Japanese Culture

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by naoya

>>TinyRedLeaf
>1. But, Japanese companys have a tendency to want to emply Japanese.The foreign company is recommended if you will work at Japan.

Drat.

Originally Posted by naoya

>2 well・・・ my seinors get about 2,400~3,200$, normally.But most of companys provides biannual bonus. The amount of money is a salary of roughly 4 month.

Biannual bonus? How strange. It prevents workers from switching jobs easily, I guess. However, the bonus works out to be about the same as here in Singapore, if calculated on a yearly basis. The salary range you've quoted is significantly higher than the average starting pay for fresh university graduates in Singapore though (around 25% to 35% higher).

But living expenses for unmarried Singaporeans between 20 to 30-years-old are very much lower than Japan, I would expect. Probably around US$750 a month (assuming no car, no rent/mortgage loan, minimal insurance payments, etc).

Originally Posted by naoya

>3. Now I'm belong to the National university's department of Business Administration. Now I want to study that can be used by actually going into the workforce.

I graduated with a BSc(Hon) in Computer & Business Studies from the UK, nearly 10 years ago, and in my opinion, Business Administration is not very useful as a first degree. It is better to work at least three to five years and then pursue an MBA. That way, it would be easier understand the concepts taught in class.

Meanwhile, learn how to read financial statements and pay attention to business news. There are many kinds of businesses, so it is easier to focus on just a few industries first. (Like the animation industry for instance!) Study how companies are investing their capital, how much they are borrowing, and how much income & profit they earn as a result. This way, you can see which companies are successful and understand why.

Everything else about running a business is best learned through direct experience, eg, how to design a product/service (operations research & management), how to sell (sales & marketing), how to build a client relationship (marketing), how to manage your accounts (accounting & finance), etc. Most of this is common sense. You don't need to attend university to gain such knowledge. Some of the top entrepreneurs in the world today dropped out of university.

[LiberLibri]

Originally Posted by naoya

>>LiberLibri
I do not want to drink the one of the cucumber flavor so much.
As for the thing that wants to say as one consumer, I want company to stop the mass production of such a strange drink slowly.

I think market diversity is in principle desirable for the sound development of economy and culture.

As for the labour affairs, you can rely on the statistics by the government. According to the research in 2007, you see an average working person in twenties earn approximately 304 thousands JPY per month including tax and social insurances. He/she has 260 thousands JPY left in hand, and spends 230 thousands thereof.

However, note that such statistics are often deceptive; when the deviation is large the average does not reflect the reality. Today Japanese society suffers of a serious class-divide among young labourers. It is not the conflict between blue and white, but rather within white collars. The table of bonus amounts in winter 2007 shows us that specific consultants get 626 thousands while retailers do 360 thousands -- and we should note again that these are average values. The gap between the biggest company in the richest field and small ones in unpopular areas is terribly huge.

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

It prevents workers from switching jobs easily, I guess

Not really. If you resign in September, you get part of the winter bonus for July and August. That's because the biannual bonuses are parts of your employment fee (case of Japan Victor Computer Inc., 1978)

[tripperazn]

Originally Posted by naoya

>>tripperazn

>3 Well ...one.. twice a month, and when my friends come Tokyo, we go to the Akihabara.

Actually, my question was something like: 秋葉原でどんな活性をしますか？ (Sorry, my Japanese is terrible. Hopefully you understand what I am trying to say.)

1. What do you and your fellow Japanese otaku on 2ch think about foreigners who watch anime or read manga?

2. Have you ever eaten a Mega Mac (メガマック)? Why did it sell so well in Japan?

I think you're very smart to be working on your English, while pursuing a degree in Business. This is assuming that the US economy doesn't completely tank in the forseeable future.

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by naoya

Hello,I'm japanese and my name is naoya.

I'm interested in the foreinger's puestion about japn(akiba, manga,games,anime,culture,etc・・・)

Now I live in Yokohama and I'm from Miyazaki in Japan.I'm a University student.

I want to reply your question and lern Engrish this time around.

I'm poor at English but forgive me.

