2012-12-09, 04:59 | Link #2621 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
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I remember wasting away my summer vacation in the late '90s watching their epic dramas on this OTA channel http://www.la18.tv/ |
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2012-12-09, 14:19 | Link #2622 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
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One example of Korean "Historical" film:The Divine Weapon
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2012-12-10, 23:31 | Link #2624 |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 34
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I always found the blanket-table thing that they show in anime an interesting little tidbit of Japanese culture. Anyone know what I'm attempting to refer to? They sometimes portray characters finding it relieving in cold settings.
As for me, I like sleeping in cold temperatures (window open during winter) with one-two very warm blankets. |
2012-12-10, 23:47 | Link #2626 |
廉頗
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Age: 34
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I have been making regular visits to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The whole place is history nerd heaven and I get excited just thinking of going through there. Last time I spent a good long while going through the Japanese section (as opposed to my usual Roman, Greek and Egyptian haunts).
There was a really funny and charming painting from the feudal period portraying the 'eternal war between cats and mice,' with each donning samurai armor with their battles portrayed in an almost comic style series of panels. I also found the Buddhist statues from the Japanese section particularly impressive. While the Chinese ones were better represented, the attention to detail paired with the mores of simplicity gave the Japanese ones a certain aura of peace and tranquility. There was also a spectacular statue made of wood and bronze from the feudal period representing a traditional god with an extremely expressive oni-like face. I am having trouble remembering the name of the deity (I will find out my next visit), but I was in awe when viewing it. I need to really give the Asian section another, in depth look next time. I always spend hours inspecting Roman works and neglect other parts of the world. I don't understand how some people zip through each room, I become captivated and entranced until I run out of time, lol. Needless to say, anyone in Boston should give the MFA a visit if they are fond of history. |
2012-12-15, 20:14 | Link #2627 |
AS Oji-kun
Join Date: Nov 2006
Age: 74
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Reflections on Japan's Baby Shortage
She recommends three policy changes, none of which strike me as politically feasible: 1) Expand the number of publicly-subsidized daycare centers. The estimated cost of raising a child in Japan is over $70,000 for just the first five years, 2.5 times the figure in the US. This is perhaps the only suggestion that I could see having some political leverage, but can it be sold to an increasingly aging population if it means taxing them to pay for young parents' needs? 2) Replace promotion by seniority with promotion based on skills. This seems especially implausible given the nature of Japanese society and its industrial culture. 3) Expand incentives for women to return to the labor force after childbirth. This seems like a non-starter to me as well. Of course, there is always the fourth option of expanding immigration, but the odds of that happening seem even less than any of the other alternatives. If the LDP requires the support of guys like Ishihara to forge a majority coalition in the Diet after this election, I see no chance for a more open immigration policy.
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2012-12-15, 20:34 | Link #2628 | |
勇者
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Tesla Leicht Institute
Age: 34
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2012-12-16, 10:37 | Link #2629 | ||
Moving in circles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
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I strongly doubt Japan will adopt a stronger immigration policy. The reason is tied to same factor that contributed to the LDP's return to power. Politicians ignore youth vote in ageing nation Quote:
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2012-12-16, 12:16 | Link #2630 |
AS Oji-kun
Join Date: Nov 2006
Age: 74
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The Times article talked about the depopulation of the countryside. I recall reading at some point how the Japanese electoral system is gerrymandered in favor of rural constituencies. I'd be curious to see how many voters it takes to elect a Diet member from a rural area versus one from Kyoto or Tokyo.
