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Archive for the ‘News about Japan’ CategoryToday NOVA is applying for bankruptcy protection. You heard it. The big one is going down or at least it probably will. Bankruptcy protection does not necessarily mean they will close.
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Be notified immediately of any reports to the police directly to your cell phone. That’s right. My wife got an email yesterday and then told me of a little girl who was stabbed in Kakogawa (not far from where we live). The police put out an all points bulletin warning the community that the attacker is still at large and to warn everyone. I thought this was fascinating because it means concerned citizens can be notified IMMEDIATELY of any wrong doings going on in the neighborhood; something of great value to parents and elderly in particular. I was so happy to hear of technology being used like this. My wife didn’t know how to send an email two years ago. Good for her! REPRINTED FROM JAPAN TIMES By HIDESATO SAKAKIBARA We often hear the use of the word “gaijin” when referring to foreigners. But where does this word come from? It is a broken-down, easier way of saying “gaikokujin” or “gaikoku kara no kata.” In the same sense, “Jap” is an easier way of saying “Japanese,” but I wouldn’t appreciate it if someone referred to me as “Jap” even though they may not have meant it in a bad way. Therefore the word “gaijin” should be purged. We must stop using it in the media, correct people when they use it, teach our students in the schools that it is a bad word, and simply divorce ourselves from using it. It is derogatory, and no less worse than using words such as Jap, gook, kraut, Yid, etc. Let us all reject it, and campaign against it the same way that that a Turkish scholar in Japan in the 1980s asked that the word “Turko” be removed from all heterosexual massage parlors (which were ultimately renamed “soaplands”). TOKYO — Members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Asia-Pacific (PETA) on Thursday sent a letter to Riyo Mori, the reigning Miss Universe, urging her to stop promoting the suffering and death of animals by wearing fur. I prefer her in a bathing suit, but it’s her choice…I guess. Ryan’s Irish bar in Sannomiya has closed down leaving hundreds of thirsty gaijin searching for a watering hole to take its place–not that it would be that difficult given if the location and atmosphere even comes close to resembling what Ryan’s was like. Well, take a gander at Blue Fox. Located … um… now I can’t remember. I was pretty twisted when I left the place…um..not far down from Ryan’s and on the ???th floor–now you know why I run my own blog. I’d never make it as a critic or a writer. Anyhoots, it’s well lit. The selection of beer is standard (plus the bonus of Edelpils by Sapporo. Very nice). The prices were reasonable (or at least that’s what I can remember today). The owner, Alif, is a soft spoken long time expat hailing from from from um, you’ll have to ask him. Nice guy. There’s enough space in the place to dance and there will be live music. Love the automatic toilets, just hope he can figure out how to make the cover AND the seat rise when I walk in the bathroom. I didn’t notice if food or snacks were available but he did say they would be taking credit cards starting next month — scary. The clientèle has yet to be decided since it just opened but I can see it being full of foreigners AND Japanese both young and old. Alif has said he doesn’t want the bar to be strictly gaijin and welcomes everyone. Seems like a nice place. I’ll be following up on this posting with more info. UPDATE: Well. The rumors are starting. I’ll give it a few more months until I start talking. Happy hour is from 5:00 to 7:55. JapanTimes Education spending renders Japan second to last in OECD The ratio of Japan’s spending on public education to its gross domestic product came to 3.5 percent in 2004, the second-lowest level among the 30 member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to an OECD report released Tuesday. The ratio — the second lowest after Greece’s 3.3 percent — was well below the OECD average of 5.0 percent and down from 3.7 percent in 2003, according to the report titled “Education at a Glance 2007.” Iceland topped the list at 7.2 percent, followed by Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Including spending on private education, Japan’s educational expenditures against GDP stood at 4.8 percent in 2004, up slightly from 4.7 percent in 1995 but again below the OECD average of 5.8 percent, the report says. The report also shows that among the OECD countries, Japan has the second-largest average class sizes at the primary level of education. The nation has 28.4 students per class for primary education and 33.5 students for secondary education, both the second highest after South Korea, the OECD said. Meanwhile, the Paris-based organization said that a growing number of international students are opting to study in Japan, with nearly 5 percent of foreign students worldwide enrolled at Japanese schools. This ranks sixth among the OECD states, following 22 percent for the United States, 12 percent for Britain, 10 percent for Germany, 9 percent for France and 6 percent for Australia. ========= I’m not sure what they consider spending. I see just about every school in the area getting a face lift. Heck, my sons school was complete demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. Teachers having to buy there own supplies is a concern in America, but here not so much. Is it the salaries for teachers? What is it that Japan is not spending money on? See more stats here. |
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