Youkoko, Animesuki e.
I hope as you help others here with Japanese culture, you also get to learn about American, British, European or other cultures around the world too, there are people from all corners of the earth on this forums

Also I suppose you'll eventually get to learn about what westerners think and how we feel about anime, manga and Japanese culture in general, we all have a great interest in your country

The more you practice reading and writing, the better your english becomes, so don't worry, just keep practicing.
(and i should take my own advice and join a japanese forum already) >.>

By the way,if you'll come to around Tokyo,for example akiba, I'll guide. And if you hope, never mind using my room.

This is my question, I made new friends with 3 japanese girls in London earlier this year, who I only met for about 3 hours and already they go:
'when you come to japan, you can stay at my house!'
Me: ... (But you barely know me.....)
- And the same on my mixi account, random invites from Japanese of:
'let's meet up offline and exchange culture!"
Me: - I don't even know you!

So question: Why are Japanese young people (mainly girls than boys) so trusting and open to strangers if they have interest in our culture. It's good to make friends, but to instantly make the offer of inviting strangers to your home?
なんか。。。無暗に信じすぎてではないか？

[Vexx]

Some of it is just the "innocence" of Japan -- they just don't assume you have bad intentions because (shock and awe) most of the time in Japan that is a correct assumption (weird rare public knife violence aside).

[Mystique]

*laughs*
I was just about to say 'uh, there's a certain newspost we both just replied to you know...'
I figure okay, that assumption with Japanese amongst Japanese is correct for most part, but if they come to different societies like London, NY, LA and so on, they still carry that sense of 'hey! You seem nice, come stay with me!' attitude...

Let's just say I've seen 4 years of that innocence being taken advantage of time and time again and am somewhat jaded/concerned for some Japanese native sometimes (esp girls)
But still, I'd love to know from naoya's side if she's ever had thoughts of concern that make her wary in any way...

[naoya]

>>Circular Logic

Sorry I've never been to the town.But I' ve heard these are not similar.


>>TinyRedLeaf

Biannual bonus has a certain reason.
[Summer bonus]: Japanese return each hometowns in summer and there are a month of summer vacation for children.
[Winter bonus]:Just like the above-mentioned we return the hometowns,and there are a custom called Otoshi-dama. Adult give the relative children money.
So most of people need more money in august and december.

Thank you for advices.


>>LiberLibri

I agree with your opinion. The diversity that sometimes we feel uselessness has a possbility of developing. I think a lot of technologies rise from the uselessnes.

Certainly, the pay gap is growing up between whites. But most of Japanese hate the recognition that define the blue or white, so both blue and white gets the bonus. (Details are not so told well. ) If I say that I hold labourer in derision, my friends hate me and I will be hit by father.


>>tripperazn

Mn・・・I usually buy books and games, or play with friends. Please don't worry your Japanese is suitable.

>1 Well, we think foreign otaku is so active or smart. Because most of Japanese otaku don't think about anime. For example, explaining by using the CODE GEASS, we don't think the britania's background. We think foreign otakus studing the production person's intention by anime's background or charactor's setting.

>2 I've eaten the it. But sorry, I don't know how it sells.

I'm not so smart that you think. I must learn the English, so I just start learning by using my hobby.


>>Mystique

Ok, I will write abot Japan regularity. I also want to question about foreign culture.
By the way I think my English is so bad. Do you think so, don't you?


Certainly, that you'are saying is right. Japanese trust others so easily. But we think that,we cannot be trusted by others if we can't trust others. And I'm thought eccentric character by my friends. I think so too.

Especially, my hometown trust others remarkably. Because my parents' family don't lock the house door though they goes out.

By the way I do not take in everyone in the house. If you have money you can check in the expensive hotel, you should so. My room isn't so wide. Additionally, there are Japanese proverb [情けは人の為ならず]. This mean that if you did benevolence, the benevolence reach you at last.

Can you understand my English.I'm afraid.


>>Vexx

I think so too. But all the people do not necessarily think so.
It is correct there are a good person and a bad person in the world, too.

