tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74206062011-11-13T00:29:09.493+09:00There ain't no samurai, there are few geisha, Japanese are not the most polite people in the world. In practice, there is no special love or care for nature, nor is Japan uniquely unique. Sorry, but the sugar-coated fantasyland-Japan of Edwin O. Reischauer et al does not exist--if it ever did.Dnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-6801203320215670362011-01-30T18:04:00.003+09:002011-01-30T18:16:18.158+09:00

"Not changed at all." Mother's way; Daughters' choice

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-68916161566003254332011-01-16T15:58:00.008+09:002011-01-16T19:39:50.140+09:00

Speaking of Mama Grizzlies, I was once again puzzled by the goings on in the US. After a person who might be called a loony-bird by less politically correct, cruder folk went on a shooting spree in Tucson, the early consensus among media types and some on the far left seemed to be that Sarah Palin was somehow to blame. Apparently, her map with crosshairs targeting certain seats for takeover by

Dnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-78303543475276257272011-01-16T13:38:00.005+09:002011-01-16T19:26:41.477+09:00

I knew things were looking up this year. First, The-Woman-Who-Watches-YouTube-All-Day-in-Her-Room-When-She-is-Not-Working-or-Playing-Tennis, came out long enough to inform me that her mother who is in the hospital with an aortic dissection is doing well and won't need surgery. A miracle, I'd say.Then Friday evening I had dinner with the Oz Lady who informed me that her cancer scare turned out to

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-67542835136381810842011-01-13T22:40:00.005+09:002011-01-13T22:50:15.088+09:00

Striking a conciliatory tone on an issue that has divided Japan and the United States, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on Thursday that the Obama administration would follow Tokyo’s lead in working to relocate an American air base on Okinawa. NYTSo what the hell was all the fuss about last year?Thank you, China and North Korea.Oh, wait a second--- "follow Tokyo's lead" could

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-88273028561915255342011-01-09T20:05:00.005+09:002011-01-11T12:18:59.350+09:00

Apparently the conflict between joggers and pedestrians around the Imperial Palace is on again, according to NHK news. It has become so severe that the Chiyoda-ku government has decided to call a panel in March consisting of joggers and other residents to come up suggestions for rules for joggers. The government will then decide which of these suggested rules they will enact. Should take less

Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-4551996907956508482011-01-08T12:36:00.013+09:002011-01-08T15:43:42.336+09:00

After a Christmas and New Year break, it's not pleasant to have to return to reality. Assuming there is such a thing as reality in this Japan as opposed to the one of myth.Debito Arudou wrote Arudou's Alien Almanac in the Japan Times which, to me, indicates how the atmosphere for non-Japanese has improved since the early-mid 2000s. Ishihara (I understand from other sources that people should

Dnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-6971909910302009372010-12-30T13:50:00.014+09:002011-01-17T23:35:36.687+09:00

Imagine a country where everyone is good at his or her job. Imagine a country where everyone has respect for elders and teachers. Imagine a country where every shop clerk treats each customer like an honored guest. Imagine a country where everyone wears expensive clothing, the food is slurpy, and there aren't any napkins because apparently nobody needs them. Imagine a country where everyone has

Dnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-71245394282840100312010-12-26T18:12:00.002+09:002010-12-26T18:17:07.348+09:00

Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-70463166020739563802010-12-26T09:14:00.007+09:002010-12-26T09:40:15.978+09:00

Having pretty much given up on being able to do anything but embarrass himself, Kan has reached out to the Shintaro Ishihara's hard right party, tachiagare nippon ("Stand Up" or "Rise Up" Japan, intentionally mistranslated as The Sunrise Party in English*), in hopes of finding friends. Not that the DPJ doesn’t have a few of that flavor already, as some of its members signed the Washington

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-26972175841947465002010-12-13T09:39:00.017+09:002010-12-13T10:27:06.222+09:00

PM Kan has been reported to suggest that the SDF would go to Korea in case of war. This has been judged to be unrealistic by some in the ROK. It certainly might cause problems for an untested force that has never participated* in exercises with the US/Korea forces (not ground combat anyway), and with no known (at least not widely known) planning for such actions with South Korea or the US. Then

Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-60314335360014429202010-12-12T21:54:00.009+09:002010-12-12T22:15:10.213+09:00

....Singapore's Ambassador Tommy Koh called Japan "the big fat loser" and "stupidity, bad leadership and lack of vision" for Japan's position in Asian region. OneIndia.in (Reporting on Wikileaks) South Korea has dismissed as ``unrealistic’’ Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s comment on sending troops to the Korean Peninsula if a war breaks out. Speaking to the families of Japanese citizens

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-49297081551826173362010-11-25T22:46:00.005+09:002010-11-25T23:01:59.610+09:00

A very short history of the DPRK and some possible rational why the unpredictable country that seems strangely predictable is behaving so irrationally is online at PBS. Some parts may be quibble worthy* (was Kim Il-sung really an anti-Japanese guerrilla or could that be part or all myth?), but it might give some insight:North Koreans have long felt threatened by American nuclear weapons, and

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-34813965745580519512010-11-25T13:55:00.007+09:002010-11-25T14:57:44.361+09:00

