JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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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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dontpanic
"They don't call "Useful Idiots" are Useful for nothing :)"
No they dont do they?
Posted in: Whaling conference sees possible breakthrough deal
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dontpanic
"Lose your respect for human life, and lose your humamity"
If we're in the mood for editing peoples posts I'll be modifying yours to Lose you respect for life, lose your humanity.
This is an emotional issue. Ossanamericas argument isnt some detached philosophical one, he/she doesnt like the tactics Sea Shepherd uses and will dig up any quote, link, or issue any insult when the blood's boiling. Cleo's argument, the most humanitarian here, is emotional because of the animals suffering. Davidattokyo takes some sort of perverse pleasure in 'turning' Japanese anti whalers.
You cant escape those emotions, they make us what we are. I for one am the better for it and am glad to see some progress on limiting the slaughter.
Seems Sea Shepherds protests havent fallen on deaf ears but we'll see how the discussions pan out.
Posted in: Whaling conference sees possible breakthrough deal
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dontpanic
"understanding the market ??? Whats to understand ?" I've lost count of how many senior execs have gone ignominiously after uttering that one.
Posted in: Japan auto sales plunge 27.9% in January
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dontpanic
Oh and by the way, VW declared 1,872 vehicles sold year to date 2009 ie last months sales. In Total foreign vehicle sales in Japan are now a around 220,000. In common with the rest of the market sales are currently down 30% year on year.
Posted in: Japan auto sales plunge 27.9% in January
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dontpanic
The percentage of imported vehicles in Japan is low in comparison to the market overall, thats down to price, not import barriers. It costs a lot of money to bring a car to Japan. It costs a lot to make sure its fit for sale, then it costs a lot to move vehicles around and then dealer margin in Japan is huge. Looking deeper, US vehicles are a tiny percentage of the imports, why, not because the Japanese think American workers are lazy, but because the cars dont suit them.
I've spent 11 of the last 22 years in Japan and I've never heard the Japanese (authorities or people) describe US workers in that way. In my time working for a US manufacturer in Japan almost all the issues came from a lack of understanding of the market, totally unsuitable product and frustration at the way the Japanese do business. There was no anti Americanism, no import barriers, no punitive tariffs, just a desire to have a importers bring in safe, reliable vehicles with a decent standard of support.
Why would a US automaker want to invest in factories in Japan building their current inventory? It would be madness. My point on investment is that US makers need to invest in quality and technology for their vehicles and put money into more than a token few of their own dealerships in Japan. That is the only way they will gain a reasonable number of sales in a mature market.
Posted in: Japan auto sales plunge 27.9% in January
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dontpanic
Ossan - Thanks also for your honesty. At least it seems that I have an opinion and am prepared to voice it without resort to personal insult and futile name calling.
We all accept the western powers with the eager participation of other sea faring nations did bring the whale population to the brink of extinction. But accident of birth does not mean I cannot support a change for the better. As yours doesn't mean you have to continue to spout the same frustrated circular billious rant when your argumant fails.
Thanks for wishing me luck it means a lot. I look forward to your posts decrying the violent criminal behaviour of the whalers.
Posted in: Whalers blast activists with water cannons in Antarctic Ocean
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dontpanic
“If the Insight had gone on sale a half year earlier, it would have been such a sure hot-seller,”
Poor bloke sounds like hes given up before theyve even started. Chin up. Get the FCX clarity released globally and you'll see some cash pour in. Even more so if Honda could persuade some oil companies to install hydrogen tanks in their gas stations.
Posted in: Honda starts selling cheap hybrid Insight
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dontpanic
"their action of distancing themselves from SS because of SS's tactics is self explanitory" I believe Greenpeace are fully capable of explaining themselves. They dont need you making any up for them. Probably wouldnt welcome it either.
"It's self defense" Aiming an acoustic weapon at an unarmed helicoptor filming Sea Shepherds zodiacs in action is not self defense, its an attempt to bring it down.
"And far less violent than what any American vessel would resort to" Only in as much as it failed to bring the helicoptor down this time.
Posted in: Whalers 'on the run' again, say activists
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dontpanic
I would very much welcome a political decision to stop whaling. But its obvious one is not coming soon. Hence my support for the robust action that is making many sit up and take notice.