[LiberLibri]

Newspapers are reporting more and more bloody crimes these days. Today an cruel violence occurred in Akihabara, causing 7 deaths. However, Japan is nonetheless five times as safe as the US and major European countries (comparison by UN). The crime rate as a whole has kept declining since 2002 when this state recorded its highest rate of crimes. It's no wonder some Japanese have innocent idea on international hosting. I remember my father, an enthusiastic chinoiserie, often offered the roof to Chinese young travellers he didn't know much.

[naoya]

>>Mystique

Mn・・・I think Japanese girls are more careful than boys.However they aren't careful than foreigers.

It might be achildish idea that Japanese have.


>>LiberLibri

The news was told quickly all of Japanese. And I heared the criminal is Yakuza. He hit stranger with his car. Aftar that, he stabbed victim to death. Such a big incident is unusual, and I don't want to happen the unpleasant event.
I think the crimer will deserve the dead crime.

As you say, Japanese crime rate is low. But it started rising recent.

By the way, I have a Chinese friend. He is a good person but sometimes he is embarrassed because he is emotional.

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by LiberLibri

Newspapers are reporting more and more bloody crimes these days. Today an cruel violence occurred in Akihabara, causing 7 deaths. However, Japan is nonetheless five times as safe as the US and major European countries (comparison by UN). The crime rate as a whole has kept declining since 2002 when this state recorded its highest rate of crimes. It's no wonder some Japanese have innocent idea on international hosting. I remember my father, an enthusiastic chinoiserie, often offered the roof to Chinese young travellers he didn't know much.

I think another major aspect concerning Japanese cutlure concerning incidents and crime is how many will actually report it and follow through a punishment
There are all kinds of stories on Japanese trains, some events due to either lecherous men, overcrowding or just a random stressed out person who goes psycho a lil, may do something which in the UK/America would end up with some kinda of verbal or physical retribution (thus police may get involved) but in Japan, people generally 'ignore' or keep quiet, even if they have been wronged.
If there's more of the latter, than the stats would be a lil off if we were to take in the population vs the reported crime ratio.
-Still i figure Japan is almost the same as any other country, I had to watch J-news about 3-4 times a week for 2 months as preperation for JLPT, it got to a point i'd raise wagers with myself about what kind of stories I'd get.

5x suicide
4x fire incident
3x road accidents
2x murders
(and so on...)

Then again, anyone watching news day in, day out is bound to eventually get a bleak outlook since its mainly bad things that make headlines
@ Naoya - I can understand your meaning in your replies

[LiberLibri]

Originally Posted by Mystique

I think another major aspect concerning Japanese cutlure concerning incidents and crime is how many will actually report it and follow through a punishment...)

You have a good point there. The tendency is manifest inter alia in the case of sexual offences.

FBI marked 92,445 forcible rapes in 2006. In the same year, Japanese police reported only 1,948 cases. Although the difference in definition of "rape" affects the numbers, the vast gap cannot be justified only from the actual safety levels. Similarly as some Asian countries, the victims of sexual crimes in Japan are reluctant to appeal to the police because they feel ashamed to have been attacked.

And media, yes, Japanese TV programmes are always talking about crimes, but it is rather because of the business model than of the actual hazardous situation, I think. Until the 90s BBC had had no need in provoking and scandalous news to satisfy public curiosity thanks to the monopoly status; Sky News is a fresh company with less than two decades history, and therefore has kept its quality. Imagine Mirror and Sun broadcasting -- it is the media world in Japan.

[Autumn Demon]

Doesn't Japan also have like a 99% conviction rate?

I saw the movie Soredemo boku wa yattenai (eng title: I Just Didn't Do It) and that made it seem like if you're accused of breaking a law then you're completely screwed.

[Kang Seung Jae]

Originally Posted by Autumn Demon

Doesn't Japan also have like a 99% conviction rate?

Of reported crimes. That's different from total crimes.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by naoya

>>TinyRedLeaf
Biannual bonus has a certain reason.

I misunderstood "biannual" to mean once every two years. I am very embarrassed. I must have been half-asleep when reading your reply.

