and Denmark is 32%, in Norway 29%, and in the U.S.A. 16.4%).
Of course, there are MANY things that need to be done. I don't want to say that it's not Greece's fault. Of course it is, but that has to do with the way the Greek economy used to operate the last 20-30 years, and not because Greeks are lazy and opportunists.
Here are some useful links:
Results from the census of public employees in Greece (Greek only): http://apografi.gov.gr/2010/07/379
Data in PDF about public sector from OECD (English): http://129.3.20.41/eps/pe/papers/0507/0507011.pdf
Retirement ages around the world from OECD (English): http://www.oecd.org/document/47/0,3343,en_2649_34747_39371887_1_1_1_1,00.html
Comparison between Greece and USA (English): http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/2011/11/how-the-united-states-is-like-and-unlike-greeceposner.html
Posted in: New Greek government in race against time
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Antonios_M
Very true. What i found surprising in Japan, was that American blockbusters were distributed in Japanese cinemas with delays of 3-4 months or more. I would like to see more cinemas focused on Japanese old movies though. I am a huge fan of Toshiro Mifune (best actor ever), Akira Kurosawa, Yasujirou Ozu, and Kenji Mizoguchi. I love going late at night and watch a classic Japanese film after a dinner somewhere.
Posted in: Double-bill cinemas: The cheapest shows in town