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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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| NTT has some pretty outrageous charges and fees. I live in a fairly large house on two floors. I have about 8 phone outlets, but only one is connected. I wanted to move the connection to another outlet for my internet, so I waited 3 weeks for a serviceman to come, spent 10,000 yen and then he disconnected my original outlet. I asked him why he disconnected it and said I would prefer 2 (he wouldn't have to do the extra work either). He said if I wanted 2 to work then I would have to pay more money every month. Why, it is only one phone line? No reply. Crazy! |
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Nismo
Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 520
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| Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Mike L. wrote: |
| BTW do you also think the shinkansen line being built to Kagoshima, a city of what 300,000, is a good idea because it "employs people." |
As far as I know, it's being built by JR Lines - Japan Railway - the government owned transportation service. How is that a bad thing? It's on par with Amtrak (The American railway service, owned by the gov't), except that JR lines are actually used by majority of the public very often. In fact, there is an anticipated bullet train service to be built in California by 2010. I welcome it! |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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| The reason it would be a bad thing is becuase so few people would use it, never making it cost-effective. You wouldn't build an airport in the middle of nowhere, far away from a large population base just to provide jobs (well Japan might). |
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Nismo
Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 520
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| Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2004 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Could be the next trendy vacation spot? I am sure there was enough demand to warrant a line to be made. I had not heard of the construction until mentioned here, so I haven't read any articles about it or seen support of or protest against the development, so I am just speaking as an outsider on the issue. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:06 am Post subject: |
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I'm only guessing too, but where I live they repave roads that are perfectly fine and build roads up the mountains to nowhere, just to provide jobs to garner more votes. There is so much mismanaged waste of money it makes me sick. Put some bloody heaters in the schools for goodness sakes, look after the Niigata earthquake victims instead of relying on donations to do it. Japan makes me really angry sometimes.
Sorry to hijack this thread. About internet providers then..... |
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homersimpson
Joined: 14 Feb 2003
Posts: 569
Location: Kagoshima
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:29 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| BTW do you also think the shinkansen line being built to Kagoshima, a city of what 300,000, is a good idea because it "employs people." |
I don't live in Kagoshima City, which actually has a population close to 600,000, but I have seen the effects of construction of the Shinkansen. Several hotels, department stores, entertainment centers, etc. have been built in large response to the opening of the Shinkansen line here. Historically, Kagoshima has been relatively isolated from the "real world" because of the inconvenience of getting here. My only complaint with the Shinkansen is that it didn't go far enough (literally). It does not link Kagoshima with Fukuoka directly; you have to change trains in Shin-Yatsushiro.
| Quote: |
| I'm only guessing too, but where I live they repave roads that are perfectly fine and build roads up the mountains to nowhere, just to provide jobs to garner more votes. There is so much mismanaged waste of money it makes me sick. |
Name a government on this planet that doesn't waste public funds. It makes me sick as well, but the attitude in Japan is toward full employment (or as close as possible). It's not unlike the days of The Great Depression in the U.S. when the government instituted public works projects in order to make people feel productive again. Japan seemed to pick up on that idea and never let go! |
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guest of Japan
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 1601
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:38 am Post subject: |
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For internet there are a multitude of providers. I've used air-H wireless internet for a few months (very cool, but expensive and very slow), cable (no complaints here, but can't get it in the countryside), and two ADSL companies. I first used Yahoo BB. I wasn't impressed. Now I'm using a different service (which for the life of me I can't remember the name of right now). Obviously I'm having no problems with it.
After getting your Alien registration card, just go to one of the big electronics stores and see what kind of deals they are offering. I was able to get three months free service, a phone line, and a very nice fax machine for about 25,000 yen. The retail of the fax machine alone was more than 25,000 yen.
As another poster noted: Get your Ethernet Card installed before coming to Japan.
The above caused me considerable difficulties since I bought my ethernet card in Japan, but couldn't load the set-up disc on my computer. I had to have a friend in the US get me an English copy and send it to Japan.
