JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- 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
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- 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*
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- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
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yaguraDec. 14, 2011 - 10:45AM JST. I'd rather have Ichiro if I was gonna build a team from scratch. Defensively much better. Better hitter (even if they are mainly singles). Much better base runner as well. Overall just a much better player in my opinion.
That is exactly what Mariners did for the last decade and they never won a championship with Ichiro. Point is Ichiro cannot carry a team and his $18 millon dollar dribbler hitter never can win championship, let alone division title. Individual stats means very littlle if they keep losing. Ichiro never walks so what good is all the dribblers? Facts are Matsui won and that's what counts.
Posted in: Bid deadline nears for Japanese ace Darvish
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yaguraDec. 14, 2011 - 09:49AM JST. I never said Matsui was a bad player. He's a good player, but in my opinion he has never even approached the level of Ichiro's play in the Majors
But would you want to build your team around Ichiro in the prime or Matsui in the prime? Lifetime OBP for Ichiro is .370 and Matsui at .363. Sure Ichiro gets alot of dribbler singles, and averages 40+ RBI's per year, but what does it mean? Just getting on base done mean anything. Ichiro cannot hit in the gaps to drive in runs. Ichiro cannot carry the jock strap. Matsui had many 100+ RBI's and can carry a team. I would take Matsui anyday over dribbler Ichiro. Heck, Ichiro and Seattle has not won anything, and they cannot win with Ichiro.
Posted in: Bid deadline nears for Japanese ace Darvish
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Japan must be desperate. Japan condemns Sea Shepherd tactics although not a single Sea Shepherd action in three decades from the day Sea Shepherd was founded has resulted in a single felony conviction, a single lawsuit and most importantly they have not caused a single injury nor suffered any fatalities or serious injuries. Japan is less interested in saving whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. and their support for whaling is entrenched. They have made zero progress in this educational approach.
Sea Shepherd has taken a more realistic approach in economics. And for the last four years, the Japanese whaling fleet has not made a profit. This is the language they understand of profit and losses and if Sea Shepard continue to impact their profits, Japan will whaling fleet will have more difficult justifiying economically to continue.
Posted in: Japan whaling authorities sue Sea Shepherd in U.S.
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YuriOtaniDec. 14, 2011 - 06:55AM JST. China attacking Japan will bring our leaders our of their daze. If America will not defend Japan, then it is time for all of them to leave. Japan would have to rearm and produce a deterrent force. Because if America will not honor its commitment to defend Japan even if it is a small set of islands, it could not be counted on to defend any part of Japan.
U.S. is in deep in the planning stages of a major military buildup in Asia. U.S. is engaging with many Asian countries for access agreements, cross-servicing agreements, forward stationing agreements, partnerships, capacity building, training, and foreign military sales. U.S. settling in for a long Cold War with China. Of course, no one in U.S.will acknowledge that a massive upgrade of U.S. in Asia has anything to do with China. Throughout the Cold War and beyond, U.S. has collected allies in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East by assuming the burden of their national security in exchange for control of their sea lanes, air corridors, and energy supplies. U.S. may get ensnared into another unwinnable war, only this time at an existential cost.
Posted in: LDP's Ishihara wants base on China-claimed islands
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YuriOtaniDec. 14, 2011 - 05:06AM JST So what should we do, meekly surrender to the Chinese? The battle will be over the South China seas and in it.
Japan goverment policy over the disputed Senkaku islands is seen to be in a flux because the political merry-go-round means that you don’t have any long-term binding policies. This applies to political leaders resigning in Japan over minor issues and the very nature of factionalism with Japanese politics is causing mayhem. China may believe that Japan is weak because of internal political issues. China probably believes that U.S. containment of Japan will continue and this will restrict Japan’s hand because U.S, would not desire to become embroiled in a major dispute between China and Japan. It must be added that these tensions are nothing new but China in the past was hindered by an outdated military and limited economic and political leverages.
The current Japan goverment with Noda appear to be so compliant and China also faces many internal issues. China has huge economic inequality and internal ethnic conflicts. It is in the interest of China and Japan to work things out diplomatically because both nations have strengths and weaknesses. Also, in the field of economic trade and growing relations between both nations, it is in the interest of both China and Japan to resolve territorial disputes. The issues of territorial disputes must be solved between two equal partners and not based on power projection.
Posted in: LDP's Ishihara wants base on China-claimed islands
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The Okinawans had learned from their experience of 1945 that armies do not defend people, and so tended to believe that any defence of the Senkakus that rested on militarizing them and embedding them in hostile confrontation between Japan and China would expose Okinawa to greater threat rather than improve its security. Okinawans have a long historical memory of friendly relations with China, and in contrast to mainland fears and anxieties For Okinawans, the Senkaku issue is not so much one of national security as of livelihood. It is the fishing grounds around the islands that are precious, rather than national security considerations or seabed oil and gas reserves. J-goverment has to make every effort to build stronger ties with neighboring nations, otherwise Japan will be cornered.
