Tuesday February 14, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

rizaric's past comments

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rizaricJan. 08, 2012 - 01:55AM JST

What I gathered from the article is that, the aim of the project is not the produce.... it is the development of the system, implemented on a significantly large scale which can be then used or reproduced elsewhere. Nowhere does it say that the produce will be eaten, and I really hope that it doesn't make itself onto the market.

Posted in: Japan plans futuristic farm with robot workers in disaster zone
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rizaricNov. 08, 2011 - 12:37PM JST

It says in the article... the anchor of Fuji TV’s popular morning news and variety program “Mezamashi TV”.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Posted in: 'Mezamashi TV' anchor Otsuka sends message from hospital
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rizaricOct. 26, 2011 - 01:43PM JST

Thank you Fadamor for saying what I was going to. Drunks without borders, as it were.

Posted in: American serviceman in Okinawa held for allegedly assaulting hotel security guard
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rizaricOct. 20, 2011 - 03:10PM JST

There are some pretty decent 'real' burgers to be found, unfortunately the thing is that they are definitely not as cheap as BK or McD though. In a pinch... the double quarter pounder with cheese is not too shabby though.

Burger Mania, Firehouse, REG-ON Diner and Brozers all serve a pretty darn tasty grilled beef patty on a nicely toasted bun with the fixings of your choice. Avocado, chili cheese, mozza + mushroom, bacon double cheese... ahh I'm making myself hungry now. I think I even had a nice smoked meat sandwich with gherkins at one of the Burger Manias. Ok, time to stop thinking about burgers... until the weekend, maybe.

Posted in: Burger King to offer all-you-can-eat Whopper campaign for two weeks
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rizaricOct. 12, 2011 - 12:54AM JST

Hmm... I think this is a decent article, but the title is off.... it refers to a certain type of establishment, in some ways akin to a sushi bar. The title should perhaps be 'Ginza' bar code of conduct. I have been to a couple of them, and they are a bit pricey, but overall they were enjoyable experiences. The selection of ice, shaking and stirring of drinks etc. are down to a science/art and it is a treat to watch the bartender ply his/her craft from the moment of the order to the receipt of the drink. As far as I know, people often bring business clients to these places, so you can understand the desire for a 'professional' environment. At these establishments and 'higher end' bars it is one thing to make small talk with another person, but I believe what is frowned upon are 'cat-calls'. Also, while izakayas will (fortunately or unfortunately) let you drink until you puke, the bartenders at these places wouldn't hesitate to cut you off.

While from time to time I may happen upon one of these places, there are many, many other fine friendly and affordable drinking establishments in Japan where you can have both good drinks and meet people easily... far more often I can often be found at these :). Well, my comment applies to watering holes all over the world but I guess my point is try to give things a chance and keep an open mind, you may be missing something if you believe everything you read on the internet.

Posted in: The definitive Japanese bar code of conduct
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rizaricOct. 08, 2011 - 10:21AM JST

@smithinjapan HAHA you should write for JT

Posted in: Here are some dieting methods you might not have thought of yet
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rizaricOct. 03, 2011 - 04:06PM JST

@southsakai, fds, It"s ME

Yeah, I have a version on my android softbank smartphone that does this already, been out since last Dec. It is good for translating bits of writing up close on a document, or computer screen for example.... but haven't tried it with a street sign yet and I am not sure if they optimized it for many different fonts. If I remember correctly it works both ways though...J-E/E-J.

Posted in: KanjiSpy iPad app ends Tokyo street-walking frustration
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rizaricOct. 03, 2011 - 03:54PM JST

I think it might be correct, my guess is they are referring to the French confection macaron and not the Scottish or North American macaroon (I didn't see the cake though).

Posted in: Ebi-chan celebrates 32nd birthday with release of photobook
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rizaricSep. 30, 2011 - 05:20PM JST

There is a message on their website, in Japanese as well as English.
Not sure if this link will work, but (http://www.national-azabu.com/pdf/info110926eng.pdf)

They want to reopen as soon as possible, it says.

Haha, I had thought that you guys were referring to Nissin- the instant noodle company.

Posted in: After a half-century in Hiroo, National Azabu to close Oct 31
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rizaricSep. 25, 2011 - 05:43PM JST

It's money.

Posted in: Japan to give additional $21 mil in food aid to Horn of Africa
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rizaricSep. 21, 2011 - 10:41PM JST

I find nothing wrong with this article... the author is simply sharing his experience and offering some knowledge... what is so bad about that?

Next time I am in Shinagawa I may have to stop at the Bar Monde if I have some extra time!

