JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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To be healthy, live in the big city
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Teacher nabbed for using miror to peek up girl's skirt
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Japan's nuclear safety standards flawed, says commission chief
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From carnivores to herbivores: how men are defined in Japan
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Why do Japanese change their attitude when they communicate with foreigners?
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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
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unklesam
Funny, no mention of the most important part of the day... retaking the oath of office !
Seems Obama has already caved into media pressure, who aired his flubbed first attempt at the oath over and over on national television last night. Needless to say I'm worried about this Obama character... his first major public appearance in front of millions is marred by a major bout of the nerves. Unlike Bush, who after the attacks of 9/11 calmly threw out the first pitch for a strike at the WS.
Moderator: The retaking of the oath is in the story.
Posted in: Obama tackles recession, war and ethics on day one
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unklesam
Truly unfortunate that Japantoday has chosen not to include the full script of Obama's inauguration speech... some great stuff in there. For example this line:
"To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."
This sounds like a direct shout out to Japan... Stop blaming the US for your economic mess ! And instead of dsestroying business opportunities with negative ad campaigns about foreign goods or creating new and innovative ways to block access to your markets, try building more opportunities for new business ventures.
Moderator: We posted the entire speech. You'll find it in the World section.
Posted in: Obama sworn in as 44th president; speaks of 'new era of responsibility'
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unklesam
In London ??? What no comments from Tony Blair or Gordon Brown as to why they allowed George Bush to take all the heat for the war on terror, that they both eagerly supported ?
Supposedly...
"A world made weary by war, recession, joblessness and fear shed its collective burden Tuesday to celebrate the arrival of a new American president."
These problems were created by "world leaders" not just one. Poor Obama, he's about to realize how truly great Bush was and how really hypocritical the rest of the world is. he will find himself in the typical "damned if you do damned if you don't" reality of the planet real quick. Lets hope he has the class and dignity that Bush exhibited, refusing to call out his fair weather European cohorts when the road got tough.
Posted in: Worldwide hopes soar with Obama inauguration
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unklesam
I agree, this is getting out of hand. Another serious blow for ethics and morals at Japan Inc... strong arm your employees into buying your products... which, by the way, I imagine employees already do... if the products are worth a damn.
Posted in: Fujitsu asks 100,000 employees to buy its products
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unklesam
WTF di you mean "may" pass GM ??? 77 years in a row and GM is still at #1 ??? All the hullaballoo here at JT and I thouight that Toyota had already passed GM for #1. Too funny. Personally, I can't help but wonder how Toyota will fudge the numbers to pull this off. my understanding is that they pegged their sales at 106 to the dollar... not the current 90 ! Ha-ha-ha !
Posted in: Toyota's global sales down 4%, but may still overtake GM
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unklesam
"Unklesam your opinions run counter to fact. per square inch wow thats really stretching to make a point."
Really ? So why are there so many "neighborhood watch" programs throughout Japan ? Seems to me if I come home at night and the wife says theirs a murderer loose in the neighbourhood, I better lock the door and keep my guard up... but not spudman, he figures the population density will save his arse. Brilliant Spuds, simply brilliant !
Posted in: Murder rate rises in Japan but total number of crimes falls
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unklesam
"Muntadhar al-Zeidi actually feared he would be killed by guards after throwing his shoes and read his last prayers"
What an interesting revelation... seems that President Bush has a helluva lot more admiration and respect in Iraq then many of you care to admit.
Posted in: Iraqi guards throw party for shoe-thrower
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unklesam
What's even a more daunting chance than closing gitmo, is finding nations willing to accept these prisoners. Seems many of Europes biggest whinners want to close the facility but don't want these "innocents" anywhere near their own backyard... the hypocricy is staggering !
Posted in: Closing Gitmo requires tough judgments on inmates
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unklesam
Holyman..."American car companies should focus on learning from the Japanese car companies and vice as verse."