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2012-12-16, 12:46 | Link #2631 | |
Moving in circles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
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2012-12-16, 14:29 | Link #2632 | ||
AS Oji-kun
Join Date: Nov 2006
Age: 74
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A Landslide without a Mandate
Estimates from exit polling suggest an LDP majority of 270-300 of the 480 seats in the Diet. Quote:
I would have thought the DPJ might have made some effort to reform the electoral system since it clearly favors their opponents. As for the lack of appeals to younger voters, this comment was telling: Quote:
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2012-12-16, 17:20 | Link #2633 | |
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Montreal, QC, Canada
Age: 40
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Point number 2: that would be quite the most difficult part considering the mentality. However, it only requires a group of people with enough charisma to lead the charge and force the clash of generations that is due once in a while. Point number 3: dunno why it would not be feasible. If you change your paradigm into something based on a 2-parent model for parental leave, women would see advantages in coming back to work. I think this kind of policy change has to be combined with what is proposed in 1). About today's election, the prospect is really not optimistic at all. I wish there could be someone, male or female, who'd be able to find a way to "shake up the supporting columns/pillars of the temple" in order to change the picture of politics in Japan. P.S. IMHO, Toru Hashimoto committed a fatal mistake by allying himself with that twat ishihara. Shame on him forever! |
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2012-12-16, 20:55 | Link #2634 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
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And getting massive influx of immigrants that are good for society is not easy to pull off, especially if the country's language does not happen to be the world language. You could of course open the borders for Turkey, Africa and the Middle-East like Europe does(in practice, not theoretically), but that does create more problems than it solves. Last edited by sneaker; 2012-12-16 at 22:28. |
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2012-12-16, 21:37 | Link #2635 | |
Moving in circles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
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Oh wait, maybe I've been drinking too much of Library Wars' Kool-Aid. |
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2012-12-17, 08:55 | Link #2637 | |||
Moving in circles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
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Hashimoto aims to change Japan through political reform Quote:
The significance of points (2) and (3) is harder to explain. - As I understand it, the bicameral Japanese Diet is peculiar in that it's the lower house, the 480-member House of Representatives, that actually has more power to pass the country's laws, not the 242-member House of Councillors. That being the case, scrapping the upper house would remove one potential threat of filibuster, and would help break political deadlock at the national level. Points (4) and (5) are closely linked, and are even harder to explain. They will however be the basis of Hashimoto's ambition to form "American-style" federal states — assuming he ever gets that far.
As for SeijiSensei's reference to the Sengokujidai, that's just him observing that the turbulent period was effectively the last time that Japan truly had independent states under the nominal command of a central ruler (the Ashikaga Shoguns, who, ironically, ruled in the Emperor's name). Feudal federalism, as it were. |
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2012-12-17, 10:22 | Link #2638 | |
Nyaaan~~
Join Date: Feb 2006
Age: 40
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Japanese Nationalism Swells in Tokyo’s Geek District
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Interesting that seeing flags waving about is causing consternation among some of the populous. Coming from a western nation, a certain degree of national pride is expected, but it seems like there are mixed feelings about it due to people blaming nationalism and fascism for the militarism of the nation / suffering post-war. I'm personally not against the proposed constitutional amendments, but I wonder if it'll ever come to pass. Reply hazy, ask again later |
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2012-12-17, 12:15 | Link #2639 |
Knight Errant
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Age: 35
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Regarding promoting procreation:
I find it odd that the Japanese can't swing pro-children legislation past it's senior citizen voter base. Seniors tend to skew conservative, and pro-family legislation tends to be a conservative cause. Furthermore, don't Japanese seniors want to have more grandchildren? Usually it's the youth vote (<25s) that don't lobby for pro-family legislation, as they still haven't planned to have children yet. I don't see how increasing the political involvement of Japan's youth will create the conditions to pass the legislation to arrest Japan's population decline. Perhaps Japan needs to look at the pro-family legislation passed in countries like France. France is an interesting case as it managed to reverse a declining birth rate and now maintains a birth rate of 2.01. Not only that, but most of those children (72%) are not being born to immigrants, while a quarter of France's population is of immigrant origin(so the French population has similar fertility rates to the immigrant population). |
2012-12-17, 12:46 | Link #2640 | |
Master of Coin
Join Date: Mar 2008
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I believe two years ago they had a policy of asking Brazilian Immigrants, some second generation, offer them money to visit Brazil with the caveat of not coming back. That is kind of mean, especially since Brazil is consider to be highly "friendly" as opposed to say, Chinese or Koreans living in Japan (which presumably has an even worse deal) =/ |
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culture, discussion, japan, japanese culture |
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