JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
-
- 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
-
- 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*
-
- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
0
motytrah
Hopefully he works out better than Tsuyoshi Nishioka did for the Minnesota Twins.
Posted in: Texas-bound
0
motytrah
US Automakers have decent quality in terms of the mechanical these days. And Microsoft/Ford did a pretty decent job on the crazy electronics. But GM and Chrysler just stinks it up with the fit and finish of the interior trim. It's so plastic fantastic. Even the inside of a Cadillac looks cheap. A base model Toyota Corolla has better interior trim than GM's top of the line. On the exterior anything that looks metal is mylar wrapped plastic and you can tell a mile away.
Posted in: Last year, Japan exported 1.5 million vehicles to the United States, while U.S. automakers exported just 8,000. Why aren't U.S. makers selling more in Japan?
3
motytrah
The 767-300 is a plane from the 80s. There's no relation to the 787 issue.
Posted in: Glitch reported on ANA's Boeing Dreamliner
0
motytrah
IBM and Cray are in the process of building computers that will be twice as fast as this one. The Cray Line up is very interesting as the design is based on AMD CPUs and Nvidia GPUs, and has a theoretical max 5 times faster than this computer. Of course the proof will be in actually delivering the final product. Fact is most of these computers are bought by gov't. So it's a pretty limited market.
Posted in: 'K Computer' smashes speed record
1
motytrah
Lot's of Asian countries have the Death Penalty for Drugs. Most of them aren't Muslim. Singapore has a big warning on the entry Visa stating "Death to Drug Traffickers". All this case tells me is the economy in Japan is pretty dire when a middle class person risks their life on a drug score.
Posted in: Japanese woman sentenced to death in Malaysia for drug smuggling
0
motytrah
For the US State Department
So, if you get arrested in Japan, pray you don't get sick. Your best hope in Japan is the prison transfer program. That's at least an 18 month process. Once in the US you can get medicine, but then you gott'a hope you don't die from some sort of gang violence.
If memory serves Military personal in Japan persons are subject to some status of forces agreements, that include meat every now and then as well as medicine.
Posted in: Prison inmates' illnesses, injuries go untreated
3
motytrah
Just because you're good at language doesn't mean you're good with other tasks. When I deal with H1B computer workers from India, often the ones who speak the best English are the worst workers. To me it make sense because the person with the gift of languages was the equivalent of a liberal arts major. Though I find this problem is far less of an issue with Europeans. So many of them speak multiple languages, it's just not special, so you can judge based on how go they are at the business skill set you're looking for.
Posted in: Adopting English as workplace language in Japan has its downside
2
motytrah
620 to big?!?! Bah! Bow before my American 880 liter Monster Refrigerator! Sure, you recoil in horrot now, but we'll keep adding Costco's and Wendys in Japan and soon you'll be just like us!
Posted in: Power-saving refrigerator
0
motytrah
Since bud and miller are no longer American companies Yeungling is now the largest American Brewery, followed by Samual Adams. Still, if you take all the production of the US craft beers for an entire year, that still only amounts to 1 days production of Bud Light. Talk about sad.
The problem with Japanese beer is the yen is too strong. That means the market pressure is always going to be to have a local brewer make the product, not import it. Most of the Japanese brands I see are brewed in the US or Canada. And they aren't as good and we never see any of the interesting varieties.
Posted in: Japanese brewers targeting overseas drinkers
0
motytrah
No nation gives aid for altruistic reasons. It's almost always a form of corporate welfare to some multi-national corporation. Most of the time it has nothing to do with oil. There's billions upon billions in agricultural business happens everywhere. Super tankers filled with concentrated OJ, tons upon tons of Coffee, Coco beans, and sugar. None of that stuff makes it to the first world without greasing the wheels, and unfortunately it's the tax payer that pays the bill, not corporations.
Posted in: Japan pledges support for Libya's nation building
-2
motytrah
I think the glasses that look at Jobs are pretty rose colored. Before his ouster from Apple he had a bad temper. Employees shuddered at being in the elevator with him for it may turn into your last moments as en employee. Over on folklore.org the original Mac engineers talk about how Steve might po-po your idea one week, and then the next week pitch the same idea as if it was his own. Many (including Jobs) credit getting fired as one of the best things to happen in order to make him a better executive. He learned how to direct his temper into more productive criticism.
