The Japan Thread

[chronovore]

"34 years..."

 :stamp

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[MrSingh]

Key money is bullshit. There are many places that do not require key money these days.

[Mr. Gundam]

So, the big news this week is that CHAGEandASKA's singer, "Aska," is up on charges of drug use. The pair were huge 20~30 years ago, but have been dormant recently. Universal is pulling all of their albums from circulation, as a public apology and acknowledgment of his wrongdoing.

Bonus irony is awarded for the other big news this week being Sir Paul McCartney's three-stadium concert tour being canceled due to the 71-year-old having a stomach bug. In 1980, Sir Paul was stopped at customs for having drugs in his baggage, was held for 10 days in jail, and his concert tour was canceled. However, right now the whole island is weeping openly about the cancellation of his tour, and buying his album, despite being associated with drugs.

Ghibli is delaying the release of their mega Blu-ray boxset to remove the On Your Mark music video.

Always amazes me how much Japan freaks out over drug use.

[bork]

So, the big news this week is that CHAGEandASKA's singer, "Aska," is up on charges of drug use. The pair were huge 20~30 years ago, but have been dormant recently. Universal is pulling all of their albums from circulation, as a public apology and acknowledgment of his wrongdoing.

Bonus irony is awarded for the other big news this week being Sir Paul McCartney's three-stadium concert tour being canceled due to the 71-year-old having a stomach bug. In 1980, Sir Paul was stopped at customs for having drugs in his baggage, was held for 10 days in jail, and his concert tour was canceled. However, right now the whole island is weeping openly about the cancellation of his tour, and buying his album, despite being associated with drugs.

Ghibli is delaying the release of their mega Blu-ray boxset to remove the On Your Mark music video.

Always amazes me how much Japan freaks out over drug use.

CHAGEandASKA and Ghibli just shot themselves in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about Japanese culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in America where you can become successful by being an asshole. If you screw someone over in Japan, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.

What this means is the japanese public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase the Ghibli boxset for either blu-ray or DVD, nor will they purchase any of CHAGEandASKA's albums. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but CHAGEandASKA have alienated an entire market with this move.

CHAGEandASKA, publicly apologize and cancel your tour or you can kiss your business goodbye.

[Mr. Gundam]

So, the big news this week is that CHAGEandASKA's singer, "Aska," is up on charges of drug use. The pair were huge 20~30 years ago, but have been dormant recently. Universal is pulling all of their albums from circulation, as a public apology and acknowledgment of his wrongdoing.

Bonus irony is awarded for the other big news this week being Sir Paul McCartney's three-stadium concert tour being canceled due to the 71-year-old having a stomach bug. In 1980, Sir Paul was stopped at customs for having drugs in his baggage, was held for 10 days in jail, and his concert tour was canceled. However, right now the whole island is weeping openly about the cancellation of his tour, and buying his album, despite being associated with drugs.

Ghibli is delaying the release of their mega Blu-ray boxset to remove the On Your Mark music video.

Always amazes me how much Japan freaks out over drug use.

Square just shot themselves in the foot.

I don't know how much the rest of you know about Japanese culture (I'm an expert), but honor and shame are huge parts of it. It's not like it is in America where you can become successful by being an asshole. If you screw someone over in Japan, you bring shame to yourself, and the only way to get rid of that shame is repentance.

What this means is the japanese public, after hearing about this, is not going to want to purchase the Ghibli boxset for either blu-ray or DVD, nor will they purchase any of CHAGEandASKA's albums. This is HUGE. You can laugh all you want, but CHAGEandASKA have alienated an entire market with this move.

CHAGEandASKA, publicly apologize and cancel your tour or you can kiss your business goodbye.

Hah, nice.

Public won't even get the chance to buy them. Sounds like their entire catalog is being discontinued and pulled from stores.

[bork]

Fuck, I forgot to change that first "Square" reference! 

Gundam: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11960243 

Which then led to this dramatic reading:

[Mr. Gundam]

Fuck, I forgot to change that first "Square" reference! 

