The unbelievable demands and complaints made by parents in Japan

LINK By Preston Phro

Lifestyle Apr. 16, 2014 - 07:02AM JST ( 24 )

TOKYO —

“Monster parents” aren’t anything new in Japan – the complaints by and about overbearing, demanding mothers and fathers have been on the increase for nearly a decade. But thanks to a report by the Fuji TV program “Nonstop,” the issue has catapulted squarely back into the public conscious.

The show posted some of the crazier complaints allegedly made by these loudmouthed parents to schools and their kids’ teachers, sparking angry and bewildered comments online. We’ve collected some of the best (worst?) below.

To begin with, what, exactly, are these parents getting so upset about? If we’re being totally honest, no education system is perfect–with the possible exception of North Korea, perhaps–so maybe they have some legitimate grievances. We shouldn’t immediately dismiss someone without at least getting an idea of what they’re saying, right?

Well, here’s a list of some of the complaints reported by Nonstop.

“Don’t make my child take part in school cleaning. Hire a janitor! [In Japan, students ordinarily clean the school every day after class]“

“Why weren’t the cherry trees blooming at the school entrance ceremony?”

“Separating my boy from his friends at pre-school creates trouble. I want them to be together all the time.”

“My daughter got a sunburn on field day.”

“My daughter wants to be an idol, so don’t put her in a seat by the window!”

“School lunches lack flavor.”

“Don’t make my child say ‘Itadakimasu!’ before eating! [“Itadakimasu” literally means “I humbly receive,” and it used before eating by most Japanese people. It could be compared to saying grace, but there aren’t the same religious undertones to it.]“

“My son got hurt, so I demand the school pays for his medical bills. And for our dinner!”

“I can’t believe my boy got bitten by a bug! Don’t let insects come near him again!”

“Give my child an instrument that stands out!”

“My child can’t use chopsticks properly!”

Some of these are, for want of a better word, unbelievable. How could anyone complain about the cherry trees not blossoming during the entrance ceremony? And what, exactly, did they expect the teachers to do about it? Glue petals to them? Trick the trees into thinking spring had arrived?

Of course, not every parent in Japan is a monster parent. And plenty of people are annoyed by their behavior. Not that explaining the problem helps – another TV show documented some of the monster parent types in 2010, including a “gyaku gire” (reverse anger) mother. In the show, a group of mothers came to watch their children’s classes, but instead of paying attention to the teacher, they stood in the back and chatted among themselves. When the teacher finally asked them to be quiet, one of the mothers, feeling singled out, became irate and berated the teacher for creating a class so boring she felt compelled to chat instead of listen.

So, how did Internet commenters react to the “Nonstop” report?

“If you going to be like that, don’t send your kids to school!”

“Just looking at monster parents pisses me off!”

“The children of these parents are bound to be worthless”.

“Does anyone know how to make cherry trees blossom?”

“Teachers should snap at these kinds of unreasonable parents.”

“These monsters are scary. I wonder if there is any end to their reproduction…”

“Aren’t they bothering their own kids as well?”

“When my daughter was in elementary school, the parents would go and clean the bathrooms…”

“This can only lead to fewer teachers…”

“These parents need some mandatory education!”

“This is where useless people who can’t survive in society come from. Seriously.”

“Where’s a monster hunter when you need one?”

“‘Itadakimasu!’”

Sadly, a lot of these complaints probably don’t sound uncommon to people outside of Japan. We understand that parenting is hard – and probably a little scary – so it’s not surprising that some people go a bit overboard and demand a lot from the schools they’re sending their kids to, but no one can control when the sakura trees blossom. It’s no wonder teachers feel so exhausted in Japan.

Well, at least we know where all those monster new employees are coming from.

The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-14

Japan's Biggest Organized Crime Syndicate Now Has Its Own Web Site and Theme Song

By Jake Adelstein and Nathalie-Kyoko Stucky

April 1, 2014 | 4:25 pm

Japan’s largest organized crime group, the Yamaguchi-gumi, recently launched its own website. But if you're hoping to see guys with crazy tattoos, dramatic gun battles, bloody sword fights, and fingers being chopped off — and who isn't? — it may disappoint.

For starters, the site looks like it was created in the late 1990s. Still, the criminal syndicate is hoping it'll serve as a recruitment tool as the membership of yakuza organizations shrink and public support for them falls. And the branding reflects this; the site at first appears to be for an organization known as the Banish Drugs and Purify The Nation League — or Drug Expulsion of Land Purification Alliance, as Google translates it. The "purify the nation" thing is potentially unsettling, but it still doesn't sound like a criminal organization.