Posted in: Tokyo to Yokohama on 40-km bar crawl
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rizaricSep. 08, 2011 - 02:48PM JST

Actually it says gai'koku'jin torokusho :) Just saying.

Agree that it is what it is. How it is used determines the meaning behind it. I have very rarely heard it used in a derogatory fashion, and believe that most people don't use it as such.

The kanji of the word 外人 literally refers to someone from outside. It is likely more of a slang/abbreviation than anything. 外国人 refers to a person from another country. I may be wrong but the Japanese people using the term 外人 other countries are mostly tourists and are with a group of other tourists, or Japanese speaking people... in this case they are referring not to the country, but outside their group. It is not so much a case of discrimination as a conceptual shift that has not been made. As one poster above said, the open minded person will make the shift. At least in my experience, once they make that shift (i.e. it is called to the attention, or they consider themselves a part of another group, etc.), they cease to refer to people as 外人. It is simply how they have perceived things for a most of their lives.

Posted in: Gaijin -- just a word or racial epithet with sinister implications?
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rizaricAug. 31, 2011 - 12:35AM JST

I agree with billyshears... it is hard to tell if she is moving or not. If you look at the reflection on the mirror and the background in general, there is little discernable motion blur. Of course the camera could have been an amazing one.

Posted in: Market cycle
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rizaricJul. 15, 2011 - 01:18PM JST

Also, these 'awards' are usually from magazines and the like, and are a part of 'entertainment culture'... most Japanese people don't even care about them.... saying there is 'no intelligent life left in Japan' is just ridiculous.

Posted in: Maomi Yuuki guest of honor at Best Kisser awards
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rizaricJul. 15, 2011 - 01:13PM JST

As there is no photo posted, I highly recommend any interested parties do an internet search on her...

Posted in: Maomi Yuuki guest of honor at Best Kisser awards
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rizaricJul. 02, 2011 - 07:41AM JST

So what? Now all companies have to sacrifice their business plans and profits because of Tepco's mismanagement of the crisis?

Posted in: Rilakkuma official goods shop re-opens at Tokyo Station
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rizaricJun. 30, 2011 - 03:01PM JST

About the often and more intense thing it is a matter of perspective.....the world is billions of years old... even if humans have measured and experienced earthquakes for 5000 years, there have been many, many more. As yildiray implied above... natural disasters have become 'disasters' cause humans have populated the earth... they are otherwise simply nature running its course. Hopefully the earth will have some patience and give us time so we can be more ready for the next one(s) .

Posted in: M5.4 quake jolts Nagano; 7 hurt
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rizaricJun. 30, 2011 - 01:42AM JST

@Bazza

People have been aware of the risks from the beginning.. from Cesium as well as Iodine...this is just one article that has come out right now...

Posted in: Fukushima's cesium spew - deadly catch-22s
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rizaricJun. 29, 2011 - 06:56PM JST

Agree with the message of the article, but is it really necessary to use phrases like 'mutagenic havoc'?

Decorporation drugs like KI or PB usually don't go to the hospitals or clinics... they are actually stockpiled by governments because 1)Supply is limited and manufacturers/factories are very small, 2)They are not useful in times other than emergencies. Since the manufacturing companies are small they have no capacity to ramp up production during times of need. One would assume that at least part of the reason that the drug may not be being made available to everyone right now is that the supply level is just too low and that the government is keeping stocks for distribution for those who need it the most (to prevent panic buying, etc).

Just a couple of weeks after the disaster began, the American and Japanese governments were apparently in talks with 'Heyltex' in order to discuss this drug.... we can only speculate at this time how much stock is available and hope that there will be enough when the time comes (it may be now for those living in/near Fukushima, etc.).

http://www.heyltex.com/blog/2011/03/30/heyltex-corporation-working-with-united-states-and-japan-to-add-production-of-radiological-antidotes/

The time period that any new drug has to go through for approval is long in any country.... even with documentation and tests in other countries, it is nothing new for a long testing period to be implemented before a drug can be introduced. Also drug patent law is a sticky thing... it is not so easy to legally immediately manufacture generic drugs. If it is necessary in this case, hopefully these processes can be somehow expedited or bypassed.

Posted in: Fukushima's cesium spew - deadly catch-22s
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rizaricJun. 22, 2011 - 03:33PM JST

I remember reading that they gave personal donations up to 400 million yen right after March 11... a lot of money, so I wouldn't say that they are simply greedy. However I agree that 200 yen is a ridiculously low amount... and probably the Johnny's management who has put this into play.

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