Balefire said...

Balefire at 03:34 PM JST - 8th September

franknbeans,

"Freelance" in this case means that, unlike most announcers, MCs, anchorpeople, TV presenters, etc., who work as employees of the TV Stations or networks, she is one of the relatively few people who (usually because they become popular enough to believe that they can do so) decide to quit…

Posted in Freelance TV presenter Mari Watanabe announces marriage at 03:34 PM JST - 8th September
Balefire at 03:14 PM JST - 25th August

The article indicates that he said his wife's mental health was deteriorating, and he had no income. Apparently she was becoming senile, and he didn't think he could care for her any longer.

It's hard enough, with the extremely limited medical, counseling, and other resources available in Japan, to care…

Posted in Man arrested for strangling wife in Kawasaki at 03:14 PM JST - 25th August
Balefire at 02:34 PM JST - 25th July

I have to agree with the "lie" vs. "get caught", especially in light of all the food related recent counterfeiting/lying episodes.

It will be pretty hard to find/sell many soy bean based products(including soy sauce and miso) using only domestic sources.

The proportion of marine products caught domestically (as opposed…

Posted in More pubs hanging green lanterns to advertise domestic fare at 02:34 PM JST - 25th July
Balefire at 12:34 PM JST - 25th July

The first sentence of the article is incorrect.

What the survey actually shows is that among the 60 loan word terms in the survey--whatever they may have been other than "stress", "website", "recycle", and "volunteer"--"stress" was the one most recognized by the survey respondents, and, presumably, reported by them as…

Posted in 'Stress' most recognized loanword in Japan at 12:34 PM JST - 25th July
Balefire at 03:41 PM JST - 23rd April

Something very similar happened to me in Ueno Station last year. Fortunately, I'm a permanent resident and I speak Japanese. That didn't entirely prevent a very unpleasant few minutes with the plainclothes cops.

I was accosted by at first one fellow who asked "Do you come here often?", as his…

Posted in Roughed up by the cops in Shinjuku at 03:41 PM JST - 23rd April
Balefire at 01:25 PM JST - 20th April

I don't see what's new about these. Scissors like this have been widely available here in shops and through catalogue sales (Co-op/Seikyo, for example) for several years now. Several friends have been using them for two years at least.

Posted in Shredder scissors at 01:25 PM JST - 20th April
Balefire at 01:56 PM JST - 8th April

From the TV news coverage last night, it appears that his earlier conviction was for illegal disposition of a corpse, and not for murder. He seems to have claimed to have found the previous woman dead already. An autopsy doesn't seem top have been done, but in any case they…

Posted in Mutilated body part thought to be of Filipina found in Tokyo condo at 01:56 PM JST - 8th April
Balefire at 02:11 PM JST - 1st April

I used to live in Tomigaya, close to Yoyogi Park, and had a lot of sympathy for the tuba player who regularly practiced there. I'd see/hear him when I'd ride through on my way to work, and assumed that he couldn't find, or maybe afford, any other place to practice.…

Posted in Bagpipe at 02:11 PM JST - 1st April