But it was founded by one. The then-leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi founded it in 1963 as a group “dedicated to the eradication of amphetamine abuse.” Sources familiar with the syndicate told VICE News that the site was launched under the Banish Drugs… monicker to, one, remind Yamaguchi-gumi members to behave themselves, and two, to convince people that the Yamaguchi-gumi is not “an anti-social force,” as they're called by police, and are instead a “humanitarian organization.”

However, veteran police detective told us that they suspect the site may be a signal that the Yamaguchi-gumi plans to expand their operations. Japan has 21 designated organized crime-groups — the yakuza — each with their own corporate logo, office, and business cards. The groups are patriarchal pseudo-family organizations structured like a pyramid, with the top boss known as the oyabun ["father figure"] and those under him known as kobun ["children"]. They each control different regions of the country.

The yakuza retains a significant foothold in Japanese popular culture, with two monthly fanzines and several weekly magazines that glorify their exploits. According to the National Police Agency, from 1992 to 2010, the number of yakuza members and associates remained steady at roughly 80,000. But extensive crackdowns by police and the tightening of laws have resulted in a major decline in numbers since then; this year, the yakuza reached a record low of about 60,000 members. The Yamaguchi-gumi, based in the western city of Kobe, is by far the largest syndicate with about 25,600 members. As recently as 2008, however, it boasted more than 40,000.

A Yamaguchi-gumi video, complete with theme song

Whatever the true purpose of the site, the Yamaguchi-gumi isn't screwing around with its anti-drug message. When amphetamine-based stimulants came onto the Japanese market in 1931, they were used for everything from fighting low blood pressure to motivating kamikaze pilots. At the end of WWII, huge military stocks were dumped onto the civilian market, making it popular to combat fatigue and hunger, leading to an explosion of consumption between 1945 and 1955. Meth addicts predictably committed a number of horrendous crimes, and the public demanded government control.

Kazuo Taoka, the Yamaguchi-gumi oyabun who founded Banish Drugs and Purify the Nation, had great disdain for drug use. And the current oyabun, Tsukasa Shinobu, shares those views. Drug addicts among the Japanese mafia are generally dismissed, and drug dealing is perceived as a more harmful crime than prostitution, gambling, blackmailing, or racketeering. The yakuza believe that drugs harm people, drug addicts are prone to violent actions, and drug use creates a weak country. Dealing drugs is also considered to be an activity that lacks initiative and intelligence and is unworthy of the “noble yakuza.”

At the top of the homepage is a video of the Yamaguchi-gumi upper echelon making their first 2014 visit to the local shrine, and playing in the background is the group's newly released theme song, Ninkyo Hitosuji [“Devoted To Chivalry"]. The first refrain goes something like:

“With nothing but my courage / and this body / I’ll trust myself to the life of a yakuza / and follow this path I’ve decided on / in Nagoya / The Yamaguchi-gumi emblem is our life / dedicated to chivalry / that’s the spirit of a man”

A moving message — but maybe not a tune that'll appeal to Millennials.

The various sections of the web site offer glimpses into the gang’s daily life and efforts to get along with the community. There are videos of Yamaguchi-gumi members pounding rice cakes at the end of the year, showing that they're good neighbors. There are also photos of the emergency relief provided by the syndicate after the Kobe earthquake in 1993 and after the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011.

The true purpose of the site is probably known only to the upper echelon of the syndicate — and, judging by the way the site looks, they may also have been the ones who built it. That said, we strongly suggest that you do not make any disparaging comments on the site. Trolling the yakuza is not a good idea.

The Divine Wind Vault

http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com

(C)2006-14

Where Should You Live Abroad? A Guide for Budding Expats

For the complete listing, please go to: http://www.policymic.com/articles/84717/where-should-you-live-abroad-a-guide-for-budding-expats

5. For the (future) business mogul: Japan and Korea

Nothing beats the the fermented ginger and cabbage of Northeast Asia.

Japan remains a big draw for businesses by continuing to build some of the world's best cars and electronics, with names like Honda, Toyota, Sony and Canon. According to a CBS report, American businesses continue to send people over to ensure a hand in the quality products Japan is producing, despite being an expensive place to live.