Although it is tough to pull away from the antics of the unpredictable DPRK which for some reason seems to be generally predictable, one can entertain oneself with some good TV. Failing that, one can find PM Kan's TV online. This will help folks try to figure out just what the government is doing since it isn't exactly obvious otherwise. It is available in English and in Japanese. (Unfortunately,

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-27251773783290867662010-11-23T17:26:00.019+09:002010-11-23T20:21:40.615+09:00

A bit of a buzz on Twitter as the DPRK has shelled Yeonpyeong island off northwest South Korea. According to a report on MSN Japan (in Japanese), ROK's president believes the shelling may be in response to an exercise the ROK military was holding. The ROK has reportedly returned fire. One South Korean soldier was killed, but I would be surprised if there were not more fatalities after seeing

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-22427443100839147832010-11-22T22:58:00.013+09:002010-11-23T08:55:15.508+09:00

The Washington Note has a good article on Johnson: ....Johnson for his seminal work on Japanese political economy, MITI and the Japanese Miracle was dubbed by Newsweek's Robert Neff as "godfather of the revisionists" on Japan. Neff also tagged Clyde Prestowitz, James Fallows, Karel van Wolferen and others like R. Taggart Murphy and Pat Choate as the leaders of a new movement that argued that

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-31077673905306399152010-11-21T17:20:00.006+09:002010-11-22T22:56:05.216+09:00

author of MITI and the Japanese Miracle, Japan scholar, and so-called Japan revisionist has died at 79 years of age. James Fallows has a short obituary at The Atlantic.22 Nov: Article on Johnson at Washington Note.

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-19517653122233522822010-11-19T19:29:00.003+09:002010-11-19T19:41:26.433+09:00

Not Japan related directly, unless you consider the damage done to the Japanese (and world's) economy a direct result of the 2008 financial crisis*, but PBS has a short segment on the role of US ratings agencies---Moody's etc---in the crisis. They also discuss the responsibility of the US government, both political parties, and Wall Street. Lesson learned until the next bubble.*Probably a good

Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-72811613381886517482010-11-19T16:43:00.003+09:002010-11-19T16:54:43.117+09:00

to a few comments on my post below, but I have finally made poorly written replies full of grammatical and spelling errors. Blogger does not allow long comments, nor does it allow any editing or correcting after posting, so they are a bit of a mess. Hopefully they are understandable.

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-63652700642549248272010-11-16T12:36:00.014+09:002010-11-16T14:01:31.597+09:00

Ahhhh. Finally something like autumn has arrived. No frost on the pumpkin, but except for Sunday night when I was hunting mosquitoes in the mansion, it has cooled enough and enough leaves have turned to make it seem like October back home. Luckily for me, autumn brings learning opportunities and I needn't go to school to experience them. Why just yesterday a fellow as telling me about how

Dnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-42175783854235345482010-11-14T20:36:00.010+09:002010-11-15T00:12:00.933+09:00

During and after the G-20 this week, much of the media has attributed the US inability to get its way on every issue as a sign of the decline of the US. Naturally, one has to view this sort of quickie analysis with a skeptical eye.Last July, Joseph Nye made a presentation at TED discussing global power shifts in two aspects: the shifting power of states from west to east (i.e. US-China), and what

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-55851812607056078522010-11-10T20:54:00.025+09:002010-11-11T01:03:56.549+09:00

After being hunted for the better part of a week, the culprit who leaked the videos of the Chinese fishing vessel/Japanese Coast Guard collision to YouTube has confessed. The government is now able to breathe a sigh of relief that the person who made it look like the country was being run by the Three Stooges will possibly suffer the consequences of violating relevant laws and regulations.There

Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-80171374551479219992010-11-05T13:54:00.005+09:002010-11-05T14:05:03.685+09:00

Another Youtube Senkaku collision video source (six part) in addition to previous post:1/62/63/64/65/6 (Collision here)6/6

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-65681619178572587392010-11-05T11:58:00.008+09:002010-11-05T19:36:40.352+09:00

From Japanese patrol point of view. Collision at about 1:20:More distant view from second ship:Hmmm...who is fibbing? Not hard to tell from those videos.More at Japan ProbeA word of warning: It has been reported that the government did not want these videos released as they might cast doubt on China's version of the incident, thereby making China look bad and causing a pissy fit. Thus it is

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-34787144140710143172010-11-01T14:41:00.011+09:002010-11-14T21:16:10.346+09:00

Since the sub-prime crisis began in 2008, we've seen story after story on the supposed lessons Japan holds for the US.Most of these seem to be of use to those who want to push their own political/economic agenda at home using Japan as evidence to support their opinions. On his NYT blog recently, Paul Krugman used Japan as an example of why Friedman's monetarism does not work. However he has not,

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-38597899563625098892010-11-01T12:55:00.010+09:002010-11-25T23:07:02.314+09:00

I dropped by the Denenchofu Maison Kayser bread shop at noon to pick up some expensive pizza for lunch. Until recently, most shops in Denenchofu have not seemed to be very enthusiastic about actually attracting customers---I have heard unproven rumors that some may have been set up for tax purposes---but MK has always seemed to be interested in doing business. Perhaps they let their prices

Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-7754410817148769892010-11-01T06:30:00.000+09:002010-11-01T06:30:00.291+09:00

