Japan - News/General Discussion

Tu_triky wrote:

Interesting point, I wonder how small immigration numbers are from Japan. Must be super low. Aside from those studying abroad here temporarily I doubt many leave home.

They really can't afford to. Their population growth, combined with their strict(almost xenophobic) immigration policy is going to become a crisis in a couple generations. And moving from one 1st world country to another kind of seems pointless.

^ Actually, isn't Japan's population on the decline?

I thought there was an article a few years back that someone posted in that regard...

Kijinnmaru wrote:
They really can't afford to. Their population growth, combined with their strict(almost xenophobic) immigration policy is going to become a crisis in a couple generations. And moving from one 1st world country to another kind of seems pointless.

Yeah, I agree. That's why, as I alluded, the number must be small if not minuscule.

bmwracer wrote:^ Actually, isn't Japan's population on the decline?

Yes the birthrate in Japan has been declining for sometime now. Given the longer life expectancy as well, the worry is the shrinking labor force and the increasing economic burden of retirees will become unsustainable.

Go there and help them breed.

Tu_triky wrote:Go there and help them breed.

Wasn't that the title of the article? :beaten:

bmwracer wrote:
Wasn't that the title of the article? :beaten:

Yes it was called Go Forth, Grub on Gyoza, and Get Girls.

Tu_triky wrote:Yes it was called Go Forth, Grub on Gyoza, and Get Girls.

Ah, the 3G Network: Girls, Gyoza, Grub. :mrgreen:

bmwracer wrote:
Ah, the 3G Network: Girls, Gyoza, Grub. :mrgreen:

:rofl:

The new ad campaign for Docomo Cellular?

Tu_triky wrote::rofl:

The new ad campaign for Docomo Cellular?

Sign me up! :victory:

'My-job's-easy' minister resigns

By North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy

Posted Mon Nov 22, 2010 1:08pm AEDT

Japan's justice minister has resigned for joking that his job is easy and that he relies on stock phrases to answer parliamentary questions.

Speaking at a meeting of his supporters a week ago, Minoru Yanagida remarked that being justice minister was easy because he only had to remember two phrases when stuck for an answer in parliament.

One was "I refrain from commenting on individual cases" while the other was "I am acting appropriately based on the law".

His comments sparked threats of an opposition censure motion and saw the government's approval rating plunge below 30 per cent.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/22/3072990.htm?site=news

xploring wrote:'My-job's-easy' minister resigns

By North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy

Posted Mon Nov 22, 2010 1:08pm AEDT

Japan's justice minister has resigned for joking that his job is easy and that he relies on stock phrases to answer parliamentary questions.

Speaking at a meeting of his supporters a week ago, Minoru Yanagida remarked that being justice minister was easy because he only had to remember two phrases when stuck for an answer in parliament.

One was "I refrain from commenting on individual cases" while the other was "I am acting appropriately based on the law".

His comments sparked threats of an opposition censure motion and saw the government's approval rating plunge below 30 per cent.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/22/3072990.htm?site=news

That guy is a bloody idiot for making those remarks. Even if it is true.

Where is Koizumi-san when you need him? :puppydog:

Itazura ichiban wrote:Where is Koizumi-san when you need him? :puppydog:

Japanfs Biggest Problem? Weak Leaders


[image]
Chairman of Resona Holdings Inc. Eiji Hosoya in November 2010.

Eiji Hosoya is the man who masterminded the massive privatization of Japanfs sprawling national rail network 23 years ago. He still speaks of shinkansen – Japanfs ultra-cool and ultra-fast bullet trains – with a passion. Today, nimble and a youthful-looking 65, hefs the chairman of Resona Holdings, the countryfs fourth-largest bank that suffered the ignominy of nationalization in 2003.

Banking may seem an odd choice for a man whofs worked for Japan National Railways and East Japan Railway for over 30 years, but government insiders thought Mr. Hosoya had what it took to turn around a failed and decaying bank.

But Mr. Hosoya, one of Japanfs most respected business leaders, says more broadly that Japan may also fail and continue to stagnate if the country doesnft take urgent action to turn its fortunes around. The problem with Japan is that gwe have weak leaders,h said Mr. Hosoya bluntly. gUnless Japan changes, in five years from now, the country will become so weak.h

Mr. Hosoya says Japan needs to aggressively capitalize on its three biggest strengths: its strong service culture; technology; and, more broadly, Japanese culture. gWe have to appeal to South Korea, China and Taiwan – this is the volume zone for Japan and its services,h he said.

He also said it was crucial for Japan to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a wide-ranging trade pact, by next year. gWe need to open the country and TPP is the future,h he said.

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2010/11/22/japans-biggest-problem-weak-leaders/

^ Sounds like he knows what's going on... Problem is, it's always an uphill battle with stagnation and inertia. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:^ Sounds like he knows what's going on... Problem is, it's always an uphill battle with stagnation and inertia. :sweat:

Yup...sometimes it's too late before changes are made. The Japanese political system has been a gerontocracy by and large for the entire post war period. During the postwar period of high economic growth it was of no concern but now that the country is faced with real problems - deflation, high public debt, ever shrinking workforce, a higher proportion of older citizens, lower birthrate, and stiffer competition from abroad - something has to change in order to address some of these systemic concerns.

Tu_triky wrote:Yup...sometimes it's too late before changes are made. The Japanese political system has been a gerontocracy by and large for the entire post war period. During the postwar period of high economic growth it was of no concern but now that the country is faced with real problems - deflation, high public debt, ever shrinking workforce, a higher proportion of older citizens, lower birthrate, and stiffer competition from abroad - something has to change in order to address some of these systemic concerns.

We should head out there and run for office, though we might be accused of being Carpetbaggers. :beaten:

bmwracer wrote:
We should head out there and run for office, though we might be accused of being Carpetbaggers. :beaten:

You can run, and as your aide I'll walk behind you...in to the closest ramen shop.

Tu_triky wrote:You can run, and as your aide I'll walk behind you...in to the closest ramen shop.

Heh.

Guess we're representing the ramen party. :mrgreen:

Japan struck by 6.9 Earthquake

By Associated Press / November 30, 2010

TOKYO
A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's southern coast Tuesday, shaking a broad swath of the country and swaying buildings in downtown Tokyo.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported, and Japan's meteorological agency said there was no danger of a tsunami.

The temblor hit at 12:25 p.m. local time (0325 GMT), with the epicenter near the Ogasawara Islands, about 500 miles (800 kilometers) south of the main Japanese island, the agency said. It struck at a depth of 300 miles (480 kilometers).

Japan's meteorological agency reported a magnitude of 6.9, however, the U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was 6.6. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.

The Ogasawara are known as the Bonin Islands outside of Japan.


Hope everybody's okay. :sweat:

^ Saw that on the news last night.

The epicenter was rather far offshore, so any damage was probably minimal, if at all.