Just across the East Sea from Japan lies Korea, which also has been a strong draw to American businesses (Samsung, LG, Kia and Hyundai are all based in and around the bustling metropolis of Seoul). With a lower cost of living than Japan, Korea is a rising haven for expats looking for comfortable place to live overseas. Both countries also attract large populations of expat English teachers for public and private schools as well. The downside? Both can be a little inaccessible in the first year, but with patience you'll feel right at home.

Be sure to try the kimchi.

The Divine Wind Vault

http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com

(C)2006-14

5 reasons foreigners find it hard to become friends with Japanese people

5 reasons foreigners find it hard to become friends with Japanese people

By Mike

Lifestyle Mar. 14, 2014 - 06:45AM JST

TOKYO —

With all the controversy surrounding a recent “racist” All Nippon Airlines ad, the Japanese and Western media have both been abuzz with the question of whether foreign people can ever truly become respected Japanese citizens – accepted by their community and deemed worthy of the right to not be the recipient of extraordinary treatment.

But this conversation has been going on a long, long time in the expat community in Japan, with a lot of otherwise Japanophile foreigners finding it hard to befriend the Japanese on a higher-than-acquaintance level. Why? Well, frequent source of opinion and cultural commentary Madame Riri has compiled a few of the reasons:

The “Gaijin Card”

The so-called “Gaijin Card” is a much-talked about wildcard that foreigners can use to gain instant forgiveness for cultural transgressions in Japan. The famously confrontation-averse Japanese will go to great lengths to avoid having a lengthy or complicated conversation with people in English, which means feigning ignorance of the Japanese language or Japanese etiquette can net you all kinds of bonuses in social situations that a regular Japanese person wouldn’t get.

But the Gaijin Card is a two-way street: No matter how hard you try to assimilate into Japanese culture, you will forever be a perpetual “other.” The word gaijin, in fact, is a slightly derogatory but universally accepted label for foreigners in Japan that essentially means “outsiders”, and the Japanese will never stop calling you one no matter how close your relationship or how long you’ve been a resident. There is a whole category of Japanese people that foreign exchange students and long-term expats refer to as “Gaijin Hunters;” Japanese that go out of their way to befriend foreigners, typically for self-serving purposes like free English lessons, street cred, or Hollywood movie-style romance, whether that’s a fair label or not.

Comparatively rare, however, is the Japanese person who will treat you like just another human being. Foreigners must constantly endure having their “outside-ness” “discussed openly in conversation, and I’ve had more than one friendship crumble upon learning a Japanese “friend” had actually been keeping me around for the free English lessons.

The constant praise

On the surface, this seems like something everybody would want. It feels great when people earnestly praise your language skills, your exotic looks, and your unique skill set. It’s another thing entirely when people constantly compliment your most rudimentary skills like using chopsticks and saying “thank you” in Japanese.

These little backhanded compliments are referred to in sociology by the relatively new term of “Microaggressions.” Essentially, when a Japanese person compliments your basic chopstick use or your above-average pronunciation of rudimentary Japanese phrases, asks, “When will you go back to your home country?” or, “Do you like Japanese women?,” these people are essentially re-affirming your “otherness;” Confirming their own stereotypes about foreigners while at the same time presenting it in a complimentary fashion that feels difficult to refute or take offense to.

The mystery

While you feel conflicted about stereotyping the Japanese right after several paragraphs of complaining about the Japanese stereotyping other people, it really does feel like the Japanese tend to mince words. It’s difficult being friends with a person who never truly tells directly how they feel or what they think. The Japanese language, in fact, lends itself perfectly to dodging around giving your true opinion on something, with phrases such as, “sore ha chotto…” (“Well, that’s a little…”) being readily accepted in the lexicon as a legitimate rejection of an offer. No reason ever need be given to reject or accept an invitation or opinion, often leaving foreigners scratching their heads about their Japanese friends’ true intentions and feelings.

The constant planning

Again, to step into stereotype territory, the Japanese seem to be “planners.” That is, you often must go through lengthy e-mail and phone exchanges to settle on an exact time and place to meet your Japanese friend, and sometimes the ultimate meeting time can be months on the horizon. On the other hand, I’ve been the recipient of a fair amount of Japanese frustration because, as a Midwestern American, I tend to plan things off the cuff; sometimes at the very last minute or at the spur of the moment. That’s just how I roll. But I find this often clashes with the methodical nature of planning social gatherings in Japan.

Is either way right or wrong? No. But are the two styles compatible? Uh… Not really, and many foreigners find this lack of flexibility hard to stomach.

