JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Full-time English Teacher - Osaka
- Epion English Language Schools, Osaka
- Salary: ¥200,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month Depending on your ability and experience
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- Part-time English Teacher - Osaka
- Epion English Language Schools, Osaka
- Salary: ¥10,000 ~ ¥15,000 / Day Depending on how many days a week are worked
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- Core Developer - コアディベロッパー
- Midokura Japan K.K. - ミドクラジャパン株式会社, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥4.0M ~ ¥10.0M / Year Negotiable
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Simon_Foston
You really think so? I seriously doubt it.
Posted in: Palin says Obama's health care plan is 'evil'
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Simon_Foston
Anything to base that opinion on? Other than "they're whiners who don't want to fight terrorists?"
Posted in: Opposition DPJ says it's ready to stand up to U.S.
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Simon_Foston
An interesting comment was made by an LDP lawmaker, and quoted in The Japan Times yesterday - rather than risk getting tied down to promises they can't keep by stating how much their policies will cost, the LDP have no intention of putting price tags on their education and welfare plans. Really fills you with confidence, doesn't it.
Posted in: LDP unveils campaign platform, hinting at sales tax hike
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Simon_Foston
In a Japanese context, anyone represented by Johnny's & Associates.
Posted in: Which celebrities are you tired of reading and hearing about?
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Simon_Foston
Making education cheaper is one smart idea. But Aso shouldn't just be talking about it. He should do it right away. They should also change the stupid university entrance system so that parents don't have to waste so much money on jukus, and they should stop bailing out unprofitable businesses that have no other means of survival than government hand-outs.
Posted in: Aso vows to pull Japan out of economic slump
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Simon_Foston
I don't think it's particularly useful to compare the Aso and Hatoyama dynasties with a family that last produced a prime minister in the 1930s. Whatever (admittedly very big) problems Britain might have with its politicians, we don't have nearly as many hereditary politicians in the House of Commons as there are in Japan's House of Representatives, and we haven't had a one-party state since 1955.
Posted in: Japan can do without preaching on how to fix its economy
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Simon_Foston
Even if it strongly motivates terrorists to kill more US soldiers?
Posted in: Even if it works, U.S. shouldn't use torture
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Simon_Foston
That's a very good point. Japanese university students could be doing with a bit more stress and pressure whereas school students would benefit from a bit less, but that has everything to do with the university entrance exam system and its fundamental incompatibility with the high school curriculum.
Posted in: What do you think of Japan's school education system?
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Simon_Foston
Quite, but I think it could be argued that the education system has precisely the opposite effect of making everyone equal. At every stage there is competition to pass the entrance exams for the best schools, and rich parents are at a clear advantage as they can pay for the cram schools that everyone thinks are so vital. Senior high school has to be paid for, on top of yet more fees for cram schools to pass the tests to get into the best universities, as, guess what, the content of those entrance exams isn't in the high school curriculum. I'm also fairly certain that there is very little financial support available for teenagers from lower-income backgrounds who are academically eligible for university. Now say what you like about left-wing parties and governments, that doesn't tend to be the way they set up education systems.
Posted in: What do you think of Japan's school education system?
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Simon_Foston
I agree with you about the flaws in the education system but can't really see why they are the fault of the communists. The LDP, conservative and right-wing in all but name, have been calling the shots since 1955. Surely they played a bigger part in developing the education system and then keeping it pretty much the same for six decades? Anyway, Japan does have a bit of a track record when it comes to keeping people under control and discouraging free thought and expression. These are not just things that communists do.
Posted in: What do you think of Japan's school education system?
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Simon_Foston
Abe was totally useless and Aso has failed to realise that spending one's way out of trouble has only caused bigger problems. Japan is no more beautiful, bright or vibrant than it was before the LDP chose these clowns to run the government. The LDP is only good at producing leaders who can come up with catchphrases and vague, empty rhetoric. They only win elections because they've rigged the election system. They don't deserve to win as much as the opposition deserve to lose.