Originally Posted by naoya

[Summer bonus]: Japanese return each hometowns in summer and there are a month of summer vacation for children.
[Winter bonus]:Just like the above-mentioned we return the hometowns,and there are a custom called Otoshi-dama. Adult give the relative children money.
So most of people need more money in august and december.

Otoshi-dama sounds like the Chinese custom of giving money to younger relatives during Chinese New Year. Can you tell me more about this custom?

Originally Posted by naoya

Thank you for advices.

You are welcome.

I met many Japanese at my university and they were nice people. One guy was quite "crazy" - he turned his dorm room into a mini video arcade and pretended to be a race car driver while playing simulation games on his Nintendo 64. He was a very humorous person, always fun to hang around with.

As you can see, I have fond memories of Japanese while studying at university (other than for the Japanese girl who rejected me ). Feel free to ask me about university life (and education) in the UK, from a foreigner's perspective.


New Question:
What is the reaction in Tokyo right now, after the Akihabara incident? What is the media saying?

[LiberLibri]

Originally Posted by Autumn Demon

Doesn't Japan also have like a 99% conviction rate?

I saw the movie Soredemo boku wa yattenai (eng title: I Just Didn't Do It) and that made it seem like if you're accused of breaking a law then you're completely screwed.

Yes. Strictly speaking, the conviction rate has been 99.9%; only 0.1% of the suspects could prove their innocence. But it is rather a statistical magic.

Even after your are arrested by the police, the prosecutor might give up the indictment if there seems no solid proof because he/she does not want to fight a hopeless battle. Prosecutors are elites and wish to keep their careers glorious. In other words, if you are criminally charged, it means that the prosecutor has great confidence to prove your guilt. It is true that the ratio of the punished to the prosecuted is so high, but the number of not-prosecuted is also remarkable. The criminal report of 2006 tells that 798,130 were prosecuted and 1,084,038 were released without indictments.

The prosecution system is highly problematic from a viewpoint of human rights. The UN Human Rights Committee and Amnesty International have often criticised it. That is partly because of the limited human resource of prosecutors, so the government began to increase the number of judicial professionals by lowering the exam standard in 2004. I am not sure the policy be effective, though.

[naoya]

>>Mystique

Thank you for understanding my English.


>>LiberLibri

I think so too. Certainly, we want to know the actual hazardous situation.


>>Autumn Demon
>>Kang Seung Jae

I think the rate of 99% is right. Japanese polices must get arresting warrent when they start arrest the climinal.

By the way, may I question Kang Seung Jae?
Today I saw a news that it is pleased for some South Koreans that sorrowful crime that occurs in Akihabara.

Do general South Koreans dislike/hate Japan or Japanese?
I want to know it.


>>TinyRedLeaf

I'm sorry that my English confuse you and I can't tell you well the Otoshi-dama. Otoshi-dama[お年玉]　has two meanings. One is rice cake[餅], another is soul　[魂]. But I don't know detailed.

OK, I want to ask you about oil. The oil's price is rising too quickly. Cannot now oil's price do the basis of industry any longer?


To a quite ridiculous thing Jpanese media such as TV, newspaper say that the criminal is otaku so he did.
But some newspaper possible to trust is saying that he is contract worker so he did. There is a his company's office in Akihabara,so he has been to Akihabara and known there are many people in Akihabara. He has written the Internet bulletin board that he was going to kill many people. He had the grudge with the company, because his tratment by his company is too bad.

A lot of Japanese TVs hate otaku, internet, anime, manga. They want to rule our information..

>>LiberLibri

You are great!
What you're saying is almost right. Most of Japanese don't know it and want to know it.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by naoya

OK, I want to ask you about oil. The oil's price is rising too quickly. Cannot now oil's price do the basis of industry any longer?

Wow, that question came out of the blue.

It so happens that the Japanese girl who rejected me was studying foreign policy at my university. In particular, she explained the complexities of Japanese policy with regards to this highly strategic resource. This was more than 10 years ago, mind you, when oil was still considered "cheap".

My answer to your question is not simple to explain:

1) In truth, there is no actual shortage of oil at this moment. Opec and Russia are producing enough to meet short term global demand.

2) Financial speculation is the major cause of the sharp oil prices this year.

