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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the_harper
I hope the lists have been transcribed onto a website somewhere for families to check?
Posted in: Missing
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the_harper
If they rebuild on the hillsides there may be a danger of soil instability in floods or typhoons. With respect to the speed of the tsunami, it was reported as travelling at 300kmh but that's the compression wave itself - once it reached land, the water wouldn't have travelled nearly so fast, but as all the videos show, it was fast enough to outrun people.
Posted in: One week later
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the_harper
I hope the feared major quake never strikes Tokyo or Osaka, or any major Japanese city. Better to have lots of small quakes than one big one.
Posted in: Christchurch quake may portend major seismic activity for Japan
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the_harper
Politics wins again.
Posted in: U.S. Air Force awards $35 bil airborne refueling tanker contract to Boeing
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the_harper
UsagitoSaru-
I agree. I saw a similar manga displayed at shin height in a Japanese bookstore - except the mostly naked busty female was being threatened with all variety of knives. To have such things at a height which seems to be ideal for very young children is bizarre. How are children being taught to treat each other? Does it make sense to give very young children the impression that such behaviour is OK? What sort of "entertainment" is being promoted?
Posted in: What’s really at stake in Japan’s revised pornography laws?
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the_harper
Uh, this makes it sounds like the Australian Whale Sanctuary is everything surrounding Antarctica which is not the case. It's the section south of Australia, which Australia might lay some reasonable claim to, since it is just south of the continent - as opposed to Japan, which isn't even in the same hemisphere...
Posted in: Conservationists, Australian gov't not satisfied with Japan's whaling suspension
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the_harper
Nice photo, although it's a shame that their shoes are cut off. With respect to complaints above, do people really choose which airline to fly based on what the flight attendants look like?
Posted in: Come fly with me
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the_harper
As a tourist in Japan, having the announcements in both Japanese and English can help a great deal - but it's very noticeable that a LOT more niformation is provided in Japanese, even taking polite language into account. However, the English announcements are often much softer than the Japanese onces, making them hard to hear. Obviously, having announcements in two languages means more "aural assault".
The warnings on the bullet train stations to stand back are well warranted, especially if the platform is crowded.
The general announcements seemed to me to be consistent with trains in Australia or the UK. There's an announcement on the platform where the train is going to, just as it arrives. Given the complexity of the train/underground system in Tokyo, announcing possible line changes takes longer.
@Patrick - I believe the bird chirps are located above stairs, possibly to warn blind people of the danger?
My only frustration with anouncements was the softness of the ones in English and wondering what information I was missing because I couldn't understand the Japanese. If all the trains in Japan had screens like those on the Tokyo loop line, even foreigners have no excuse - the screens alternate between Japanese and English (romaji) and indicate where you are in the train relative to the stairs and lifts as well as where you are on the line, and what the next station is. It's an excellent system. I noticed that the ride in the Tokyo subway is excruciatingly loud as the trains navigate the tight corners. I found myself wishing for the rubber tyres on the Paris Metro. So I found the noise of the ride itself much worse than the white noise of announcements.
Posted in: Why must Tokyo’s railways engage in aural assault?
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the_harper
@Tokyochris - I just checked a map I got while there. Yes, Yudanaka appears to be Shibu Onsen. :)
Posted in: Monkeying around
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the_harper
@Tokyochris - It's near Kita Shiga Kogen Yomase Onsen if that's any help. There is an onsen at Jigokudani itself. To get there from Tokyo, take the Shinkansen to Nagano then the private line to Yudanaka. There's a bus service from Yudanaka station to to entrance of the Monkey Park. Then it's a 1.6Km (1 mile) walk to the park itself. I visited there for the second time at the beginning of January. It's best when it's snowing because the monkeys are more likely to get into the onsen bath.
Posted in: Monkeying around
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the_harper
@ Ebisen - but it lacks the means to re-enter the atmosphere and land safely.
Well done JAXA on another successful supply mission for the ISS!
Posted in: Astronauts enter Japanese cargo vehicle docked with space station
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the_harper
So what if they want to look fashionable when hiking - at least they are getting exercise rather than complaining on JT. I hope the same trend catches on in "western" countries - maybe the obesity rates will fall. I say good on them for getting outdoors and exercising.
Posted in: Fashionable 'yama' girls take to the hills
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the_harper
Presumably it means that prices will have to rise to the point where other sources outside China become viable again.
Posted in: Toyota developing alternative electric motor
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the_harper
Sarge, perhaps they meant poffertjes which are miniature pancakes?
Posted in: Millions gather worldwide to ring in new year
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the_harper
Most of the people commenting on this article seem to have forgotten that Prince Charles had nothing to do with the Government decision to increase fees. The protestors should be taking their anger out on the Government not on a member of the royal family who has done a great deal to support poorer people through charities, and has a particular interest in education.
Posted in: Students attack Prince Charles' car after fee hike
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the_harper
Any compact camera could be described as TTL. The micro-4/3 doesn't have an optical viewfinder so it's not really accurate to call it an SLR. It would be more accurate to call it an interchangeable lens digital camera, but people love acronyms.
Posted in: Lumix SLR digital camera
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the_harper
Sounds like Dai Nippon were already producing the media, and Sony agreed to hand them the retail part of the printer business. Makes sense, since Dai Nippon has been in printing for so long.
Posted in: Sony to transfer commercial digital photo business to DNP
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the_harper
Not great - I wouldn't want to book a flight thinking it was JAL and find myself on a JetStar flight. At least the JAL customers get their meals and soft drinks included, which is more than you can say for everyone else. I flew back from Japan on JetStar last time. Never again. nylex4 - Jetstar is comparable with discount airlines elsewhere in the world. If you want service, you pay extra for it.
Posted in: JAL to codeshare with Jetstar on Gold Coast routes
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the_harper
Frankly I think anyone travelling in Japan should have a printout of the hotel name and address in Japanese.
Seriously - is the basic fare of that taxi 6,000 yen? I've never used a taxi in Japan, not when there's trains and buses to get you to pretty much anywhere.
Posted in: Welcome Aboard
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the_harper
Hang on - a welcome cat duck?
Posted in: Happy birthday