Gundam: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11960243 

Which then led to this dramatic reading:

Dude. I know what that is. Just liked how you changed it slightly.

[bork]

 

It's fun to do that on other boards every now and then.  People take it seriously.   

[chronovore]

It's fun to do that on other boards every now and then.  People take it seriously.   

OTOH, you might want to be slightly concerned that there /could/ be someone who thinks you post that shit seriously.

Trust me. I'm an expert.

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[a slime appears]

I hear this is where the experts on Japanese culture hang-out.

On a more serious note I actually have a few questions about the Yasukuni Shrine if anyone can answer from their perspective.

• What do the Japanese think about the shrine in general?
• If all of Asia hates it why do Japanese government officials make visits to it and thus worsening their relations with other countries?
• What do Japanese think about these government visits and does anyone make a stink about it over there?
• What is the foreign national gaijin opinion about the shrine or I guess more specifically your opinion?
• How hilarious or shocking was the Justin Bieber accidental visit?

[a slime appears]

Just my take:
- At least in my circles, there's a pretty good understanding of what the shrine is about, and although I don't know anyone who has, like, moral issues with the shrine, they know what visiting it means to other countries and why they shouldn't.
- It's a show of defiance.  They know what they're doing.
- People who dislike Abe and his warhawkish behaviour dislike it, people who like him think it's great.  Nobody makes a stink, it's Japan.
- I don't appreciate anyone trying to stir shit up, so I'm strongly against it.  I don't think it's constructive at all.
- It was pretty funny.  I felt bad for him, though.  He's not a diplomat or government official, he's a dumb tourist, and he shouldn't get raked over the coals for his ignorance.  In this case.

 

Thank you very much, Oscar!

[chronovore]

I'm of the same opinion as Oscar, except I like to see Bieber suffer. He's a spoiled little brat.

[a slime appears]

So, uhhhhhh, this happened:

The Japan Times - AKB48 dancers attacked by saw-wielding man

Considering the insane fanbase, sort of not surprised that this happened.

[Trent Dole]

Was it this guy?

[chronovore]

So, uhhhhhh, this happened:

The Japan Times - AKB48 dancers attacked by saw-wielding man

Considering the insane fanbase, sort of not surprised that this happened.

Yeah, I've joked about sending AKB48 into the sun via JAXA rocket or, in the interests of world peace and international cooperation, a joint operation across the world's various space agencies... But when I saw this all over the news this morning, I felt bad for the girls and wanted to send their management to the sun instead.

The hype around these bands is insane, and it's not surprising that one of their emotionally stunted man-children fans lost their shit and charged the stage. News even had the attacker's mom interviewed this morning, and she said she's as stunned as any of us, he's a QUIET, SHY, SOCIALLY PRIVATE GUY who has TROUBLE COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER PEOPLE ("hitomishiri").

[Great Rumbler]

Considering the insane fanbase, sort of not surprised that this happened.

[a slime appears]

So, uhhhhhh, this happened:

The Japan Times - AKB48 dancers attacked by saw-wielding man

Considering the insane fanbase, sort of not surprised that this happened.

Yeah, I've joked about sending AKB48 into the sun via JAXA rocket or, in the interests of world peace and international cooperation, a joint operation across the world's various space agencies... But when I saw this all over the news this morning, I felt bad for the girls and wanted to send their management to the sun instead.

The hype around these bands is insane, and it's not surprising that one of their emotionally stunted man-children fans lost their shit and charged the stage. News even had the attacker's mom interviewed this morning, and she said she's as stunned as any of us, he's a QUIET, SHY, SOCIALLY PRIVATE GUY who has TROUBLE COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER PEOPLE ("hitomishiri").

So that post clearly exonerates you from this crime. That leaves Oscar and DCharlie as the only remaining suspects.

[chronovore]

Yeah, and considering my hatred of AKB48, it's possible I'd arrange for an alibi.