3) This is because of the huge subprime crisis in the US and also, to a smaller extent, in the UK. Confidence in the American economy has fallen dramatically and financial capital is fleeing the country.

4) As recession looms in the US, investors flee to commodities such as gold. Buying gold has traditionally been a good way to preserve the value of your money during recession.

5) As commodity prices rise, they look increasingly attractive as investments. Since the beginning of this year, more and more investors have started to buy valuable metals, oil and even food commodities. As demand increases, the prices go up higher still and attract even more investors. This is a classic bubble. It will eventually deflate or burst.

=====

So, what is my recommended short term solution? Simple: Bite the bullet. Let oil prices rise. Don't try to fight it with subsidies. It won't work - you will only cause the government to go bankrupt.

There will be a very painful period of adjustment for many people, due to cost-driven inflation. But here is the key - in terms of economic fundamentals, the world economy has not collapsed yet. We still have China and India to pull it along. Demand remains strong throughout East Asia, even though we are starting to grow nervous about our prosects in 2008-2009.

As long as demand remains strong, keep producing. Keep generating revenue through productivity growth. Eventually, company incomes will rise, assuming they are being run properly. In turn, salaries will rise to keep up with increased prices.

Oil prices are likely to stay high for the rest of 2008 through 2009. In the meantime, people will simply have to adjust to the new reality. But this will be very much harder for poorer countries, where people barely earn enough to eat.

In other words, oil will remain the basis of industry for many more years to come, because there is currently no economic alternative.

=====

In a way, high oil prices is good for the future, because:

a) It forces people to conserve energy. Especially Americans who are overly fond of big, fuel-hungry cars.

b) It makes alternative energy sources more attractive. For example, wind, wave and solar energy. The high prices are even starting to make nuclear energy look attractive once more.

In the short to medium term, Japan will need to continue managing good relations with OPEC countries to ensure safe supplies of oil. It will need to expand its manufacturing ties to China, to lower its cost base and maintain productivity growth.

In the long term, Japan must continue to invest in alternative energy sources. It must also open its economy to greater foreign competition. At very least, Japan cannot avoid the immigration solution very much longer - its population is falling and the country will need to rely on more foreign labour in the future.

(In other words, please hire me! I may want to work in Japan in another few years. )

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

I misunderstood "biannual" to mean once every two years.

It does, actually. "Semi-annual" means every six months. "semi" = "half"; "bi" = "two."

@naoya - Don't worry, many native English speakers don't get these right either.

Otoshi-dama sounds like the Chinese custom of giving money to younger relatives during Chinese New Year. Can you tell me more about this custom?

It comes up quite a bit in Dennou Coil where the kids rely on these funds for expensive toys related to the cyber-universe they inhabit.

I have a question that I've wondered about for some time now. In shows like Dennou Coil or Noein the cast consists of elementary school age children who have epic adventures outside their homes. Often these kids walk all over their towns and, in some cases, into some of their towns' less-savory locations (those waterfront warehouses in Noein, for example). In America a large segment of middle-class parents live in constant fear that their children will be snatched out from underneath their eyes by faceless strangers. As a result many children are driven all over town by their parents (usually their mothers) as they go from school to dance class to soccer practice. Are Japanese parents more trusting that their kids can wander around without supervision and without fear, or is this an anime portrayal with little real-life justification?

[Mystique]

If you don't mind I'll answer a lil Seiji.
Kids begin shogakkou (elementary?) at age 6, where they're given a huge ass backpack for their materials as well as naturally wearing uniforms according to their school.
In Japan, I've seen a bunch of 6-8 year old girls walk down a random busy road, (they said 'hi to us' and me and my other western friends thought this was adorable yet surreal), i've seen many individually jump on the train and make the same 15mins train journey I used to make to their schools, many walk with their friends or neighbours to school;
Rarely is there adult supervision nearby to be honest, they seem to wander free for most part and are fairly diligent about going to school and coming back home (as in no bunking)

[Rembr]

As a result many children are driven all over town by their parents (usually their mothers) as they go from school to dance class to soccer practice.

The difference is that in Japan you can get to places without the use of cars.