As for the other debate raging - It's pork barrel politics and it happens in every democracy. Japan's construction industry is just bigger. The unnecessary Shinkansen line going to Aomori made the prime minister at the time a political hero. Until Japan redraws voter districts to reflect the modern population distribution we'll see many more roads to nowhere. |
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Mike L.
Joined: 28 Feb 2003
Posts: 519
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 1:30 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| As far as I know, it's being built by JR Lines - Japan Railway - the government owned transportation service. How is that a bad thing? It's on par with Amtrak (The American railway service, owned by the gov't), except that JR lines are actually used by majority of the public very often. |
JR is a private company these days. Has been divested snce the mid nineties.
It's (the Shinkansen system) a bad thing because AMTRAK at least makes an effort at making a proffit.
The shinkansen services, besides the Tokyo to Osaka route, are all big money losers.
Once you get a shinkansen in your local area all many if not all local or slower express trains must close. there are not enough passengers to keep them running.
Toursists simply follow the shinkansen tracks and avoid places where it doesn't stiop because it's not longer convenient to get there.
Local people lose local train srvices and tourist revenues but the taxpayers still pay for these projects!
This can really be seen up in Tohoku on the new shinkansen heading to Hachinobhe. You can't get there too easily anymore without using the shinkansen.
The people leaving near the tracks in Kyushu stuck with the noise and ugly elevated concrete tracks running through their homes. Apparently the new line passes withhin 60cm of some homes sort of a return to Japan's post war era of poor planning and industrialization at all costs.
Let's face it this would have to go through villiages and over houses but it's not meant to serve the people so it's a moot point.
Any thinking person realizes that a shinkansen route from Hakata to Kagoshima is absolutley not viable and will never be proffitable.
Hell it's not even useful!
This country is drowning in red ink because of corruption and the useless projects it leads to.
The Aqualine, The Koshinetsu bridge, the japane Highway Corporation etc etc.........
I've cycled halfway down the length of thisd country from Wakkani in Hokkaido to Niigata and was shocked at the destruction wreaked on what must have been a beautiful nation. Now a few parts remain untouched but not many.
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Anyways back on topic. Thease are just a few reasons to use real private companies for your ISP!
That's why I recommend Softbank (Yahoo BB). No English service but once you set up your computer you should have no problems. I've had it in 3 llocations for the past 2 years without any serious problems.
Not to mention you can cut out NTT for any phone charges. Maybe nowadays you can get a line from another company.
BTW if you look in job magazines like Hot Papper you can buy used phoine lines for about 16,000 yen. That's what I paid for mine.
I bet it's cheaper these days. Yet another way to save cash and cut out NTT! |
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Joannda
Joined: 07 Jun 2004
Posts: 43
Location: Japan!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 4:16 am Post subject: |
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Haha, who would've thought this thread would end up being a discussion on shinkansen lines and waste of govt funds?? Ah well, Thanks Mike and Guest for getting back on track  I appreciate your comments.
Seems YahooBB is still a big favourite among people out there... I guess it is quite easy as you can apply for everything in one go, rather than having to go to 2-3 different companies for different services. Although, you do still pay NTT for line rental right? At least the pricing plan for Yahoo is a bit more straightforward than some of the other companies I've come across!! Why doesn't anyone just say what it will cost IN TOTAL??? You have to go chasing around for all the little costs and then add them together yourself to get what hopefully you can assume will be the final cost... I geuss they do it to try and make themselves sound cheaper, but it's quite frustrating!  Not to mention confusing!
I suppose it's true what I read somewhere though; see which provider has the best deal going at the time you apply, as they all basically boil down to the same thing in the end....  |
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Joannda
Joined: 07 Jun 2004
Posts: 43
Location: Japan!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2004 4:19 am Post subject: |
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Oh yeah, and my laptop already has an ethernet card built in, so don't have to worry about that one!  |
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