Job Discussion Forums

[Big John Stud]

For everyone who wrote a post about smoking. The other day in Tokyo I stopped in a restaurant for a beer while waiting for my train. I noticed it had a non-smoking section. It was one table! No lie! I even asked the waiter if that was the only non-smoking table. He said yes.
I had a good laugh imagining a group of non-smokers hoping to get the table or they would be forced to smoke! What is the purpose of having one table non-smoking section?
I have to admit though, Japan is a lot better about having non-smoking then it was 10 years ago.

[mrjohndub]

Yay, Japan! Famed for its courtesy... except when it comes to smoking, lines, the train, the subway, the sidewalk, the supermarket, pedestrians, riding a bicycle recklessly on crowded sidewalks, foreigners who are not clearly about to purchase something, cops, drunk puking salarymen, drunk loud salarymen, drunk sexually harrassing salarymen, staring at porn in the midst of children, xenophobia, embedded sexism, staring in bathrooms, rampant bad breath, deliberately shaming others to get what you want or just gratuitously to demonstrate your perceived power over them, and trying to take over and pillage other sovereign countries and not understanding why sixty years isn't enough time to let bygones be bygones. (i.e., Let China have the freakin' offshore gasfields and shut the hell up.)

Other than that, I'm rather enjoying living here. Really.

What Japan needs is to become less robotic in what courtesy it does show, and start putting some thought into it. Well-placed courtesy beats obligatory and bland courtesy--at least to me--any day.

Overall, I think that sexism is this country's biggest problem. And I refuses to grant anyone leeway on that issue on 'cultural grounds.'

[shikushiku-boy]

If I could, I would get people to relax.
Mellow out...chill...take it easy.

Loosen their tie...slump in their chair...unwind a little.

Do something madly daring.
Wear a hat without a chin-strap!
Yes, I know there�s risk the wind might blow off the hat.
But, it�s all part of the adventure we call �life�.
And, I think they�ll find that the world doesn�t come
to an end because their hat blew off.

Turn off their keitai...put down the textbook...take a few
deep, cleansing breaths, and reeeeeeeeelax.

Just for a few minutes turn the anxiety level down to
moderate...don�t worry about catching that train, writing
that report, or obeying those rules to the letter.

Think about fluffy clouds, or kittens, or Tamaki Ogawa
dressed in a yukata (sigh).

[sushi]

Koizumi has gotta stop visiting his Yakasuni Shrine. Dickhead moron. He might as well say "Tojo I love you for what you did with Japan during World War 2".

[Big John Stud]

[quote="sushi"]Koizumi has gotta stop visiting his Yakasuni Shrine. *beep* moron. He might as well say "Tojo I love you for what you did with Japan during World War 2".[/quote]

I beg to differ! Let's not forget that China invaded and is occupying Tibet! China is also threatening to invade Taiwan.
There are 250,000 souls inshrined at Yakusuni Shrine only 14 are convicted war criminals. And lets face it if Japan would of won there would be many American war criminals convicted of crimes against humanity.
Let's not forget what the U.S. Government did to people born in Japan and to people whose parents were born in Japan.
Every country has done bad. Korea in just eight years of getting independence from Japan almost self-destruct. Yea they blame the U.S. and Russia for it. But actually if you think about it, maybe Japan did occupy Korea to keep the country intact!

[SEndrigo]

Hey BJS,

We've all had this discussion before, and you're missing the point again.

No one said that Japan is the only country that has done bad. But, no other country in Asia has done more harm to its neighbours than Japan. No single country in Asia has invaded more territories and killed more people than Japan.

How many? 18 million people from the Manchuria Incident all the way to the end of WW2.

And these are generous estimates.

What the US did to the Japanese is morally reprehensible and yes, downright evil. But that does not mean that Japan should not be held accountable for the many injustices committed against its neighbours.

THAT is the point.

Koizumi, by visiting Yasukuni, is basically saying, "We don't give a toss about how you Chinese or Koreans feel, Tojo and Co. are part of our history, and we are not ashamed of that."

You better damn well be, because you basically have no friends, other than the US. And that's a recipe for disaster, in the long run.

