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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davidattokyo
Yet none of them do anything about the eco-terrorists who have created this situation...
The media is forever parroting the commercial anti-whaling industry propaganda like this. Hopefully they will finally take note when the ICJ rules against Australia in their case against the Japanese, and change their boilerplate whaling articles accordingly thenceforth.
Politicians posing as scientists! The IWC's own scientific committee utilises biological data provided by Japan's research precisely because no feasible or viable non-lethal alternatives exist.
Where is their commitment to the whaling convention?
Posted in: U.S., Australia, NZ 'disappointed' over Japan whale hunt
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davidattokyo
If I were 96 years old, and oblivious to recent history, I guess I would agree.
All said and done, I think Dotobock's comments about opposition being unscientific and emotional is pretty much spot on myself, and I know you and I aren't going to agree. You regard whaling as inhumane and risky, whereas I regard it as more humane holistically than farming animals and entirely reasonable from a risk perspective. Until next time.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
I leave it to the reader to judge how relevant the actions of 1930's Japan are to whaling in the 21st century...
Indeed it did fail for the first 3 decades or so of it's existence (until the NMP was introduced in the 1970's).
No one is suggesting we base current and future management decisions on old, outdated, failed and irrelevant management practices, so I'm still not sure why you hark back to pre-WWII days. (Of course you are welcome to live in the past, but don't expect everyone else to, thanks.)
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
SwissToni,
I'm sure you also know that the Antarctic minke isn't. If you had conviction in your "humane killing" argument I don't think you'd be making secondary excuses like this.
That is quite wrong.
The abundance estimates used by the IWC are specified with a 95% confidence interval, which means that we can be 95% sure that the abundance is greater than the lower bound of the abundance estimate.
Furthermore, the IWC will not allow catches on stocks below 54% of their initial carrying capacity.
On top of this, a whale stock would need to be depleted very significantly below the 54% level before it came under any threat of extinction.
Unless you don't use airplanes for fear of them crashing and kill you, opposing whaling on these grounds completely ignores a proper quantification of the risk associated.
The Whaling Commission didn't even exist in the 1930's. It makes no sense at all to base one's views on regulated whaling based on a time when there was none.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
If one is based in Japan, the cheapest way to exchange is to use a FX company that offers the service. You can then exchange at close to market rates. Most banks have a spread of one yen or more, whereas one FX company I know does it for a spread of less than 0.1 yen (exact rate depends on the currency). The foreign banks have much narrower spreads than Japanese ones, but they still can't beat the FX companies.
The downside is you need to be able to read Japanese to open an FX account, and read through all their "risk" documentation. IMO there is minimal risk if you are just exchanging money though (as opposed to trading high leverage on margin). If you are going to be exchanging money often and with non-trivial amounts of cash then it's worth the hassle.
Posted in: HIS Japan to offer Western Union money transfer services
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davidattokyo
Animux,
Everyone knows that IWC resolutions are non-binding, and Japan abides by all of them accept for the politically motivated ones that go against the spirit of the whaling convention.
Why anti-whalers think a whaling convention should make it easy for whaling to be banned is beyond me. Anti-whalers are just plain dirty and dishonest and should get out of the whaling commission.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
They've got one, and practice makes perfect.
Simple test is whether you'd rather be reborn a whale or a cow. Whale, whale, whale.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
Alexandra Dickens,
They aren't whaling illegally, they are whaling legally.
The whaling convention allows for catches for research purposes, with the added provision that any whales taken not be wasted. (It's the convention for the REGULATION of whaling, not for the "prohibition" of whaling.)
Your confusion may stem from the anti-whalers' success in abusing the whaling convention to impose temporary zero-catch limits for commercial whaling, and designate the entire Antarctic whaling grounds as a "sanctuary". However, neither of these measures (both against the spirit of the whaling convention) override the right of nations to catch whales for research purposes and provide the forthcoming biological data to the IWC for study, which is what Japan has done in light of the temporary zero-catch limits (which were at least ostensibly imposed by the anti-whalers because of an alleged lack of scientific data).
If you don't believe me, just wait patiently for the outcome of Australia's ICJ case against Japan. The ICJ panel of judges is in my estimation 99% certain to throw Australia's case out of court, on the basis that Japan's actions are consistent (not inconsistent) with the whaling convention. If the ICJ panel of judges agrees with me, then you'll know that I was right about this.
Simple reality - not liking whaling is not the same as whaling being illegal.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
Alexandra, the law isn't going to change to be like that, so your question is mute. The whaling convention cannot be changed without agreement by all nations who have adhered to it. I'm not sure if you realise, but Japan isn't the only country in the world with whaling and whale eating populations.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
ignoranttolerance,
Sea Shepherd is not hugely disliked in the UK either, yet the UK courts ruled against SS in their case against the Malta fishing company.
Anti-whaling (anti-Tuna fishing) is one thing, the law is another. The US and UK are not third world nations, they have proper institutions, and they won't harbour these eco-terrorists just because they are attacking Japanese whaling interests.
The US itself has identified the threat to society from eco-terrorism and prosecuted against those who perpetrate it, in the not so distant past.
Australia is trying to argue that at the ICJ. The problem is that Article VIII is not a "loophole", it's an explicitly written article of the whaling convention that actually exists, it is not a "gap". This is why Australia will fail - because they can't accept that the whaling convention is a whaling convention.
Research is being conducted, and the government subsidises the research (as do I when I eat whale meat), the operations do not make a profit.
