2006-05-10, 11:28 | Link #41 | |
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 43
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2006-05-10, 13:51 | Link #42 | |
Subway Monster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Antarctica
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I've been living with a Japanese girl from Oita for nearly a year now and she said that majority of her friends are in love with English. Not so much speaking it, but wearing it. It's very popular for teenagers to buy shirts simply because they have English text on them. She's been sending nonsense home the entire time she's been here. As for American politics, I don't think most American teenagers care about it, yet alone people in a seemingly unaffected country. |
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2006-05-10, 22:20 | Link #43 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Age: 51
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2006-05-11, 12:21 | Link #44 | |
Ha ha ha ha ha...
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Right behind you.
Age: 35
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2006-05-11, 14:34 | Link #45 | |
Subway Monster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Antarctica
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2006-05-11, 15:11 | Link #46 | |
Senior Member
Artist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Montreal
Age: 43
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2006-05-12, 11:48 | Link #47 |
Ha ha ha ha ha...
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Right behind you.
Age: 35
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So the only difference is the long U? So another example might be like sayounara/sayonara?
Edit: ^Meaning just for this particular instance, not for the dialect as a whole.
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2006-05-13, 00:33 | Link #48 | |
日本語を食べません!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: San Francisco
Age: 42
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The new line of thinking is, "I want to get to know this person so why should we sit akwardly in a dark, overpriced theater for two hours?" |
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2006-05-13, 01:06 | Link #49 | |
Ha ha ha ha ha...
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Right behind you.
Age: 35
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2006-05-14, 20:55 | Link #50 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Age: 51
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most of my own first dates were coffee shop affairs. |
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2006-05-16, 13:27 | Link #52 | |
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 43
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Quote:
It's just not practical for merchants to have credit card swipers as the cost is too high as well. So, you cannot go to McDonald's and try to get a happy meal to pay it with your credit card. You have to pay cash. If everyone pays by cash in the first place and that's how it is, why would a merchant have to pay an extra cash to install a credit card machine (which I heard it is pretty expensive and maintain each month)? So, if you have a VISA or Mastercard and expect that it'll be accepted at a family restaurant like Jonathan's, you'll be surprised that most don't. So you better check the sticker on the entrance to see if that merchant accepts credit cards beforehand!!! On the other hand, Japan's credit card system is well developed that you can choose "ikkatsu" or "bunkatsu." Briefly explained: ikkatsu - charge it all at one shot. So if you buy a digital camera costing you 40,000 yen and choose ikkatsu, it will charged 40,000 yen for that payment period. bunkatsu - charge it in multiple installments (depends on what the dividing limit is). So if you buy a 40,000 yen digital camera and say bunkatsu in 4 months, you'll get charged 10,000 yen x 4 payment periods/months (minus finance charges of course). Unfortunately, this bunkatsu system works only for Japanese issued credit cards. So, if it's a Mastercard issued by Citibank Japan, yes you can do bunkatsu. But if you are a foreigner using a Mastercard issued by Citibank USA, then no - you only have the ikkatsu option. The dividing amount varies by the issuer, but it is usually up to 12 months. And when the time for summer and winter bonuses looms near, merchants will ask you "do you want this to be charged at bonus time?" That means the charge will come in at around the time those summer (mid June) and winter (mid December) bonuses are deposited into your bank accounts. The pros and cons for bunkatsu system? Pro: You're able to charge it less each month. Cons: You end up paying a bit more in the long run due to finance charges. Last edited by kj1980; 2006-05-16 at 13:52. |
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2006-05-16, 14:43 | Link #53 |
Artificial Flavors
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Nor-Cal
Age: 42
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So if most mechants don't take credit cards, does that mean debit cards are non existant also?
Personally i'm glad i rarely use cash when go out or buy things. Even though i pay more in charges, tax season is a breeze =p |
2006-05-16, 14:55 | Link #54 | |
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 43
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Hey, this is a country where our bank's ATMs aren't open 24/7. This is a country where the ATM hits you with surcharges if you draw your money after 6PM. This is a country where so much credit cards exist, and where Mastercard and VISA are not the norm. People own SAISON, DC, Orico, JCB cards. Never heard of them? It's because they are Japan only. If you own a major credit card in Japan, you are deemed to be: a. a show-off or, b. a rich guy who doesn't mind paying excess fees People are fine with paying with cash. Mom keeps the tab on the monthly earnings, dad gets his share, kids get their allowances. Kid needs cash? He or she gets a job. He or she gets paid in cash. |
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2006-05-16, 15:56 | Link #55 |
Snobby Gentleman
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Monterrey, México
Age: 44
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At least for myself, as of now I do not own a credit card. I have a debit card issued by the Enterprise where I work on, because employees at my workplace are paid with cash being deposited in their debit card.
Each Friday every fourteen days, we go to an ATM installed in the building. The procedure to insert the debit card and type a unique Identification number given to each employee. Then, we either can check the total cash amount deposited in the debit card or choose to withdraw certain amount of cash. The remaining amount that's not withdrawn stays on the debit card and sums up when the next pay deposit is made. I usually withdraw 90% of the total cash I get paid in the debit card every fourteen days and save the remainder 10% to accumulate with other cash that I had previously saved; like a piggy bank. Generally, I rarely use my debit card to pay at any local. In fact, I have only used it twice so far. Every when or at which rate Japanese employees are paid their work salaries? |
2006-05-16, 16:08 | Link #56 |
Thinking Different Member
Fansubber
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What about these vending machines I'v heard of that some how get payment information from your cell phone? Does that work on the same principle as a debit card (ie pulling money directly from your bank account) or does it get added to your cell phone bill?
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2006-05-16, 16:37 | Link #57 | |
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 43
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2006-05-16, 18:09 | Link #58 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Age: 51
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from a tourist point of view:
i never had a problem using a credit card at the important places. book off, gamers, etc... most of the smaller shops where i got souvenirs for other people did not take them. i had cash ready for the trip in the first place, but after hearing repeatedly, from like everyone, that i would not be able to use my credit cards, i found that to be not true. almost everyplace on the large shopping streets took them. mainly just the side street shops (some of which are the best depending on what you are after) would not / could not take them. |
2006-05-16, 18:19 | Link #59 | |
Gomen asobase desuwa!
Join Date: Nov 2003
Age: 43
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2006-05-17, 21:53 | Link #60 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Age: 51
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stayed in tokyo & osaka. so yes metro. i am most definately not arguing with you of all people. just stating for the tourist/vacation people that unless you go off the beaten path, it will not be too hard to find.
myself i am planning to be back in tokyo for the last week of June, and this time i am trying to find some less obvious things to do. it is a slow process since i can't read Nihongo yet, most english sites are just the same tourist information, but i'm slowly getting a rough itenerary put together. only going to be in tokyo this trip i have decided, but i want to see more of it and the surrounding area than my last breeze through. |
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culture, discussion, japan, japanese culture |
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