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

Japan to open door further to skilled foreign workers

Japan to open door further to skilled foreign workers

Politics Jan. 21, 2014 - 07:00AM JST ( 16 )

From Japan Today

TOKYO —

The Japanese government agreed on Monday to make it easier for firms to hire foreign workers for highly-skilled positions and as trainees to offset a declining workforce and accelerate economic growth.

The government will also take steps to increase female workers in management positions and strengthen the child care system to increase the number of working women, a top advisory panel said on Monday.

Japan has the most rapidly aging society in the world, with a quarter of the population already over 65 years of age. The workforce is also shrinking, which could become a considerable drag on growth.

Policies that increase foreign workers and female employees are important steps needed to stop the decline in the workforce, ease labor shortages, increase tax revenue and raise the potential growth rate.

The government will flesh out the policies, which are part of a second installment of its economic growth strategy, by mid-year, the Industrial Competitiveness Council said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made ending 15 years of deflation and economic malaise one of his top priorities since taking office more than a year ago.

Abe won initial success with stimulus spending and expanded quantitative easing from the Bank of Japan, but many economists warn that the government needs to rely more on deregulation and structural reforms to increase growth in the long term.

Some industries, such as construction, child care and nursing have faced labor shortages, so policies allowing firms to retain more foreign workers could give these industries a boost.

The government will also consider lowering the effective corporate tax rate and expanding the tax base to make Japanese firms more competitive, the panel said on Monday.

Japan’s corporate tax rate, which is set at 38% for a large Tokyo-based firm, is among the highest in the world and companies often lobby to lower the tax burden.

The Divine Wind Vault

http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com

(C)2006-14

Last Samurai- Japan WWII soldier who hid in jungle until 1974 dies

By Hiroshi Hiyama

I'm sure that we have all heard of or seen the Ken Watanabe and Tom Cruise movie, "Last Samurai". One of my oldest memories of Japan was when the Japanese soldier hid in a jungle in Philippines for 30 years still thinking that the war was going on. To me, this is the last samurai since the spirit of the samurai still goes on. While South Africa is a country rich in natural resources, Japan's resource are it's people and their mindset (aka their culture). This is a reason why you see Japanese business men working 12 hours days, 6 days a week and their wives standing by their sides in most cases. More on this at a later time.

Tokyo (AFP) - A Japanese soldier who hid in the Philippine jungle for three decades, refusing to believe World War II was over until his former commander returned and ordered him to surrender, has died in Tokyo aged 91.

Hiroo Onoda waged a guerilla campaign in Lubang Island near Luzon until he was finally persuaded in 1974 that peace had broken out, ignoring leaflet drops and successive attempts to convince him the Imperial Army had been defeated.

He died in a Tokyo hospital on Thursday of heart failure.

Onoda was the last of several dozen so-called holdouts scattered around Asia, men who symbolized the astonishingly dogged perseverance of those called upon to fight for their emperor.

Their number included a soldier arrested in the jungles of Guam in 1972.

Trained as an information officer and guerrilla tactics coach, Onoda was dispatched to Lubang in 1944 and ordered never to surrender, never to resort to suicidal attacks and to hold firm until reinforcements arrived.

He and three other soldiers continued to obey that order long after Japan's 1945 defeat.

Their existence became widely known in 1950, when one of their number emerged and returned to Japan.

The others continued to survey military facilities in the area, attacking local residents and occasionally fighting with Philippine forces, although one of them died soon afterwards.

Tokyo declared them dead after nine years of fruitless search.

However, in 1972, Onoda and the other surviving soldier got involved in a shoot-out with Philippine troops. His comrade died, but Onoda managed to escape.

The incident caused a sensation in Japan, which took his family members to Lubang in the hope of persuading him that hostilities were over.

Onoda later explained he had believed attempts to coax him out were the work of a puppet regime installed in Tokyo by the United States.

He read about his home country in newspapers that searchers deliberately scattered in the jungle for him to find, but dismissed their content as propaganda.

The regular overflight by US planes during the long years of the Vietnam war also convinced him that the battle he had joined was still being played out across Asia.

It was not until 1974, when his old commanding officer visited him in his jungle hideout to rescind the original order, that Onoda's war eventually ended.

Asked at a press conference in Japan after his return what he had been thinking about for the last 30 years, he told reporters: "Carrying out my orders."

But the Japan that Onoda returned to was much changed. The country he had left, and the one he had believed he was still fighting for, was in the grip of a militarist government, bent on realizing what it thought was its divine right to dominate the region.

Crippled by years of increasingly unsuccessful war, its economy was in ruins and its people were hungry.

But the Japan of 1974 was in the throes of a decades-long economic boom and in thrall to Western culture. It was also avowedly pacifist.

Onoda had difficultly adapting to the new reality and, in 1975, emigrated to Brazil to start a cattle ranch, although he continued to travel back and forth.

In 1984, still very much a celebrity, he established a youth camp, where he taught young Japanese some of the survival techniques he had used during his 30 years in hiding, when he lived on wild cows and bananas.

He returned to Lubang in 1996 on a visit, reportedly at the invitation of the local government, despite his having been involved in the killing of dozens of Filipinos during his three-decade battle.

He made a donation to the local community, which was reportedly used to set up a scholarship.

Late into his life, he enjoyed good health and boasted of a fine memory, honed by the need to remember the intelligence he had gathered.

Until recently, Onoda had been active in speaking engagements across Japan and in 2013 appeared on national broadcaster NHK.

"I lived through an era called a war. What people say varies from era to era," he told NHK last May.

"I think we should not be swayed by the climate of the time, but think calmly," he said.

The Divine Wind Vault

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(C)2006-14