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
- Salary: ¥269,500 ~ ¥280,000 / Month
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- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- 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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- FT English Teachers for Kids - Osaka
- 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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herefornow
pawatan -- others have already said in what needs to be said to your response. But, no, I do not have a crystal ball, but anyone who has been in Japan longer than 5 minutes does not need one. Olympus will skate, because it is what is perceived best for Japan Inc. And the head of the SEC has already said as much. Or did you miss that too? And adam and tmarie, thanks. Great posts.
Posted in: Olympus to correct 20 years of financial figures
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herefornow
pawatan -- wrong on many counts (although yes I am very happy to be gone.) First off, i said Japan will never be taken "completely" seriously. I assume you caught that, but just chose to ignore it so you could rant on me, and not have to react to the real point of my post. Which others have echoed. That Japan is looked at very suspicioulsy by foreign investors for just this reason. The exact reason you imply but will not make yourself admit -- that is that, yes, there is greed everywhere, but other countries like the U.S., take decisive action when greed arises, by charging companies and directors as the criminals they are, and puishing them accordingly. But Japan does not. It simply throws around some meaningless words, and "encourages" companies to do better. And the reason they do that, which the world now grasps because of incidents like Olympus, is that Japan values Japan Inc. above all else -- even what is right and wrong -- and would never get aggressive with corporate shenanigans because it would rock Japan Inc. to its core if it did. Companies, like Olympus, have been cooking the books for two decades, but nothing will happen because stability and saving jobs is more important in Japan than protecting the folks who trusted the management and invested in the stock. And, finally, my pointing that out is not "Japan bashing". It is simply stating an obvious problem with Japan trying to be a true global power in the future. A power that needs foreign investment.
Posted in: Olympus to correct 20 years of financial figures
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herefornow
ubikwit -- you should have read the article more carefully. She acknowledged that Japan needs to focus on rebuilding in the short-term. But, in the medium-term needs to start to address the huge debt. And if you don't think that is sound advice, coming from someone who has been deeply involved in the problems in the EU, then you are just being deliberately ignorent. Japan should have addressed its debt years ago, and Tohoku has made the fact that they did not even worse. But don't use it as an excuse to continue to just ignore the obvious.
Posted in: IMF chief: Japan should prioritize reducing debt
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herefornow
And this is why Japan will never be taken completely seriously. A company cheats for 20 years, which means every single director there knew what was going on, and no criminal charges are brought. Even though stock-holders lost almost their entire stake they had invested due to the plunge in the stock price this caused. Until the authorities accept the premise of fiduciary responsibility by directors and punish those that throw away stock-holder value -- who just happen to own the company -- and start seeking criminal penalties, then nothing will change. And corporate governance in Japan will continue to be a charade.
Posted in: Olympus to correct 20 years of financial figures
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herefornow
Cleo -- wow, and awful lot of defensiveness on your part. And, of course, none of it responds to what I said about your speculation. I didn't ask if you wanted to live in Osaka, or overseas. I asked how happy you'd be in Tochigi if your HUSBAND was sent to one of those places, and left you behind. Like you speculated about Makoto. Or divorce (god forbid.) And, respectfully, we both know the odds of a young woman in Japan getting an advanced degree in business, establishing her own career, and, as a result, engaging in meaningful conversation/being taken seriously, are slim and none. And, maybe you should consider for a minute that maybe her **family **life is happy because she has had a chance to pursue her dream, and has an identity of her own, and not simply as someone's wife, like in Japan. Or have you been in Japan too long to consider that?
Posted in: Why are you trying so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out?
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herefornow
Cleo -- complete nonsense and utter speculation on your part! One could ask how come you are so happy here? Is it because you hated where you were from so much? Or, say your husband had to leave your life in Tochigi to seek employment in say Osaka, or overseas, would you still be so happy? Or, (heaven forbid) if he divorced you? Why are you and others trying so hard to critisize her and tear her down because she has found happiness outside of Japan? One could speculate it is because she has gotten out of Japan, furthered her education, and now has a life with a bright future, and is not stuck in Japan going through the same life day-after-day and having meaningless, ritualized encounters with people, instead of actually engaging them in real conversation. "Can't say of course".
Posted in: Why are you trying so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out?
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herefornow
ICCAT -- International Commission for the Catching of All Tuna is a sham. Many posters said the same thing a year or so ago when Monaco pushed for a complete ban on bluefin fishing to allow the stock to recover. But the Japanophiles here said "Not necessary" because ICCAT was going to address the situation and Japan was also committed to lowering catches. Yeh, right.
Posted in: Overfishing on the menu at Istanbul conference
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herefornow
Elbuda -- did you read the article and the above? Japan has its own version of an economic mess, which will take decades to even make a dent in. Especially with an aging, shrinking population, and no plan at all on how to fix it.
Posted in: IMF chief: Japan should prioritize reducing debt
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herefornow
issa1 -- and what exactly is that difference? That nihonjin assume corporate graft is no big deal? That a billion or so in losses not reported is to be expected? Not sure of the point you are making.
Posted in: Gov't steps up pressure on Olympus, promising a 'rigorous investigation'
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herefornow
Actually intelligent thinking on this issue. But wishful thinking none the less. JA is too powerful and has too much interest in maintaining the status quo for any meaningful dialogue, or, god-forbid, needed change.
Posted in: TPP opponents accuse Noda of making hasty decision to join talks
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herefornow
Fadamor -- sorry, but you need to do a little more homework. Months ago, before Tohoku, when Japan first started talking about joining TPP, it was made clear that all nine of the existing countries must approve Japan even entering the talks, since they are late to the game. And part of those discussions is Japan having to assure the other countries on certain issues, like truly opening up to imports, including agriculture. So, you are right, Japan can walk. But you are dead wrong if you think Japan is going to bully Australia or the U.S. into accepting Japan's terms. Those countries have managed to thrive for decades with a closed Japan, and can continue to do so. Plus they now have a growing China to focus on. But Japan would really be hurt if their exports to these countries was subject to higher tariffs than their competitors. Like I said, smell the coffee, Japan has little or no leverage.
