JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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1
Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
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2
U.S. Navy investigating how parts fell off aircraft near Atsugi
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Confrontation
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California court to decide if SeaWorld whales are illegal 'slaves'
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5
Kuroki reported pregnant 2 weeks after denying relationship with Akanishi
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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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imacat
This will lead to a lot of soul-searching by the Japanese police as to why he could escape and then evade capture for so long.
Posted in: ICHIHASHI ARRESTED BY POLICE IN OSAKA
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imacat
The reference to Troussier is funny.
Ahh... poor little Japanese soccer players... did big bad Troussier give you a verbal bashing when you messed up? Had to blink back the tears?
Posted in: Is Miki Ando's skating coach a Japan hater?
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imacat
This is hilarious! Well done Mr Hatoyama for speaking the truth.
I tried a piece of whale sushi that was circling on the conveyor belt in the local kaiten-zushi shop... it tasted awful to be honest. No wonder the market for whale meat in Japan is just a tiny tiny niche market.
It is Japanese housewives who decide what goes on the family table. Speak to almost any Japanese housewife and will you find someone eager to put whale steaks on the menu? No way! It would be hard to find a group of people more apathetic towards whale meat than Japanese housewives...
But the point to remember is... what on earth are the Japanese doing in the Antarctic?
Have you ever heard Japanese middle-aged men speak about whaling? If you have then you will know that they will always talk about their "food culture". For the Japanese, apparently their "food culture" is very very important.
So people are wondering, how can Japanese culture stretch all the way to include the Antarctic? What is the connection between the Antarctic and Japanese culture?! If there are any Japanese people posting here then please enlighten us (and I mean real Japanese people, not bogus posters such as Nihonryu who have been created by david@tokyo).
Also bear in mind the Madrid Agreement, which countries have signed to preserve the Antarctic for "peaceful scientific research". Are Japan's massive Victorian-era style whale-grabbing expiditions to the pristine Antarctic environment in the spirit of the Madrid Agreement?
The truth is they are completely out of step with the wonderful sentiments represented by that agreement. Japan by its own admission has an abundance of whales on its doorstep. It would do well to stick to them to preserve its very important food culture.
Its time for Japan to stop imposing its culture and values on the Antarctic.
Posted in: 'I hate whale meat,' Hatoyama reportedly tells Dutch PM
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imacat
I see that you are confused. It was claimed before the treaty. The treaty simply ignores all such claims. As I said, it's a controversial claim... just as Japan has a controversial claim to an EEZ around Okinotorishima.
So could you explain why Japan has poured 1000s of tonnes of concrete on to Okinotorishima? Is that natural? Your points are laughable really.
The fact is that the Aussies have a controversial claim in the Antarctic and Japan also has a controversial claim around Okinotorishima.
Do you have trouble reading English? In my posts I have pointed out that Japan claims there is an abundant number of various whales in the seas around Japan. Indeed more than enough to satisfy this tiny niche market. The fact of the matter is that the greedy, whale grabbing Victorian-era style expeditions to the pristine Antarctic are insane... Japan can get its whales on its own doorstep, and that's according to its own data!
This is hilarious! So the aussies should have to request to fish there, even if they disagreed with Japan's very controversial claim (involving 1000s of tonnes of concrete). By the same token the Japanese government should ask the Ozzies if it could fish in their claimed EEZ off the AAT even if they disagreed with it.
Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. Okinotorishima is not relevant to this discussion.
Posted in: Japan catches 59 whales off Kushiro
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imacat
Look, NihonRyu, you brought up "Japanese culture" in regards to whaling. Please explain clearly for me your understanding of how Japanese culture stretches to include the Antarctic. I really want to know.
Frankly I think Japan is imposing its culture and values on the Antarctic and this kind of behaviour is becoming more and more unacceptable in this day and age. It's making Japan look greedy and arrogant on the world stage, especially when Japan's own government claims that there are abundant whales in the seas around Japan.
You only mention the Aussies, which is funny because they are always david@tokyo's target... are you sure you aren't really him? You were suddenly created today, almost seems that you were specially created to take part in this thread... strange.
But anyway, it's not just the Aussies is it? In fact it is every single country located nearest to this environmental wilderness wonderland. Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Australia and NZ... every single one of them opposed to whaling. How considerate of Japan to think of the opinions of all these countries.
You also mention EEZs. Australia has a claimed EEZ off the AAT. It's a controversial claim no doubt, but a claim nevertheless.
