JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
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Confrontation
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U.S. Navy investigating how parts fell off aircraft near Atsugi
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4
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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jonobugs
This guarantor system is outdated and biased. I'll never understand how mature men and women in their 30s need a guarantor. Sure, there are people who are irresponsible but there must be other ways to deal with them.
Why not take a page from credit card companies. Everyone starts off with 0 credit and as they show that they are trustworthy, their credit builds up. Any act that destroys that trust gives them negative credit.
When renting apartments, getting loans, etc. this report reflects on their risk assessment and they pay accordingly. People with little or no credit will ultimately have to pay more unless they provide their own guarantor. The extra that they pay will go to insurance in case they default on the loan.
Meanwhile, people who default on loans should ultimately be responsible for their own actions. If someone runs out on a house, they should be responsible for that. People with higher 'flight' risks such as foreigners may have to accept that they will need to pay higher premiums.
Posted in: Sleazy guarantor brokers prey on the desperate
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jonobugs
I couldn't read all the responses of this article as there are just too many and they started to sound all the same.
I think many people who read that short article really missed the whole point of the original story!
The point as I saw it is that alcohol is more deadly than all the others for various reasons. First, it's readily available, less expensive and legal. This means that anyone who has a few dollars can get a drink. Not only that, it's (mostly) socially acceptable. You can drink in many eating establishments as well as bars. You can buy it at a store and drink it at home. In some countries (like Japan) you're even allowed to drink in open public areas.
Because of that, it is also the most abused of all the other drugs. More people imbibe alcohol than use another other drug. That fact alone creates uneven statistics. If nearly 100% of the country drinks but only 10% do heavier or more deadlier drugs, then of course you will have larger problems with the drug that is used the most.
I didn't read the original study that the article was based on, but it would be interesting to see what their final conclusion was. I don't think (according to the article) that it wasn't to ban alcohol or legalize the other drugs, but to find some other solution to the whole problem.
Posted in: Alcohol more lethal than heroin, cocaine: study
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jonobugs
Maybe it's just mold?
Posted in: Just-add-water Christmas tree
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jonobugs
Hm, scary! What I don't understand though, is why the article seemed to focus on the fact that they had the girl say thanks for her meal and to eat slowly.
In an article such as this, I would expect the things that they listed to be the most horrible examples of unreasonable expectations. I think most Japanese parents teach their children to say and do this act. Of course, I'm sure that most parents DON'T force their children to memorize those rules, which is what the article SHOULD have focused on!
Posted in: Couple who put 6-year-old girl in washing machine overnight had history of abuse
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jonobugs
Seriously? You've been watching too many movies I think.
Posted in: Murdered schoolboy's last act was to save female companion
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jonobugs
I can sort of piece this "puzzle" together with the bits of information given. I might be mistaken but it appears to me that this woman liked the man Katakura-san as she was willing to visit his apartment at 2am in the morning.
I doubt that she was thinking that he was going to show off his butterfly collection.
However, she probably didn't realize that there were going to be two other men there and I also think that she did not want to have a foursome with them either.
I can also imagine that the men probably started getting fresh and she didn't have the experience/resolve or courage to fend them off properly. I can easily imagine that her saying "NO" went unheard. Even if she physically pushed them away it would be easy for 3 men to have their way with her. That said, it would be considered rape if she just said "NO" and refused to co-operate. Perhaps in the men's mind they didn't use force if she didn't physically fight back (strongly).
One point in the above story that others seemed to have missed was that 2 out of the 3 men denied the charges. That means that the 3rd man didn't deny the charges (assuming he was questioned). That's kind of an important point, don't you think?
Posted in: 3 firemen arrested for alleged gang rape of woman
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jonobugs
I got an iPod for it's functionality. If the Sony had something other than just music and video, I would have seriously considered them as well as they have better sound (or at least I'm told they do).
Like someone mentioned earlier, the Japanese-English Dictionary alone is worth the investment.
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jonobugs
Don't forget power. I think that's a big factor too. People who want power and money are often not in tune with being noble (from my viewpoint)
Posted in: Why is politics, which could and should be a noble profession, conducted so badly?
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jonobugs
Hm, I'd love to see if it's just a gimmic or if there is some substance to this! Guess I'll have to wait for the software update to find out.
Posted in: Sony's game console to show 3D movies
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jonobugs
It sounds like the officer did a good job as nothing bad happened yet I wonder why people use derisive terms (keystone) to describe the officer when they have no information whatsoever except for the outcome? Sounds like some people are just a bit narrow.
Posted in: Woman enters Gifu police station, threatens to kill officer
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jonobugs
Subtitles are better most of the time because it doesn't change the movie. However I agree with one other poster that sometimes dubbing is better in cases where you just want to watch the movie. I have often missed some action because I was busy reading the text.
Posted in: Would you rather see a movie that is not in your native language, with subtitles or dubbed into your own language?
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jonobugs
It's something to have handy when brushing your teeth fully is not an option I guess. I doubt it will easily replace toothpaste though.
Posted in: Listerine liquid toothpaste
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jonobugs
Hm, at first I thought it was his own sisters because of the headline and I was also thinking that they were full grown. I was thinking..."what??"
As for him being innocent until proven guilty, didn't he already admit to the charges? He only seems to be arguing about the actual meaning of the charges, whether it's considered indecent assault or maybe in his mind some lesser charge of some sort of privacy issue.
Posted in: Doctor arrested for taking lewd photos of sisters during check-up
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jonobugs
oops... I meant to say "wouldn't elicit the same ..."
Posted in: Off duty officer caught taking up-skirt video at Yokohama bookstore
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jonobugs
I highly doubt that this is true. It only seems that way because it will make the news. I'm sure that "dockworker caught..." would elicit the same response from the public and therefore wouldn't make the news. Those are the people that we are supposed to trust and are therefore put to a higher standard.
By the way, I haven't read of any priests in Japan being caught of anything. Where did you read that?
Posted in: Off duty officer caught taking up-skirt video at Yokohama bookstore
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jonobugs
This is meaningless at present. If the domain name is granted, it won't provide any means to block existing sites, so what's the point?
The whole problem with this idea is that people are trying to find technical solutions for something that needs human interaction. Parents need to be aware of their children's activities and not 'trust' that software and technology is the answer.
Posted in: Porn sites closer to .xxx web address
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jonobugs
I think that for many movies, the re-makes have been better. Not always though. Certainly it puts a different spin on a familiar story. I for one, will be happy to watch a re-make but I certainly won't be expecting the same results.
Posted in: Go ahead, remake my day
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jonobugs
What's the adage? Two wrongs don't make a right, I think. While I agree that there is way too much noise pollution going on in Japan, why would you want to add to it on a train commute? I, for one, am glad that there are rules against cell phone usage, etc. It's just too bad that there aren't more rules for personal hygiene, and all the other annoying things people do.
That said, resorting to violence for something that annoys you is definitely not cool. I think there are too many people who believe that it is the answer!
Posted in: Man punched in face by fellow train commuter over phone manners
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jonobugs
Or in Fukuoka..
Posted in: A few Whoppers
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jonobugs
Highly unlikely that it's a set-up (sunglasses down). If the woman was hit near a rice paddy, it sounds like it's in the country side. How many license plates do you see lying around, especially at the scene of a hit-and-run? Nope, although somewhat circumstantial, I would say it's pretty damning evidence. Drunk or not, the person didn't stop. Regardless of who is driving it will ultimately be the owner of the car who is responsible unless there is strong evidence of someone else driving.
Posted in: License plate found at scene of fatal hit-and-run