JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Full-time English Teacher - Osaka
- Epion English Language Schools, Osaka
- Salary: ¥200,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month Depending on your ability and experience
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- Part-time English Teacher - Osaka
- Epion English Language Schools, Osaka
- Salary: ¥10,000 ~ ¥15,000 / Day Depending on how many days a week are worked
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- Core Developer - コアディベロッパー
- Midokura Japan K.K. - ミドクラジャパン株式会社, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥4.0M ~ ¥10.0M / Year Negotiable
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smithinjapan
dolphingirl: "The government is telling their society that it is everybody's responsibility to recognize a depressed and possibly suicidal person and get them to seek help."
This is nothing new. The government always fobs off responsibility on the people for what it should be actively engaging in and working on itself. The worst part of it is if you tried to phone in somewhere and say you know someone potentially suicidal nothing would be done about it... until after the person commits suicide, at which point they would ask why you did nothing about it.
Posted in: GKB47 suicide prevention slogan inspired by AKB48 criticized
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smithinjapan
KingBasil: I'm actually in agreement with you for a change, on the first post, anyway. I'm willing to bet it was the kids' fault more than the driver's, but he's going to get thrown to the wolves regardless. On my way to work this morning I saw no less than 6 bikes with two highschool kids on them, and they were indeed going all over the road (or sidewalk).
Posted in: Two boys on bike killed after being struck by car in Gunma
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smithinjapan
Here's what we're going to hear if and when things continue to get worse:
Tanigaki: We demand that PM Noda dissolve the Lower House and call a general election to let the people decide if he has handled the issue to their satisfaction or not. If I don't win, I say we call another one after that!
Noda: I was given the impression by the Tokyo Electric Power Company that things were under control and that they had achieved cold shutdown status according to schedule. Hence, my announcement. I was not made aware things were still unstable.
TEPCO: We were given the impression by PM Noda that things were under control and that cold shutdown status had been achieved according to the schedule. Hence, our announcement with PM Noda. We were not aware that things were still unstable.
Edano: Yes, another reactor has blown up, but this will not cause any immediate health threats to the public.
Mayors of small towns around the plant: We have begun again decontaminating everything, so even though we are not forcing you to come home, please do so within the next couple of weeks.
World Community: WTF??
Posted in: Water temperature rising in No. 2 reactor at Fukushima nuclear plant
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smithinjapan
Isn't it against the law to have two people (aside from a young child in a child's seat as a plus one) on a bicycle? I see this all the time, and often the weight is so much from two people of this age that the person pedaling swerves all over the road as they have to push harder and have less control. I've no doubt that factored in. Police need to enforce bicycle laws more strictly. RIP to the kids.
Posted in: Two boys on bike killed after being struck by car in Gunma
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smithinjapan
Geez... I don't want to be a pessimist, but it doesn't sound like much of a chance they're still alive. I hope and pray I'm wrong. What a horrible way to go.
Posted in: 5 missing after undersea tunnel collapses at refinery in Okayama
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smithinjapan
The only thing this guy can do is deliver a promise, not deliver ON that promise.
"Speaking in the Diet at a House of Councillors budget committee meeting, Noda said that he was aware of growing anxiety in Okinawa that the Futenma base may end up being left where it is,"
Yeah, well, you cry and cry about it being moved to where it was agreed upon and what do you expect? Be careful what you wish for.
Article Unavailable
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smithinjapan
Paulinusa: "Why is it offensive to promote an anti-suicide message that Japan badly needs?"
It's not -- the problem is they're less addressing the issue of suicide than they are using the popularity of a talentless band to make the whole issue into a joke. Yes, people need to talk about it, but I don't think people being upset by the promotion (and here in the article even the PM is uncomfortable with it) is what I would call constructive dialogue.
And what's more, 'gatekeeper (basic)' is a horrible name for the role people are supposed to play here. Don't they know that in most fields the term is applied to it refers to someone who can loosen or restrict control? release information or choose to hold it back? or very literally keep someone out or bar them in? It's pretty clear they started with the idea of linking suicide prevention with AKB48 (don't ask me the logic there!) and worked 'up' from there.
Idiot #1: Oh! I know! I'm a middle-aged man, like many who commit suicide, and I love AKB48.
Idiot #2: Yes?
Idiot #1: You cannot deny their popularity and good looks! So, let's think of a name for this campaign that is like AKB48.
Idiot #3: How about AK-47?
Idiot #1: Excellent! Oh... but we need another letter. Hmmm.
Idiot #2: Let me look up something on my computer... ah darn... the Gatekeeper Basic security software is scanning again... going to take up all my RAM. Wait! How about RAM48!
Idiot #3: 'gatekeeper', ne? Someone who protects your internal software.... that's a good idea. How about GK... no wait, add the 'basic', GKB48... but what's the 48 for... Hmmm...
Idiot #1: Let's change 48 to 47 and maybe someone will find some significance there later!
I #2/3: Yosha!! It is decided!! "I want yooooooooouuuu... I need yooooouuuu!"
Was the decision process something like that?