Why ??? GM has been the worlds largest auto manufacturer for 70 years. Ford has dominated it's industry as well. Both companies are in the top 20, as well as Chrysler, according to Forbes mags "worlds top 500 companies" ! Toyota trying to claim the crown of #1 a single time in 70 years hardly indicates a trend. And with the exchange rates beginning to favor American exports... well, it appears Toyota's time at the top is truly nothing more than a nano second at best. I tend to agree with unscrejects, its time for the USA to simply close the markets to Japanese auto makers. The effects to the consumers will be minimal, trust me, the USA will do just fine without Toyota, Nissan, Honda etc. The exchange rate alone will price these companies out of the market... why not send a symbolic message to the Japanese just in case... Stay out !
Posted in: Ford, GM, Chrysler skipping Tokyo auto show
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unklesam
"me I feel safer here than I have in any other country I have lived in."
Ignorance is bliss.
Posted in: Murder rate rises in Japan but total number of crimes falls
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unklesam
Get real folks !
Nigelboy wants to talk tariffs. Um, gee, I wonder why the US might impose tariffs on foreign cars. Could it be that nations like Japan, Korea, et al have enjoyed huge advantages in currency exchange rates ? 130-150 yen to the dollar over the past 15-20 years gave the Asian auto industry a hugely unfair advantage on every car sold. Now... with the US suddenly enjoying a mere 10 yen advantage over it's Asian rivals... well just listen to the complaining coming out of Tokyo ! Seems our Asian friends simply can't compete when the playing field is leveled. This also may explain why American auto makers are boycotting this event in Tokyo... exchange rates have shifted in the US favor, why waste money trying to nudge into a closed market with limited access. International studies have Japans competitive ranking in the 20's, while the US remains #1. These rankings include categories like market access.
WillB,
"Unklesam : you guy really have a problem with Japan !"
What, and you don't ? Unpaid overtime at japanese auto manufacturers, hidden defects, unfair trade practices, blatant pollution of natural waterways, death by overwork etc. The list goes on with Japanese car makers. I'm extremely happy the Americans are bowing out of this event. The Japanese have been deceiving the American public and have maintained unfair trade practices for years. I see no reason to not enjoy the chickens as they come home to rest.
Posted in: Ford, GM, Chrysler skipping Tokyo auto show
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unklesam
The comedy continues.
"overall drop in the crime rate in the country"
Wrong ! The rate of crime has not declined, reporting it has !
"which has long boasted of low crime"
"Boasted"... yes ! Not the reality though, as Ambrosia points out...
"Japan's got one of the lowest rates of autopsy, forensic and medical, in the industrialized world." Spot on ! as many as 20,000 unnatural deaths go unchecked every year.
"The agency said that 1.8 million crimes took place last year"
About 2 million "reported" crimes ? Add 100 suicides a day, thousands of auto accidents a day, and more than 100 earthquakes a day... Japan is "far" from being safe. Per square inch I am willing to bet it ranks in the top 10 most dangerous countries !
"Gun deaths are rare in Japan due to the nation’s strict gun control. The agency did not have annual data,"
Ummm... if the incidence are so rare, why no data ? Something stinks here.
"Most cases of gun violence are gang-related."
Umm (again), isnt that true with all gun violence around the world ?
Sorry to burst any bubbles out there... but Japan is one of the most risky nations to live in on the planet !
Posted in: Murder rate rises in Japan but total number of crimes falls
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unklesam
It's no wonder the Americans have chosen not to participate... there are merely no opportunities to sell foreign cars here... Oh yeah, Volkswagon agrees also. Top management there has stated time and time again that with greater access VW could increase its sales by as much as 30%. Lets hope da Germans bail on the Tokyo motor show also.
Posted in: Ford, GM, Chrysler skipping Tokyo auto show
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unklesam
"Carmakers in Britain and across the world have been hit hard by the global economic downturn."
