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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Xeno23
What we don't have here is a comparison to other countries. I couldn't find good, equivalent stats after a quick search, but did find the US Census says there are 86 single men for every 100 single women there. If I were to randomly select 10 unmarried guys in the US, if the stats were like Japan, then 6 of them wouldn't have a girlfriend. That might not be too far off anywhere; plus or minus 1 probably.
Another question is how many of those in relationships are serial practitioners? Do women have more relationships than men? How many of the men in relationships fly from one GF to another? It's imaginable that a smaller subgroup is more mutually active, and monopolizing the larger block of stats.
Anyway, the real question isn't GF/BF, it's marriage, because that's the socio-economically productive stat. Married people produce children, are forced to work harder, buy more, rack up more debt, etc.
Posted in: 61% of single men aged 18-34 have no girlfriend; 49% of women unattached: survey
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Xeno23
Like any of the big summits, we have no real visibility into what goes on, no idea what genuine decisions are made, nor what the actual effects are, so it depends on your definition of "tangible". I have to assume there's quite a lot going on we're not privy to, and it has wide ranging consequences, but we may never know the half of it.
Posted in: Do you think ASEAN, APEC and other summits achieve tangible results?
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Xeno23
And the point would be, what? Aside from any conspiracy theories about agreements between the two countries (remember, conspiracy doesn't have to be bad), from a rational point of view what's the ROI? Not much.
Posted in: Last year, Japan exported 1.5 million vehicles to the United States, while U.S. automakers exported just 8,000. Why aren't U.S. makers selling more in Japan?
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Xeno23
The topic at hand is the nature of these establishments, so let's examine that. Having been a bar manager, having been in the entertainment business & music industry, anyone who thinks a majority of these young women are not complicit in their own exposure is simply naive.
Granted, these kinds of places are an extreme example, and those who find them offensive shouldn't visit them, but their existence is partly a manifestation of our desire for display. It is incorrect to say these young women are not proud of their appearance; it may not be a type of pride everyone agrees with, but while expressing contrary beliefs is freedom, imposing them is tyranny.
Do these kinds of places contribute to desensitization over the sexualization of women? Yes. Will the elimination of these kinds of places contribute to reducing that? No. Treating the symptom may make a certain segment of the population feel better, but that's an illusion; the root cause is far deeper. There would be more effect from reforming fashion and cosmetics, than getting rid of gross display venues.
As to these types of place being loci for other unsavory activities, that depends on the neighborhood, the management, and the clientele; and those are all controllable to reasonable degrees as applied to any kind of business. Like anything else, if it's all in good fun, and nobody gets hurt, then as adults, we should be able to handle it.
Posted in: Vietnamese cafes in Calif too racy for some
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Xeno23
Wait, what? Um, I kinda think this whole thing has already been done, no? Like, Germany and Japan in the 1930's, Great Britain in the 1880s, the USA and USSR in the 40's and 50's? What were the results of all that? Don't we know what happens when Patriotism is taught in schools by now? I should think this question has been quite adequately settled... the lessons of history, and what not.
Posted in: Do you think that teaching patriotism should be part of a school’s education curriculum?
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Xeno23
How can anyone argue with toys and candy? Betcha he's a great dad.
Kiddyland overrated? Time to reconnect with your inner six year old. I remember the first time I went there, in 1965. The only place I'd've rather been was Disneyland.
Posted in: Johnny Depp goes normal - almost
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Xeno23
It is, however, reasonable to adjudicate for compensation; to levy counseling and probation; to alert the parents they're on notice as legal guardians with some liability for the actions of their minors. Should be a matter for the civil courts though. And of course, victims can sue for damages, etc. Isn't that enough? That's plenty.
Posted in: Should parents be prosecuted if their kids are caught throwing rocks at trains, cars or other other vehicles?
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Xeno23
This would be a significant step on the slippery slope to prosecuting anyone for anything.
Do you want to start prosecuting ignorance? Many of these parents probably don't know how to raise kids; do you then prosecute their parents? How about their teachers; is parenting taught in schools - why not? Do you prosecute the principals of these kids' schools for not maintaining control over them? Do you prosecute the parents' bosses for demanding huge amounts of overtime?
Criminal prosecution has become the lazy, ignorant, cowardly way of dealing with social problems; it should be the very last resort of an intelligent society; it should only focus on proven guilty parties; it should be difficult, not easy. The more power to prosecute we grant, the more likely each and every one of us will be liable to it for something or other. Is that what we want?
Posted in: Should parents be prosecuted if their kids are caught throwing rocks at trains, cars or other other vehicles?
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Xeno23
Creepy and weird is only anyone's business if it leads to violations of another person's rights or welfare. If the case can't be made it's actually doing that, it's none of anyone's darn business.
Sure, I find this creepy and weird too, but what I find truly dangerous, regardless of the focus, is the imposition of arbitrary standards cloaked in the language of "morality".
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Xeno23
Wait, what? If you know something is going to be fixed, or suspected of being fixed, doesn't that put proper over-sight on alert? Doesn't it kinda put the kibosh on the whole fixing thing? Why cancel it? Re-set and fire it up; keep an eye out for anything weird. And if even then, the bad guys are brazen enough to try, wouldn't it be better to catch them in the act?
Posted in: Do you agree with the decision by the Japan Sumo Association to cancel the March tournament because of the match-fixing scandal?