Your fact is fiction. The IWC Scientific Committee uses biological data from the Japanese research programme in it's own research. You can see this for yourself if you read their latest report.
These methods don't produce the required biological data that the IWC's Scientific Committee it utilising.
Hmmmmm, watch out, the FBI might be on to you with statements like that...
What matters is what the judge says.
We are talking about the USA in 2011, not the British harbouring pirates in 17th century Caribbean.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
Alexandra Dickens,
Sister, the world already has one whaling convention, and it explicitly says that rules can not be made to discriminate against any particular nation as you suggest here.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
Alexandra Dickens,
Australia doesn't claim that in their arguments to the ICJ. You can read their application here: http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/files/148/15951.pdf
If one reads their application, one gets the impression that Australia accepts that Japan's activities take place in international waters.
? Eating whales is consistent with the spirit and letter of the whaling convention.
They have been charged and have injured crew members.
The Ady Gil could run circles around the Japanese vessels, they got the plastic boat sliced in half for TV purposes.
SS are responsible for their own injuries when they attack the Japanese.
Shooting?! Pull the other one.
Not the most accurate or longest of range weapons in the world... pray tell how was it that SS were within spear range of the Japanese whaling vessels? They weren't attacking the Japanese, were they?
Come on, even Paul Watson criticises Greenpeace for playing hollywood by deliberately steering into the path of the water cannons to make for good TV.
SS is. The Japanese are just defending themselves from these violent eco-terrorists. It's good to see the Japanese take SS to court in the US to have them desist from further such actions. If SS desist, there will be no further need to defend themselves from SS's violent actions against their lawful activities.
Posted in: Japan using quake disaster budget for whaling aid
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davidattokyo
Alexandra Dickens,
You have a small misunderstanding of the whaling convention. Currently the IWC has set zero-catch limits for the taking of whales for commercial purposes. However the whaling convention does allow governments to take whales for research purposes, and encourages them to provide the IWC with biological data as such. Until data can once more be obtained through non-zero commercial catches we should expect this to continue.
This is Article VIII.4 of the whaling convention:
"Recognizing that continuous collection and analysis of biological data in connection with the operations of factory ships and land stations are indispensable to sound and constructive management of the whale fisheries, the Contracting Governments will take all practicable measures to obtain such data."
It's not permitted to simply kill the whales for the biological data however, and thus the government makes the meat available for consumption, to see that good use be made of it, in accordance with the spirit of the whaling convention.
Whaling is a perfectly good industry isn't it?
I think it's quite mean-hearted for outsiders to try to use the disaster as an excuse to dictate to these people how they should live their lives.
Posted in: Japan using quake disaster budget for whaling aid
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davidattokyo
There are a lot of legal experts here, its enlightening.
There is a history in the US of bringing eco-terrorists to justice, including Canadian citizens, so we will surely enjoy watching developments closely.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
Alexandra Dickens, the right whale has several distinct populations globally. In the case of the northern-right whale, they do number only a few hundred, and if this population dies out that stock of whales will be gone forever. Successful conservation requires conservation of each individual stock. The Antarctic minke whale that Japan is interested in harvesting sustainably is not in anyway endangered.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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davidattokyo
Twitter totally stole @ from email.
Posted in: Twitter revamps to connect the world
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davidattokyo
The Japanese public and tax payers deserve better from their public service, shuffling people around when they allegedly commit crimes is a practice that Japanese people, I believe, would like to see end. One wonders what a public service worker has to actually do in order to get fired? Someone in this position especially should clearly know better.
Posted in: Japan's ambassador to Croatia to be transferred after sexual harassment allegation
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davidattokyo
senseiman,
Whatever "commecial whaling" test they may use is really irrelevant, as Article VIII special permits are exempt from the restrictions of the Schedule amendments, and Japan can easily show that it has issued these special permits and that the purpose is for scientific research, and that they think fit the numbers they are trying to take.
Australia will be wasting it's time if it ignores the convention text. I got the impression that may be what they'll try to do, because their application document suggests that they don't accept that the whaling convention is for the purpose of conserving whale stocks and making for the development of whaling industry.
Certainly the public have not been well-informed about the provisions of the whaling convention. Japan being vindicated at the ICJ should give the media a chance to explain it then.
I don't recall using such words, perhaps you are confusing me with someone else? The purpose of the program is to provide scientific data to the IWC Scientific Committee so as to facilitate it's whale stock management decisions. The Japanese research helps fills the gap that came about due to the temporary lack of data coming in from commercial catches, and the Convention calls on contracting governments to seek to provide such data. The fact that even the IWC Scientific Committee uses the data makes it extremely hard for Australia to get any traction.
Posted in: Japan using quake disaster budget for whaling aid
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davidattokyo
I have just read a paper by Dr Julia Jabour, which says with respect to the good faith aspect of Australia's ICJ case:
"These allegations may be difficult for Australia to prove. In the first place, the notion of good faith applies to all states parties to the whaling convention, not just Japan, and the accusation could equally be levelled at Australia."
I do trust Japan will seek to do so.
Posted in: Japan using quake disaster budget for whaling aid
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davidattokyo
globalwatcher,
If you read the IWC scientific committee's latest report you'll see that biological data from Japan's research is being used in the work of the committee.
It's not reported widely in the media, that doesn't mean that there is no research.
Wait for the result of the ICJ case Australia has brought against Japan for confirmation of this.
Posted in: Latin American nations urge Japan to stop whaling