JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Corporate Business English Trainers
- ACT Systems, Inc.（株式会社アクト・システムズ）, Tokyo
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- 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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- Kohgakusha Co., Ltd. （株式会社興学社）, Osaka
- Salary: ¥255,000 ~ ¥275,000 / Month Travel Expenses, Encouragement of Japanese learning*
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davidattokyo
T_rexmaxy,
LOL! "There is no demand", except for from the businesses that sell the products to consumers...
E.g. - there is demand.
Posted in: Japan says it has caught 195 whales in northwest Pacific
2
davidattokyo
beangry,
I'm not clear that you are very aware of the research that they are doing if you primary information came from an anti-whaling scientist from Australia, but this is just fisheries research. Fisheries research is not about "discovering" stuff and finding cures for exotic diseases. The goal of fisheries research, including Japan's whale research, is to provide scientific knowledge that can facilitate good management decisions regarding these fisheries resources.
Well, that's just what makes human society outside North Korea work.
Posted in: Japan says it has caught 195 whales in northwest Pacific
2
davidattokyo
beangry,
They are saying otherwise, and I think they know more about what they are studying than you do.
"Worth" depends on your objectives. I think you'll find the scientist involved in the paper you are referring to is actually has no interest in utilising whales consumptively on a sustainable basis. No surprise that he doesn't think the research is worthwhile...
If your objective is to utilise whales on a consumptively on a sustainable basis, then who really gives a hoot about non-lethal "alternatives"?
Posted in: Japan says it has caught 195 whales in northwest Pacific
1
davidattokyo
Christina O'Neill,
You've got your wires crossed. That 12.5 figure was the percentage of the population that has "deep interest" in eating whales. Overall only around 40% or so had absolutely no interest at all in eating whales.
Biological studies help inform us about optimal and sustainable management of these resources, which the recent poll showed approximately 60% of the Japanese population has some interest in consuming.
But if you aren't one of the 60% with some interest in eating whales, the research is not relevant to you. And if you are not only not interested in eating whales yourself, but keen to suppress the rights of others who choose differently, then you're quite possibly inclined to disparage the research as you push that particular agenda.
Posted in: Japan says it has caught 195 whales in northwest Pacific
2
davidattokyo
Looks like it was just something they do at training actually, so definitely a file photo.
Posted in: Japan taps insider knowledge for All Blacks clash
1
davidattokyo
Japan did play well and France was terrible. With the pressure on they were just dropping the ball repeatedly, no wonder the Japanese were able to play some footie. It was always just a matter of the French settling down, and that penalty they got to pull out to a 7-point lead was the turning point.
Posted in: All Blacks worry over Carter fitness for Japan game
1
davidattokyo
As I kiwi I kind of imagined beforehand there would be some embarrassments. NZ has a "she'll be 'right mate" attitude that isn't really conducive to running a hiccup free event.
Posted in: New Zealand PM sorry for World Cup chaos
2
davidattokyo
Might be a file photo from some time ago. Richie is often on the receiving end of treatment by ****ers like that coward Quade Cooper, he was probably just keeping a cut covered over to prevent extra damage and help it heal fast.
Posted in: Japan taps insider knowledge for All Blacks clash
-1
davidattokyo
Here is the full poll, for those interested: http://www.ap-gfkpoll.com/ http://www.ap-gfkpoll.com/pdf/AP-Gfk%20Poll%20Japan%202nd%20release.pdf
It includes the questions and full results.
The article is actually very misleading. Many commenters here seem to have got the impression that hardly anyone wants to eat whale meat.
The actual survey results show interest in eating whale meat as such: Extremely/Very - 12% Moderately interested - 21% Only a little - 26% Not at all - 41%
E.g., most people do have some interest in eating whale, to varying degrees. This reconciles with the answer to the question about support for commercial whaling.
No doubt having stated these poll results clearly, I'll be voted down hard for it by the JT anti-whaling tribe :)
Posted in: 52% of Japanese favor whaling, poll shows
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davidattokyo
10 million people who are "deeply interested in eating whale meat", eh. Who'd have thunk it? These 10 million people have the right to choose what they eat, in my opinion.
I wonder how "deeply interested" was defined. I had whale last month. I wonder if I'd be included.
smithinjapan,
The survey is what it is. There is no need or point in making excuses for reality. (Of course if the survey had an obviously biased sponsor it'd be another matter.)
kaketama,
This supposition does indeed make sense. At the end of the day, few if any people, actually need any specific food. I largely avoid beef myself. But golly gee I believe I have the right to choose whether or not I eat it, and same goes for more prolific whale munchers than myself.
warnerbro,
That argument doesn't wash since many non-Japanese also have no problem with sustainable whaling.
presto345,
Oh great, perhaps you are omniscient and can tell us how everything stands instead?
It has nothing to do with the Japanese public. There is no need to give absolute protection to "the whale".
tranel,
Agreed. It should be commercialised once again as soon as possible. Only problem is the IWC is dysfunctional and even though sustainable commercial catch quotas can be set, some nations refuse to allow this for reasons with nothing to do with conservation or the whaling convention that they signed up to.
Christina O'Neill,
I don't think "friends" who are arrogant and intolerant of others freedoms are friends worth having.
Posted in: 52% of Japanese favor whaling, poll shows
-1
davidattokyo
smith, Noda might look like he has some back-bone, but he'll run the risk of exposing his own lack of vision and/or stir up policy disagreements within his own party.
These are guys who stand around a train stations and say "my name is Blehbleh, please give me your support". Anyone could do this - no wonder they are so useless. Why are spend and hope crooks like Ozawa and Noda / Kan even in the same party?
