JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
-
1
Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
-
2
Confrontation
-
3
U.S. Navy investigating how parts fell off aircraft near Atsugi
-
4
California court to decide if SeaWorld whales are illegal 'slaves'
-
5
Kuroki reported pregnant 2 weeks after denying relationship with Akanishi
-
- 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
-
- Assistant Language Teacher - TOKYO - late-March start
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
-
- Assistant Language Teacher - Kanagawa Prefecture - late-March start
- Interac, Kanagawa
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
0
Hotbox08
By the way, here is a link of a youtube video showing the Yosakoi dance during the summer festival. Notice that contrary to what some posters have said, there are a lot of young people taking part in this dance. Not just for old women.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O9mJrg50JI
I simply love their costumes and high energy they show when doing the various choreographed routines.
Article Unavailable
0
Hotbox08
kyrie: You obviously got your information from Wikipedia. As for me, I'm married to a Japanese woman. Believe me, I have never done any of the things you mentioned above with her family. Every Obon, we travel to her hometown, which isn't very far from here. We go to her grandparents' grave and clean their tombstone. We then light some incense, say a prayer, and then go to a restaurant to eat lunch. Never have they dug up their bones, carry any lanterns, etc. As for the traditional Obon dancing, I have done it with in our local neighborhood and believe me, there is nothing sinister about it. It's just a bunch of people, young and old dancing around a tall platform with some people beating a taiko drum and blowing on a shakuhachi flute. The only complaint I may have about it is that some of the food is overpriced. It's about as harmless as trick-or-treating at Halloween time.
Article Unavailable
0
Hotbox08
kyushujoe:
I do agree with you that the ukulele is made for some types of music while the guitar is better suited for others. It would be unfair to say that one instrument is better than the other, since they are simply made for different types of music. Jake has just been a master at pushing the envelope in what he can do with a ukulele. Watching his fingers move on the instrument really does look like "jumping fleas".
Posted in: Jake Shimabukuro speaks to generations through the ukulele
0
Hotbox08
Sounds like kyrie likes the modern, sugar-coated versions of old traditions. Me, I prefer the local bon-odori to any commercialized events they have, such as Christmas, or White Day. But hey, to each his own I guess.
Nor is Obon. Kyrie, you're reaching to think that Japanese people go to graves to dig up old relatives during Obon. They don't. In actuality, Japanese simply go to their hometowns, visit their ancestors graves to do their annual cleaning of their tombstones (which I feel is more respectful than burying them and forgetting about them forever, and letting weeds grow over), and praying to them.
Article Unavailable
0
Hotbox08
Pixilated, you obviously haven't seen a good Yosakoi dance where it can get pretty active and high-paced, where everyone is chanting "A-soran-a-soran". It is typically done in Kochi during Obon, but has spread all over Japan and is now commonly seen in summer festivals, as well as during sports festivals in elementary schools.
Article Unavailable
0
Hotbox08
I think they changed the title from "Karate Kid" to "Best Kid" because it wouldn't seem right to call it "karate", when it isn't even karate. They should've called it "Kung Fu Kid" instead. Then again, most people who don't practice either martial art (and others like judo, taekwondo, and kickboxing), think they are all the same. Unfortunately, stupid Hollywood movies tend to perpetuate this point.
Posted in: Karate kid
0
Hotbox08
The one big difference in service, is that back home (in the U.S.), it's common for waiters or counter help to ask, "Yeah, what'll you want?", with no smile and in a tone as if you are bothering them for being there. But then again, I lived in that situation over and over, that you end up getting used to it anyway. Here, if a worker doesn't greet customers nicely, or give good service, they would be given a yelling at by the manager in the backroom.
As for the "Irrashaimase", it doesn't bother me, since it just means "Welcome". I only get irritated at stores if they ever try to aggressively push items for me to buy, which I don't want. It happens often back home; so I just say that "I'm only looking". No big deal.
Here, I've only had to complain once when they brought me the wrong drink, and in which case the waiter promptly said "Sumimasen" and brought me my correct order.
Posted in: What are some differences you have observed between waiters and waitresses in restaurants and cafes in Japan and other countries and also the way in which customers treat them?
0
Hotbox08
Debucho; I also don't see just about any race being nominated for animal lover awards in the future. The human race as a whole is cruel. Every country has cruelty to animals in their culture. Whether it be forcing bulls (or dogs and chickens) to fight, animals to perform in circuses and marine parks, factory farming, force-feeding animals for food, or keeping animals locked up in cages; it is all cruel. It is unfortunate that our so-called intelligence makes us also the most dangerous and brutal creatures on the planet.
