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
2
tmarie
Saudi is pretty clear on their laws. Don't want to get lashed? Don't break the law. The guy can't afford a lawyer but could afford the plane ticket there?
With his name and his son's name, I'm assuming he's from Saudi decent so not sure why he wasn't really clear on what is okay and not okay.
I don't agree with Saudi laws but if I went (which I never could because I am a female and they wouldn't let me in as a tourist on my own) I'm thinking insulting their religion is not exactly a good idea - not a good anywhere though!
Posted in: Australian sentenced to 500 lashes in Saudi Arabia for blasphemy
18
tmarie
Classic. They want protection from the people who disagree with everything they are doing. If Japan wants to whale, let them whale. In their own damn waters. And stop calling is "science" and just come out with it. I have to wodner if the only reason why they continue to wail is because they're being spoiled children who refuse to listen to what the grown ups have said.
Posted in: Australia refuses to protect Japanese whalers
0
tmarie
Sorry but how does the current pres claim such things? He must have had some sort of a clue if he was right up there with Kikukawa and Woodward. I want jail time for all involved. That is the only way Olympus is going to calm fears.
Posted in: Olympus promises to go after execs involved in covering up losses
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tmarie
Oki, there is no need to bring up other topics like the dole or the child benefits - as I certainly agree with you 100%. I think the highest tax bracket needs to be raised (as I am currently in it and find it laughable). Buy an LV bag and a poor single mom buying diapers should not have the same tax rate.
Posted in: Noda's consumption tax hike plan unpopular, poll shows
0
tmarie
Pawatan, I think you just want to argue. Feel free. You are essentially agreeing with me (testing not being done, don't trust the food) and then arguing about topics we aren't talking about (TPP for example, friends' salaries)...
Everyone is NOT avoiding food from the area - many are lapping it up because they've been told it is "supporting Fukushima". If no one was eating it, it still wouldn't be sold. If not one was eating it, we wouldn't need to worry about testing it, would we? If would be a huge waste of money to test food that people aren't eating. Thing is, people ARE eating it.
Who? Nobody I know. Ignorance is bliss. You're friends with everyone in the country?
Almost nobody, I would imagine. I imagine most of it is rotting. Unless you have proof that this is being bought in any quantity? Do you have proof that most of it is rotting? Plenty of peaches were bought. Why don't you do a search on the internet. Tonnes of food from the area is being produced and sold - like rice which they have just figured out is not safe, after they shipped some and some had been sold. Much like the beef, much like the fish (that currently we are told is "safe").
People are buying and consuming this stuff. You think the people living in Fukushima aren't eating this stuff? Unreal.
Posted in: TEPCO reveals new contaminated water leak at Fukushima plant
3
tmarie
nobody forced her to go to the hotel though...and in many instances, hotel = sex in Japan...unless she obviously a child of course
I am not sure why Mirai got so many thumbs down for this. This is the mentality in Japan. If a girl agrees to go to a hotel with a guy, it pretty much is seen as consent - by both guys and girls. The same for inviting and accepting an apartment invite.
She was underage for the legal age of drinking, which is 21. No, it isn't. The legal age to drink here is 20. You also can't blame HIM for HER drinking. If she went to an izakaya of her own free will and ordered drinks, you can't blame him. Japan doesn't have the same rules as other places about minors drinking - which is why I made the comment that Japan needs to start dealing with its underage drinking. Anyone can get a drink here, anyone can get into a bar. Anyone can rock up to a vending machine and get a beer. This is why this guy may get off on this - she made some really stupid choices and knowing the legal system here, they will use that as evidence that she's not a good girl and probably consented. Is that right? Certainly not but that's the way this works all over the world.
These Japanese seem to be really fascinated with underage girls Not all.
Irrespective of whether this took place in an hotel or in someones home, or that she was snow white or an old slapper drunk or sober No means NO. Indeed no means no but here, agreeing to go to a hotel is pretty much consent.