Posted in: Support for Aso improving, poll shows
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Simon_Foston
It's hard to know where to begin. I just think it's completely absurd that the high school curriculum does not include the necessary information to pass university entrance exams, especially since parents have to pay for senior high school and then shell out even more money to send their kids to the cram schools where they supposedly can learn what they need to know. On top of that, it's stupid that older teenagers have to waste time with lots of compulsory subjects that they have no interest in or aptitude for, when by the age of 16 or 17 they should be focusing on what they are actually good at. Finally, as long ago as 1998 the then Prime Minister was making harsh but valid criticisms of the education system, but since then absolutely nothing has been changed or improved. The people responsible for Japan's anachronistic mess of an education system should all be fired, chained up and then paraded around in public so that everyone can throw rotten cabbages at them.
Posted in: What do you think of Japan's school education system?
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Simon_Foston
So... flagrant violations of political funding laws should only be investigated and prosecuted when they involve politicians you don't like?
Posted in: Hatoyama claims donated money shows 'mother's love' for him
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Simon_Foston
>
Shukan Post reported earlier that Hatoyama’s mother and sister had made contributions of 1.5 million yen each to his fund-management organization, Shinsei-kai. The Political Fund Control Act limits the maximum donation by an individual to political organizations to 1.5 million yen. However, the same family members allegedly contributed an additional 4.5 million respectively to Shinsei-kai by funneling the funds through three separate dummy organizations.
I don't see how that's fine, personally. There are now TWO Cabinet ministers involved in receiving dodgy donations.
Posted in: Hatoyama claims donated money shows 'mother's love' for him
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Simon_Foston
If the remaining abductees are still alive, I think the North Koreans could be holding out for an offer from Japan that's good enough for them to consider handing them back over. I suspect, however, that they're dead and that the Japanese government does at least suspect this as well. It probably suits various LDP politicians to pretend otherwise though, as I think they've got it into their tiny brains that talking tough about the abductees is a good vote-winner.
Posted in: Do you believe some Japanese abductees are still alive in North Korea, and if you do, why do you think North Korea hasn't come clean on the issue?
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Simon_Foston
A bit behind the times here, folks. NOVA's business got taken over by G.communication, and they still use the rabbit mascot on all their advertising.
Posted in: Workers rally
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Simon_Foston
Sorry, everything in the above post from "Asao will not..." to "sitting at the backdoor." should be quoted. (Moderators, a way to edit posts here would be handy)
Posted in: Aso denies claims that he's 'lame duck,' damaging Japan's interests
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Simon_Foston
Asao will not be going anywhere quick.
Both his party and the opposing party agree with this, and any discrepancies they may have. Despite noisy comments with the opposite opinion. The country is already in debate over Asao, it would be better to leave him there, where he does alright imo, than to have to take over the global mess that is sitting at the backdoor.
Then how come just about every time an opposition leader is in an interview they say they want Aso to call an election (presumably so they can kick the LDP's arses and throw him out of office)? How come there are LDP members on record as saying they want him to quit? Aso has no new ideas for solving Japan's problems, he's just re-hashing the same old LDP money politics they've used for 50 years to dupe provincial yokels into voting for them. I don't think he's doing all right at all.
He'll be gone by September, if not earlier, and good riddance to him. After that, Aso and the rest of the useless old twats from the LDP who have ruined Japan should be put in pillories so we can all throw rotten cabbages at them.
Posted in: Aso denies claims that he's 'lame duck,' damaging Japan's interests
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Simon_Foston
Interestingly, the Daily Yomiuri carried the same story.
Posted in: Poll: 71% want Aso to resign
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Simon_Foston
Whatever the Cabinet ministers might say is meaningless when seven LDP prefectural chapters have openly said they want a new party leader. Almost every day I read a comment by an LDP legislator saying Aso is rubbish and the party's a mess.
Posted in: Cabinet ministers rally around Aso