He was good because he had a keen idea of what people want (even when they didn't know it), and he knew how to seek out, and keep talent around him. He's a complex character, full of faults and glimpses of brilliance. Beyond all that, what made Jobs different from most other CEOs was his thought that long term innovation was the key. You don't short engineering in order to make a quarter.
Posted in: Steve Jobs legacy reaches far beyond Apple
-1
motytrah
And when you irk China who pray-tell will buy the massive amount of US T-Bonds that have to be bought daily?
Posted in: U.S. Senate weighs bill to punish China for undervaluing currency
0
motytrah
And if you want the games you'll have to accept the new AUP in which you sign away any of your rights to sue them over the hacking scandal. Hee Haw.
Posted in: Sony PlayStation Network releases exclusive games in U.S.
0
motytrah
The FBI agent who worked the landmark ADM price fixing case once commented that the big crimes don't happen in dark street corners. They happen at the hotel bars and conventions when a bunch of old guys in business suits get together.
Posted in: Panasonic, Whirlpool execs charged in U.S. over price-fixing
-1
motytrah
The AP writer kind of glossed over how Cokes sales were actually higher after the New Coke dust settled. Oddly enough Coke II was still sold in the US up until 2002 and is still made in some foreign markets. I don't think Wendy's has a whole lot to lose. I think the thing McDonalds has going for it is it does Breakfast. Therefore they can sell high margin Coffee and other snack items.
The biggest issue I have with Wendy's is the food is so bad for you. I mean, they put the Triple Stack on the menu. That used to be a special order someone would eat on a dare. Whatever you do, don't let it get cold, because the amount of congealed fat was just disgusting.
Posted in: You can't reinvent the burger; you can remake it
1
motytrah
There's lots of money for funerals in Japan. They already cost between 2.5+ Million Yen, and most relatives have no idea how much it will end up being until they get the bill after the fact. So why not make some extra cash on this angle.
Posted in: Corpse hotels offer new final destination
0
motytrah
Russians are starting to get money, but it's very difficult to operate in Russia. A lot of western companies got burned in the 90s and 2000s trying to produce things there. Things are just so corrupt. One company I worked for would send expensive materials and equipment to the factory, but when they opened the crates half of them would be filled with rocks. They eventually cut there losses and moved operations to Eastern Europe and never looked back.
Posted in: Honda to build factory in Russia: report
1
motytrah
In Japan the agency can really control the performer because the media won't typically book someone who's not represented. I.e. TV station and studio will not deal directly with the talent for the most part. As such the agency can get the lion share of the monies the artist makes as well as engage them in jobs that aren't in the long term interest of the artist. Whereas in the West an agency has a less controlling role.
If anything the studios in the West don't care for the agents because they act as a shrewd negotiator when an artist hits star status. Folks in Hollywood who get millions per episode do so because they have an agent. That seems to be somewhat rare in Japan.
Posted in: Yuko Ogura loses legal fight to block publication of photobook
0
motytrah
These days the tax heaven is Switzerland. At least for corporations. You do have to put some actual executives there, but that's not usually a big deal. So you create your shell company there. Transfer your patent portfolio there and then take advantage of Swiss loopholes to pay next to nothing in taxes.
What Obama is doing wouldn't change that one bit. He's just looking at rolling back some Bush era tax code changes to capital gains. Won't happen because congress doesn't actually care about jobs or the economy. They just want the white house.
Flat tax isn't going to happen. Too many corporations have become accustom to the loop holes. Flat tax is a campaign talking point, not a legislative agenda.
Posted in: Obama to raise taxes on millionaires
2
motytrah
Yeah, he was suspended in Japan because the guy who does the voice in the US made the few repugnant tweets after the quake and tsunami. The classiest can be summed up here:
I feel bad that the Japanese most likely lost income over it as well.
Posted in: TV commercial of the week: Aflac