[Eric P]

yikes

Dead Japanese nurse was mailed to Tokyo marked 'doll'

Japanese murder detectives are investigating the case of a young woman whose body was posted across Japan.

The body of Rika Okada, 29, was discovered in a 2-metre box labelled "doll" in a storage locker in Hachioji city, west of Tokyo.

The company that ferried the package from Osaka to Tokyo said that the order was paid in Ms Okada's name.

Japan Times reporter Joshua Adelstein told BBC Radio 5 live's Adil Ray that the case was "not as odd as you might think", as the area was a "hard place to dispose of bodies".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27587361

[chronovore]

Yeah, murder happens in Japan -- it happens less often than in the USA by an order of magnitude, but when it does, the killer has to be pretty fucking determined.

[Great Rumbler]

In terms of murders per 100k people, Japan is almost at the bottom [442 murders in 2013 out of a total population of nearly 130 million].

For comparison's sake, the US had 14,000 murders with a total population of about 318 million.

[chronovore]

And porn consumption is probably near the top.

 

[chronovore]

yikes

Dead Japanese nurse was mailed to Tokyo marked 'doll'

Japanese murder detectives are investigating the case of a young woman whose body was posted across Japan.

The body of Rika Okada, 29, was discovered in a 2-metre box labelled "doll" in a storage locker in Hachioji city, west of Tokyo.

The company that ferried the package from Osaka to Tokyo said that the order was paid in Ms Okada's name.

Japan Times reporter Joshua Adelstein told BBC Radio 5 live's Adil Ray that the case was "not as odd as you might think", as the area was a "hard place to dispose of bodies".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27587361

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/26/japanese-womans-body-sent-by-mail-marked-doll/

Police in Osaka refused to confirm details, but reports said a woman who had been at elementary school with Okada had flown out of Tokyo earlier this month using the dead woman's passport.

The schoolmate, who was not named, is believed to have lived just a few hundred yards from the lock-up with a Chinese woman of about the same age.
 
Both women flew from Tokyo's Haneda airport on the same flight, bound for Shanghai.

Just before she went missing, Okada wrote on her Facebook page that she was going to meet up with an old friend whom she had not seen for a decade.

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Chinese woman

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Chinese woman

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And now it's coming out that a Japanese person of Brazilian descent may also be involved.

AW, YEAH. GET READY! TWO GAIJIN IN A MURDER PLOT!

This is going to be the next 6 months' worth of news. ERRYDAY.

[chronovore]

http://kotaku.com/japanese-celebritys-english-fail-is-truly-most-unfortun-1583122336

[chronovore]

Yeah. Someone told me he's a nice enough guy, but it saddens me that the extent of experience he conveys focuses on the weird. It feels like a guy who is staying at a friend's house and hen talking shit behind their back.

I mean, sure, it's amusing. But still.

In not as nice territory, I actually was stopped by police at the mall the other day. They let several (Japanese) people roll by on their bikes, but stopped me. Why? I was wearing earphones. "Earphones are not safe!" They said. "Do you speak Japanese? Is this YOUR bike? Whose name is it registered under? May we run a registration check?"

Jesus. They were exceedingly polite, but being targeted for not being Japanese  could not have been more obvious.

[chronovore]

Yeah, I was thinking about that as it happened. I was thinking about NY's stop-and-frisk policy, and how much more messed up it is than polite Japanese cops nicely asking me if I have time for a couple questions.

[chronovore]

(technically, it's against the law in Japan to have headphones on while you're riding a bike)

Is this a fact? What do you mean by "technically"?

I only recently learned that I can be cited for DUI on a bicycle, so this shouldn't have been a surprise... but it still is.

[chronovore]

It's weird. When I was back in California in 2012, people could wear earbuds while driving apparently. As long as they're not ear-isolation or something? It blew my mind. Then I wondered if deaf people can legally drive and, if they can, if that became the basis for a ruling that earphones are OK while driving. That, or the requirement of hands-free cellphone use permitting earbuds, so listening to earbuds became legal by default?

