Japan - News/General Discussion

Tu_triky wrote:Japanese Agriculture Ministers Busted for Discussing Gundam on Wikipedia

Ever wonder what your government bureaucrats do on their down time? An internal investigation at the agriculture ministry recently revealed that six of their staffers had been spending hours and hours editing Wikipedia entries about Gundam on their work computers. Apparently they know a lot more about mobile suits than farming, cuz they edited at total of 260 entries related to the popular anime series.

As a consequence, Wikipedia was banned from all ministry computers. When interviewed by CNN, a ministry official had this to say about the situation:

"The Agriculture Ministry is not in charge of Gundam."

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
But who are we to judge! We are discussing Takky on this forum during our work time! :bonk:

EstherM wrote:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
But who are we to judge! We are discussing Takky on this forum during our work time! :bonk:

oh well. but we are bashing him not arguing whether a Zaku is more powerful than a Mobile Armor

SEIG ZION!

[image]

Tu_triky wrote:SEIG ZION!

Hmm, S-Oke was making that cheer in Nodame... What's it mean? :headscratch:

bmwracer wrote:
Hmm, S-Oke was making that cheer in Nodame... What's it mean? :headscratch:

In the Gundam universe, at one point, there was the Earth forces vs. the Human Space Colony forces who battlled with each other...I think there was a space colony cally Zion so it was a military salute they used in the anime adapted from the nazi salute "seig heil"

bmwracer wrote:
Hmm, S-Oke was making that cheer in Nodame... What's it mean? :headscratch:

Sieg is the German word for victory

Thanks guys...

I thought it rather odd for them to be making a pseudo-Nazi cheer during the drama... :beaten: :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:Thanks guys...

I thought it rather odd for them to be making a pseudo-Nazi cheer during the drama... :beaten: :sweat:

Haha...well I don't really follow Gundam at all but I have seen certain Gundam animes. The "Gundam universe" has propogated the longest running manga/anime in history, so given the comic nature of "Nodame Cantabile," it fits in with the eccentric nature of the characters.

Tu_triky wrote:Haha...well I don't really follow Gundam at all but I have seen certain Gundam animes. The "Gundam universe" has propogated the longest running manga/anime in history, so given the comic nature of "Nodame Cantabile," it fits in with the eccentric nature of the characters.

Considering the popularity of Gundam, I didn't find much info regarding that phrase.....

bmwracer wrote:
Considering the popularity of Gundam, I didn't find much info regarding that phrase.....

Info would most likely be found in Japanese on a Japanese website...I found one link with that phrase, "Seig Zion," but it was written in katakana :sweat: No help there.

Tu_triky wrote:Info would most likely be found in Japanese on a Japanese website...I found one link with that phrase, "Seig Zion," but it was written in katakana :sweat: No help there.

I figured as much... Oh well.

I got the gist of it. :)

bmwracer wrote:
I figured as much... Oh well.

I got the gist of it. :)

Yeah, it's a comic book reference from a dorama adapted from a comic book. ^_^

THOUSANDS of Australians in Japan face the prospect of no jobs and no accommodation amid fears a large English school chain may collapse.
Nova, the bulk of whose 5000-strong foreign workforce is Australian, might go bankrupt as early as November, Tokyo-based business consultant Ken Worsley said.

The company's Australian head office, in Brisbane, has stopped recruiting and warned those already offered positions against going to Japan.

"We strongly suggest all applicants delay their departure until the situation in Japan becomes clearer," Nova Brisbane spokesman Simon Thomas said.

Nova, already reeling from a $US45 million ($50 million) loss between April and June, is experiencing a disastrous cash-flow situation, with a flood of students cancelling lesson packages and demanding refunds.

The company's public image in Japan was shattered in June when it was slapped with a government penalty for false advertising.

Late salary payments and lack of communication from top Nova management have rankled its mostly foreign staff.

A 31-year-old Brisbane woman who works in Nova middle management in Osaka said teachers and students had no confidence in the company.

"Basically, middle management is not being provided with any information as to why we're being paid late," she said.

She said 300 eviction notices had been served to teachers living in Nova-sponsored apartments, with the company deducting rents from their salaries but not passing them on to landlords.

Despite the company's woes, Nova's Osaka office this week approved eight Sydney instructors for positions in Japan.

However, Mr Thomas said about 30 prospective recruits from Australia and New Zealand had been warned against accepting positions.

"We did have some people who arrived in Japan last month and they were all told we thought it was in their best interests not to go, and if they were to go they should take extra funds and be prepared for the worst," he said.

"There are still some people, who, despite our very strong warnings, have still decided to go as scheduled in October."

Louis Carlet, of Japan's National Union of General Workers, said Nova employees faced a six-month wait to recover lost wages if the company went bankrupt.

Nova's teacher salaries, which range from about $33,000 a year, are paid monthly in retrospect.

Australian-based staff are among those yet to be paid this month's salary.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said the effect of Nova's financial difficulties on Australians was "a private legal matter for the parties involved.

However, consular officials could help those affected contact relatives, friends and lawyers in Japan, he said.

Nova claims a 46 per cent share of Japan's lucrative English conversation school market but has posted multi-million dollar losses for the last three years.

Might pay for Wyn-chan to check up before she signs with a company to teach English in Japan :bonk:

Yikes.

From what I've heard Nova sucks anyway. There was another company that sucked as much, but forgot the name.

tabana wrote:Yikes.

From what I've heard Nova sucks anyway. There was another company that sucked as much, but forgot the name.

yup everybody says nova sucks and they treat their teachers like shiet.

Could be good for Wyn-chan anyway. If Nova collapses, there's a lot of students that will be looking for classes elsewhere. The other schools will be needing teachers :)

One of my contacts from work from Japan, who speaks no English, is currently in New Zealand for a month of intensive English lessons.

Oh no! She'll be saying "sux" for "six" :hehe:

Anime Dad wrote:Could be good for Wyn-chan anyway. If Nova collapses, there's a lot of students that will be looking for classes elsewhere. The other schools will be needing teachers :)

One of my contacts from work from Japan, who speaks no English, is currently in New Zealand for a month of intensive English lessons.

Oh no! She'll be saying "sux" for "six" :hehe:

Engrish studies in Kiwi land...she'll be scarred for life.

Tu_triky wrote:

Engrish studies in Kiwi land...she'll be scarred for life.

It's gonna be funny talking to her, that's for sure! It's funny enough already, I try and type emails in rudimentary Japanese, and she replies in mangled English via Babelfish :hehe:

Anime Dad wrote:

It's gonna be funny talking to her, that's for sure! It's funny enough already, I try and type emails in rudimentary Japanese, and she replies in mangled English via Babelfish :hehe:

next time say

watashi wa anata no te-ryori wo tabetai. <I want to eat your home cooking>

Anime Dad wrote:
...mangled English via Babelfish :hehe:

I would have thought you'd be used to that by now, reading all those English translations of Japanese home appliances. :hehe:

Tu_triky wrote:...and they treat their teachers like shiet.

I've heard a few people talking about past experience on gaijinpot and other site, and it's awful. They make sure you don't socialize with anyone, so you can't find a job elsewhere. If it wasn't for the random police checks on gaijins, they'd probably confiscate your passport, so you can't go back home either. :usuck: