letsberealistic's past comments

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  letsberealisticMay. 19, 2013 - 10:38PM JST

  Something Japanese have to face up to is Japan had its 20 years of limelight as electronics and car manufacturing leaders but simply does not have the fundamentals of continuous innovation, intelligent marketing and worker and manufacturing efficiency to compete with countries that do (South Korea, Germany, US, Taiwan and potentially China.

  They're 20 year dominance was partly good timing, determination to catch America after the war and a good dose of luck with a not insignificant leg-up from the US. An now its over.

  Posted in: Japan's electronics giants still bleeding

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  letsberealisticMay. 17, 2013 - 11:00AM JST

  Where do I go to pay?

  Posted in: Sea Shepherd is asking for cash donations to help finance its anti-whaling campaign. Are you going to donate?

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  letsberealisticMay. 09, 2013 - 04:50PM JST

  I wish people who comment on boards like this on historical issues actually would read up a little on them before jumping on the "Japan is a pure, innocent bullied little nation that people just hate". There is a lot more to China' and Korea's demands than just an apology. Look into it, at least a little, before making statements like, "not again China/Korea!". It's insensitive and ignorant.

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21226068

  Posted in: Japan says it will honor apologies for World War II atrocities

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  letsberealisticMay. 09, 2013 - 10:35AM JST

  Many are not fully informed of the real issues involved with Japan and their so-called apologies for war atrocities. Japan does continue to make coerced apologies when pressured but they are rarely backed up with action within their administration (education and investigations into sex-slavery etc)

  Many seem to think Japan has been sincere and mature in its handling of dealing with it's war-time aggression - it has not, and this is what concerns its neighbours, and the rest of the world.

  http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/102495.php

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21226068

  Posted in: Japan says it will honor apologies for World War II atrocities

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  letsberealisticMay. 07, 2013 - 09:44AM JST

  ironic

  Posted in: With no cash for Windows upgrades, local gov't to disconnect some PCs from Net and tape up ethernet ports

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  letsberealisticMay. 07, 2013 - 09:43AM JST

  Japan's administration is quite possibly the lowest tech in the industrialised world - iron really when the image of Japan is high tech.

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10543126

  Posted in: With no cash for Windows upgrades, local gov't to disconnect some PCs from Net and tape up ethernet ports

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  letsberealisticMay. 04, 2013 - 06:19PM JST

  @Maria

  Well, that is terribly sad - so young, barely started on life... Sometimes, I stop to think about how suddenly people lose their lives - drowning, car crash, heart attack, even a 7-month diagnosis-to-death... Every second someone somewhere dies,who had barely lived.

  Seriously, it freaks me out something awful...

  It is sad when anyone dies, especially when we know it is going to happen to all of us.

  Posted in: 2 students drown while swimming in Nagano lake

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  letsberealisticMay. 02, 2013 - 11:33AM JST

  @Wipeout

  In my office, and other Japanese workplaces I've been in, they do work hard. Not necessarily long hours though: people in my company tend to leave before 6. As well as working hard, they're expected to be productive. People who don't cut it get ditched

  Then clearly you have worked at modernised/westernised workplaces. This discussion is about the traditional/normal working practices of Japan.

  I agree though change is happening.

  Posted in: Why do Japanese work such long hours?

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  letsberealisticMay. 02, 2013 - 10:58AM JST

  There is clearly a consensus here on the Japanese worker not hard working necessarily but just staying long-periods at the office for whatever reason.

  It also has a lot to do with low self-esteem and low self-respect. Workers are so afraid they will fall out of favour or been seen as not pulling their weight that they can not allow themselves to go home, take care of themselves and live their own lives.

  In some ways the Japanese culture of always considering others and putting others before yourself is ironically actually one of the least caring and kind doctrines of any culture. Japanese often say "we are very kind" but the reality is they are, sadly, actually very cruel - to themselves.

  Posted in: Why do Japanese work such long hours?