Odd to think that Japan is so strict about it. Then again, it only takes one or two incidents for Japan to create enough public pressure so suddenly EVERYONE gets slapped with a stricter set of rules.

[a slime appears]

Thanks for the tips and and help about finding a rental in Tokyo but unfortunately I won't be heading to Japan this summer. I actually did manage to select a school and my friend finally gave me the OK to stay at his house in Tokyo for a few months, oh well. I still do want to visit and say hi to J-Bore but I'm not sure when that'll happen. :'(

Still very determined to learn Japanese since there's legitimate relevancy to my job and I did manage to get interviewed by a few companies in Tokyo but language and not living there obviously put a damper on things.

[chronovore]

Thanks for the tips and and help about finding a rental in Tokyo but unfortunately I won't be heading to Japan this summer. I actually did manage to select a school and my friend finally gave me the OK to stay at his house in Tokyo for a few months, oh well. I still do want to visit and say hi to J-Bore but I'm not sure when that'll happen. :'(

Still very determined to learn Japanese since there's legitimate relevancy to my job and I did manage to get interviewed by a few companies in Tokyo but language and not living there obviously put a damper on things.

Well, you'll be happy not to be in a damp, humid, stark, bleak, hot, hellish urban landscape this summer. Well, at least the humidity part.

[Eric P]

anyone want to do me a favor and tell me how much this is?

https://deagostini.jp/kpfth/order_series.php

edit: nevermind.  i misunderstood what it was.  No way they'd send over a weekly subscription to this for a price I'd be willing to pay

[chronovore]

anyone want to do me a favor and tell me how much this is?

https://deagostini.jp/kpfth/order_series.php

edit: nevermind.  i misunderstood what it was.  No way they'd send over a weekly subscription to this for a price I'd be willing to pay

Yeah, you want to avoid those DeAgostini series in any case. They're gimmicks to get you for a heap of cash, even if they're shipping domestic.

[Eric P]

I see.  Sort of like Zoo Books over her in the states (if they even exist anymore)

but here's a giant transforming Doraemon

http://www.taghobby.com/1-0/1-1/bandai-2014%E5%B9%B411%E6%9C%8829%E6%97%A5%E7%99%BC%E5%94%AE-%E8%B6%85%E5%90%88%E9%87%91-%E8%B6%85%E5%90%88%E9%AB%94sf-robot-%E8%97%A4%E5%AD%90%E3%83%BBf%E3%83%BB%E4%B8%8D%E4%BA%8C%E9%9B%84-character/

shit cray

[chronovore]

That's pretty cool.

My son and daughter picked up chewable candy at the store. My son just encouraged me to try one he didn't like: katsuo-tuna and pickled plum.

You know what IS NICE about Japan? Manners. I see a movie in a theater here, no-one, AND I MEAN NO-ONE is talking, not on their phone, not to their neighbor, none of that. Let alone laser pointers on the screen, or other means of shaking one's bony fist in defiance of their lack of actual power in life. Man, I don't ever need to go to another theater in the USA.

Gyms, too. American friends have been posting lately about people leaving weights all over the place, dripping sweat and not mopping it up after, and tracking dirt and mud all over the gym. My gym requires separate, clean (no street use) shoes in the facility. Weights are always returned, and every station has a towel, which everyone seems to use. It's dreeeeamy.

Not so fond of tuna-and-plums flavored "gumi" though.

[Mr. Gundam]

anyone want to do me a favor and tell me how much this is?

https://deagostini.jp/kpfth/order_series.php

edit: nevermind.  i misunderstood what it was.  No way they'd send over a weekly subscription to this for a price I'd be willing to pay

There's a Kinokuniya in NYC, they do Japanese magazine subscriptions for people.

[bork]

anyone want to do me a favor and tell me how much this is?

https://deagostini.jp/kpfth/order_series.php

edit: nevermind.  i misunderstood what it was.  No way they'd send over a weekly subscription to this for a price I'd be willing to pay

There's a Kinokuniya in NYC, they do Japanese magazine subscriptions for people.