Posted in: A lot of bull
0
Hotbox08
True, Fadamor, but even though it was a teacher, if it occured in a country like the U.S., it wouldn't make the evening news at all. I mean, in Japan, it's quite common to hear about on local TV news stations about your average Taro's house getting burglarized (even when no one was hurt, or no weapon used), or a fight breaking out between two people, ending with one being sent to the hospital with major injuries. I remember a friend of mine who was assaulted by a gang and had to be sent to the hospital with a broken jaw and other multiple injuries, but I never saw anything about it on the news.
That sounds like an entirely different case. In the story above, I sincerely doubt the woman he stole the wallet from even knew he was a teacher, so it is not an issue of broken trust. Besides, "a teacher" is only one of many occupations which could be deemed a "position of trust". Doctors, nurses, lawyers, politicians, firefighters, civil servants, police officers, managers, train conductors, actors, news correspondents, and bus drivers are just a handful of positions. In fact, just about anyone with a full-time job position commands a certain level of "trust" from people.
Posted in: Teacher arrested for stealing woman's wallet while on train
0
Hotbox08
Wow. Only in Japan would something like this make the news. Simple robberies, muggings, and burglaries often don't even make the local news back home.
Posted in: Teacher arrested for stealing woman's wallet while on train
0
Hotbox08
Angelina Jolie is downright gorgeous, but I'd rather see her without all those tattoos. IMO, the human body (especially hers) is beautiful without anything extra. I respect those, like the Maori, who do it for cultural reasons, but celebrities are definitely only doing it for narcissistic reasons.
Posted in: Jolie good time
0
Hotbox08
Sorry, but all three websites are in Japanese.
Posted in: Uniqlo puts old clothes to good use
0
Hotbox08
Good point presto. The Japan Salvation Army is a better place that accept such donations and would be better to take clothes to than Uniqlo. Red Cross Japan may accept them, but I guess you can check their website:
http://www.jrc.or.jp/index.html
The Japan Salvation Army site is located here:
http://www.salvationarmy.or.jp/
Also, the Shanti Volunteer Association also accepts donations of clothing:
http://sva.or.jp/index.html
Posted in: Uniqlo puts old clothes to good use
0
Hotbox08
Why? One of the leading causes of looking older and getting more wrinkles is too much exposure to the sun. Also, there is the real danger of skin cancer. Yukie Nakama, you look absolutely fabulous just the way you are. You don't need a tan.
Posted in: Yukie Nakama masters a few tricks
0
Hotbox08
I doubt it since the article clearly states that "none of the 64 games are sold out"; and I don't think Japan is playing in all 64 games. It's a shame that many of the South Africans themselves can't even afford the ticket prices to see the games.
Posted in: FIFA: More than 160,000 World Cup tickets still available
0
Hotbox08
Stop dissing on her, man. She's an inspiration to all of us "ara-4"s. Good for her to continue playing the sport she loves. She has shown that she can still hang with those younger than her. I like her spirit.
Posted in: Date Krumm ousted from French Open
0
Hotbox08
iPhone? Let's face it. People don't buy an iPhone for the basic calling someone feature at all, since it is a crap PHONE. No. People buy it for the cool apps, web browsing features, and status of having one. So what an iPhone really is, is an mp3 player / web browser / game player, etc. which happens to have a phone function built in.
Article Unavailable
0
Hotbox08
The best ekiben for me is the "gyutan" (cow's tongue) donburi bento you can get from Sendai station, which automatically becomes hot with the pull of a string at the bottom of the bento.
Posted in: No train trip would be complete without an ekiben boxed lunch
0
Hotbox08
I totally agree that the excuse of having U.S. military bases here as a deterrent against military attacks from China or North Korea, is lame. They won't attack. They know that there will be too many negative rammifications if they did attack Japan. They have too much to lose for going down that path. I still can't believe that people actually continue to use that as an argument for having U.S. military bases stationed in Okinawa.
Posted in: Anti-base ad
0
Hotbox08
It would have been more accurate to print: "Would you like 30 FOREIGN military bases in your backyard". After all, I never hear of any protests coming from locals living in areas where SDF bases are located.
Posted in: Anti-base ad