JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
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- ALT - Mie Prefecture - Yokkaichi City - June start
- NPO法人グローバル教育推進機構（GLAD), Mie
- Salary: ¥230,000 / Month For a full working month. Some months differ.
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- Business Teaching Positions - Part-time - Kanto Region
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥3,000 ~ ¥5,000 / Hour
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Piglet
Absolutely disgusting. By the way, the French radioprotection agency published its own forecasts on Internet from the beginning of the crisis (including dose estimation and wind patterns). Apparently, for the first few days, they couldn't even get in contact with their Japanese counterparts as there was a complete information lockdown in Japan.
Posted in: Japan ignored own radiation forecasts from very beginning
0
Piglet
I've never been in that situation (fortunately I am in a very happy marriage), but from what I could read, I would recommend people in that situation to NEVER sign divorce papers before the situation is settled (ie the visitation rights are decided and put on paper). If your partner leaves the house with the children while you are still married, then you have a much better case to negociate as you still have all your parental rights (and don't listen to whatever thing any lawyer might say, as long as you don't divorce, you have joint parental custody at least on paper).
Posted in: U.S. says it won't tolerate loopholes in child abduction issue with Japan
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Piglet
Absolutely ridiculous and shameful. A private company that enforces this kind of discrimination should not be considered as respectable and should be boycotted by all.
Posted in: S Korean ferry operator bans Japanese passengers: Yonhap
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Piglet
Anyway, as I wrote above, I don't think the first case is any business for the school board to take care of. If you misbehave during your private life (outside of your professional duties), then it's a business between you and the Justice system and it shouldn't involve your employer (unless this is a severe crime like murder or rape).
Posted in: 3 Kanagawa teachers disciplined for various infractions
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Piglet
The best and easiest solution is: don't drink even a glass of alcohol when you are going to drive within the next few hours! When we go out with the car, my wife and I take turn. We never drink together when one of us has to drive. So when we want to have a date and drink, we go there by train or on foot. Then no need to think about the BAC limit.
Posted in: 3 Kanagawa teachers disciplined for various infractions
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Piglet
The first case had nothing to do with its professional duties. It is a purely private matter and I don't know why he should be punished by the school board. Of course, he should receive a fine and some points on his driving license, but how is this related to his job?
The two other cases are straightforward: any physical abuse should result in immediate dismissal. Giving massage to female students is inappropriate and should also result in punishment from the school board.
Posted in: 3 Kanagawa teachers disciplined for various infractions
1
Piglet
I agree with amerijap, this is very bad journalism:
Are they suspects or criminals?
What are they accused of? Is it fraud, crime, non payment of bills, drug trafficking... ?
How much do these 4 errors represent compared to the total number of suspects/criminals stopped at the border?
Did they leave for China or a third country?
Depending on the gravity of the offense/crime, will Japan try to launch an international warrant or try to collaborate with Chinese police?
Posted in: 4 wanted criminals escape Japan; Justice Ministry blames Immigration Bureau
2
Piglet
Of course there is a lack of funding and manpower. But a cynical mind might also notice that it is quite convenient to perform so few autopsies as it keeps the murder rate low and conviction rate high (99% in Japan!).
Posted in: Japan's autopsy rate woefully low
4
Piglet
Taxi rides in China can indeed give you an heart attack! In Guangzhou, many drivers are immigrants from other provinces who don't know very well the city and drive like crazy on the rapid road system. Local roads in the countryside are even worse (no road signs, traffic mixing up cars and farmers carts, animals and pedestrians...)
Posted in: In your experience, which city's taxi drivers are the worst in the world?
1
Piglet
As written above: never mind the hot car, etc... You don't leave a 1-year old alone even a few minutes even in a normal environment. At that age anyway you need to feed her regularly, change the diapers, talk to her, kiss her, etc... How could they even think of letting a 1 year-old alone in a car more than a minute? (I would never leave my son alone in the car even when going to the combini, I would bring him with me).
Posted in: 1-yr-old baby girl dies after being left in car for 6 hours while parents play pachinko
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Piglet
I don't know in Japan but I know of such iphone apps overseas, so probably.
One thing I would be interested to know also is whether there are some companies offering subscription plan.
For example in Paris there are some companies offering a monthly subscription plan giving you access to a priority phone number and iphone app, and reduced (or free?) taxi rides. A similar system would be great here.
Posted in: Nap time
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Piglet
Maria, at some big stations, the retention area for taxis is quite big and once they enter the area they may have to wait quite a long time before reaching the taxi station. I live in a suburb city east of Tokyo, not far from a train station.
