JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
-
- Corporate Business English Trainers
- ACT Systems, Inc.（株式会社アクト・システムズ）, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥269,500 ~ ¥280,000 / Month
-
- 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*
0
smartacus
True to form, sabiwabi the Holocaust denier shows up on this thread. So by all means, please tell us something positive about Rudolf Hoess.
Posted in: German grandchildren of Nazis delve into past
0
smartacus
Very unusual in Japan to see a family with 10 children. Being so far away from home and in a big impersonal city, she may have lacked a guiding hand or steadying influence. Often these young idols still live with their families in Tokyo, but we don't about her family. Maybe they are all still in Kagoshima. RIP
Posted in: 'Talent' Miyu Uehara dead after apparently hanging herself at home
0
smartacus
I had never heard the terms, and even though I read about them every day and hear them on the TV news, I still don't know what they mean. It's also amusing to see and hear people using those terms, as if they know what they mean, when you can tell quite easily that they don't. It's as if they have heard someone on TV say 10 millisieverts is bad for you and then they start repeating it, without understanding what a millisiviert is.
Posted in: Before the nuclear crisis that followed the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, did you know what becquerels and millisieverts were? If not, do you know their significance now?
0
smartacus
Everyone has a different expression on their face - from joy to boredom to disinterest to excitement, sadness, amazement and many more emotions. Good photo.
Posted in: Eye on the ball
0
smartacus
That's the shortest I have seen Depp's hair.
Posted in: Depp sends message to Japan at 'Pirates' world premiere
0
smartacus
Thai Airlines is one carrier that actually includes the fuel tax in the advertised fare. I wish they all would. But why has the price of fuel shot up so much in the last six months anyway? What is causing it? Anyone knowledgeable on the subject know?
Posted in: Airlines say they have no choice but to pass the increase in oil prices on to passengers in the form of a higher fuel tax? Do you agree?
0
smartacus
Does anyone remember what they did with all the rubble from the Kobe quake in 1995?
Posted in: The Environment Ministry estimates there are 25 million tons of debris scattered among the three devastated prefectures in Tohoku. Considering the difficulties involved such as lack of space, asbestos hazards and unrecovered bodies, what do you think is the best way to deal with the rubble?
0
smartacus
There is way too much stuff being donated. There is more than enough canned goods, water, clothes, etc. What the evacuees really need now is a place to live, a job, medical facilities and schools.
I've also heard that very little of the donated money has reached the evacuees, even two months on. And I still see people outside stations collecting donations. It's really frustrating. This stockpiling and delay in allocating money makes me not want to donate in future disasters.
I often wonder where the 10 billion yen that Masayoshi Son donated went. If I were him, I would personally oversee its disbursement to build a clinic, small school or something like that.
Posted in: Quake-hit areas stuck with huge amount of unwanted donated items
0
smartacus
I wonder sort of people the special ops team members have to be - cold-blooded, emotionless killers. I know, we need them them to do the dirty work, but imagine having one for a husband, boyfriend or father. Doing that kind of work would make one almost borderline psychotic.
Posted in: U.S. weighs release of bin Laden photos
0
smartacus
herefornow
To answer your naive question, yes, I was appalled when I saw people in Arab countries celebrating 9/11. I don't like to see anyone celebrate the death of another human being in any circumstance. It always upsets me. It's not a right, as you put it. I still say the sort of frenzied celebration we see in the photo is bizarre. A temporary loss of reason is how I would describe it.
Posted in: Celebrations
0
smartacus
Weird scene. They act like their team just won the Super Bowl. Do they realize how many more lives, including possibly some of their own, may be snuffed out in a future terrorist attack?
I shed no tears for bin Laden, but celebrating anyone's death like that is bizarre.
Posted in: Celebrations
0
smartacus
How come these demonstrations were never held before the March 11 disaster?
Posted in: May Day
0
smartacus
It was fun. Now my girlfriend is in a wedding mindset. I'd better watch out. I was glad when the BBC commentary took over from the Japanese in the studio. I was getting so tired of hearing them saying "William Oji" (sounds like William Orgy) over and over again.
I think the wedding band on Kate's finger was a bit of a tight fit.
By the way, how long has the word "fascinator" been used to describe ladies' hats at these functions?
And where were the Japanese royals? I know they declined out of respect for the earthquake and tsunami victims, but I think that was a wrong decision. The crown prince and Masako could have made a quick trip over.
Posted in: What did you think of the British royal wedding on Friday?
0
smartacus
After watching the British royal wedding on TV, there is no doubt in my mind that the answer is yes. The millions of people who poured into London for the wedding will spend a lot of money. Even when there isn't a wedding, Buckingham Palace is always a drawcard. But having said that, I think other countries' royal families, including Japan, come nowhere close to the UK when it comes to leveraging the royal family for the tourism industry.
I also think the old argument that royal families are a waste of tax money is trite and meaningless. There are a lot of things that our tax money is wasted on and that we would be opposed to, if we had a choice.
Posted in: Do you think there is a role for monarchies in this day and age?
0
smartacus
Let's see. In no particular order.
Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, Rupert Murdoch and the pope.
Posted in: Name 5 people who you think are among the most influential in the world.
0
smartacus
He should tell them to all go jump in the lake. And just who could do a better job at this point in time?
Article Unavailable
0
smartacus
cleo
I understand your point of view and I can't get my head around some of the same things that vex you, also. But I don't have to understand God or heaven to have faith. Imagine trying to get an ant to understand what life is, or trying to explain to an unborn child what life is.
I wish I could find a good way to put it into words and have you consider that God - whatever God is - does not inflict/allow/turn a blind eye to all the suffering. The world is set up to function and there will be earthquakes. tsunami, floods, hurricanes, etc. Humans will get cancer, have heart attacks. Planes will crash. And yes, people do commit monstrous acts against one another (that's called free will).
I know I am not explaining myself very well. Hopefully, we'll all have a drink in the afterlife.
Posted in: Japan's Christians celebrate Easter amid disaster
0
smartacus
cleo
I'm a devout Catholic and all my life I have wondered the same thing. But it doesn't shake my faith, even though ignorant (and scared) people insult me for my faith. God didn't cause the earthquake and tsunami. It was an act of nature (not act of God, as some insurance companies like to say). But I have no answers to that eternal question of "why?" I certainly don't think that God sits at his computer, calls up an image of Tohoku and then presses the "smite" key. Rather, I like to think in my mere mortal mind that every soul lost in the disaster was met by an angel and is now enjoying eternal life.
And that's my Easter Monday message.
Posted in: Japan's Christians celebrate Easter amid disaster
0
smartacus
My girlfriend will be thrilled. I won't be able to move her away from the TV or even talk to her while this telecast is on. OK, I admit it. I'll probably be watching it, too.
Posted in: NHK to broadcast UK royal wedding live
0
smartacus
It's difficult to define criminal negligence in this case. Also, if cost-cutting, payoffs, etc, happened before the current execs had their jobs, then how do you prove their culpability. It has been my experience, working with many Japanese companies over the years, that quite often middle-level management do not inform the CEO or president of "shady" dealings. Quite often, the top management don't even know what's going on until the crisis erupts. Then they find themselves bowing at press conferences.
In TEPCO's case, any criminal investigation will be complicated by the utility's long history of cozy ties with the LDP.
In summary, I think it will be difficult to prove criminal negligence, without a whistleblower.
Posted in: Once the nuclear crisis is brought under control, should TEPCO executives face criminal charges at some point in the future?