Why don't we wait until we get all the detail before we burn him at the stake? Sorry but I find it a little suspicious timing with everything that happened with this guy a few weeks ago. It is really, really easy for women to cry foul here and then try and extort money - many, many cases of this with rape and with groping on the train (which is why some guys now hook both arms in the hand loops). I hope this is actually the case rather than this girl having been raped. Japan needs to get serious about this issue - they also need to get serious about sentencing and reporting as well.
Posted in: Olympic judo gold medalist arrested on suspicion of raping teenage girl
1
tmarie
Oldest trick in the book but it can work both ways. The guy sounds very, very slimy but rather questionable circumstances. Certainly not defending him but why on earth would you go back to some guy's hotel room with no intention of sex - and more so when he's a judo guy and can easily do what he wants? This is Japan! I thought it was pretty much agreed that sex is part of a shared hotel stay. Heck, visiting someone's apartment is thought of as a 'yes' in this area. Going to be tricky to prove.
If she was raped, good on her for coming forward. More women here need to do that.
Japan needs to do something about the underaged drinking here. Most of my 18 year old students go out and get trashed on the weekends. No one ever asks for ID. Either lower the drinking age or start fining places that serve minors.
Posted in: Olympic judo gold medalist arrested on suspicion of raping teenage girl
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tmarie
**In fact most of my circle is government employees, and THEY said "I'm not eating that". **
That could very well explain it then. You are dealing with "educated" people who have the money and a vested interest. Others, however, are watching government and TEPCO employees claim things are safe - and are eating foods and drinking water from the area. Funny how your government friends work for a government who is still allowing produce from the area - and now, baby formula is not even safe...
**If it's from a safer area and it's been tested to not be radioactive, what's the deal? Do you think supporting something tested and safe from, say, Iwaki or Aizu is a bad thing, but something from Yamagata is a good thing? If so, that's very odd. ** Do you actually believe that a) things are being tested like they should be and b) actually believe the government when they claim things are safe? I don't touch (or try not to because let's be honest, labeling in this country is pathetic) anything from the area - even things from Saitama are out when I do the shopping. Been trying to buy local as much as possible. I don't trust the government with regards to food safety. You would have to be crazy to. Sadly though, many locals think their government is looking out for them - when we know that hasn't been the case - contaminated beef in Gifu school lunches for example.
But of course the food is highly, highly unlikely to be very safe, and there isn't a reliable testing regime in place, so it's best avoided. Why do you think so many of us here are avoiding food from the area? Have you seen the light?
So in the end, it seems you agree with me - except for the number of people who are blindly buying food from the area. There are many. Who do you think bought the peaches, the fish, the apples, the rice....
Posted in: TEPCO reveals new contaminated water leak at Fukushima plant
3
tmarie
**didn't any of them along the way pick up any moral compass in regards to not just doing what's right for the company but doing what "is the right thing to do." **
Japan's companies tend to lack moral compasses - they tend to rob their customers (NOVA...), disregard safety standards (TEPCO....) and lie and fire when it looks like they won't get their way (Olympus...) Anyone who has worked in Japan is not surprised by anything. Why some of the locals are is beyond me.
Posted in: Olympus top management was 'rotten': 3rd-party panel
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tmarie
http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/zooming-in-on-the-olympus-scandal/ The Yokoo brothers. Interesting read.
The Yokoos sound sketchy and I hope someone, somewhere is looking into them!!
Posted in: Olympus top management was 'rotten': 3rd-party panel
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tmarie
**I don't think so. As I said I have not heard even a single time anyone I know say "Oh, I gotta eat that Fukushima food to support the farmers" but I have heard many, many, many times "No way am I eating that". I somehow doubt your students tell you they must eat food from Fukushima. **
Perhaps you should be speaking to more people then. I have indeed had students tell me we should support Fukushima by buying their produce, using their fireworks, using their wood... Heck, I had some write papers about it. I wonder if you actually speak to locals if you think none of them are buying into the brainwashing. You do know there are families with kids living in the area, right? There have been campaigned all across the country and people are buying into it - I was give Fukushima products myself (with a huge "support Fukushima" sticker) this past summer. A quick search would show you that this IS happening.
