JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
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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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gaijintraveller
The Yakuza are often used in Japan when official routes do not work. We may not like most of what they do, but they do whereas officials often just plan, talk or enforce a tangle of red tape that prevents action.
In a situation like this help needs to be accepted from anyone who can do something useful without prejudice. That means accept foreign food, foreign medication, foreign medical help and help from the Yakuza.
We cannot rely on this countries government stifled by its bureaucracy.
Posted in: Yakuza tone down events, step up relief efforts in quake-stricken areas
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gaijintraveller
Coca-Cola claim to be doing their bit by turning the lights off on their vending machines. This is nothing but tokenism and will save a fraction of a percent of the electricity these power hogs consume. In fact turning off all vending machines outside the disaster area would go a long way to providing a solution.
It takes at least one nuclear power station to power these machines.
Posted in: Japan will struggle with power crunch after quake
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gaijintraveller
There house may have been insured for earthquake damage. I don't know whether that includes tsunami damage. Insurance companies often use escape clauses to avoid paying.
Posted in: Remains of the day
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gaijintraveller
Error 404 Remove the index dot htm and you get the Narita site. You can find links giving radiation information on government websites such as the Chiba Prefectural site.
The Haneda site gives up-to-date information on duty-free shops, flights and so on. It gives "!Important Information" on radiation dated 19th March.
With the goal of curtailing misinformed rumors. Ironically, the whole article is misinformed rumour.
Posted in: Haneda, Narita airports create web pages with daily radiation level updates
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gaijintraveller
Why so little rice? There is plenty in Japan. The government has huge stores. It can easily be imported, too. What is the real problem? The logistics of getting it to them? Water to cook it? There should be plenty of wood around to start fires, and there should be cooking utensils. I suspect the supply of water is the main problem. There may be well water, which many people have in my area. However, if there is no electricity, the pumps will not work. Unfortunately, modern gas and oil heaters also depend on electricity.
The problem seems to be an overdependence on electricity in an earthquake-prone country. There is a lack of back-up power. A friend told me yesterday that she had to change the time of her kidney dialysis.
"Why, you have a generator in case there is an earthquake here, don't you?"
"No, and we are short of your medication because it is made in Ibaraki."
"Why don't you import some then?"
"Because we are not allowed to."
I hope that Tokyo hospital is not representative of hospitals around Japan.
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gaijintraveller
Another problem is centralised purchasing. Every purchase must be approved by head office. I sell things on the internet and have a stock of torches (flashlights to Amercans). The local chain stores have sold out. They want to buy from me but cannot without a hanko from head office.
"As the crow flies" I will tell you how to deal with the problem. Knock on your neighbour's door. Ask if they can spare some of what you need. They probably bought a year's supply of it last week. Yes, hoarding is the problem.
Posted in: Quake devastates companies' supply routes
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gaijintraveller
I also read Japan moved 2.4 metres. I don't know how this will affect property boundaries.
Posted in: Quake caused day to get a wee bit shorter
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gaijintraveller
Cactus, that is what many British blues and rock bands such as Led Zeppelin did. In that case it was extremely beneficial for Americans.
White Americans never really listened to the blues until it was played by British bands who fell in love with it after hearing it at the American Folk Blues Festival in the 60s.
Black Americans could then sell their music to a white audience.
Some Japanese music may turn out to be more than a rip-off. There is nothing wrong with absorbing foreign influences. The Beatles explored Indian music, The Stones explored North African sounds.
Punk and rock are not finished. Good luck to Namba. He seems to have the right idea.
Posted in: Punk icon Akihiro Namba says only rock can cure Japan’s ills
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gaijintraveller
Could be worse. He could be a salaryman addicted to alcohol and tobacco.
Posted in: For many Japanese, laid-back overseas vacations a one-way ticket to nowhere
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gaijintraveller
Smorkian,
"I really think you are making way, way too big of a deal about no English in the Lumix menus." You are the one making to big a deal about someone making reasonable and valid criticism.
Posted in: Latest Lumix
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gaijintraveller
Smorkian says: "I don't know the kanji for aperture myself." What other kanji don't you? Maybe there are things you are missing in the menus, not to mention the manual.
"It is an added expense to have to support these languages as others have mentioned," Actually, the added expense is removing them.
"Since the market for a Lumix sold in Japan is 99% likely to be a Japanese speaker." A Japanese speaker is not necessarily a Japanese reader.
