JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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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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- Part Time Assistant Language Teacher - Kanagawa Prefecture - late-March start
- Interac, Kanagawa
- Salary: ¥9,000 / Day per 4 class shift
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Piglet
@oginome
Are you kidding me? South Korea and Japan have roughly the same GDP (PPP) per capita, between France and Israel, based on IMF data (2011).
Standard of living in both countries is relatively similar, but SK is on ascending trend, while Japan has been on a descending trend for 20 years (and it is just the beginning unfortunately).
The point of this paper is that Japan is progressively loosing its industrial edge and becomes less relevant year after year. The question now is whether the elites will understand a paradigm change is needed for Japan to stay in a leading position: more flexibility, less government intervention (let the creative destruction process bring in more innovative companies instead of keeping afloat a largely inefficient domestic private sector), etc...
Posted in: Japan losing its manufacturing edge to South Korea
0
Piglet
Is that a joke?
Isn't that offensive?
Posted in: Sega seeks stream of success with 'Toylet' games
4
Piglet
Subways are great. If I could change anything, I would just:
expand service beyond midnight (24/24 would be great but even until 2 or 3 am would really help).
significantly decrease the amount and the volume of announcements. It is very tiring to take trains and subways because of the incessant announcements.
Posted in: What do you think are the good and bad points about the subway systems in Japan's cities?
2
Piglet
I once read that about 90% of the construction industry in Japan was linked with Yakuza, at least through protection money and often direct control and elaborated schemes (so, yes, reader, there is a very high chance that the mob was involved in the construction of your building). According to this paper, this explained why new companies and building techniques (double glazing, window coating, insulation, alternative building materials) could not reach the market (which was described as a cartel designed for high income, low building costs, no real competition). Things are apparently starting to change but the Yakuza are not willing to be expelled from the market without a fight.
Posted in: Construction company president shot in Fukuoka Pref
0
Piglet
Do you have a link for this?
Posted in: Families of 2 kindergarten kids killed by tsunami to file suit
0
Piglet
Some questions:
what are the results for reactors No.1 and 2 ?
what were the pass marks for each test?
which elements were taken from the European stress tests and which were not? Can we have a detailed list of all the elements tested? Does it include only earthquake/tsunami resistance or also risks of plane crash / terrorist attacks?
can we have a schedule for the stress tests all over Japan?
are the stress test results legally binding (ie no authorization to restart after a failed test)?
Posted in: Stress test results for nuclear power plant in Ehime released
0
Piglet
It is estimated that a tsunami resulting from Tokai earthquake might reach Shizuoka coast in less than 5 minutes. People should evacuate immediately and not wait for rescue.
From the Shizuoka guidebook PDF:
Therefore the orders to wait for rescue could be considered as criminal negligence.
Posted in: Families of 2 kindergarten kids killed by tsunami to file suit
2
Piglet
Poor kids, and poor parents. RIP. I cannot imagine the terror these people must have felt when the tsunami reached the coast.
I don't think these parents are over-litigious, because it is common knowledge in Japan (it is written in any official publication) that people living in coastal areas need to evacuate to higher ground immediately after an earthquake (in addition, the tsunami warnings were broadcasted immediately after the first shake). Children should have been brought immediately (within the next 2 minutes) to safe grounds (tsunami shelters or on foot to higher grounds).
In this kind of situation, some "automatic" behavior should be enforced by government employees, who shouldn't wait for official orders or outside help. I hope this will help enforcing new safety rules in the future, so that this kind of tragedy does not happen again.
Posted in: Families of 2 kindergarten kids killed by tsunami to file suit
1
Piglet
@paulinusa
Recently, an american guy was put on labor camp for 2 weeks before being expelled because he made a joke about Kim Jong Il and was overheard.
Posted in: Japan fans warned to tone down cheering for N Korea clash
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Piglet
Now let's see when Japanese entertainers and politicians start being asked to resign when they make racist comments.
Posted in: Oscars show producer resigns over gay slur
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Piglet
Low cost companies are not developed here because the heavy regulations do not make it easy for such companies to establish business. I heard that Air Asia has been trying for a while to penetrate the Japanese market but it has been difficult (mainly because of JAL).
Overall the transportation market is controlled by a very small number of semi-public or private conglomerates: JAL, ANA, JR, Tokyu, Tobu, etc... There is no competition on high-speed lines (shinkansen is only offered by JR), so they don't have any incentive to provide flexible prices on JR (even in France, one of the most socialist country among Western nations, the national carrier SNCF has flexible pricing like airplanes).
Posted in: Finnair
6
Piglet
1) 100% of the food shows are actually paid by the restaurants / shops they visit, and therefore should be considered as advertising and not real programming (this is the reason why guest cannot express a real opinion).