Just find any Japanese bookstore.  Even some of the grocery stores will order books/magazine subs for people.

[chronovore]

Japan had to increase its sales tax from 5% to 8%, a substantial jump. Apparently the brief buying abstinence has already worn off:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/12/uk-japan-economy-champagne-idUSKBN0EN2KQ20140612

One thing which bothers me about it is that, prior to the hike, tax was included in displayed prices by law, claiming that consumers would not see the "real" price unless tax was included. Now that tax is 8%, the local shops show the price without-tax very large, and the with-tax smaller underneath it, so to people who aren't paying close attention things seem cheaper than before the tax hike.

The other thing which bothers me is that Japan is considering cutting its corporate tax:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101752694
I know it's not the same thing, but is there any other way to viewing this other than shifting the burden of taxes from corporations, who are sitting on piles of cash stores, to the consumer population? Which, in Japan's case, is an island nation economy, held hostage by the tariffs and taxes set by the government to protect those corporations?

What a shit-fest.

[chronovore]

[chronovore]

This morning, Tom Cruise was in Japan as part of this "Loop Tour" to support All You Need Is Kill's launch next Friday. I felt compelled to watch, as this is apparently his first-ever appearance on a Japanese morning show.

There is ONE WOMAN who is responsible for most or all of the Japanese translations of American films. This senior citizen is apparently the unquestioned queen-god of this niche, and has some kind of political stranglehold on it. She also manages to get herself attached to any major star who comes to Japan and, unlike other translators, gets a name credit shown, is featured on camera, etc. She is, essentially, a celebrity after a fashion.

So she's on with The Cruise Missile this morning, and translating everything back and forth for him -- but seated across from him is Mari Sekine, an announcer who speaks native English after having attended International School and graduating from Emerson. But the native speaker is relegated to speaking Japanese to Cruise so that the self-aggrandizing "translating talent" can fulfill her role.

I don't know why, but it bothered the shit out of me. Something about dealing with established hierarchy over competence, or respecting political barriers rather than embracing efficiency, I suspect.

Yeah, that's it. I can feel myself getting riled up all over again.

Anyway, movie opens next week, and I'm looking forward to seeing it.

[chronovore]

Some dude set himself on fire to protest Abe's stated intent to have Japan soldier-up in overseas wars:
http://www.japantrends.com/man-self-immolates-in-shinjuku-in-protest-at-collective-self-defense-law-burn-torch-suicide-shinzo-abe-government/

It has not been on any news I've seen last night or today. Seriously, WTF?

[chronovore]

Two members of AKB48 get mildly assaulted by a crazed fan: Every morning show, every evening news, for a week solid, and only slightly less coverage in week two.

Abe gearing up to VASTLY alter Japan's future, and I'm sure there is plenty of opposition out there, but we've seen NONE of it in Japanese media.

[chronovore]

Yes, sadly, that's the case. The second story is getting some overseas play though, so it will probably show up here tomorrow or the next day. Maybe.

[Mr. Gundam]

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/man-sets-himself-on-fire-in-tokyo-in-protest-against-abe

JapanToday jumped into the comments section telling people not to bring up the fact that NHK isn't reporting on the story. Huh.

[chronovore]

There's no comment to that effect in there, now. Even more "huh."

[chronovore]

FFfffffff... what?

Which paper?

[T-Short]

Hm, at least someone is doing something?

https://twitter.com/jakeadelstein/status/483592132167356416

[chronovore]

Not 100% sure but I think it was the Mainichi. It was at my father-in-law's house so I can't double check, but I'm pretty sure that's his current paper.

But it was an actual Japanese-language newspaper, so that's something. Great, glad to hear it, thanks.

[Bebpo]

So I want to book a ticket for a Japan trip.  It's been almost 5 years since the last time I went (x-mas 2009) and that's the longest I've gone without visiting since the first time I went in 2001.  Really miss the country and nostalgic.  Ideally I'd like to visit Japan every 2-3 years and travel to other countries/states in-between.

