Wednesday February 15, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

SumoBob's past comments

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SumoBobMar. 30, 2010 - 03:56PM JST

So I ordered a hamburger, but I guess I pronounced it ‘ham-BUR-ger,’ not ‘HAM-burger’… The clerk said, ‘What? You want what?’ I got so upset, thinking, ‘I can’t even order a hamburger?!’ It was awful.”

No, you didn't. You used a Japanese word "hahn-BAH-gaah" in an English sentence. Try using the English word for "カアオケ" in a Japanese sentence.

"私はCarry-oh-keyを歌いたい。"

I guarantee that no Japanese will ever understand.

Posted in: Eri Murakawa talks Broadway, burgers and being on stage
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SumoBobMar. 29, 2010 - 09:27AM JST

Next - 24 the 2 hour movie

Nah, it'll be a ground-breaking, 24 hour, real-time film. Don't forget your PJs.

Posted in: '24' canceled after eight seasons
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SumoBobMar. 25, 2010 - 01:20PM JST

Ditto to what Cleo said. Anna, your mother has lived in Japan 25 years and you were presumably born here. Whatever your current nationality happens to be, you are most certainly not a guest in Japan. Time to start realising (and letting the jerks know, too) that you are Japanese, regardless of what your passport is.

Posted in: Train shame
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SumoBobMar. 25, 2010 - 01:08PM JST

Let's accurate sports reporting. One does not "win" the short programme, one is "leading" after the short programme.

Posted in: Takahashi wins men's short program at world figure skating championships
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SumoBobMar. 21, 2010 - 08:37AM JST

Good idea about prices. As an example, during day everyday including weekends, the local karaoke chain offers booths for 200 yen an hour per person, including a free soft drink. The place is busting at the seams every day, particularly with young people. Add on a few hours, some food ordered and you can see how lowering the entry price is a lot smarter than having the place practically empty at 1,000 yen a person.

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SumoBobMar. 11, 2010 - 09:29AM JST

USNinJapan2, lest we forget Tuffy Rhodes and Alex Cabrera, who also fell victim to Oh (and supporters) and their discriminatory ways. Oh was one of the best Japanese League players, but his name will be forever tarnished by those who know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SadaharuOh#Homerunrecordcontroversy

Posted in: Japanese baseball great Oh to have museum
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SumoBobMar. 11, 2010 - 09:19AM JST

I'm guessing she speaks excellent English, as that is essentially the language of the space programme. You don't do more than six years of intense astronaut training at NASA by speaking Japanese junior high school English.

Her bio:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/yamazaki-n.html

Posted in: Discovery
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SumoBobMar. 07, 2010 - 09:36AM JST

Gonemad, US beef was fine for Japanese consumers for years; until about five years ago. Suddenly one cow from the US tested positive for BSE (turns out, it was actually from Alberta) and the Japanese used this to shut down the entire US supply. Of course, this is part and parcel of standard Japanese trade practices. Stall, delay and finally (very grudgingly) accept another country's product. However, should a "violation" of any kind surface, it gives the Japanese the "cover" to do what they wanted to do all along; protect their domestic markets at all costs by shutting out all foreign competition (and denying domestic consumers choice). If any foreign products happen make it through the hurdles set up, the vested interests in Japan make sure that a well-coordinated negative promotion campaign ensure the public is left with the strong impression that the product is "unsafe" or "unappetizing." Thus when people don't buy, officials can just say, "Sorry, we don't know why, but your product just isn't popular in Japan. So sorry."

Read up on apples from the US about ten years ago for a fine example of this. Foreign-made cars as well used to have to be taken apart completely in Japan for "safety inspections", making it completely unprofitable for the manufacturers to sell here.

With the Toyota thing, the US does has a legitimate grievance in this case, which they are likely using to give Japan a little taste of its own medicine.

Posted in: Tokyo has one safety standard for U.S. beef and another for Toyota's cars and I am extremely tired of the imbalance.
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SumoBobFeb. 27, 2010 - 05:50PM JST

"Ok, poor Finland! Does anybody really care if the US beat Finland? Now if the USA beat Canada, Russia etc..this would be real news!"

elbudamexicano, a quick check on Wikipedia would have shown you that Finland is the defending gold medalists from the 2006 Winter Olympics. What people need to realize is that the depth of international team hockey talent is quite deep. Depending on the year, gold could go to the Swedes, Fins, Russians, Americans or Canadians.

Posted in: Canada to face U.S. for gold in men's ice hockey
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SumoBobFeb. 26, 2010 - 06:27PM JST

Let me guess, the police stopped to aid a little girl (Ishi, Kumi) when one of the bikes fell on her.

Posted in: Police foiled by bicycles during car chase
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SumoBobFeb. 18, 2010 - 10:27AM JST

Between 400-1,200 yen retail? That's quite a bit of a difference. Which will it be?

Posted in: Scalp cleanser
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SumoBobFeb. 18, 2010 - 10:05AM JST

"Well, if she was your type, we understand. It cannot be helped. Suspended sentence!"

Posted in: Man arrested after embracing female employee in hotel
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SumoBobFeb. 09, 2010 - 03:21PM JST

True, dat. Buffet is "baikin" (style) in Japanese. :)

Posted in: How well founded is Japan's gastronomic pride?
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SumoBobJan. 19, 2010 - 03:40PM JST

Yes, indeed. The prosecutors that are part of the government that was elected last year. Haaahhaahahaa. Whew, needed that laugh today.

In case the "professor" needs a gentle reminder, I would steer him to this telling article:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090309a2.html

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura, speaking as an unidentified "senior government official," told reporters Thursday that the political fund scandal (of 2009) "would not spill over to lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party."

Posted in: It's disgraceful that the prime minister, the head of the government, has spoken about 'fighting against' the prosecutors, who are part of the government he leads.
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SumoBobDec. 27, 2009 - 04:35PM JST

Hopefully they'll let her sing a whole song. Last year the Blue Men were on and got a mere 30 sec of time to do something. The "so desu ne's" got more TV time.

Posted in: Susan Boyle to appear on 'Kohaku'
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SumoBobDec. 14, 2009 - 09:43AM JST
A few questions come to mind:
1. Is this new burger an "in your face" attempt to piss off the internation community by mass-producing tuna hamburgers in the face of a global ban to stave off complete destruction of tuna stocks?
2. Why does the mascot look like he's promoting a "taco" burger?
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SumoBobNov. 16, 2009 - 10:11AM JST

Blu ray wins again!

Posted in: More Tokyo train stations start using lights to stem suicides
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SumoBobNov. 12, 2009 - 02:11PM JST

Yea! More keystone J-cops patroling the subways nowhere near the Obama visit demanding ID from "foreign-looking" people.

Posted in: Security tightened in Tokyo for Obama's visit
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SumoBobNov. 02, 2009 - 01:16PM JST

"Police found Furuhashi in the living room slumped forward sitting on his legs." Does anybody know what this sentence means?

He was found sitting seiza (sitting on one's legs / one's legs tucked underneath).

Posted in: Man dies after stabbing himself, wife and 6-month-old baby in Aichi
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SumoBobOct. 15, 2009 - 11:01AM JST

ANA estimates that if half its passengers went to the bathroom before boarding, it could increase profits by .03%, said company spokeswoman Megumi Tezuka.

Fixed.

Posted in: ANA asks passengers to go to toilet before boarding