[Big John Stud]

SEndrigo wrote:

Hey BJS, We've all had this discussion before, and you're missing the point again. No one said that Japan is the only country that has done bad. But, no other country in Asia has done more harm to its neighbours than Japan. No single country in Asia has invaded more territories and killed more people than Japan. How many? 18 million people from the Manchuria Incident all the way to the end of WW2. And these are generous estimates. What the US did to the Japanese is morally reprehensible and yes, downright evil. But that does not mean that Japan should not be held accountable for the many injustices committed against its neighbours. THAT is the point. Koizumi, by visiting Yasukuni, is basically saying, "We don't give a toss about how you Chinese or Koreans feel, Tojo and Co. are part of our history, and we are not ashamed of that." You better damn well be, because you basically have no friends, other than the US. And that's a recipe for disaster, in the long run.

Actually SEndrigo you are missing the point. What China is doing in Tibet is far worse than anything the Japanese did during and before WWII. If you are able to read trying reading the Dalai Lama's book, "Freedom in Exile.

You obviously do not know much about human nature and about Asia.
China is not really concern about Koizumi visiting Yakusuni Shrine. They are concern with dominance over Asia. Japan has always been the most powerful Asain nation since 1900 and even today has the second richest economy. But China has the fast growing economy. The rival between these two countries is for control over Asia.
This is why you are missing the point. You are being fooled by Chinese propagada

[Brooks]

apologist.

[SEndrigo]

[SEndrigo]

[Big John Stud]

[quote="SEndrigoWhat really surprises me is the delusional belief you have that what China has done to Tibet is worse than 18 million + people being slaughtered by the Japanese.quote]



Sendrigo you are obviously jellious because you are so ignorant!

First you should read the Dalai Lama's book I recommended in an above post. What china is doing to non-violent Buddhist monks is wrong.

Yea Japan did wrong long ago. What country hasn't! The looser of a war is always made out to be the bad guy or nation. It's time to move forward. Look at the middle East! everryone hates everyone because of the past. If there is ever to be peace, people need to move forward. Japan has not fought one war since the end of WWII. Korea and China has.

quote="SEndrigoWhat really surprises me is the delusional belief you have that what China has done to Tibet is worse than 18 million + people being slaughtered by the Japanese.

With all due respect, that is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard in my life.

Which makes me wonder whether you are actually serious!

[/quote]Uh, we weren't discussing the economy, or who is the biggest power in Asia. We were talking about the fact that Japan has committed many atrocious crimes against its neighbours. [/quote]


Actually the discussion started about Prime Minister Koizumi visiting Yakusuni Shrine. You remind me of a bitter person who lives in a place because he can't make it in his home country so he hates everything about the country he lives in.

[Big John Stud]

[quote="SEndrigoWhat really surprises me is the delusional belief you have that what China has done to Tibet is worse than 18 million + people being slaughtered by the Japanese.quote]




First you should read the Dalai Lama's book I recommended in an above post. What china is doing to non-violent Buddhist monks is wrong.

Yea Japan did wrong long ago. What country hasn't! The looser of a war is always made out to be the bad guy or nation. It's time to move forward.

Look at the middle East! Look at all the wars being fought there because of the past. If there is ever to be peace, people need to move forward. Japan has not fought one war since the end of WWII. Korea and China has.


[/quote]Uh, we weren't discussing the economy, or who is the biggest power in Asia. We were talking about the fact that Japan has committed many atrocious crimes against its neighbours. [/quote]


Actually the discussion started about Prime Minister Koizumi visiting Yakusuni Shrine and offending Japan's neighbours. My point is that the governments of China and South Korea would find something else wrong to keep its people patriotic. Hitler did the same thing by getting the Germans to hate Jews.

You obvously have trouble understanding a different point of view and so pass judgement! Try being less bitter and more open minded!

[SEndrigo]

I've only got two things to say to you. One, learn how to spell before you question someone else's reading ability.

Two, I actually rather enjoy living in Japan, but I feel sorry for Japan apologists who have their heads in the clouds and romanticize Japan rather than see it for what it is: a good country in many ways, with some work needed to improve relations with its neighbours and improve rights for foreigners.

[MrCAPiTUL]

"I don't know of anywhere in the world where trains do that. " (ref: Trains that run all night. At least on the weekends.)



Eh hem - they run like that in NYC! ALL DAY - EVERYDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

[may be going]

i think it could work because of the relative safety in japan. but i don't feel safe now catching trains in sydney or london around midnight. sydney has guards patrolling, cameras, etc etc. imagine the situation at 3am?

but i think japan has to at least lengthen the time by an hour from starting point. no point having a train arrive in chiba at 1.15 if it departs tokyo at 11.45 and is the last train on a sat. night....