JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in Kanto region
- RCS (RCSコーポレーション), Kanto
- Salary: ¥180,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month includes performance bonus
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- Assistant Language Teacher - TOKYO - late-March start
- Interac, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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- Assistant Language Teacher - Kanagawa Prefecture - late-March start
- Interac, Kanagawa
- Salary: ¥230,000 ~ ¥255,000 / Month
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smartacus
I can't imagine a world without faith. I certainly hope that there is something after death.
And can any of those readers above who mock people of faith, such as myself, honestly say that the world wouldn't be better off if we followed the ten commandments or applied some of the teachings of Christ in our daily lives (the Good Samaritan, etc)?
Posted in: Why Japanese values and morality confound us so
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smartacus
Batman was always my favorite, especially the Adam West version in the 1960s. I can't count the number of times I have watched it on DVD. I loved that utility belt.
I also liked George Reeves' version of Superman.
I find it hard to get interested in the current crop of superheroes like Captain America, Thor, Spider-man etc.
Posted in: Who is your favorite comic book, movie or TV superhero?
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smartacus
It's amazing. France lost two of its pool games and yet makes the final. The real final is tomorrow's game between New Zealand and Australia.
Posted in: France edges Wales 9-8 in Rugby World Cup semifinal
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smartacus
I wondered about this, too. I don't see the connection between a disaster and wanting to have a family. Is there a line of thought that says if we have to die, better to die with someone we love?
For me personally, being single was an advantage on March 11. I was in a position to move fast and get out without having to worry where my family is. Had it been necessary, I would have been able to evacuate to a shelter or even leave the country without having to worry about a family. I was able to go up to Tohoku and do volunteer work without having any obligations to a family.
Posted in: Match-making agencies in Japan have reported a surge of up to 50% in members since the March 11 disaster. Why do you think the disaster has spurred more single people to consider marriage?
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smartacus
I bet Sawa hasn't worn a kimono in 20 years.
Posted in: Afternoon tea
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smartacus
There is nothing wrong with making a documentary on the March 11 disaster. A documentary can be a very powerful means to bring the horror of that day to audiences around the world.
Posted in: Grief of March 11 disaster laid bare in new documentary
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smartacus
Farewell Mr Jobs. You changed the lives of so many.
Posted in: Apple announces death of Steve Jobs at 56
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smartacus
Gurukun
I'd say the off-duty cop did the right thing. He kept an eye on the place and waited for back-up to arrive. So there is no need to insult him by calling him "Keystone."
Posted in: Man held over Hiroshima liquor store robbery
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smartacus
I think Lorenzo is being absurd. Washing himself with bottled water instead of a hot shower? No thanks.
Posted in: MotoGP champion Lorenzo avoids showering due to radiation fear
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smartacus
Yes, this news has definitely sent shock waves through the foreign expat community. I will miss it. They had a great cheese selection.
Nissin will make a killing from now on.
Posted in: After a half-century in Hiroo, National Azabu to close Oct 31
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Brainiac
It's lucky for the donor that the money was found by an honest worker. I wonder how many people (including myself) would have been tempted to keep the money.
Posted in: Y10 mil 'for Tohoku' left in bag in Saitama municipal bldg restroom
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smartacus
Not a very enthusiastic lot. I wonder if somebody stood outside the stadium and paid a bunch of locals to wear the jerseys and caps.
Posted in: Blossom backers
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smartacus
I've been buying peaches from Fukushima to help growers. Not sure what else I can do.
Posted in: What is the best way to help rejuvenate the economy in Fukushima Prefecture, considering that many people are reluctant to buy produce from the area due to radiation fears?
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smartacus
I don't intend to defend TEPCO but the task of paying compensation is monumental. I can't think of any simple way of deciding who gets how much, and how to prevent cheats from applying for compensation they are not entitled to, because I am sure there will be unscrupulous characters who will try to cash in on the trillions of yen being given out.
That is probably why the forms are as complicated as they appear to be and why TEPCO wants receipts and travel records, etc. I can't imagine how they'll even begin to decide the amounts per family, individual, business owner, etc.
Posted in: Edano raps TEPCO over high salaries, compensation forms
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smartacus
It's all relative. I know people who mock classical music or opera lovers as being snobbish, country music lovers as being bumpkins, and so on. Then these same people will state their own musical preferences, without realizing that other people would be just as dismissive of their taste in music.
Even on this discussion board, I notice that some readers always make fun of Japanese singers like SMAP, etc, but the fact is J-pop groups have millions of fans in Japan and other Asian countries. So, while I personally don't like SMAP or AKB48, I am not going to say they are crap and without talent.
My 21-year-old nephew asked me the other day who I thought was the greatest rock band of all time and I told him that for me, it was the Beatles. He had never listened to them. He thought that any band from the 1960s *"that far back," in his words) would sound corny today. I asked him who he liked. He said his favorite singer was Taylor Swift.
All I could say was: "Let's see if the music of Taylor Swift is still being listened to 45-50 years from now."
Posted in: Why do some people mock others' taste in music and dismiss groups that they don't like as being crap and having no talent, etc, as if they were some great authority or arbiter on musical excellence?
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smartacus
18 meters is probably tall enough, but can the plant withstand a mega-quake?
Posted in: Chubu Electric starts building 18-meter seawall to protect Hamaoka nuclear plant
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smartacus
Who thinks up the names for these cars?
Posted in: Daihatsu unveils Mira e:S minivehicle
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smartacus
Very impressive effort. Stories like this give me hope for the future of Japan.
Posted in: 6 Japanese complete relay swim to Taiwan
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smartacus
The problem is they have to go somewhere once they are released and no community wants them. So they are constantly on the move, which is no good for everybody. I think it is prudent for police in the area to know if released pedophiles are residing in the neighborhood, but I definitely do not think local residents should be informed. That would create a powderkeg.
There is a really good 1960s British film called "The Mark," that deals with this issue.
Posted in: Should pedophiles with criminal records be required to report their names and addresses to local authorities when they move?
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smartacus
Personally, I would rather see the consumption tax hiked rather than my income tax or ward tax. Those two tax hikes reduce the amount of disposable income we can spend.
At least with the consumption tax, I can choose to purchase more or less. It's also the only tax with no loopholes. Even crooks and politicians have to pay it.
Posted in: Commission prepares two options for hiking taxes