GJP2006 said...

GJP2006 at 02:14 PM JST - 18th July

As a teacher in a Japanese school I see teachers having to stay and do sports/meetings etc. without any extra pay. Craziness.

Yes indeed - especially teachers in Japan. I asked my child's elementary school teacher what she planned to do over the five week summer holiday. She told me…

Posted in Skylark outlet manager dies from overwork at 02:14 PM JST - 18th July
GJP2006 at 01:06 PM JST - 18th July

This is a really really sad story. I am so tired of reading and hearing about these karoshi death cases. I see it in my own workplace and it is absolutely awful. I see folks who work until 4AM, go home sleep 2-3 hours, eat, shower and back at the…

Posted in Skylark outlet manager dies from overwork at 01:06 PM JST - 18th July
GJP2006 at 04:48 PM JST - 16th July

Yes, it is unfortunate. And, how about making this a teaching moment for these middle school students in both countries.

Posted in S Korean city cancels home stays for Japanese children at 04:48 PM JST - 16th July
GJP2006 at 02:40 PM JST - 16th July

Yes, the authors knowledge of Kanji, or Chinese characters certainly helped her learn Japanese but that is, as someone pointed out, like an English speakers' knowledge of roman letters aiding in learning French.

Posted in Chinese novelist Yang wins prestigious Japanese literature prize at 02:40 PM JST - 16th July
GJP2006 at 02:28 PM JST - 16th July

Once many years ago, I listened through my door and watched through the peephole as one of these sales creeps harassed a female university student living next door. I think he was trying to force his way into her apartment and she even let out a few screams. I opened…

Posted in 2 Yomiuri newspaper delivery agents arrested for allegedly raping woman at 02:28 PM JST - 16th July
GJP2006 at 02:16 PM JST - 16th July

As I was walking through Tokyo's sauna subway tunnels today I had to laugh as I can just imagine all the spectators and visitors here for the 2016 Olympics and sweating and complaining because Tokyo's lack of air-conditioning and ventilation in its subways.

Posted in Tokyo 2016 is making the environment an absolute priority as we bid to unite Green with 2016. This is a concrete commitment that we will offer the world. at 02:16 PM JST - 16th July
GJP2006 at 01:55 PM JST - 16th July

Landowl, I get the gist of what you are saying and I agree, in an ideal world, there would be no crime committed by service members in their host countries - but of course, we don't live in that ideal world. I also believe that life on base and the…

Posted in The serious crime rate for U.S. service members off their bases is approximately half that of the Japanese population. at 01:55 PM JST - 16th July
GJP2006 at 01:03 PM JST - 16th July

This doesn't surprise me, in fact, most US service members in Japan, and most Japanese citizens, are law abiding. The media and local populace as well as politicians here just explode and exploit a crime by a service member but couldn't care less about other types of violence such as…

Posted in The serious crime rate for U.S. service members off their bases is approximately half that of the Japanese population. at 01:03 PM JST - 16th July
GJP2006 at 12:45 PM JST - 8th July

How many Japanese people go abroad and demand to have tatami rooms!

None, because most Japanese who travel abroad sleep in beds when in Japan. Tatami sleeping is and has been on the decline in Japan. While many of us here would welcome a cozy futon, I can see as…

Posted in Tatami rooms don't agree with G-8 visitors at 12:45 PM JST - 8th July
GJP2006 at 04:34 PM JST - 3rd July

was as low a point in politics as I can remember.

Give me a break - this has got to be a joke - a low point in politics because a candidates wife made an off-the-cuff remark referring to being proud of the political process? Then, I assume another low…

Posted in Americans cool to Michelle Obama, don't know Cindy McCain at 04:34 PM JST - 3rd July