Japan also has controversial claims. Its claim to a massive 400,000sqkm EEZ around a tiny speck of coral called Okinotorishima is very controversial.
How would Japan feel if Ozzie fishermen sailed up to the seas around Okinotorishima to grab sea creatures for their "barbecue culture". I think we all know that Japan would send ships and airplanes to kick them out.
Perhaps Japan might want to start to think of things from other people's point of view for a change.
Anyway do tell me, why does Japan need extra whales from the Antarctic when (according to the Japanese government) there are abundant whales in the seas around Japan, more than enough to satisfy this tiny niche market? I really would like to know why extra whales from the Antarctic are necessary for Japan.
This comment made me laugh out loud, especially when I think about the young people I see and hear and speak to around Tokyo.
Posted in: Japan catches 59 whales off Kushiro
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imacat
Does your culture stretch to include the Antarctic?
Many foreigners (me included) have no problem with Japan taking whales in the seas around Japan as reported in this story.
What we can't understand is Japan sending a massive Victorian-era style fleet of killing ships to the furthest reaches of the globe to greedily grab yet more whales from the Antarctic. How far does Japanese culture stretch?! If you keep crying "Our whaling food culture! Our whaling food culture!" then inevitably people around the globe will wonder what the hell has the Antarctic got to do with Japanese food culture.
These Antarctic whale grabbing expeditions make Japan look extremely greedy, arrogant and selfish on the world stage. Here is the Japanese government telling everybody about the abundant supply of whales in the seas around Japan and then yet it sends this huge killing armada to the precious and unique Antarctic environment to grab more. Japan likes to tell the world about it's "unique food culture"... well how about Japan start to think more about how unique the Antarctic is.
And how about all the 100,000s of liters of fuel burnt to get this enormous fleet down to the Antarctic. If you have an abundant supply of whales on your doorstep (as the Japanese government claims) then why emit all that greenhouse gas unnecessarily?
And don't forget how dangerous this fleet is. Anyone remember the terrible fire on the huge factory ship the Nishin Maru? It killed a poor Japanese sailor and left that massive ship dead in the water in the pristine Antarctic. Imagine if the fire had got out of control and resulted in a massive oil spill... would Japan be sending a clean-up operation? Oh, wait... there is no clean-up operation.
People are getting more and more angry at the danger being posed to this unique and precious environment. There is also the whole mistaken spirit of the Japanese Antarctic whale-grabbing. Many people won't have heard of the Madrid Agreement. In this wonderful document, countries have agreed to preserve the Antarctic for peaceful scientific research and also have banned mining down there. What a beautiful and amazing thing that countries could agree to that. So what does Japan bring to the Antarctic table? A huge killing fleet intent on greedily grabbing resources... yeah, well done Japan, that really does follow the spirit of the Madrid Agreement.
To put Japan's Antarctic whaling into perspective, consider that every single country nearest to the Antarctic opposes whaling!! Every single one! Count 'em... Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Oz, NZ... the five countries circling the Antarctic and countries that naturally consider that area to be a part of their neck of the woods... how can on earth can Japan just ignore all of them and grab the whales down there... is it a deliberate provocation?
So how about it NihonRyu? You are OK with this local whaling... do you also want to greedily grab more whales from the Antarctic for your "whaling food culture"?
(I am very kind and assume you are who you say you are, and not a bogus poster created by david@tokyo, but be aware that others may not accept you for real... I do notice you were created today).
Posted in: Japan catches 59 whales off Kushiro
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imacat
JMannGod might be right. Perhaps she was asking for a slapping.
Some wives exert mental torture on the husband and that can result in a physical response. We don't know the whole story. At least this guy is admitting his mistake... perhaps the wife needs to admit some of her mistakes too.
Posted in: Divorced, separated Japanese fathers also fight to see children
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imacat
Yep, just as I thought, a bit wet and windy and nothing more.
Another typhoon disappointment.
Well, frankly speaking, I am all for massive natural disasters. They're awesome. Of course I don't want anybody to get killed.
Posted in: Powerful typhoon lashes southwest Japan; expected to make landfall Thursday
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imacat
It will just be a bit wet and windy out.
Typhoons have always been a major disappointment as far as I'm concerned. On TV they predict the end of civilization as we know it and then all you actually get is some HS girls struggling with their umbrellas and a few trains cancelled.
Posted in: Powerful typhoon lashes southwest Japan; expected to make landfall Thursday
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imacat
I wonder whether he sees the irony of this comment.