OK. I sorta stole the title from another Japan blogger, but I figured that she would miss posting about this because, well, because she is a she.Ever bought men's underwear at Uniqlo? Why not, right? It's cheap and of decent quality. Why go to Ito Yokado and pay more for something not as good and only available in the color and style which are guaranteed to make birth control and/or Viagra

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-18567594910404319452010-10-31T16:29:00.009+09:002010-10-31T17:55:32.147+09:00

Ever looked at some of the photography which is popular in Japan and wondered why? Not just because like lots of art you have to be steeped in a gazillion years of art history, and art, and have much experience using such terminology as "texture" and tonality and such to explain something that you really don't get, but because it is really outside what you observe or practice yourself. (In other

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-20302920511006280382010-10-30T13:21:00.016+09:002010-10-31T13:53:34.501+09:00

Most folks around these parts go out of their way to avoid trouble, such as some idiot hanging around in back alleys in the rain taking pictures.Others do not hesitate to look for it. For them, the NYT and Martin Fackler have published the second in the series on Japan (or is it the US?) and the "Great Deflation." Today, the never before discussed well-worn theoretical possibility of the US

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-612155996056498682010-10-29T15:31:00.019+09:002010-10-30T00:30:41.797+09:00

Today's yen rate: ¥80.57/$1Investors, having purchased enough pesos but having spare change left over bought a few yen as an afterthought.*A few days ago, I was in a discussion with 3 fellows--2 in their 20s and myself and another guy in our 40s discussing the economy. The young fellows had a relatively poor view of the future of Japan, especially concerning the competition from China. I and the

Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-87596981901421082482010-10-28T21:44:00.024+09:002010-10-28T23:26:26.016+09:00

A few weeks ago (Oct 16), the increasingly irrelevant and soon-to-be-an-afterthought like the rest of the dead-tree press New York Times published yet another controversial Japan article by the unflappable Martin Fackler.On first read, without even looking into the data Fackler and the Times provided, it smelt of overkill and predictably included required specialized Japan story jargon such as "

Dnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-76663428366317070762010-10-27T11:23:00.010+09:002010-10-27T13:05:11.067+09:00

About 2 months ago, an elderly lady moved in with her family about two houses down from me. I knew something was different about her, because I always see her on the street in front of her house, greeting everyone who passes by. She always has a good morning, a good afternoon, or a good evening for me and sometimes gives me friendly advice, such as "Be careful walking by the intersection, it's

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-80844396294546813022010-10-24T17:15:00.005+09:002010-10-24T17:22:57.890+09:00

Window cleaning, Jiyugaoka. Gotta say that this year there is no doubt that fall has really arrived. Now if only tree leaves changed colors before late November/early December...

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-11135899367774278272010-10-23T21:38:00.009+09:002010-10-29T08:41:22.184+09:00

Ahhh. Saturday night. A full moon. Cool, fall weather (only available in Japan). The OWWISAM (The One with Whom I Share a Mansion) in her room watching YouTube continuing a nearly 4-month war of silence. And me, having not had the sense to accept an invitation to take a trip to an onsen in Abiko, now sitting around reading the news on the Internet. Who ever said life in Tokyo was not exotic?While

Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-32698924399338702672010-10-18T21:13:00.008+09:002010-10-18T23:13:08.366+09:00

Being unable to locate any foreigners in Japan, the government will:...pay travel allowances to about 100 native English, Chinese and Korean speakers to visit key cities and come up with ideas on how to make it easier for travelers to use public transport, stay at local hotels and eat at local restaurants, said an official at the Japan Tourism Agency. ReutersFar be it from me to accuse

Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-2279487367670019942010-10-18T01:01:00.002+09:002010-10-18T01:03:58.754+09:00

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-8107680801369550342010-10-15T13:55:00.013+09:002010-10-15T22:02:20.031+09:00

from conversations this week:"I'm worried that foreigners will think Japan was wrong (on Senkaku) because we gave in to China.""I think Ozawa, Hatoyama, and Kan are terrible. They gave in to China. We need to show the world Japan's 'will.'" (Discussing Senkaku)."If China had done that to the US, I think there would have been a war." (Senkaku dispute.)"I think there should be mandatory military

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-82711634170331405322010-10-09T12:29:00.012+09:002010-10-09T14:41:14.763+09:00

There's a perfectly innocent explanation.Imagine, if you will, that the following was written about Tokyo instead of New York:Almost invariably, after I have hustled aboard early and occupied one half of a vacant double seat in the usually crowded quiet car, the empty place next to me will remain empty for the entire trip......I can rule out excessive body odor or bad breath; a hateful,

Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-48673310645277008082010-10-07T12:15:00.022+09:002010-10-07T21:38:30.290+09:00

At least that is what I gather from reading this fine, well-written, and thoroughly researched piece from a professional paid journalist for the Globe and Mail (Canada).*Somehow, I had missed the significance of the rise of the extreme right in Japan. I have even missed the rise itself, thinking it no more than the usual rightists and fellow travelers rattling off their poison. I never noticed

Dnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-61708417464530560832010-10-01T13:04:00.014+09:002010-10-01T19:03:38.178+09:00

