JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
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Confrontation
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U.S. Navy investigating how parts fell off aircraft near Atsugi
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California court to decide if SeaWorld whales are illegal 'slaves'
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Kuroki reported pregnant 2 weeks after denying relationship with Akanishi
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- Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Kanto region
- RCS (RCSコーポレーション), Kanto
- Salary: ¥180,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month includes performance bonus
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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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blvtzpk
"Early-onset Alzheimer's strikes star"
Posted in: Hey Jude
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blvtzpk
Congratulations of his bravery. Nice to see such a positive story gracing my screen.
This is one person with talent!!!
Posted in: Man saves woman from train after she falls onto tracks
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blvtzpk
Why? I go the view that it's the revulsion that the Japanese media is 'talent'-driven/obsessed, and that people believe that anything must be accompanied by a 'talent' to legitimize it or make it appealing, popular, whatever. These people fill our TV screens and shows are packed with these people (depending on their waxing and waning popularity) day in, day out. Point in case - Nakai and Becky as 'talking mascots' at the Winter Olympics. Most countries will send professional sport commentators, experts and former stars from the field. They don't send a Kanye West or a Brad Pitt to legitimatize the event (or simply attract viewers). Some of these talents - representatives of agencies - have been set up to spruik for events, products, services and it's the gall of these agencies that I think requires more derision that their front-people, their 'products', i.e, the talents. Then, "She's/He's now popular, so let's make her a singer/actor/fashion designer so we can extend and profit from her brand name." This is not to say that these people have their own free will, but I do strongly believe their handlers play a big role in orchestrating these living, breathing props. The Japan media and entertainment business is much as I imagine the Hollywood /Studio machine of the 1930s, 1940s etc was when the 'stars' belonged to a studio and they had to do whatever the studio desired to make money for them.
Nevertheless, I feel the comments towards the talents are often unfair and callous though. I know many get paid well for their jobs, but I also feel that they are worked like dogs by their owners, and they're only doing what they've been told to do.
Unfortunately, JT sets itself and these people up by being part of this media/entertainment/commercial sham by (as one poster noted before) 'reporting' all these product/services events on the site under the title of 'entertainment.' Yes, the 'reporting' of these commercial events with their talents is commonplace and popular in Japan, but it's met with ridicule by those not Japanese as most of us can see through the inanity of it all, especially the stupid questions these folk are asked and the equally daft answers they provide.
And putting this stuff front and center, JT KNOW that the readers will provide derisive comments - but that generates hits, and hits generate revenue. Putting up a picture of Becky or anyone else of their ilk is like lobbing a ball for the readership to smash down on the other side of the court.
Posted in: Why do Japanese celebrities featured in photos or stories on Japan Today frequently come in for a lot of derision from some readers?
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blvtzpk
Oh - you're getting a touch PC, it seems.
Posted in: Do you think it is appropriate for newspaper headlines to include the nationality of defendants or suspects wanted for questioning by police?
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blvtzpk
@roughneck
I favor the term 'entrePORNeur' myself.
Posted in: High school boy arrested for running child porno site
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blvtzpk
I agree with memyselfI - it usually has nothing to do with the crime except to catch readers' attention, and in the world of print journalism, sell copies. In a country with a tendency towards xenophoboia, ANY labeling of the criminal with nationality/race/ethnicity serves to be an 'othering' process, and feeds that fear and distrust of the foreigners. However, if the nationality/ethnicity/race of EVERY person was constantly used, I'd see that as an equal playing field, but that's not going to happen is it?
Posted in: Do you think it is appropriate for newspaper headlines to include the nationality of defendants or suspects wanted for questioning by police?
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blvtzpk
Hmmm. Do I get credit for this question for raising this in my recent posts?
BTW, a quote was misattributed to my username in Metropolis last year. Happy to see the username in print, but not when it wasn't what I said!
Posted in: Do you think it is appropriate for newspaper headlines to include the nationality of defendants or suspects wanted for questioning by police?
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blvtzpk
A report on the BBC Worldservice yesterday (Friday) was decrying Toyota's tactics, but whether this will have long term effects is uncertain.
Posted in: Japanese media criticize Toyota chief for slow response
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blvtzpk
Police questioned Tanaka after leaning that the victim
leaRning
Thank you.
Moderator: Thanks for pointing out the typo. It has been fixed.
Posted in: Bar employee wanted for murder of newspaper delivery woman
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blvtzpk
@some14some
Entertainment = 'Entertainer' pushing a product or service.
Do men make passes at girls who wear glasses? I do.
Posted in: Maki Nishiyama displays hottest new glasses to guard against UV rays
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blvtzpk
These cafes see to be a dime a dozen now - and this picture is a giveaway - the boom is now over. Find another fad to latch onto.
Article Unavailable
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blvtzpk
Expect to see the DVD sections of various BookOffs flooded with these in a few weeks...
Posted in: Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' DVD rakes in Y1.6 billion in one day
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blvtzpk
What is this with the 'grandma panties' stuff? Have you ever SEEN grandma panties? They would keep a small family warm!!! Do most women of that age in Western cultures wear thongs under their gear? I think not. Most gals like their 'comfortable' underwear, believe it or not.
As for our model, no, underwear or not, she doesn't do much for me.
Posted in: Triumph girl Reiko Aoyama shows off sweet lingerie
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blvtzpk
Please check the definition of 'muse', caption writers. I don't know if this particular model is inspiring and motivating the chemists at L'Oreal.
Moderator: Muse is the term that L'Oreal Paris used to describe her.
Article Unavailable
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blvtzpk
Terrible for both people involved.
Driver, rider, & pedestrian caution - stress it.
I was noting to a non-Japanese colleague the other day about how in the snowy, rural area we live in, less than half the cars switch on their lights in days of low visibility. I come from a place that does not see snow in cities, so I am especially cautious here. Snow, heavy rain - on come the lights. My friend mentioned that, probably switching on lights in poor weather conditions is either (a) not taught at driving schools or (b) because it's not a rule, people don't do it here. But I always hear people here talking about "It's only common sense..." but not when it comes to being a cautious, careful driver.
And that goes double for the woman tailgating me this morning. The 'two seconds' rule wasn't taught to her, I guess.
Posted in: 66-year-old woman dies after being hit by truck in Tochigi
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blvtzpk
"So, do we dump Ozawa or not...?"
Article Unavailable
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blvtzpk
Yes. But he is the puppet-master.
If you cut the strings, what have you got? ;)
Posted in: Do you think Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa is a liability for Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama?
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blvtzpk
@ Maria - not to mention the issues involving the making of "Brazil", of which a whole book was written.
Article Unavailable
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blvtzpk
If he's dead, how will they manage they do that?
Posted in: 91-yr-old man, driving wrong way on expressway, dies after collision
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blvtzpk
Lots of assumptions on both sides for most here. In any case, I feel for both sides, and I will be even MORE cautious while driving...
Posted in: Student flees with body of 80-yr-old woman on car bonnet in Tochigi