I should have been clearer, Im against commercial whaling in its current form. One for the obvious ecological reasons and the arguments youve made are a long way from convincing me that Japan is able, or even willing to maintain a sustainable whaling policy. Japans reputation for sucking up the worlds marine life is second to none.
Secondly the current methods of killing whales are simply barbaric. Food needs much more respect than a grenade in the back and a slow agonising, terrified death. That stands for all the whaling nations, yes I oppose their whaling too. Does that spoil your feeble attempt to make this a racial issue?
Thirdly Im against Japans 'scientific' whaling as it is simply an lie.
Posted in: Whalers blast activists with water cannons in Antarctic Ocean
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dontpanic
"Why? Australia has no jurisdiction over Japanese flag ships that are not in Australian waters"
Because the Japanese authorities are not idiots and would not operate that kind of mission without international agreement.
"So what? If Japan did choose to hunt their local waters you would complain?"
Actually I would. You see Im against whaling.
Posted in: Whalers blast activists with water cannons in Antarctic Ocean
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dontpanic
I dont recall Greenpeace calling Sea Shepherd terrorists and criminals.
Lets be honest, the use of acoustic weapons against Sea Shepherds helicoptor and small boats is hardly designed to be harm free is it? And the FBI, a paragon of respect for law and order?
If youre attempting to gain the high ground, nonsense, silly examples, insults and thinly veiled threats wont help.
Posted in: Whalers 'on the run' again, say activists
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dontpanic
"GM has remained the #1 auto maker on the planet for more than 70 years"
And has lost ground consistently until that number one status is threatened by a younger fitter Toyota providing vehicles people in and outside the US want to buy.
"As for quality, seems you still buy into the Japanese myth of superiority. Sorry, the recall numbers, total defects, and eventual hidden inventory belong mostly to Japanese auto manufacturers."
Its not to the Japanese manufacturers credit that they covered up recalls for a very long time. That said they didnt and couldnt abroad. Japanese cars consistently figure as the lowest warranty cost vehicles, with the highest levels of customer satisfaction. When US brands appear in the charts they're usually European designed and built.
"Fact is American cars today consistently outnumber all others in terms of top 3 quality makes in every category imaginable, they don't always win #1 but you can't argue that second and third best aint nothin to brag about."
Never seen it. You must read different magazines and trade papers to me.
"Nonsense ! American cars are, and have been, just as competitive as it's Japanese counterparts. As far as technology is concerned... yer waaaay off base!"
Well, here youre simply wrong. I speak with over 20 years experience in the business and while I agree US cars may be loaded with toys, that is not what I meant by technology. The engines are backward, too large and simply waste fuel with very poor management software. Suspension systems are for the most part the same design as an old covered wagon. In general dashboards seem like theyre made of old toffee wrappers. Driveline, panelfit, paint and trim are all substandard. Without huge manufacturer support these cars and trucks wouldnt shift at home let alone abroad. This is proven by the state of sales in the US market now loans are no longer available to those that cant pay.
"I've seen and heard this scenerio played out dozens of times here in Japan. Of course Japanese don't want to buy something they can't "see or touch" !!! Ahh, if only America practiced the same form of protectionism."
Its true you cant buy a car if you cant see it. Thats not a fault with the Japanese though. US makers dont like to invest in infrastructure, preferring to have local businesses take the risk. If it werent for Yanase GM would have had a much greater difficulty breaking into the Japanese marketplace and even then could only sell European product in numbers. Those local businesses that do invest are rewarded with marginal sales and poor technical and logistical support. In the current climate many are likely to fold.
One thing I can say from personal knowledge is that the barriers in the way of US product are not placed there by the Japanese but by the US makers themselves. If they were to invest in showrooms and infrastructure they would still have to convince the Japanese people, who will continue to shop for the best product that suits their needs.
"It seems that these cars are so poorly constructed that you have a 50-50 chance of survival even if, get this, you are wearing a safety belt"
This is just nonsense. In terms of safety, all manufacturers have to meet stringent standards to sell in developed markets. Witness the continuous fall in RTA deaths.
The inroads foreign manufacturers have made into the US market and the lack of penetration outside the US attest to the quality and suitability of US produced product. In order to survive, US manufacturers must wake up and invest in the future, rather than milking the past. I hope they do. The world will be a lesser place without the creativity that can, on occasion, be displayed by US makers.