What does he mean "still"? They didn't want them this time. At best, there was extremely lukewarm support among the Japanese for the games (good to see that ordinary Japanese people have their priorities right!). I think opinion polls were putting support at just over 50% in Japan, the lowest of the final 4 bid cities. The Japanese Olympic Committee then pulled out a figure of 80% support which was obviously fake and nobody believed it anyway.
Posted in: Ishihara blames Tokyo 2016 failure on behind-the-scenes deals
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imacat
I thought Iceland had closed down... must have reopened for business. Nice of Japan to help them out.
It does seem that Japan is finally wising up to how ridiculous its Victorian-era style whale-grabbing expeditions to the pristine Antarctic are making it look and finally investigating other avenues.
What is difficult to understand is why Japan doesn't utilize the whales around its own waters more. That would fit in much better with Japan's constant cries about how important its whaling "food culture" is. And according to the Japanese government's own data there are an abundance of whales in the waters around Japan.
Posted in: Iceland firm plans huge whale meat export to Japan
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imacat
This sounds very suspicious.
Just a few weeks ago we had "data" claiming the Sony Walkman was outselling Apple's iPods in Japan for the first time in years. Now we have a similar report claiming the PS3 is outselling the Wii.
I frankly don't believe it and think these reports may have been prepared with the help of Sony's PR department.
Posted in: Sony's PS3 outsells Wii fivefold in Japan: survey
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imacat
It may be hard for some to accept (me included) but al-Megrahi was almost certainly framed by the CIA.
There were two main pieces of evidence against him... a fragment of a circuit board for the bomb timer, found in a Scottish forest and a Maltese shopkeeper who testified that al-Megrahi had bought the clothes that were in the suitcase containing the bomb.
The fragment of circuit board was placed in the forest by the CIA, probably with help of the British secret service. An engineer for the company who made the circuit board was paid money to supply it. There are many irregularities surrounding this piece of evidence.
As for the Maltese shopkeeper, he was paid a fortune by the Americans for his evidence and apparently now lives the life of Riley in Australia.
Just read up about it on the internet. The more you read the more incredible it seems that al-Megrahi could ever have been convicted. There are so many unexplained and downright suspicious aspects, especially in regard to the Swiss company that made the circuit board.
To it me it seems likely that Flight 103 was blown out of the skies by the Iranians in retaliation for the Americans shooting down Iran Air Flight 655. The Americans probably accepted this retaliation but still needed someone brought to justice. For various reasons Libyans fitted the bill.
Posted in: FBI director outraged by Lockerbie bomber's release
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imacat
Why not just call the next movie "Do One's Best" and be done with it? I mean it's always the same... a group of people with "completely different personalities" but who are in fact completely predictable overcome their differences to succeed. Oh the joys of the "gambaru" spirit.
Posted in: On your marks
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imacat
The American approach to enjoying the great outdoors. What a bunch of tough guys...
Posted in: Bear-viewing hikes in Japan Alps
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imacat
In my backpacking days I remember that Israelis were frequently identified as somewhat disagreeable tourists, amongst the backpacker set at least.
Posted in: Pushy French are world's worst tourists; Japanese are top: study
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imacat
It may have been arse-on. Whoever started this fire just did it for the crack...
Posted in: 30 fire engines mobilized as toilet paper storage site burns down
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imacat
The emergency services were caught with their pants down this time.
Posted in: 30 fire engines mobilized as toilet paper storage site burns down
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imacat
We'll have to differ on that one... I think I could learn as much or more from some of the posters on here for example.
Don't you think it's strange for a TV announcer to give his opinions during the evening news? Especially on the national public broadcasting channel.
I of course accept that there's a role for TV news reporters to debate current topics, but for a TV announcer on a public channel to state opinions as they are reading the evening news... that to me is not right and not professional.
And I also still hate the way Yuko Aoyama has to defer to a font-of-all-knowledge male announcer. It's pathetic to watch that.
Posted in: NHK announcer finds herself in a big new world
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imacat
I can't stand News Watch 9. I hate the way Yuko Aoyama has to defer to the font-of-all-knowledge-father-figure Goro Taguchi. She has to listen meekly as he spouts off his opinions... who cares what he thinks, he's not an expert! They are probably scripted opinions anyway Of course we know it's the traditional Japanese news program style for the cute woman to defer to the wise older man, but you'd think NHK would be a little more progressive. They seem to be taking a step back into the past with News Watch 9 and it's horrible to see an intelligent woman like Yuko Aoyama being a part of that.
Posted in: NHK announcer finds herself in a big new world