Now I've pretty much been everywhere on the main island, but I've never been to Shikoku (kind of out of the way), Kyushu (not interested, had friends living here while I lived in Japan and I dislike WARM WEATHER  ) and in Hokkaido I've only touched the tip with Hakodate.  So I've told myself the next time I go to Japan I have to go check out the scenic nature of Hokkaido main and check out Sapporo.


Now here's the thing, it's kind of out of the way if I don't want to spend money.  Flying into Hokkaido or out of Hokkaido is freaking expensive because of the transfer in Narita coming from LA.  It's an extra $500+ a person at least.  But since I always get the JR Rail Pass when I visit, I can fly into Narita and travel by JR for free. 

But it's a long ride!  Which is totally fine one way, but since I'll need to go up into Hokkaido and then U-turn it and head back down to the mainland and probably want to spend some time in Kyoto before heading back up to Tokyo...not sure how far up into Hokkaido I can realistically go without wasting a lot of my trip time.

I can probably get up to Sapporo in 2 days stopping along the way (maybe stay in Aomori), 2 days in Sapporo and surrounding area (Furano/Biei), 2 days back (Stay in Hakodate, because 10 hours on a train...eh, not enjoyable).  Everytime I get excited about visiting Hokkaido finally, when I type up an itinerary like that I get kind of ho-hum about it because it sounds like a looooot of boring train. 

If I have like 12 days (14 but you lose 2 flying) and I'm flying in/out of Narita cause it's cheapest, and want to spend at least 3 days in Tokyo, 2-3 in Kyoto...anyone have a good Hokkaido plan that won't feel like work traveling all the distance?  My Japan trips are usually like Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaki + 1-2 oddball non-tourist places. 

[chronovore]

Let me know if you hit Kyoto or "Osaki" ( ) -- I haven't seen you since that goofball's wedding.

[Great Rumbler]

[chronovore]

Yeah, that guy's been all over the news. Pretty tired of it; I'm wondering if we just witnessed a mental breakdown. So much stress in this country; all this over, what, $30K?

[chronovore]

Hot damn, it is humid and sticky and hot today. The laundry I just hung out will probably be dry by Friday. Probably.

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[chronovore]

typhoon's coming, too, so... enjoy the wet clothes!

 :'(

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Actually, my clothes are already wet. I'm in my second set of clothes, after having a mid-morning shower to deal with the sweat from hanging laundry.

So. Not. Made. For this weather.

[Mr. Gundam]

I was in Kyoto back in 2006 during Gion Matsuri when the tail end of a typhoon came though. Craziest rain storm I've ever experienced.

[chronovore]

Typhoon scheduled for today and/or tomorrow. I'm due in downtown Osaka tonight, and will spend tomorrow in Kyoto. Hopefully this storm passes by; it's happened in the past!

[a slime appears]

Hope you guys stay safe!

Been living through hurricanes all my life so I feel ya.

[a slime appears]

lol that's awesome.

I went to Tokyo Disney on my honeymoon and SURPRISE SURPRISE there happened to be a typhoon that day. Aside from a lot of light rain there weren't many people at the park. It's seriously either the best or one of the best Disney parks out there.

[chronovore]

Yeah, I feel like an absolute fool; I canceled a potentially productive evening meeting with a client in downtown Osaka after I saw news video of the typhoon in action in Okinawa. There was footage from a soldier on-base, a shot of a parked small car being blown onto its side, then whisked across the parking lot and then flung into the air after hitting the curb on the far side.

Instead, Kim Jong Un must've used his magic weather gun on it, because that thing just cruised due east instead of hitting Honshu. Bizarre.

[DCharlieJP]

Yeah, i am dressed for "it's cold and wet" and we got "scorching and humid"

I am sweating like a priest outside a primary school.

[Rufus]

NHK apologizes for asking tough questions