Thank you OPEC ! $147 a barrel for oil is what triggered this "global economic downturn" Funny how the 12 nation members have gone suddenly quiet while the USA takes the heat for their errors in judgement. I mean get real, sub prime loans made up only 6% of all loans in the states. And the housing market has been alive and well in the US outside of 4 states for a good while now ! The Brits can thank OPEC for the loss of their jobs and the Japanese for not diversifying its business with a variety of nations outside America. Nice to see that GM has yet to cut Jobs in Britain, boy didn't take the Japanese long to cut you all loose now did it. Think about that the next time you purchase an electronic item.
Posted in: Nissan to cut British work force by 1,200
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unklesam
I look for other major auto manufacturers to follow suit. Fact is Japan's markets remain closed to all foreign auto makers anyway... why bother with the expense of showing some of the most popular cars on the planet if the national government fails to provide fair access to the market place ? Seems like a no-brainer, and once again, it's the Japanese consumers that are hurt, unfair business practices only lead to higher prices and poorer quality. This greatly explains how Toyota managed to lose it's "automatic" favorable quality ranking with major news outlets around the world, that and millions of recalls over the past 5 years. The only thing to wait for now is the moaning and whining from the sponsors of this event. Too funny !
Posted in: Ford, GM, Chrysler skipping Tokyo auto show
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unklesam
"In the inaugural Classic in 2006, the U.S. team loaded with All-Stars failed to reach the semifinals"
Yes but so did many other teams that were "loaded" with pro's and all-stars. This is exactly the problem with the WBC tournement. Players with pro contracts have little incentive to go out and risk injury during spring training like conditions. And as long as the format remains this way, the US team will suffer. Its best for team America to send s large group of college kids or minor leaguers... let those players go out and try to showcase their talents, and maybe get noticed enough to land an MLB contract. Thats exactly what the succesful teams at the first WBC did. Just check the rosters of Japan, Cuba, Korea... the teams that went all out were obviously doing so for pro contracts ! No mystery here.
"Japan beat Cuba for the title."
Japan also lost to the USA and Korea ... twice ! Lets hope the organizers of this event re-tool the format to single elimination. Japan should have been sent home early.
Posted in: America announces WBC interest list
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unklesam
RJDjr states...
"Toyota says it pays about $30 per hour."
Really ??? Do the math, as we know the average Japanese worker at Toyota works 12-14 hours a day. At such a rate he should make about $360-$420 bucks a day, or $2,000 plus a week, or $8,000 a month ! Yep, better than $100K a year !!! Orrrr... as many of us have clearly stated, Toyota Japan requires it's workers to work for "FREE" ! There-in lies the problem !
Posted in: U.S. auto bailout deal collapses over union wages
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unklesam
I agree, Japan never recovered from the bursting of the economic bubble of the late 80's. If Japan had only held it's tongue back then and co-operated with the US more... well, they would have never experienced such a drastic downturn. Indstead though, they ran their mouths, tried to tell the US how to run its economy, then started making risky purchases of high valued American property... yeh,. like we didn't see that meltdown coming. In any case Japan is literally doomed. The US has the ability to adapt and adjust... Americans don't sell "just" cars and electronics. The US is much more diversified and has a stronger domestic selling program. The US will bounce back very nicely ! Lower fuel prices will all but guarantee the domestic distribution system will be un affected in the long term... and that will fuel consumption once again. Too bad for Japan though... I sense some anti-Japanese rhetoric starting to gather wind as the big three try to protect their territory from parasitic foreign auto makers like Japan. The first volley has been fired out of South Carolina... and yes, I'll be fanning the flames there with data and facts to back O.C. Welch's claim that Toyota is partly to blame for the economic mess. Should be fun !
Posted in: Japan's recession worse than thought
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unklesam
"prejudice rising against U.S. Muslims"
Maybe they should try Australia ! I'm sure they would be welcome "down under" !
Posted in: Report finds prejudice rising against U.S. Muslims
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unklesam
"A promotional event" ? Seems to me that one of the products has been "whited out" ! What exactly is Ishida holding... the "white chocolate" box ?
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