"Why waste resources catering to that remaining 1% of the market?" I thought the customer was meant to be a god in this country. Also, if you anger the customer, it is not only your cameras he will not buy. Creating PR in English in Japan is more of a waste of resources.
The xenophobic attitude displayed by Panasonic will not benefit them. It will, however, benefit Korean and Chinese manufacturers. Time will tell.
Posted in: Latest Lumix
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gaijintraveller
Smorkian, do most Japanese happen to know the kanji for aperture and some other photographic technical words? I have often found that Japanese, not just foreigners who think they can read Japanese, have trouble with technical words in Japanese. On a stereo if they use kanji on the controls, many Japanese will tell you the takai control adjusts volume when, in fact it adjusts treble.
You are right, I do not like Panasonic, and with reason. I have dealt with their service department, and they basically told me to get lost, and that was in the country of "O kyakusan wa kamisama".
If Panasonic releases PR in English, they should leave the English and other languages on the camera. If not, they should release the PR in Japanese only, so that only those who can read Japanese menus are informed.
If the current Lumix cameras do, as some suggest, contain English and other language menus, then progress has been made. If so, I would not be so vain as to suggest it is purely as a result of my complaints. I am sure others complained, too, but I may have done a little towards changing their attitude and improving their product.
If all foreigners living in Japan should read kanji, why shouldn't all Japanese living in foreign countries learn their languages? As far as I know Japanese menus never been removed from export models.
Nowadays, many ATMs are offering menus in English, Portuguese, Chinese and Korean. I regard this as progress. No doubt Smorkian does not.
Some people who use camera want to use more of the features provided than just the fully automatic mode.
Posted in: Latest Lumix
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gaijintraveller
So Panasonic thinks vibrant colours are an important feature. I and many others like me do not. However, we do consider menus in languages other than Japanese an essential feature, which Panasonic insists on removing from the cameras it sells in Japan.
Just forget Lumix cameras if you are a foreigner. Panasonic does not want you as a customer.
Posted in: Latest Lumix
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gaijintraveller
Many Japanese bike riders are stupid enough already. They do not need any encouragement. 3,600 yen would be better spent on a headlight or batteries for an existing one and a rear light, which is rare in Japan, and maybe some reflective tape.
Japan does not need more laws; some of the important existing need to be enforced.
Posted in: Navigation system for bikes
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gaijintraveller
Sean Connery, a famous Scot, used to advertise Japanese whisky, but only in Japan. It would have been bad for his image if those ads had been viewed in his homeland, where his is considered a nationalist.
Posted in: From Scottish Highlands to Kaku-highballs: the rise and rise of Japanese whisky
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gaijintraveller
gogogo, I agree, but would like to add Spinner, a previously excellent internet radio station, and, of course, Netscape Navigator.
Posted in: AOL to buy Huffington Post for $315 mil
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gaijintraveller
So how can we put JR in manners mode?
Piglet, you forgot the message telling everyone everywhere on the train that they need a Green Car ticket if they are sit in the Green Car. At the moment announcements are only in Japanese and English. Just wait until they add Chinese, Korean and Portuguese.
Then what is the point of fake bird noises, some of which actually sound more like rats? Are they used to give the impression of being surrounded by nature or to scare real birds away?
Being surrounded by all these announcements is eerily reminiscent of Patrick McGoohan's Village in the 60's Prisoner series.
Posted in: Why must Tokyo’s railways engage in aural assault?
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gaijintraveller
Fadamor says: The general strategy of the USA is to only attack/invade countries which stand little chance of defending themselves.
Yet, they still seem unable to win the wars.
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gaijintraveller
I thought America was already at war, and these wars had drained the economy greatly contributing to the current situation.
It was always said that the Japanese economic miracle was mainly a result of a low defence budget.
Two of the most successful post World War 2 economies were Japan and Germany, both of which were heavily bombed and had destroyed infrastructures.
Perhaps, instead of dropping bombs on other countries, the Americans would do more to restore their economy by dropping bombs on themselves.
Personally, I believe spending on construction is much more constructive than spending on destruction.
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gaijintraveller
Whittards teas from England. In particular Lapsang Souchong and their Afternoon Blend. Printer inks are much cheaper. Car parts are much cheaper than from a local dealer and the same or higher quality. Good deals on tyres. Some other things not available in local shops. Amazon, which has free delivery.
Check the reviews in Yahoo Auctions. If a supplier has many reviews and less than 1% are bad, they are probably as reliable as any shop.
Posted in: What do you like to shop for online and what do you still go to stores to buy?