There is something deeply wrong with the whole system.
Posted in: Japan's new leadership wins solid backing in more polls
1
davidattokyo
I can't think of any countries in the world where a political party can change it's leadership and
get a 300% improvement in the polls.
It goes to show how pointless the notion of political parties in Japan really are.
There is no strategic vision anywhere in Japanese politics, the whole system needs a good shake up. Policy-centric politics rather than people-centric politics. Japan needs some non career politicians to come in with some actual vision and I'm sure they could inspire the voters to join them. There are loads of successful business people in Japan, any one of them could do a better job at leading in a useful direction than the clowns ostensibly in charge.
Posted in: Japan's new leadership wins solid backing in more polls
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davidattokyo
Spidapig24,
I find it FASCINATING that you would make comments like this!
Heh, whale humper.
Posted in: New Zealand's legal brothels gear up for busy World Cup
0
davidattokyo
smithinjapan,
Centenarians living today most probably ate their fair share of cetaceans when they were younger, in the years after WWII. Norwegians and Icelanders too are known to have long life expectancies.
When considering whether eating cetaceans is good for the health or not, clearly a rounded investigation which investigates the benefits also would be better than a focus on negatives alone, which is (by some pure coincidence?) what we get from the protesters' side. I'm sure you're all for consumers making fully informed decisions.
I think the splintered nature of the hate-cetacean-harvests movement is why it has failed to achieve what it's proponents seek. It's an umbrella campaign for people with all sort of fringe ideas. But the lack of coherence amongst is why it is ultimately ineffective. No your fault individually of course, everyone is welcome to an opinion.
Posted in: Global protests held against Japan's dolphin hunt
1
davidattokyo
Oracle,
By definition, "apathetic" means that they aren't against it. They just don't care (like most people, all around the world, I believe).
As for the "protests" (which have also involved criminal activities), what it has done is make the fishermen think that they should do more to kill the animals out of sight, which is the standard for killing animals in the nations where so many of the protesters come from.
Footage of animals being killed is the food that protest organizations feed off.
Posted in: Global protests held against Japan's dolphin hunt
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davidattokyo
These protesters complaining about something because it has a profit motive is silly. Lots of things happen because someone has a profit motive. That's the system we use in modern society to get things that need to be done, done.
Someone suggested that Japan isn't so popular as it might be because of a little cetacean harvests. That's a long stretch. If you watch business TV shows (CNBC etc) one rarely hears dolphin hunts etc raised as an issue effecting Japan's industrial production output or GDP etc etc. There's only a fringe group of people who won't buy Japan's products because of it, and if you think of it this way - those people don't deserve to buy Japan's products anyway.
Kirsten Massebeau,
I am against unsustainable cetacean harvests, but I have no issue with sustainable cetacean harvests. My view is is quite prevalent amongst us "in-activists".
Cetaceans are a naturally renewable resource - some amount can be taken on a sustainable basis without depleting their numbers completely. The ongoing hunts in Taiji dating back hundreds of years don't appear to be unsustainable.
There are lots of positive things you could do with your energy, but trying to eliminate even the most sustainable of cetacean harvests is a futile effort, with a goal that is regarded by many as completely pointless and needless (all IMHO). Wouldn't it be great if you were able to find issues where you could join together with the rest of society, rather than focusing on a culturally divisive issue? Or do you enjoy the confrontational aspect of your efforts to disrupt the lives of your fellow human beings who differ from you? It just seems like such a negative way to spend your time, but I guess if you can empathize with cetaceans more than you can with your fellow human beings to whom you just have different language and culture, you may not see it this way I guess.
Posted in: Global protests held against Japan's dolphin hunt
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davidattokyo
ReformedBasher,
That's because the idea is to liken animals (killed for food etc) with humans (including those who have passed in natural disasters), and using a word with such connotations suits his purpose. If couldn't just say "spear" because it would sound like what it is (and even some anti-whalers are ok with cetacean killing so long as spears are used rather than next generation methods).
I believe this sort of rhetoric doesn't convince anyone who isn't susceptible to cetacean worship brainwashing in the first place though, but it is important to highlight the nature of these people.
Posted in: 'Cove' star urges dolphin watching, not killing
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davidattokyo
I hope that the important point that the victims of the natural disaster are not on the same level as animals killed for food has not been lost here.
ChopriCana,
Texas Oyaji is indeed a decent respectful person, unlike Mr. O'Barry who perhaps does not even realise how offensive he is to the majority of human beings.
Posted in: 'Cove' star urges dolphin watching, not killing
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davidattokyo
Spidapig24,
I wasn't referring to the slaughter of factory farmed animals, more to the fact that they are factory farmed per se (before being slaughtered). If I had to choose, I'd rather take a Taiji dolphin life and death over a factory farmed animal life and death. I take a holistic view in this respect.
I'd like to say I can't believe that O'Barry would put human victims of a natural disaster on the same level as animals killed for food, but then it didn't surprise me to be honest.
But I would really like to know whether you could meet someone who lost a loved one in the natural disaster, and tell them that you can only empathize with them as much as you can for an animal that people purposefully take the life from for the benefit of their society.
cleo,
Full disclosure is what it is...
Posted in: 'Cove' star urges dolphin watching, not killing
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davidattokyo
I think it's a disgrace that this guy would dare to put the lives of people who died in the March disaster on the same level of animals that are killed for food and other purposes.
How would the victims' families feel about it? He's just abusing their memory for his own purposes.
If he wants to spend his life protesting about how other people live their lives, fine, but he could at least not disrespect people who have nothing to do with this issue.
Posted in: 'Cove' star urges dolphin watching, not killing