I have always like Fridays. I usually only have to work at things I enjoy. I can look forward to a either an Yebisu black or an Asahi "The Master" Pilsner* for lunch. Even Precce, the world's most overpriced, never-stock-a-new-item supermarket, has some early weekend food out. And the little old lady who seems to stand out in the street in front of her house every day, all day, very pleasantly

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-45505312089950033652010-09-30T11:53:00.009+09:002011-01-16T14:21:07.623+09:00

I made a mistake.No, I didn't make a mistake when I went out for an early lunch by expecting people who were walking down the sidewalk-less street not to try to force me to into traffic because they didn't want to give me any room. I ain't that dumb.No, it wasn't a mistake I made a few days ago by not responding to the fellow who informed me that "Japanese don't like to make mistakes. It's both a

Dnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-90955068310060375832010-09-25T20:04:00.006+09:002010-09-25T20:36:34.667+09:00

Apparently having no life, and having run clean out of Torikai shochu, I have spent too much of a cool, clear, harvest-moon evening reading comments on English language news reports concerning the Senkaku dispute. One theme which I have noticed is the number of folks who doubt Japan's version of the collision of Coast Guard and the Chinese fishing vessel because they claim Japan cannot be

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-53183265878482711872010-09-25T14:53:00.013+09:002010-09-25T23:00:32.353+09:00

While we wait to see just how the release of the Chinese captain in the Senkaku dispute plays out in domestic politics, it interesting to read the readers' comments* on US news reports on the subject. I have noticed this pattern since the problem began---lots of folks with your typical American name like "Johnson" from Nebraska who show an unusual grasp of the history---generally backing China's

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-51354325959660630002010-09-24T21:04:00.015+09:002010-09-25T20:54:53.731+09:00

My Yes Man, Males Escorts, and the English Conversation Club.I still get 10-15 or more visits to that post every single day, 3 years after I wrote it as more or less a joke. I am sorry.I am sorry to say that guys hoping to come to Japan and make a million yen being a male escort/English conversation host might just make a million yen should such a job exist. Of course, you will starve on a

Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-26736928890912680082010-09-24T16:02:00.012+09:002010-09-25T08:53:16.464+09:00

Via Twitter Hiroko Tabuchi of NYT. Never say no to Panda. This (release of the ship captain involved in the Senkaku dispute) does not look good domestically for the government....Or for anyone else, I would guess without knowing any better.Replaced after the original went private. Censorship always fails, you know....

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-72492693186537328842010-09-24T15:12:00.001+09:002010-09-24T15:14:23.997+09:00

that Japan has released the captain of the Chinese boat involved in the Senkaku dispute. Ohh, this does not look good for domestic politics, I fear.

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-75762216040171369852010-09-24T07:32:00.004+09:002010-09-24T15:26:15.846+09:00

And Obama has called the US-Japan alliance "a cornerstone of world peace and security." Perhaps it means a bit more than Blinky's pout in the Senkaku dispute---the non-existent dispute which just may exist after all.

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-66667979020551887622010-09-24T06:00:00.001+09:002010-09-24T07:14:16.630+09:00

China has gone too far. It may take a month of research and a specialist's knowledge* of The Law of the Sea to determine who is correct in the-territorial-dispute-which-does-not-exist-except-that-it-does** concerning the Senkaku Islands and to figure out why China has decided to escalate the incident to the (increasingly risky) level that it has, but men-of-more-words-than-action like our hero

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-53900094483654468522010-09-23T14:05:00.010+09:002010-10-30T15:17:11.373+09:00

Yes, 茶党, not 茶道*。And here I thought the Tea Party and the Birthers were some sort of "Only in America" thing. But on the day of PM Kan's victory over Ozawa, I was chatting with my old friend and ex-tutor whom I shall refer to as the Oz Lady as that fits both her name and her interesting ideas.Claiming to speak no English--which, of course is not exactly true but very close in her case---she only

Dnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-24258123707274721832010-09-17T22:12:00.008+09:002010-09-17T22:53:33.419+09:00

A group of six American former POWs ended their official visit to Japan today. Earlier this week, soon to be ex-Foreign Minister Okada* apologized to the men for the treatment they had received as POWs. The treatment included being forced into slave labor for certain Japanese companies and enduring beatings at the hands of people at the said companies, which the POWs said were worse than what

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-15255074904473061702010-09-13T18:41:00.015+09:002010-09-13T19:57:05.582+09:00

It seems that the esteemed Washington Post published an idiotorial on the DPJ contest on Saturday. We don't know who wrote the piece, but I suspect that person may actually be a Ozawa mole sent to the Post in order to prove Ozawa's statement that Americans are "simple-minded." (WTF do we keep talking about monocellular? Is this the equivalent of goofily literal "Honorable teacup" type translating

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-80869273663911067592010-09-12T12:52:00.030+09:002010-09-17T22:48:33.991+09:00

This morning I decided to get out of my environmentally friendly mansion (I learned we folk in Japan have these by reading the comments on Paul Krugman's recent NYT op-ed) on a cool crisp late summer day expected to only reach 34 centigrade.As I tried to enter the gate at upscale Denenchofu station, a lady exited by aiming right for the gate I was nearing even though we were the only two people

Dnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-52123106252680952242010-09-11T12:00:00.000+09:002010-09-11T12:00:00.662+09:00