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Xeno23
Hula in Heaven? It comes from Hawai'i; that is Heaven.
Posted in: Hawaii has a winner in hula dancer Aureana Tseu
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Xeno23
As has been said in prior posts, the "right" to bear arms is dependent on the constitutions and laws of the country in question. If it's Japan, then clearly, there is no right to bear arms. If the question is should that right be enfranchised, that's a different issue altogether. It would be up to however laws and rights are changed, or added in Japan. That said, think of how many gun-otakus there are in J-Land ^_^
As to the Second Amendment of the USA, for those who read it and interpret it relying on their own intelligence and reason; this is an incorrect approach. In order to understand the Second Amendment you must read and understand the original Constitutional Congress debates; you must read and understand the essays and writings of the Founding Fathers, via articles published at the time, diaries, letters - there are copious documents in these categories. Once you've done this, the meaning is crystal clear, and unequivocal.
Now, you can agree with that, or not; freedom of speech being what it is, and all. And the US Constitution can be changed, laws can be changed - no argument there. But a correct interpretation of the intent of the drafters of the Second Amendment is absolutely available; it is history. Period.
Posted in: The gun control debate: Do you support the right of citizens to own and bear firearms?
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Xeno23
"Free Trade" is a nice idea, but it's only really "Free" if it's between equals that mutually benefit; this is rarely the case. Typically it's one side pushing the other to reduce or eliminate protectionist trade policies. The question is who's pushing for it. I don't think we have to consider the question too deeply to know which side it is in this case.
It's every governments duty to insure the prosperity and health of its own industries and citizens, so if a trade policy undermines that, the government isn't really doing its job. But, any side pushing for "Free Trade" when faced with protectionist policies is also "doing its job", which makes the whole thing a difficult situation - it would seem there is no single "right" answer.
The only thing that can be applied as a measure is the fairness of the agreement. If one side is subordinate to another, can it really be said to be in everyone's best interests? I'm glad I'm not a politician!
Posted in: Are you in favor of a trans-Pacific free trade accord between Japan the United States?
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Xeno23
One thing that's largely missing from the gun debate is cogent, adult discussion. Most arguments, on both sides of the issue, aren't much more than Junior High School mentalities shouting at each other.
The yelling points are always the same, from either direction, and typically only serve to entrench positions. Genuine maturity includes personal responsibility, accountability, and respect for other opinions and life styles without the need for imposing one set of belief structures on others.
Adults recognize there's a degree of the uncontrollable inherent in most of life's aspects, and that there will always be dangers and outlier instances that can't be accounted for, regardless of our attempts to regulate them.
It doesn't matter if the topic is guns, child safety, security, education, science or religion, grownups decide things for themselves, take ownership of their own positions, and are secure enough in their beliefs and life style that other paths don't pose a problem requiring reliance on some third party authority to make others tow their line.
One hallmark of adulthood is the recognition of diversity in freedom, and acceptance of that. Any kind of legislation not directly related to logistics or general operations (e.g., government, infrastructure, trade, etc.), in a truly adult society should only be as guides to behavior, to assure freedoms not deny them, or to accommodate response to outlier events, as outlier events.
Adults support rights of freedom for all, because they realize the reduction of rights for one will lead to the reduction of rights for all.
Posted in: The gun control debate: Do you support the right of citizens to own and bear firearms?
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Xeno23
There is no target; there is no arrow - not when there's such a wonderful line up of Yamato Nadesico awesomeness.
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Xeno23
No one really knows what the heck to do about this. Even money for research is questionable, because most everyone who knows what they're doing is already engaged in research. Certainly they could use more money, but government funding this specific often has such ridiculous strings attached it might be more of an impediment than a spur.
Any such tax would go right into unintended coffers, and someone else's pockets; bet on it.
Posted in: Would you support an environment tax as part of measures to counter global warming?
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Xeno23
Most pet type critters live short, miserable lives in the wild. Rabbits are prey, they get eaten in the wild. As pets they have full tummies, live in warm cubbies, get lots of smooches, and lead longer lives. If a bunny has to put up with a hat or two, or pancakes on its head, it's a darn sight better than dying of starvation, or hypothermia, or getting picked at by hawks and owls. I expect this little fella is quite happy to snuggle up to a warm human.
Posted in: Rabbit season
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Xeno23
I don't get people who talk on their cell phones in public restrooms; even while in stalls doing their "business". I don't find it particularly rude, just gross. I always try and do my part by exaggerating the natural sounds I produce, you know, to enhance the experience ^_^
Posted in: Does it bother you when people talk on cell phones on buses, trains or in restaurants?
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Xeno23
Much of the point of Superman was his "Boy Scout" character; that started to wear thin as far back as the 1980s. Into the second decade of the 21st century, it don't fly at all anymore. Not sure why anybody even cares; Superman is obsolete. Why make him into Batman? Stick him in the museum where he belongs, or just go completely retro & leave him in the 1930's.
Posted in: Lanky, brooding Superman for contemporary world
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Xeno23
Wood box, pressure or trip activated land mines are a very old technology, going back as far as 14th century China, and in modern times at least to 1902 & the Russo-Japanese War. The Germans used wood box housed land mines a lot in both WW1 and WW2 as anti-personnel and anti-armor area denial. They were cheap, easy to make, effective, and as these poor sods found out, often not recognized.
Posted in: Land mine swept ashore from NKorea kills SKorean