It takes time

When I was in college, I found it incredibly easy to strike up a conversation with another student in line at the food court or sitting next to each other in class. After a few short exchanges, a friendship seemed to instantly sprout up out of the ether. Soon enough, I’d be seeing the same people at parties and hosting them in my disgusting college-boy “apartment” (probably classified by normal people as a “disaster area”).

In Japan, striking up a conversation is easy enough, but it takes months or even years for that first contact to bloom into a substantial relationship. This goes back to the deeply-ingrained Japanese philosophy of “uchi” and “soto;” Essentially, close co-workers, family members and long-term friends are “uchi” (“inside”) and everyone else is “soto” (“outside”). Working your way up from soto to uchi thus takes a very long time and a lot of favor giving-and-taking.

This all isn’t to say that meaningful relationships with Japanese people is impossible. On the contrary, I’ve had Japanese friends run to my aid in times of need when other Western friends seemed mysteriously absent. On the one hand, close friendships with Japanese people are extremely rewarding and almost always last a lifetime, but on the other hand, getting to that point can quite frankly be a pain in the ass.

Source: Madame Riri

The Divine Wind Vault

http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com

(C)2006-14

Bitcoin is not a currency

Cabinet: Bitcoin is not a currency

by Reiji Yoshida

Under Japanese law, bitcoins are not recognized as currency and transactions using it should be taxed based on the income, corporate and consumption tax laws, the Cabinet announced Friday in a written statement.

The statement was issued in response to a written question from Upper House member Tsutomu Okubo of the Democratic Party of Japan.

During his daily news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the Finance Ministry should consider how it can tax bitcoin-based transactions.

“In general, it is only natural for the Finance Ministry to consider how it can tax transactions if they generate a profit,” Suga said.

The Cabinet’s written statement also said the Bank Law does not allow banks in Japan to open bitcoin deposit accounts, broker buying and selling of bitcoins or exchange bitcoins for foreign currencies on behalf of their customers.

Investors have been keenly interested in how the government will regulate bitcoins after Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, the world’s largest bitcoin exchange, filed for bankruptcy Feb. 28 in a major international scandal, claiming its system was hacked and had lost all of its deposits of 750,000 bitcoins (valued at around $500 million) as well as ¥2.8 billion in cash in customer accounts, along with 100,000 bitcoins of its own.

Asked how the government would regulate bitcoins in response to Mt. Gox’s bankruptcy, Suga only said the Abe administration is still analyzing the situation.

“Right now we are studying what we can do under existing laws,” he said, adding that officials will “keep watching” the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings of Mt. Gox.

Financial regulators across the world are now trying to determine if and how they can regulate virtual, Net-based currencies like bitcoins.

Bitcoin transactions have reportedly been used in illicit dealings, such as money-laundering operations.

The administration was also asked if bitcoins can be used to launder ill-gotten money and how this can be regulated, but the Cabinet statement did not address this issue.

“It is difficult to answer (that question) at this stage, because how bitcoins are actually being used and other situations are not clear,” the administration said.

The Divine Wind Vault

http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com

(C)2006-14

GPod - The cost of living in Tokyo

http://www.japantoday.com/category/podcast/view/gpod-the-cost-of-living-in-Tokyo

by Anthony Joh

 

Tokyo is known as one of the most expensive cities in the world to live, but how much does it actually cost to live here?

On this episode of the GPod, Anthony is joined by Reno Tibke from AkihabaraNews to discuss the true cost of living in Tokyo.

We break down our monthly fixed living expenses, cover various transportation costs, internet connectivity and annual taxes that you will be required to pay.

While the cost of living in Tokyo can vary greatly depending on the location, these numbers should give you a rough estimate of what it costs to start you new life in Tokyo.

We aslo briefly cover food and entertainment in the show but we didn’t include specific prices as those costs will vary depending on your lifestyle.