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  letsberealisticMay. 01, 2013 - 10:39AM JST

  The rates of mass- food poisoning in Japan seems way higher than any other "developed" country? What's going on in those school/public kitchens?!

  Posted in: Mass food poisoning outbreak reported at elementary school in Fukuoka

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  letsberealisticApr. 30, 2013 - 09:47AM JST

  Finally, somebody takes over-cleanliness to the public. Americans have become obsessed with cleanliness but no where near as the Japanese. When I first came to Japan I wondered why so many people had allergies and skin problems like eczema. Just look at how serious people take being clean and you can see why.

  By the way doctor, is there such thing as a Japanese "race"?

  Posted in: National obsession with cleanliness bodes ill for health

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  letsberealisticApr. 27, 2013 - 10:53AM JST

  It's easy to understand the upset and heartbreak at having lost a child but I would hazard to guess these abducted Japanese have a family and home of their own now in North Korea. Would they even want to return to a people and culture now alien to them after such a long period?

  I expect it's the parents who want their children back more than these people want to come to Japan.

  Posted in: 10 million sign petition for rescue of abductees from N Korea

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  letsberealisticApr. 23, 2013 - 12:22PM JST

  I teach Todai students and would say they are generally very confident and not afraid to challenge the teacher.

  I would say they are of similar intelligence to the average UK/US university student but perhaps a little less 'worldly' and open-minded. They are also prone to be very assumptive in their opinions and lack the ability to think critically or assess a subject/question from different angles/perspectives. There are always exceptions though of course.

  Posted in: Are Tokyo University students cleverer than other people?

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  letsberealisticApr. 22, 2013 - 11:02PM JST

  @Open Minded

  letsberealistic: what is wrong with a baby playing with dirt and leaves? Do you think it is better to play enclosed at Kidzania with zillions of germs spread all over while parents are sipping a coke at the cafeteria! Ridiculous!

  My point was not that he was playing in the dirt eating leaves, my point was he was completely unsupervised - the mother, out of ear-shot was not watching him.

  Posted in: 14-month-old boy dies after being hit by garbage truck

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  letsberealisticApr. 22, 2013 - 10:19PM JST

  Yesterday I saw a similar age baby sitting in a park eating leaves and dirt and her mum was 100 meters away deep in conversation with a friend sitting on a bench. I stopped in front the baby and waited a few minutes - I couldn't just leave him there. After 4 minutes or so his mother looked over and started walking over. I couldn't believe it

  Posted in: 14-month-old boy dies after being hit by garbage truck

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  letsberealisticApr. 20, 2013 - 10:18AM JST

  Finally, after many years of international pressure (and some minor domestic) the Japanese government has publicly accepted their failure to utilise women in the work-force.

  Why is it change in Japan, especially human-rights improvements, tend to only be a result of outside pressure?

  Posted in: Abe says women are key to Japan's economic revival

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  letsberealisticApr. 13, 2013 - 12:29AM JST

  ProbieAPR. 12, 2013 - 11:00AM JST What Japan is doing is within the law.

  I hope the court throws out the case and fines Australia for wasting their time. Of course, whoever loses will accuse the other of bribing the judges and this whole thing will just continue

  Judging from past experience and culture, who do you think is more likely to offer bribes? No contest there.

  Posted in: Australia to tackle Japan on whaling at U.N. world court

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  letsberealisticApr. 13, 2013 - 12:15AM JST

  Came here to help Japanese improve their terrible English skills.

  Posted in: What are you doing here?

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  letsberealisticApr. 11, 2013 - 10:25PM JST

  A judge in Japan is not what you might expect a judge back home to be. I have taught English to a few and let's just say they weren't the brightest sparks and lacked an understanding of basic human motivations for making judgement. It made me very afraid to have to face one.

  Posted in: Assistant judge fired for taking upskirt film

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  letsberealisticApr. 10, 2013 - 12:08PM JST

  How about IELTS? It's the most realistic and straight-forward English proficiency available anywhere.

  Posted in: LDP panel presents proposal on TOEFL prerequisite for universities