2) News on free channels are less and less investigative, most of the news are simply coming from news agencies (I wish there were more reporters sent for investigation). They are replacing news segments with "newstertainment"
3) Visual quality is very bad on free channels (surpassingly better on cable channels) : a very bad use of colors, special effects and sounds makes it very tiring to watch after a while. It looks like the graphic designers on most TV channels are a bunch of 8 years-old. A what with the use of printed boards (haven't they heard of computer graphics) ?
4) There are so many commercials that it is impossible to follow a program properly.
5) Many "educational" entertainment programs (quizz, etc) reinforce stereotypes and a conservative vision of the society.
6) Talento are characterized by their usual lack of talent.
Posted in: Japanese viewers tuning out, turning off their TVs
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Piglet
With the rise of free replay services and on demand systems linked with your internet subscription (without talking about internet where you can find any TV program or movie you want for free), who would like to watch live TV anymore? The only live TV I watch is BBC news with Hikari TV, and only for some live events. Internet is good enough for most of our needs: TV shows (using streaming websites), news, kids programs, etc... With the HDD, I also record some TV shows, but at least we can get rid of the commercials this way.
Posted in: Japanese viewers tuning out, turning off their TVs
0
Piglet
competition-driven
Posted in: Japan to join TPP talks, media report
0
Piglet
@zichi
It's not only a matter of subsidies, it is mainly the fact that JA has a monopoly on agricultural production in Japan and there is a strong price control policy. Did you know for example that a local farmer wanting to sell his rice at lower prices (thanks to better business organization / more modern harvesting techniques / consolidated farm, etc...) would not be allowed to do so because JA enforces a minimal selling price for rice? This is totally uncompetitive and does not allow for competition-drive business improvement. It just rewards mediocrity.
Posted in: Japan to join TPP talks, media report
0
Piglet
There is an unhealthy focus on farmers (especially rice farmers), while the TPP is a global agreement that would benefit the economy as a whole (easier exports for Japanese industries). Concerning agricultural products, the TPP, combined with the abolishment of JA monopolies and price control, while bring the Japanese agriculture to the modern world through healthy competition. Farmers will have to consolidate their farms by freely associating with their peers (as it has been done in developed countries in the 50's but has never been done in Japan). Not only Japanese agriculture will survive (at least those who adapt), but it will be more armed to compete on a global scale. Knowing that Japanese products are increasingly popular in China (and the price is not a problem for the rich Chinese) and other countries (except for Fukushima products, of course), there are some potential new markets opening to the intelligent Japanese farmers. It will also benefit the average Japanese families, who would definitely appreciate a sharp decrease in food products, especially rice (domestic rice might be 40 to 50% cheaper if price control is removed, foreign rice might be sold 80 to 90% cheaper than current price).
Posted in: Japan to make decision on TPP next week
0
Piglet
Anyway, these recommendations are typical "nanny State". How about just recommending people to save energy because of this exceptional disaster situation and let them find ways to do it?
Posted in: Japanese urged to wrap up as Warm Biz gets under way
2
Piglet
Since the government required a temperature of 28ºC in summer, what about 18ºC in winter? I would love to see these middle aged women in my office complaining about the cold while we had to endure in silence 30ºC during summer?
My wife did not believe me when I told her that in France, the recommended temperature indoor is 18ºC-20ºC and 16ºC-20ºC for sleeping rooms and babies (on the contrary, babies are kept at higher temperatures here 25ºC-27ºC).
Posted in: Japanese urged to wrap up as Warm Biz gets under way
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Piglet
It is a good news that people start going out again and economic activity is recovering.
However, it is suggested that recovery funds given to companies are funneled into hostess bars and various entertainment costs. It is one thing for a company to allow such use of corporate funds (it just shows a lack of proper corporate management), it is another thing to use emergency recovery money for such use.
Public money (which means our taxpayers money) is used not to reconstruct infrastructure and provide some emergency relief funding to refugees, but to pay for hostess bars and Don Perignon bottles.
Another proof that a real recovery (based on solid economic foundations) will not result from unlimited public money (which will create bubbles and artificial short-term activity) but from private investment and sustainable economic activity.
If I was in charge, I would severely limit recovery funds to emergency measures (refugees, roads and basic infrastructure) and work to provide attractive conditions for businesses to come to the area:
creation of Special Economic Areas (tax free, free trade zone, etc...) in disaster-struck prefectures
no red-tape, no tax for these areas
Posted in: Quake recovery funds bring boom to Sendai
1
Piglet
Some nuclear specialists estimated in April that it might take 40 to 50 years to fully decommission the Fukushima plant. The new estimation from this Japanese panel is now more in line with these estimations (TEPCO was initially talking about a 10 to 20 years time frame).
Posted in: Panel releases report stating it will take 30 years to safely close Fukushima plant