I myself spoke to the produce manager at my local store because I was sick and tired of Fukushima produce (and Tohoku produce) only. I get off my butt and make my voice heard - do your friends? If more people did, perhaps some of the issues would be done away with. Until more people are vocal, we'll all just have to question if our food is safe or not.
Posted in: TEPCO reveals new contaminated water leak at Fukushima plant
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tmarie
None of this workers for me. I call discrimination!!
Posted in: Domino Pizza offering unique discounts
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tmarie
So much for people not thinking about themselves. This guy is more worried about his damn job than he is about poising the rest of the country with the fish he catches. Unreal. What is worse is that the government is looking the other way and allowing this man to continue fishing. Sick and pathetic. I don't know about anyone else but I've been still with shrimp from Thailand, salmon from various places and canned tuna. Avoiding anything here that I don't know where it is from.
Posted in: If consumers are misled by harmful rumors, none of us will be able to make a living.
6
tmarie
Kikukawa won't admit he's wrong! He tried to get rid of Woodford to stop this all from coming out. He then tried to blame the issue with Woodword on "cultural" issues. He's a snake and probably thinks he's too big to fall. He is probably thinking that because he quit, that is enough. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he pointed fingers at others. Jail him and start looking into other companies. Foreigners, investors and young Japanese are sick and tired of old Japanese guys thinking they are above the law.
Jail Kikukawa, the other former prez - and take Ozawa while they're at it!
Posted in: Olympus top management was 'rotten': 3rd-party panel
0
tmarie
Pawatan, it isn't just "friends" - it is my students and society on a whole. Who do you think is allowing this stuff to happen? Why do you think top soil and garbage is being shifted around the country? Where do you think the "support Fukushima" crap is from? The people. The government. No one is making this up. You know yourself this is happening. You're either part of the problem or part of the solution. Have yours 'friends" spoken out about it? Have then told store managers they are disgusted with Fukushima food being sold in their stores? If they haven't done anything to stop the issue, they are passively letting it happen.
Posted in: TEPCO reveals new contaminated water leak at Fukushima plant
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tmarie
The UK and Canada and the like do this. I don't think they have an issue with it.
Posted in: Noda's consumption tax hike plan unpopular, poll shows
0
tmarie
Sorry but no, necessity shouldn't be taxed period. Poor people can't afford to pay the taxes on their basic food needs like the rich - hence taxing fast food and junk food, and things like tobacco and alcohol. While I'm at it, tax pachinko.
Posted in: Noda's consumption tax hike plan unpopular, poll shows
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tmarie
It's not shoganai anymore.
Disagree. Until those kids are moved out of the area, the food is not being sold in ANY shops, the fisherman are told to put away their boats, the top soil is not shifted around the country, the garbage from the area in not burned in otherr areas, TEPCO continues to exists and TEPCO and politicians continue to lie, it IS "shoganai" and people are putting their heads in the sand and refusing to look at the issues. That attitude is what is doing Japan in.
Heaven forbid you actually discuss this with a local and well, you'll get called anti-Japan and other pathetic comments will flow from their mouths for the most part. Thank god there are some decent and well informed people who are just as disgusted as the rest of us but sadly they are a minority. If they were a majority we wouldn't be putting up with the crap I wrote above.
Posted in: TEPCO reveals new contaminated water leak at Fukushima plant
5
tmarie
Indeed, that should be a red flag but this is Japan... Ignore, head in sand...
However, the committee is likely to conclude that there is no evidence executives pocketed any illicit funds or shifted money to yakuza crime syndicates, Jiji press reported. So where did all that money go in those offshore accounts?? Poof! Gone! Vanished!! It is in someone's back pocket and they need to find out who and why.
Kikukawa needs to spend some time in jail - personally I would prefer it be in a foreign country where he can learn "our" thinking and ways.
Posted in: Olympus top management was 'rotten': 3rd-party panel
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tmarie
Is about 10 pages too long. Nothing like riding the coattails of your famous (and better looking) sister.
Posted in: Angelica Michibata to bare all in magazine