Posted in: Noda says Japan will enter discussions toward joining TPP talks
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herefornow
Wow, those are some strong words -- "move quickly", "urge the company", "quickly grasp", "make timely disclosure". Wake-up guys, the horse has left the barn and the whole world has now seen Japan's oversight/corporate governance to be a complete farse. And all the meaningless words is not going to change that. Unless Japan passes its version of Oxley-Sarbanes, which we all know it never will, the country will only become even less attractive for foreign investment.
Posted in: Gov't steps up pressure on Olympus, promising a 'rigorous investigation'
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herefornow
Agreed, but unlikely to happen given the huge walls that separate the various divisions of Sony. Sony is a 20th century, Japanese-style organization with too many layers and way too much compartmentalization. Can't compete against nimble, aggressive companies like Apple. Much like Japan in total, Sony's best days are well behind it.
Posted in: Sony chief to fight on after 'annus horribilis'
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herefornow
No you won't, Noda. Or did you miss the recent comments in the U.S. that Japan won't be setting the rules of TPP? Japan is late getting into these talks, and the other countries are going to demand that Japan agree to certain principles before even allowing them to join the talks. I applaud him at least taking this step, but allowing expectations to continue in Japan that it can dictate/bully terms of FTA's is just wrong. For the upteenth time I'll repeat that Japan needs to wake up and smell the coffee and realize they need international trading partners now more than the partners need Japan. Japan is certainly still attractive, no doubt. But not so much that they're going to make tons of concessions to include them.
Posted in: Noda says Japan will enter discussions toward joining TPP talks
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herefornow
Might just be me, but if I were in a country with a declining population, because couple, are not having children, I probably wouldn't pick a childless pair with a 24-year age diffference as the "ideal married couple". When do companies start to feel an obligation to show the positive role models the country needs to build on going forward, not just "celebs" who'll sell their product?
Posted in: Joji Takahashi, Mika Mifune chosen as 'Partners of the Year'
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herefornow
Fadamor -- you're not serious are you? First off, if you live in Japan you know that many of the foreign cars sold in Japan, especially the high-end ones like BMW, Mercedes and Porsche, are NOT re-configured for driving on the left for Japan. In fact many buyers want the steering wheel to be on the left the way it is for America and most of the rest of the world, as they consider it a status symbol. Second, car companies design cars with both left and right drive as a matter of course, since a number of countries, like the U.K., have driving on the left. Finally, you need to stop making this a U.S. auto issue and see that this is just one example of many, many complaints that numerous countries have about Japan's non-tariff barriers, and that these countries are going to draw a line in the sand and make sure Japan knows that if it wants to have the benefits of TPP, it is going to have to play by the rules -- for once. And more talk isn't going to cut it, because the world knows the value of Japanese assurances.
Posted in: U.S. senator criticizes Japan on auto trade barriers
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herefornow
gonemad -- are you serious? Let's just refer to the most recent one. Back in 2008, when Japan reacted to the world-wide recession with the Eco Points program and direct government rebates for eco-friendly cars, foreign cars, of course, did not originally qualify. Did you miss that? Or how about the taxes that are deliberately set to penalize foreign cars due to their sizes and/or engine configurations? And for you folks that think the Japan market is "open" and this is just sour grapes on the part of a U.S. senator, think again. Less than 10% of the vehicles sold in Japan are foreign, so this is a SK, Eurpean, U.S., etc. issue. Just ask yourself, how come Hyundai has become the fastest growing major car brand in the states, and its Sonata outsells the Camry and Accord there, but they can't even make a tow-hold here? Like I said, Japan's bluff is being called and it won't be pretty if they want to join TPP. Countries have learned Japan's game and are done playing it.
Posted in: U.S. senator criticizes Japan on auto trade barriers
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herefornow
Spot on. I have said numerous times over several years here on JT that Japan has not realized that Japan's best days were over, and companies and countries were going to demand that Japan play fair, because Japan needs exports to these countries much more than these countries need Japan. Japan continues to operate in an arrogant manner afforded it by its amazing growth after the war to become the world's second largest economy. But now countries like the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, etc. are calling Japan's bluff. Japan has to wake up and smell the coffee to 21st-century reality, or willingly decide to do nothing and fade from prominence.
Posted in: U.S. senator criticizes Japan on auto trade barriers
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herefornow
Stop with all the phony bowing and apologizing. If you even remotely understood the meaning of honor or personal responsibility you would not have allowed these crimes to happen in the first place, nor lied and covered it up for over a decade. Bottom line these guys knowingly published false financial statements for at least ten years rather than face the truth. They are crooks, not people to have sympathy for because they bowed before some cameras.
Posted in: Olympus delays results amid probe; faces delisting
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herefornow
In other words, let's continue to do nothing, except hope that something magical happens to reverse Japan's economic fortunes and allow it to continue to be an isolated country incapable of change, like it has for the past two decades. A sentiment apparently shared by a number of posters here who want to put their personal and political agendas ahead of the well-being of future generations of Japanese youth. Ignoring, of course, the fact that Japan has only reached its current level of prosperity because the U.S. opened its market to Japanese products. But, now, big-bad U.S. is the enemy. Which, of course, is crazy, since the U.S. is still the world's largest economy and Japanese companies need to be able to compete there on even footing much more than the U.S. needs to sell a few more cars in Japan. Japan is cutting off its nose to spite its face.
Posted in: Noda postpones decision on TPP for one more day