Nearly every time I check this blog I find posts that I wonder if I have somehow written. It's full of observations about Tokyo things that I thought only I noticed. Perhaps I am not entirely crazy after all. Or perhaps I am not the only one who is.Tokyo rain etiquette. In addition to her comments, I enjoy the way that folks will stop in front of any exit---subway, shop---and block everyone else

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-8884228583970397252010-09-10T22:53:00.010+09:002010-09-12T08:51:34.044+09:00

Krugman flew in a few days ago and has been blogging on his NYT blog about Japan. A day or so ago, he wrote that the biggest single reason for the decline in Japan's GDP is the aging of working-age population. He now has a NYT op-ed Things Could Be Worse.* Like their Japanese counterparts, American policy makers initially responded to a burst bubble and a financial crisis with half-measures.I

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-35679413149370995332010-09-10T13:56:00.005+09:002010-09-10T23:28:21.695+09:00

Kinda. Designed for those studying "business English" (what is that?), this from the Japanese language WSJ can be used to study/improve Japanese too. Especially things like "shied away from" (に)尻込みした which would keep one from translating it as meaning ass packed in the same way that 単細胞 (tansaibou) simple-minded has been translated as meaning monocellular organism.Blogger spell check does not

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-26369738314274323802010-09-10T09:55:00.004+09:002010-09-10T10:18:31.881+09:00

Maybe Ozawa challenging Kan ain't so bad after all. I have heard and read some discussion about the debates between Kan and Ozawa being a rare opportunity in Japan. They have certainly been of a different tenor than the arguments heard from the LDP as of late. If one can hear any arguments from the LDP.Ozawa, who rightly or wrongly has gotten a lot of criticism for being selfish (not only from

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-1427487265876218212010-09-03T13:34:00.012+09:002010-09-05T10:02:41.998+09:00

The Pink Paper pretty much nailed the feeling, if not the reality, of what Gerald Curtis called a creative destruction era of Japanese politics (I do wonder though, what is creative about it?) and the revolving-door prime ministership:The situation is so dire that Japan – still one of the most prosperous and technologically advanced economies in the world – is now routinely underestimated... .

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-48684648271568960482010-09-03T08:36:00.007+09:002010-09-03T13:50:45.913+09:00

Mr. Ozawa, in yesterday’s press conference about Okinawa and the U.S., you said that people could impart wisdom so that both the Americans and the Okinawans would be convinced,”... ...If there is such a piece of wisdom, please educate me." Japan Real Timewho, it turns out, had none to offer except "some kind of" wisdom "for every body to be satisfied."Oooohhhhh. Ahhhhhhh. Now that's wisdom.

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-62776449097251148632010-09-01T18:47:00.006+09:002010-09-05T17:48:48.785+09:00

Ahhh. September has arrived. Soon we will be enjoying autumn with its cool, crisp nights (in Tokyo? Are you insane?) and mild, warm days. The less sensitive were unable to discern the beginning of the change in seasons today, 'cause after the hottest August since 1946, it was just another 34+ degree day in Tokyo.Unlike me, some have sense enough to avoid the sun.

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-42152907853169533542010-09-01T16:40:00.012+09:002010-09-01T17:08:54.158+09:00

First read this post:News of the Weird phenomenon is when we easily dismiss bizarre incidents from our own society, because we know they originated in a minor subculture, were committed by people with some kind of problem, were done by a marginalized group such as “rednecks” or criminals or fringe political elements, etc. However, we don’t have the same insider knowledge about “weird news” from

Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-89794927037928444092010-08-30T22:32:00.005+09:002010-08-30T22:57:02.757+09:00

“There seems to be a sense of fatalism. The B.O.J. continues to play the same old game of making incremental, but ultimately meaningless, policy changes in response to political pressure,” said Richard Jerram, economist for Japan at the global investment bank, Macquarie. “The government talks of the need for fiscal reconstruction, but then tries to construct an economic stimulus package

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-40005229871224715832010-08-29T21:56:00.007+09:002010-08-31T20:28:36.067+09:00

Somewhere I read that Ozawa just might have decided to run against Kan because Kan had damaged the party with his curious idea to suggest a doubling of the consumption tax which cost the DPJ the July election. A possibility, but one which would not explain why Ozawa would risk doing even more damage to the party.There's a more interesting explanation of Kan (and Hatoyama's) possible motives at

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-57620211042898362362010-08-27T18:16:00.008+09:002010-08-27T18:34:08.317+09:00

final words in English, here. Satoshi Kon, the anime directer who died at 46 of pancreatic cancer yesterday. Quite poignant for lack of a better word...well worth the read.18:33: OK, a somewhat better word---unforgettable.

Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-3272103171857509192010-08-27T18:00:00.003+09:002010-08-27T18:07:00.614+09:00

When I first saw this on suddenly addictive Twitter by a Japanese reporter, I thought that it was a joke, but I guess not:The Sept. 14 election, the DPJ's first major presidential race since 2002, will be open not only to Diet lawmakers but also to regional assembly members and the estimated 350,000 registered party members across the nation.DPJ regulations allow anyone who is 18 or older to

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-25919512115612983232010-08-27T13:42:00.018+09:002010-08-27T15:18:28.160+09:00

Really. I've given up.* The One-with-Whom-I-Share-a-Mansion, a woman with a US university degree who has spent the last 15 years dealing with derivatives in a large US firm that was bailed out by US taxpayers, has basically agreed with Ozawa on one thing---Americans are simple-minded. She is specifically referring to the understanding of Japanese politics. And most specifically, to me.Not that

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-27308869848449684002010-08-26T11:52:00.015+09:002010-08-26T15:09:47.478+09:00

NHK just reported that Ozawa will run against PM Kan for the head of the DPJ. The good news never ends.12:10: Tell me it ain't so, Yukio. (in Japanese)2PM: I must be the last to learn everything, even the NYT has the Ozawa story, the Japan Times recently added a report that included Loopy's involvment, and Some Fellow up in Abiko knew about it 5 hours ago. Need to pay more attention to Twitter.2:

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-10159079255602572062010-08-23T22:19:00.012+09:002010-08-27T15:28:59.521+09:00

The ex-Yakuza fellow turned Buddhist-with-a-U.S.-liver, and main subject of the book, Tokyo Vice, has written his own book. Tokyo Subculture has just posted an interview of the kindly old man. As is not unusual for the possibly right-leaning (certainly not left) fellows of his type, he is also somewhat concerned with the lack of patriotism and national pride among Japan's young.I was pleased to

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-37566827310967741102010-08-21T21:15:00.005+09:002010-08-21T21:32:19.951+09:00

I think anyone who is interested in Japan would be interested in following the posts at the National Bureau of Asian Research' NBR Forums. It is a moderated forum with many well-known participants of various nationalities. Over the last week or so, Hiroshima has been a major topic (temporarily) displacing the still unbelievable Futenma mess.It ain't your normal Japan forum about how to increase

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-48002651837242554632010-08-21T06:30:00.006+09:002010-08-25T18:18:48.955+09:00

Back about 20 years ago (good lord I must be getting old, but no problem as I am still a spring chicken in Japan) James Fallows wrote in one of his books something along the lines of "Every white person in the US should spend some time in Japan to learn what it is like to be discriminated against."The esteemed Dr. Laura, who is very familiar with the need for a sense of humor since someone with

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-29351379733373719952010-08-20T21:45:00.007+09:002010-08-20T21:56:39.527+09:00

The notion that the U.S. recession will turn us into Japan emerged immediately after the September 2008 bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, and has proved to be one stubborn meme. You might think that the actual growth of the U.S. economy over the last four quarters would dampen the Japan talk, but you would be wrong*.......These days, how you use the Japan argument is really a proxy for what you

Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-87091536048637861452010-08-20T06:56:00.008+09:002010-08-20T15:36:29.527+09:00

Ian Buruma's recent Yomiuri op-ed, Japan's Unfinished Reformation, about how the Obama administration "has barely concealed its contempt for the DPJ" is now on line.Revolutions, it is often claimed, do not happen when people are desperate. They occur in times of rising expectations. Perhaps this is why they so often end in disappointment. Expectations, usually set too high to begin with, fail

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-32820942193999765312010-08-18T17:32:00.011+09:002010-08-18T18:07:26.551+09:00

It was so hot today that I actually canceled even a one-hour cycling workout along the Tamagawa in spite of having the time. Naturally, canceling a ride or any type of workout for any reason is cause for near depression, fears of gaining 5-15 pounds, and losing months of physical conditioning by the next morning. In such an emergency, I often find myself wondering what Tyler Brule would do.

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-70324627007789248302010-08-14T21:28:00.005+09:002010-08-20T17:12:32.479+09:00

Japan has bowed to global pressure to end the parental abductions of children from broken international marriages, a report said Saturday......Tokyo has decided to ratify the treaty, the Kyodo news agency said, but will not sign up immediately as it needs time to bring its domestic laws in line with those of other signatory nations. Times of India Dead Link. Try the Japan Times

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-48698684795030477482010-08-12T15:08:00.016+09:002010-08-12T15:56:46.485+09:00

...On the recent decision of Prime Minister Naoto Kan and all of his Cabinet members not to visit the shrine out of consideration for Asian victims of Japan's past militarism, Tanigaki said, "Each party has its own view." Japan TimesLDP chief Tanigaki will, of course, visit.PM Kan's recent apology to South Korea for its colonial rule of the country further inflamed some of the right wing of

Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-3171006410075347262010-08-12T00:09:00.002+09:002010-08-12T00:12:58.919+09:00

Sorry I am late in posting comments. Blogger does not notify me by email that comments are awaiting approval for some reason unless I check this blog directly. Since it's Obon and I am off, I haven't been checking frequently.