Anthony’s Expenses
Rent: ¥75,000
Gas: ¥3000 ~ ¥4500
Water: Included with the rent
Electric: Included with the rent
Home Internet: ¥6121
Mobile Phone: ¥7800
Transportation: ¥7600

Reno’s Expenses
Rent: ¥78,000
Gas: ¥3000 ~ ¥4500
Water: ¥2000
Electric: ¥5500 ~ ¥6500
Home Internet: ¥2500 (¥30,000 router cost)
Mobile Phone: ¥7800
Transportation: ¥12,800

Taxes

Salary Simulation provided by Capital Tax
	Year 1			Year 2
	Monthly	Yearly		Monthly	Yearly
Base Salary	250,000	3,000,000		250,000	3,000,000
Health Insurance	12,961	155,532		12,961	155,532
Pension Insurance	22,256	267,072		22,256	267,072
Total Insurance	35,217	422,604		35,217	422,604
Inhabitant Tax	0	0		13,459	161,508
Income Tax	5,270	63,240		5,270	63,240
Total Deduction	40,487	485,844		53,946	647,352
Net Salary	209,513	2,514,156		196,054	2,352,648

While this list does not cover all expenses of living in Tokyo it does give you a rough estimate.

The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-14

California law flusters sushi chefs

 

Food preparation tradition dealt blow with ban on bare hands

by Chuck Del Rosario

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/02/11/national/california-law-flusters-sushi-chefs/#.UwDPTIXIaSo

LOS ANGELES – At popular Los Angeles restaurant Sushi Gen, 66-year-old Toshiaki Toyoshima slices fish in preparation for dinner. The chef has honed his sushi-making technique for nearly 50 years and the daily long lines of customers are a testament to that.
But to Toyoshima, the sushi he makes no longer feels like it is made by his own hands.
Thanks to a California law that took effect Jan. 1, chefs like Toyoshima are required to wear gloves when making sushi.
According to the new law, employees are not allowed to contact “ready-to-eat” food with their bare hands except when washing fruits and vegetables. Ready-to-eat food does not require additional cooking or heating when served to customers, and includes cold meats, sandwiches, garnishes and even sushi.
People handling food are required to use specific equipment such as single-use gloves, spatulas, tongs or other dispensing equipment.
A food establishment may be exempt if certain guidelines are met and it receives approval from the local regulatory authority.
States such as New York, Nevada, Washington and Texas have similar laws preventing barehanded contact with ready-to-eat foods.
California is considered to be the place where the sushi boom took off in the United States with the creation of the California roll. It is also believed to have more sushi restaurants than any other state in the country. After hearing about the new law, sushi chefs in California wondered if they should quit making sushi altogether.
“The main purpose is to prevent the spread of food-borne illness,” said Lucy Macdonald, an Environmental Health Staff Specialist at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 6 people get sick from food-borne diseases in the United States each year.
The theory is that by avoiding bare hand contact with foods that are ready-to-eat, there is added protection against contamination from germs from the hands of food service employees.
However, there are some in the restaurant industry who question if that really is the case.
Andy Matsuda, 57, owner of the Sushi Chef Institute in Torrance, said, “The main key is that we need to educate people.”
Matsuda has been making sushi for more than 40 years and currently teaches aspiring sushi chefs at the institute.
He said that sushi chefs are professionally trained and properly educated on food handling and sanitation, and they are required to wash their hands frequently and adhere to strict safety procedures.
“On the other hand, nonprofessional people with gloves tend not to wash their hands the proper way and not as often,” he said. “Then the cross contamination comes in anyway.”
For sushi chefs in particular, gloves pose a variety of problems. “You lose the technique,” said Toyoshima. Loss of speed, ingredients slipping from hands, even holding a knife becomes a hurdle.
The problem comes down to the tips of his fingers, Toyoshima said.
“It’s the sense of touch. The feel of the fish is the most important.” With gloves, he loses that sense of feeling.
“It feels as if I’ve lost my hands,” he said.
UNESCO in December honored “washoku” traditional Japanese cuisine as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. With the listing, advocates of washoku hope that people around the world will recognize its value.
But with the new law in California, the opposite may occur.
“The impact is that the image of Japanese culture is being destroyed,” said Matsuda.
Though the law went into effect at the start of the year, many chefs and food service employees are unaware of the change. The California Department of Public Health and local county health departments are focusing efforts on educating the industry on the new requirements.
The public health departments in San Francisco and San Diego said for the first half year, facilities will not be cited and will receive only a warning for violating the new law.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it will strictly enforce the new law starting next Jan. 1.
Many county health departments have yet to finalize penalties for noncompliance before the law is strictly enforced, but officials in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles said that they plan to deduct points in the facilities’ inspection reports. This could affect facilities’ health score letter grades displayed at their entrances.
But to seasoned sushi chefs like Toyoshima, losing the feeling of making sushi with their own hands may be the harshest penalty of all.

The Divine Wind Vault http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com (C)2006-14