Posted in: LDP's Ishihara wants base on China-claimed islands
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realmindDec. 13, 2011 - 10:20AM JST. These 20000 companies employ millions of poor chinese people. If China does loot the Japanese companies all the foreign companies will stop the factories in China. No more products will be sold made in China..in any part of the world. The ultimate looser will be China and China will be burned by own Chinese poor people....
China doesn't give a damn about workers' rights and that, coupled with stable and developed infrastructure, is exactly why so many companies have been rushing to exploit this cheap labor "natural resource". China is compensating workers at bare minimum levels, just enough to keep labor unrest low but not enough to build a strong middle class or internally driven mass consumer economy. It keeps the companies and the upper classes happy, but obviously the upwardly mobile and less fortunate aren't content.
Posted in: LDP's Ishihara wants base on China-claimed islands
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nigelboyDec. 13, 2011 - 10:16AM JST You do realize that U.S.-Japan Security Agreement emcompases Senkaku, right? There is more risk to China by testing if U.S. will act on it's agreement.
Confusion about where U.S. defense commitments apply could lead to serious miscalculations by Japan claiming disputed Senkaku islands. Japan could become unwarrantedly provocative if they believe that they have U.S, backing. China could underestimate a U.S. response. There are times in international relations when ambiguity serves the interests of peace and security. This is not the case with mutual defense treaties. The people of U.S. and Japan deserve clarity about what and where they are pledged to defend.
Posted in: LDP's Ishihara wants base on China-claimed islands
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TakahiroDomingoDec. 13, 2011 - 09:46AM JST the iranian government is more monstrous than hitler ever was, wanting to kill all jews
It's dumb to make comparison with Hitler. Same comparison was done with Saddam Hussain. Sure, Iran does not use good choice of words and lack diplomacy, but International community has to continue to work through diplomatic channels. So far they have not directly attacked anybody (other than Iran-Iraq war).
Posted in: Obama requests Iran to give back downed U.S. drone
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issa1Dec. 13, 2011 - 09:41AM JST. They simply can not do that because China today and very dependent on international system.
Don't bet on it. China has already done with rare earth metals supplies to Japan. Don't you remember?
Posted in: LDP's Ishihara wants base on China-claimed islands
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If Japan's goal is to improve relations with China, then their goverment has to make drastic changes for better diplomacy. Japan has total dependence on China for economics with over 20,000 Japanese companies that operates inside their country. What happens if China and Japan gets into extreme conflict over Senkaku and other disputes and China gets pissed off at Japan and freezes all the bank assets of Japanese companies that are operating inside China? China can stop any wire transaction or export to Japan and there will be a mass chaos in Tokyo.
Posted in: LDP's Ishihara wants base on China-claimed islands
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hghfg23Dec. 13, 2011 - 05:32AM JST. If he can really average 94 on his fastball, he would have been in top 7 for starters
Question to you is can Darvish last a whole season or two throwning this hard in MLB? Chances of hurting his arm will be greater. He has hurt his harm in '06 and '09. The hitters on MLB can hit any fastballs at any speed and there is no weakness in the lineup. The MLB hitters faces 91-97mph pitching everyday from starters to relivers.
Posted in: Darvish says he plans to head to Majors
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Shumatsu_SamuraiDec. 13, 2011 - 05:59AM JST. I asked whether it was healthy to dwell so much on things like that. He said it was necessary to get closure.
How can you have a closure if Japan goverment does not acknowlege the problem? After the war, the Germans and Japanese had a different reaction to their bad behavior during the war. Most of the Germans were remorseful and guilt ridden. The Japanese immediately tried to rewrite history, and are still at it. Many Japanese opposed rewriting history, which was often quite blatant. This meddling with historical facts regularly caused problems with neighbors, especially China. But the Japanese were insistent on evading responsibility. They still are, and many Japanese really believe it. Knowing what happened in the past and understanding those events is the most important way to prevent it from happening again. The new generation should learn more about the atrocities committed during war, not to incite them to hatred, but to help them realize how and why we should prevent this kind of thing from happening ever again. Turning a blind eye to the past is the worst thing we could do. The atrocities of war are proof enough that we should avoid war at all costs. In the late 30's in Nanking, many Japanese soldiers went beyond rape to disembowel women, slice off their breasts, nail them alive to walls.
Posted in: Christian Bale denies Nanjing Massacre film is propaganda
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Clément DelestradeDec. 11, 2011 - 09:55AM JST With his current velocity he would have one of the best FB in the majors.
Darvish is nothing new on the velocity. Every MLB team has 3-4 pitchers than can throw has hard has Darvish. If you compare Darvish to Verlander, Kimbrel or Chapman, he looks slow. Chapman has thrown high as 105 mph on the radar against SD in Sepember. Verlander and Kimbrel, consistant 99-101 range.