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-90100591544825399662010-08-07T09:52:00.020+09:002010-08-07T13:49:33.385+09:00

Yesterday, US Ambassador Roos attended the Peace Ceremony in Hiroshima, reportedly to further Obama’s future vision of eliminating nuclear weapons*. Roos’ appearance was not enough for many, something understandable for those (civilians) who were affected by the bomb. Some other folks may have been disappointed that the country which for no good reason repeatedly attacked Japan while it was

Dnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-1930196897796735842010-08-04T17:39:00.004+09:002010-08-04T19:09:00.183+09:00

Westerners tend to link Japan's workaholic society today to "typically Japanese" traits such as deference to authority and respect for hierarchy, but Kawahito believes this is not the root cause of the problem. "Japan's current work system is not part of traditional Japanese culture, but a modern phenomenon which developed in order to catch up with Europe and the U.S.," he said. Dying to

Dnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-58182663290437849032010-07-29T12:09:00.013+09:002010-07-30T11:56:51.909+09:00

Just saw on NHK news that Ambassador Roos will visit Hiroshima on August 6 to commemorate "all the victims of WW2." The Japan Times reports it here, without reporting Roos' "all victims" statement.One older lady, questioned during the obligatory "man-on-the-street-interview" said "It's a little late isn't it, for the American Ambassador to come?"In anticipation of the soon to be in full swing

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-85993855210076518522010-07-29T10:00:00.009+09:002010-07-30T11:59:23.448+09:00

"I'd like a chance t' shoot at a educated man once in my life." Augustus McCrae. Retired Texas Ranger.*I wouldn't call myself an educated man. Daydreamed through the 8th-11th grades. Finished university after the USAF on one of the versions of the G.I. Bill. Even had to spend the first year or so at a community college. Still, I thought I knew a few things until September of 2008 when I learned

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-46004231963081379312010-07-25T23:25:00.004+09:002010-07-25T23:40:30.393+09:00

The country is probably at yet another crossroads.Sometimes Japan seems to be on the wrong continent. Everywhere else in Asia, from Shanghai to Mumbai to Jakarta, there is an aura of perpetual motion, a sense that tomorrow will be better than today. The region is on a frenetic 365-day-a-year hurtle into a brighter future. Japan once shared Asia's dynamism and mission. But not anymore. Today,

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-335324981206018462010-07-24T17:18:00.010+09:002010-07-25T19:06:14.502+09:00

It has been a tough week. I am not talking about the wonderful experience of riding sardine cans full of people. That might even be fun sometimes if some sweet young thing would snuggle up agin' me, but I always get middle-aged or older salarymen who seem to lose any fear of foreigners when it comes to getting within smooching distance.I am not talking about trying to walk down a sidewalk without

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-60018000427776468982010-07-15T19:35:00.013+09:002010-07-15T23:15:44.935+09:00

Richard Katz of The Oriental Economist, and Naomi Fink of UFJ Bank were asked to write five sentences in answer to two questions concerning Japan's national debt and its assets and and they responded with one of the most informative dialogs I have read on these topics. You can read this over at Shisaku, should anyone not have already done so.One particularly interesting fact in the post---only

Dnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-8052243086013692312010-07-14T15:06:00.013+09:002010-07-15T23:37:38.756+09:00

I don't think these guys (Congressman Barney Frank et al) are allowed to write this sort of thing:Immediately after World War II, with much of the world devastated and the Soviet Union becoming increasingly aggressive, America took on the responsibility of protecting virtually every country that asked for it. Sixty-five years later, we continue to play that role long after there is any

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-14370666334020061822010-07-11T20:34:00.006+09:002010-07-11T21:26:14.129+09:00

Oh, there is an (upper house) election today. That's what all those signs are about, and for those unfortunate enough to live near a station, what all the screaming through loudspeakers by candidates was about.The early results from NHK (very early, most based on exit polls IF I am not mistaken) is interesting only because of the performance of the new Your Party which is a strong number four (

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-64823777472890800942010-07-10T08:26:00.007+09:002010-07-10T08:37:16.507+09:00

The most succinct, accurate analysis of Japan politics I've seen in a while. Quoted from a Martin Fackler article in the NYT, of all things.“Something ended when the L.D.P. lost,” said Koji Kubota, 74, a retired post office worker who listened on a recent afternoon to a candidate’s stump speech, “but no one is sure what comes next.”Gerald Curtis notes in the same article that this is "a period

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-11462060878140378462010-07-09T19:52:00.009+09:002010-07-09T21:42:47.339+09:00

for Armchair Asia's opinion, but it's always valued, informative, and interesting:Saying nothing, ignoring complaints, and “looking forward,” is a very Japanese tactic to avoid responsibility and confrontation.Why does that ring so true both personally and professionally?Armchair Asia's July 9 post, Unforgiven,* concerns apologies and the continued lack thereof for the use of American POWs

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-57550141548122079442010-07-09T19:21:00.004+09:002010-07-09T21:44:33.051+09:00

I tried to edit my Japan links list and deleted all of them. It will take a while to get them back. Should I miss any, please remind me. Note that "undo edits" like a lot of functions on blogger do not works. It's ok though as it's free and worth every yen.Oh, I hate, I truly hate, blogger. Gonna have to bite the bullet and move on. Oh, I effing despise blogger. On top of everything else, its

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-23872866131954669032010-07-07T21:28:00.013+09:002010-07-07T22:48:38.230+09:00

Racial profiling had never struck me as a personal issue. I am a Japanese woman living in Japan after all, where less than 2 percent of the population is foreign.......I was stunned by the officer’s blatant profiling of me... [she believes it was based on her being a bit taller than the average Japanese woman which led some of Tokyo's finest to suspect that she might be a non-Japanese.]...“The

