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JL · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Las Vegas, NV USA

Those are great stories! I'd heard about the "night soil" fertilizer, and people squatting in the open sewers --the kids who only know the "washlets" of today probably wouldn't even believe that their own grandparents did that! I did not know that the Yodogo / JAL airliner hijackers were nearly duped into landing at Kimpo Intn'l. And that your father was part of the supply crew in that event is pretty cool personal history, indeed! You probably already know that the Red Army founder Shigenobu Fusako was in all the headlines again, about a decade ago. She finally turned herself in and has been sitting in the pokey, ever since.

Yeah, those were heady times. It must make your eyes spin when you compare those times with the country you see today!

(And for the sake of a semblance of keeping this thread on theme --hey everyone, the yen finishes the week under 90 to the USD! Laughing

)

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject:

And my family limps outta Japan tomorrow...I wonder how much of the 500K yen that we took out in 2002 they spent. Knowing my wife...not having the love of Isakaiya (sic!) and sake that I have, probably most...

NCTBA

JL · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Las Vegas, NV USA

A happy holidays to you!

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 11:33 am Post subject:

steki47 · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 1029 Location: BFE Inaka

Let's ressurect this thread. I will be heading back to the Empire of Cute in 2-3 months. Buying yen with USD will suck, but only that one time. Once I am in country and earning the mighty mighty en, I can joyfully wire said en back to my US savings account. Maybe start a personal retirement account, take a bite out of my @#$ student loans.
Anyone else out there enjoying Endaka?

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

We Kiwis are loving the endaka- the NZD had crept up to almost 58 yen by last week but is back down to 50- time to send money home again! Very Happy

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

it was down to 47.60 at lunch time today

elkarlo · Joined: 08 Dec 2008 Posts: 240 Location: Maryland

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I first arrived in 1995, but things haven't changed enormously since then- the 90s aren't exactly ancient history! I think you have to go back pre-Bubble to find big differences Smile

JL · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Las Vegas, NV USA

Okay, here's a story for you. My first New Year's in Japan, I almost starved. Okay, bit of an exaggeration, but not that much. I lived in a neighborhood in northern Kawasaki, only 20 some minutes from Shinjuku -so we're hardly talking "the boonies" here. But I had a room by myself, and no one bothered to tell me that EVERYTHING in Japan would close down from New Year's Eve until January 4. And back in 1985-86, I mean EVERYTHING. Convenience stores did exist. But they didn't start to take off in popularity and ubiquitousness until later in the decade. But back then, there were none near where I lived. There was a Japanese grocery store, and then the usual Japanese-style shopping street with all the little vendors (the rice shop, the vegetable and fruit shop, the tiny little electrical appliance shop, etc.). But everything was locked up and shuttered. I knew no one around there, and ran into serious food trouble after a couple of days. I did know of a family restaurant quite a hike from my neighborhood; at least that place remained open. That place, some crackers, and a lot of unexpected dieting held me over until January 4th.
Nowadays, convenience stores are ubiquitous, and so are supermarkets that are open 365 days a year, for that matter. But not back then.

I've got tons of stories. But I know how old guys with stories of "the old days" can sound. Wink

JL · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Las Vegas, NV USA

"...Things haven't changed enormously since then- the 90s aren't exactly ancient history!"

I'd have to agree. The 90's have more in common with the decade that followed, than the decade that preceded it. The 80's were something else. I hit Japan at just the right time, and wouldn't trade those times and memories for anything. The 90's, however, is the decade when reality caught up to Japan. It was inevitable, and hardly all bad. But the Japan we have and see today started to truly emerge after "the economic miracle" was put to bed.

Now to really hear some tales from some times that no longer exist, we'll have to get NCTBA to share some of his memories with us. The late 60's and 70's had more of the hardscrabble times. But also the post-war recovery energy, mixed with the charm of a society that still had most of its population born before Japan's modernization.

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

newsflash

NZ$ down to 46 today!

how low will it go?

JL · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Las Vegas, NV USA

JL · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Las Vegas, NV USA

Welp, today the U.S. media was filled with stories about how the new treasury secretary is out to push for a strong U.S. dollar. The yen did actually gain a touch on the greenback, but if US policy supports a strong dollar -and we KNOW that Japan does- then the yen party might just about be over. The pound, euro, kiwi, Aussie dollar, Canuck, etc., are not inextricably linked the US dollar. But if the hot money starts pulling out of yen, everyone is going to start feeling the pain. If you haven't already, start hedging about half your savings into your home currency. I could be wrong. But it's looking more and more like I'll be right.