Most taxi drivers in Japan do not owe their own taxi, instead they are a salary of a taxi company. For some reason, many companies prefer to employ older men (unlike most countries where taxi drivers are mainly young and foreigners). I would be very interested in knowing which percentage of their income comes from their sales.
I think it is fair to say that Japanese taxi drivers are usually much less commercially aggressive than their overseas counterparts. Go to any big city in China and as soon as you heal a taxi, some will try to get the first to offer you their services (two taxis might even "fight" for you). They might have to compensate by working long hours.
Posted in: Nap time
-3
Piglet
Well I expect them to use some common sense: looking for cutomers in front of department stores, hotels or along the streets. No need to stop there for one hour: just go along and get another customer along the road. Have you been to Hong Kong? Taxi drivers in HK are as ubiquitous as Japan but you can get them almost anywhere, whereas in Japan the main activity of taxi drivers seems to be waiting at the train stations (what if you are not close from a train station? not everybody lives downtown Tokyo) and chatting with fellow drivers.
If I was the manager of a taxi company, I would pay the drivers mainly on a commission basis, to encourage them increasing revenue.
Posted in: Nap time
-4
Piglet
It is not mandatory for them to stay in the car during breaks.
If they were a bit more aggressive in looking for customers (instead of waiting hours at train stations), maybe they could afford working shorter hours.
Posted in: Nap time
0
Piglet
@chewitup
There is NO consensual sexual activity for a 2 or 5 years-old. It shouldn't even have to be explained: under the pedophily laws of most countries (apparently not in Taiwan), any sexual activity with children before puberty (for example, in France, 13 years-old) is considered a rape even with consent of the child (because it is considered that they are not mature enough to make this kind of decision). Above 13 years-old, the law depends on the country (in France, sexual activity is permissible from 13 years-old with parents consent, then sexual majority at 16 years-old). Anyway, it is preposterous to even have to justify the possible consent of the 2 years-old child or to ask such a child to remember a time with precision!
Posted in: Rally planned against Taiwan judges over alleged rape of Japanese student
1
Piglet
It is even more puzzling that the whaling program is not financially competitive and relies mostly on tax payers funding. It shows that the economic rationality is not the real motive of the Japanese. I believe it is purely a matter of national pride, which cannot be fought against with rational arguments (whaling is an emotional matter, not rational for them). But the history showed us how far people and countries can go when pride is an issue :-(
Posted in: Japan, Australia clash at whaling talks
1
Piglet
On a purely economic point of view, it doesn't make sense for Japan to keep pushing for whaling anymore. Whaling is not economically sustainable as the whole system (fisheries, etc...) is heavily subsidized by tax payers. The only reasons I can see Japan trying to keep going on with this practice are: pride, symbolic nationalist feelings, and probably political maneuvering to keep the nationalist fringes on board. However, with a DPJ government (at least for now), the recent disaster in Tohoku, the dire economic situation, the country has more urgent priorities (and doesn't need to protect the extreme-rightists as much as it used to do), so I wouldn't be surprised if Japan progressively drops the gun and abandon research whaling.
Posted in: Japan, Australia clash at whaling talks
1
Piglet
A lot of official government business in Japan is still done with cash, which doesn't help fighting against corruption as there is no paper trail that way. Corruption fighting schemes usually recommend to ban the use of cash for government and big business deals. This is already the case in some countries (in France, for example, any exchange of money above a specified amount cannot be done by cash, this is illegal).
Posted in: Anti-corruption measures debated at whaling talks
0
Piglet
To liberalize the market, you need to:
separate production and distribution services: the final consumer has a contract with a distribution company, which is in business with one or several production companies (or they even can produce some of their own energy if they want).
repeal the protectionist laws: energy production requires big investment, there is no good reason to restrict investment in this sector (foreign investment, pension funds, not for profit groups, etc...)
standardize the energy standards through the country and even better with surrounding countries (like in European Union, except UK)
establish connections with power grids of surrounding countries (South Korea, Eastern Russia), to allow a stable flow of energy (with the possibility of buying/selling energy between countries)
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0
Piglet
What this guy does in his private life does concern only his wife and him. I don't see how we should interfere with his private life (if I was his wife I would be VERY pissed though).
However, if he took advantage of public facilities (the lodge in Akasaka) for his personal interest, then he should be fined/punished/sued.
Posted in: Politician husband of actress Maki Mizuno spotted cavorting with hostess