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-61905484919688010262010-07-04T21:03:00.009+09:002010-07-04T21:30:19.430+09:00

OK, It's not really brand new: The United States has asked Japan to help shoulder hundreds of millions of dollars in additional fees to transfer Marines from a controversial base on Okinawa island to Guam, Kyodo news agency reported. USA TodayIt's all cool. The poorly informed will still be able to blame the continued problems with Okinawa bases on the folks in the US military there. (Of

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-84282332518785617832010-07-03T19:33:00.005+09:002010-07-04T20:31:00.949+09:00

who were arrested in Yokohama today when they tried to break into a theater showing the dangerous, one-sided, "anti-Japanese" film, The Cove. The rightists hate one-sided movies, news programs, and so on. I pray that none were injured in the attempt to hide something that they haven't the courage to allow people to see.Michael Moore is damned lucky he ain't making his type of movie about Japan,

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-3355521724140357782010-07-03T16:52:00.003+09:002010-07-03T17:03:09.844+09:00

just as his kindly company president was about to reduce his overtime and spread the labor to others. The unnamed president of Fuji Denka Kogyo may even have planned to pay the late Jiang Xiaodong (31) for his overtime work. Unfortunately, Jiang refused the offer to work less and died of cardiac arrest. It couldn't be helped. Nobody could expect the company president to require an employee to

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-65357263519664436532010-07-03T15:15:00.001+09:002010-07-03T15:17:31.484+09:00

isn't it:The Japan which Aya Okabe presents in her work is perhaps too familiar to those who live there and not nearly Japanese enough for those who don’t. Japan ExposuresWhere are the geisha?

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-86940897243748952922010-07-02T18:38:00.007+09:002010-07-02T18:59:53.672+09:00

The Sony timer: that thing which is included at no extra cost with every Sony product sold in Japan and causes the product to fail just as the warranty expires. I never knew this feature existed until a Japanese guy explained it to me years ago. I had thought that Sony simply manufactured junk.1000 Things about Japan: Won't miss #191.Oh and cover your ears, there' some cussing and cursing in this

Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-17632480793427702602010-06-27T16:18:00.025+09:002010-06-27T20:31:03.481+09:00

While some make their political predictions and analysis based on years of experience and research, I find that it is much better to use tangible things to get a feel of the mood and then make my unerringly accurate predictions in the 24-48 hours following the election.Over the last few days, I have been conducting surveys of political posters in the Denechofu/Okusawa/Jiyugaoka areas which should

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-54770089620035943002010-06-27T13:30:00.008+09:002010-06-27T15:15:45.948+09:00

How interesting to find that there is a new biography out about Edwin Reischauer, the Japan and Asia scholar, who later became U.S. ambassador to Japan. Some cynical s.o.b.s have been known to claim that he forget which country he represented.The new bio, written by George R. Packard---a fellow whose name rang a bell, but I had to google to be sure---is president of the US-Japan Foundation and a

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-66232550079402563352010-06-23T11:16:00.012+09:002010-06-23T13:39:11.041+09:00

I always enjoy it when someone from the right-wing (I do not mean merely conservative as it is often used in the US*) expresses their views and thoughts in a public forum. I especially love it when they do so in English for it is important for people to know these thoughts and opinions. It is especially valuable for those people in the US as we need to know who our friends are.Recently, I was

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-39932646652765395852010-06-21T22:28:00.005+09:002010-06-21T22:39:53.426+09:00

The rightwingers may have failed in their attempt to censor what people can see. Imagine how much nuttier this will drive that small, but noisy minority:The cancellations [of the movie, The Cove in theaters around Japan] prompted a group of Japanese journalists, academics and film directors to sign a letter urging the theaters not to back down, saying the issue "underlines the weakness of freedom

Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-73369002225734007442010-06-20T21:33:00.003+09:002010-06-21T12:42:56.538+09:00

In reference to the post below, Kan has stated that he wants to make the regressive consumption tax more progressive by lowering it for certain items.June 21: Japan Times article in English here.

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-57940773010750471212010-06-18T15:16:00.007+09:002010-06-18T21:09:06.106+09:00

Having become entirely befuddled about things economic (does that make me an economist? Just joking!), I am a bit confused about PM Kan's plan to revitalize Japan. He plans to increase the consumption tax, double it actually, to the LDP recommended level of 10%. However, to show that he is no tax-and-spend lefty, he plans to cut the corporate tax first. Additionally, the DPJ has said that it was

Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-15167234820277376762010-06-17T20:55:00.003+09:002010-06-17T21:02:34.819+09:00

Perhaps foreigners are less easily deterred by the threats of thugs. The Cove will be shown online in Japan, according to Reuters. The first 2,000 viewers will be able to see it free. How will the loony-birds fight that?I might have given it a pass until the nutjobs got going, but now I wanna see it too.

Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420606.post-52035516962158953892010-06-16T20:59:00.006+09:002010-06-23T07:34:47.019+09:00

In a stunning new development in Japanese higher education, a Japanese university---where most go for a four-year vacation before joining the drudgery of the salaryman life---has suddenly become concerned about its classes!Tokyo's Meiji U. has pulled the plug on an on-campus screening of "The Cove" that was to have been followed by a Q and A with pic advisor and dolphin activist Ric

Dnoreply@blogger.com2