Posted in: Darvish says he plans to head to Majors
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The Japanese people and nation have never fully accepted responsibility for the unspeakable atrocities that they perpetrated against helpless innocent civilians during the last war. Note the comments in recent years from numerous Japanese leaders including Noda, questioning the substance of accounts of war time atrocities related by war survivors, or even whether the cruelty and brutality ever occurred at all. That is all very disturbing to Japan's neighbors. The Japanese have always sought to whitewash or excuse their acts by describing their brutality as "liberating" Asians from their colonial masters. Even today, over 50 Japanese lawmakers who respresents million of people still visit Yasukuni to pray for class A war criminals. Some Japanese, while ignoring or denying Japan's war guilt and proven war crimes between 1937 and 1945, are quite happy to accuse the U.S. of committing a war crime by dropping atomic bombs on two Japanese cities and play the victims card. Japan should feel ashamed of the annual peace declarations in those two cities because they failed to include the point of view of Japan as an aggressor in the war. There is a unfortunate pattern of intimidation in Japan, Former Nagasaski Mayor Motoshima was attacked and seriously injured by a Japanese nationalist for speaking the truth about Japan's war guilt and war crimes.
Asian countries that suffered most from Japan's brutal military aggression, such as China, are not prepared to see these important issues swept under the carpet. The continuing refusal by Japanese governments to acknowledge frankly Japan's war guilt and the appalling atrocities committed by Japan's military justifies continued attention being focused on this disturbing issue.
Posted in: Christian Bale denies Nanjing Massacre film is propaganda
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Crust is important, but the secret is the cheese and the sauce. There is a lack of balance in the way most of the resturants put together in making pizza. Japanese do not understand the taste of quality cheese and good deep sauce to to make good pizza. Go to Chicago and compare. If you get a good quality Wisconsin cheese and a good Chicago sauce, there is nothing like it in Japan. In comparison, If you never tasted Chicago pizza, Japanese pizza taste ok but very unbalanced in flavor. It's almost like pizza guy in the midwest trying to make sushi and call it sushi.
Posted in: In general, what do you think of the quality of pizzas in Japan? And what do you think is the secret to making a great pizza?
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Darvish throws a nasty slider and a fastball that sits around 90-93 but can get up to 97. Is it better than Matsuzaka's stuff? I'm not sure. The slider looks unhittable, but the fastball velocity is nothing special. I believe Matsuzaka was supposed to have thrown harder when he arrived. Matsuzaka was also famous for his broad repertoire of pitches that would keep MLB hitters constantly guessing. Darvish doesn't throw quite as many types of pitches, going to his curve and changeup to complement his fastball and slider. Darvish dropped his screwball after it contributed to a 2006 shoulder injury. It's hard to overstate the importance of scouting here because we don't have a great handle on how the raw stats themselves translate from NPB to MLB. Darvish hasn't exactly been babied in NPB, throwing 232 innings last season in 28 starts, easily his most in pro ball. But he's also had shoulder problems in the not-too-distant past. In addition to 2006, he was shelved in August 2009 for "shoulder fatigue." Given that Darvish will be expected to make starts more frequently in the U.S. (NPB teams typically go with a six-man rotation), this should be cause for concern. His command and control, this is probably the most significant factor as to whether Darvish can succeed.
Posted in: Darvish says he plans to head to Majors
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The Yankees should pass on Darvish and go after lefthander Gio Gonzalez who went 16-12 with A's. The Yankees have many players that they can deal, and would likely have to include Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos and Gary Sanchez, among others.
Posted in: Darvish says he plans to head to Majors
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YubaruDec. 06, 2011 - 09:18PM JST. Japanese "pro" baseball is MLB's 4A league anyway, with an occasional player that truly deserves and earns the right to play in the major league.
Japan baseball is a convincingly a "AA"" or maybe a high single "A" ball. When the Atlanta Braves announced the signing of Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami in 2009 for three years and $23 million, it was their first signing of a Japanese-born player ever in the Braves history. Considering the results, they probably fired their Asian scout team. Kawakami came to the West with a more than impressive resume—he pitched 257 games (214 starts) for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan’s Central League, posting a 112-72 (.609) record with a 3.22 ERA. He notched 1,328 strikeouts and allowed just 351 walks in 1,642 innings of work for the Dragons. Kawakami also won Japan’s version of the Cy Young Award in 2004.
However, Kawakami left his single "A" game in Japan. In two major league seasons, Kawakami was 8-22 with a 4.32 ERA, and never even made the Braves’ 25-man roster in 2011, earning his $6.7 million salary in Double-A ball and hurting his shoulder in the process. The Braves’ first Asian investment cost them $3 million per win. Tell me Japan ball is 4A ball?
Posted in: Free agent Kawasaki only interested in Mariners
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jonobugsDec. 08, 2011 - 09:43AM JST. Secondly, visiting a small rural area such as Kelowna (yes, I know it's a "city") is hardly indicative of the general attitude of Canada.
Your correct. Today, Kelowna probably has 90 percent whites. Kelowna is more isolated from rest of Canada and has ultra-conservative views compare to larger cities. If you go to large cities like Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, or Montreal, the ethnic population is not much different than the major cities in the states with more liberal views.
Posted in: Japanese return to Canada's WWII internment camps