Posted in: GKB47 suicide prevention slogan inspired by AKB48 criticized
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smithinjapan
"A psychiatric evaluation found Breivik criminally insane, but a second evaluation was ordered amid criticism of that diagnosis. Breivik has refused to cooperate with psychiatrists in the second review."
I'd say him failing to cooperate for a second round of tests after getting the 'insane' judgement he likely wanted from the first evaluation is pretty strong evidence he knows what he's doing. I'm still against the death penalty 100%, but it's unbelievable the maximum sentence the guy can face is 21 years.
Posted in: Norway mass killer demands medal at court hearing
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smithinjapan
Elbuda: I was reading about this in the Toronto Star and it was saying that most of the people in the van were migrant workers, so who knows where their families are. It's still under investigation as to what actually happened to cause the accident.
Posted in: Eleven dead in Canada road accident
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smithinjapan
Good sentiment Onniyama, thank you! I would add that in keeping safe, people shouldn't heed government calls to go back to the areas surrounding the plant, since clearly it is not safe at all.
Posted in: Water temperature rising in No. 2 reactor at Fukushima nuclear plant
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smithinjapan
Sheesh... awfully close to home. 13 people is way, way too many for one vehicle unless it's a bus. And since so many died it's likely they were crammed in without seatbelts.
Posted in: Eleven dead in Canada road accident
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smithinjapan
I'm just surprised they didn't get an AKB48 member to don a ribbon and be the GKB47 'ambassador'.
Posted in: GKB47 suicide prevention slogan inspired by AKB48 criticized
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smithinjapan
“To speak plainly, I too felt uncomfortable. I think I’d like to see further research conducted on the matter,”
Here's an idea -- you feel uncomfortable, right? You're PM, right? You know this is a disgusting campaign, right? So why bother waiting for MORE RESEARCH?!? Can the stupid campaign now and demand people get serious!!
Leave it to Japan to take a very serious issue in which they are completely lacking in support services and try to link it to some kitschy cartoon character, or in this case, the flavour of the month girl band! No wonder people can't get real help here, and why the rate continues to be over 30,000 people per year -- they're issues are dealt with by intentional promotion of sleezy pop-culture.
Posted in: GKB47 suicide prevention slogan inspired by AKB48 criticized
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smithinjapan
Wow, now the government might actually have to admit it was a bit 'hasty' in claiming it had achieved cold shutdown successfully and that the situation was stable. No surprise TEPCO has no idea what's going on or what to do.
Posted in: Water temperature rising in No. 2 reactor at Fukushima nuclear plant
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smithinjapan
KingBasil: "I will go with democracy every time."
Good, then you know that the government of Japan, which was chosen by the people, should live up to its promises, right? Right!
Posted in: Japan, U.S. discussing revised plan for relocating Marines from Okinawa
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smithinjapan
YuriOtani: "Well the new airfield is not going to be built. The people of Okinawa have been rejecting it since 1996. The government of Okinawa is decidedly anti-base."
There's something you need to accept, my friend, and that's that there are only a few people in Okinawa rejecting it, while many work for and live off the bases and would lose everything if the bases left. More importantly, it doesn't matter if the government is 'anti-base', they are going to have that base in one place or another. Next time the locals are crying about the noise and dangers of the base where it is, you go ahead and console them by saying you were against it being moved to the agreed upon (twice) location. I'm sure they'll thank you.
Posted in: Okinawa fears revised plan may leave Futenma where it is
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smithinjapan
Boom! Exactly what I said earlier today. The people in Okinawa want to have their cake and eat it, too. They don't seem to realize that the Marines are there to stay -- at least for the time being. It would be NICE if Japan lived up to the promise it made twice in the agreements, but if they renege again then the base will stay where it is. So, the people complaining about all the noise and danger and what not can thank the politicians of Okinawa for screwing them over.
Posted in: Okinawa fears revised plan may leave Futenma where it is
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smithinjapan
I have Twitter... I think I've logged in twice. Waste of time, and meaningless.
Posted in: Record 10,000 tweets per second at Super Bowl tops Japan women's World Cup win
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smithinjapan
andrewx51: "The kid was the victim. The perp was 47, drunk and didn't have a license."
Oops! Obviously read that one a little too quickly. Thanks for pointing out the obvious error in my comment.
That rules out being charged as a minor, of course, but the rest of my comment holds true -- if others are charged in accordance with and no more than the laws demand, so should he be until the laws change. I think they SHOULD be changed with the option, at the very least, of a lengthier sentence should the jury and/or judge warrant it. THAT is what the people should be petitioning for.
Posted in: Parents of hit-and-run victim present petition demanding stiffer penalty for defendant
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smithinjapan
gaijinwife: "The mother is saying she didn't do it and that she got home to find her daughter already dead so took her to the mountains,"
Thanks for filling that part in, as the article is rather vague and doesn't mention murder or the investigation of it at all, hence my question. Anyway, I ask why we should believe her statement this time, since she was lying before?
Posted in: Oita woman confesses to lying about daughter's abduction, burying body