Posted in: Japan auto sales plunge 27.9% in January
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dontpanic
"What I really want to know is how far have Chrysler, Ford, and GM fallen here in Japan. I'm willing to bet not one iota ! See, those companys have had extremely limited access to Japans markets for years ! When sales are nearly zero, it's hard to fall much further"
Oh dear, this is a bit of a throwback to the nineties. The reason the US makers sales havent grown is because of poor image and quality issues.
I know Chrysler in Japan very well (from before the merger with MB) and since dropping the Honda supply route for Jeep, sales have fallen steadily. The reasons? Lack of showroom capacity, that all important image (gas guzzling and poor quality control) and dated technology.
I remember Honda used to put their Jeeps through a rigourous and very expensive pre delivery inspection. Chrysler cant afford the same level of support and with a range that is technically as old as the hills its impossible to compete with local and European product on the same level.
Posted in: Japan auto sales plunge 27.9% in January
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dontpanic
"Perhaps the low sales is also a nature of how much better cars/trucks are made"
If only that were true. Nope, the lack of car sales is pretty much down to everyone being potless. When the banks start to release money again the market will improve, especially fleet sales. By then the automakers will hopefully be leaner and smarter.
Posted in: Chrysler sales plunge 55% in U.S.; GM, Toyota also down
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dontpanic
"No they don't. But their interpretation of what does or does not constitute an eco-terrorist is infinitely more significant and relevant to reality than a bunch of people on an internet forum spouting off their individual opinions without substantiation"
Only significant to you for use on this forum. The FBI make their definitions for their purposes, and while that is significant for US policy, hardly relevent here.
"I've repeated numerous times that I don't care about the whales or the whalers one way or the other"
What you repeatedly say is countered by what you repeatedly demonstrate on the forum you disparage. Desperately tagging protest with criminality or terrorism simply looks to be your justification whilst feigning impartiality.
Posted in: Whalers 'on the run' again, say activists
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dontpanic
Ossan - "The JCG, is not military. It is law enforcement" Military, paramilitary, law enforcement, self defense force, mislabel it all you want, it doesnt change my point though? Without Australia's agreement Japan wont be sending it's forces to fend off Sea Shepherd.
"You don't know and I don't know. Irrevelant speculation either way" Speculation certainly, but not irrelevent. Bearing in mind Japans immediate rebuttal of very recent proposals we know Japans position on limiting itself to coastal whaling. QED.
Posted in: Whalers blast activists with water cannons in Antarctic Ocean
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dontpanic
"The USCG could easily arrest anyone harassing a US flag vessel in the antarctic or anywhere"
The US is powerful and influential, but not that much. Nor, as is actually relevent here, are the Japanese. Japan could never gain support for deploying its military in support of a fleet performing questionable acts in the name of science.
Only if Japan agrees to operate its factory ships solely in its own waters will the JCG have any grounds for intercepting Sea Shepherd. But of course thats not going to happen is it?
Posted in: Whalers blast activists with water cannons in Antarctic Ocean
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dontpanic
OssanAmerica - Copy and paste what you like, the FBI doesnt define the English language.
Sea Shepherd are not trying to gain political power, they're protesting against your friends in the Southern ocean. The fact that the protests are robust and effective, indicates they were right to split from Greenpeace.
It's clear you dont give a hoot about the whales, just the whalers. Im sure few of Sea Shepherds supporters will lose sleep if we cant be friends.
Posted in: Whalers 'on the run' again, say activists
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dontpanic
Ossan- your definition of a terrorist is simply wrong. A Terrorist is a person who uses violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims. Sea Shepherd are not using violence or intimidation, although the whalers might find the robust protests theyre on the receiving end of intimidating.
A protestor on the other hand is one who takes part in an organized public demonstration objecting to an official policy or course of action, which exactly describes Sea Shepherds actions against the whalers.
False labelling is rapidly becoming a standard practise in Japan. One which we should all resist.
Posted in: Whalers 'on the run' again, say activists
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dontpanic
OssanAmerica-"Japan should have JCG officers onboard" So youre saying Japan should extend its territorial waters in response to the eco-warriors?
Any deployment of Japanese forces in response to the protesters would be inappropriate. At best Japan can ask for assistance from the Australian authorities. Wonder how well that request will be received?
Posted in: Whalers blast activists with water cannons in Antarctic Ocean