koiwaicoffee comments

U.S., Japan to waste money in war toys.

Japanese people plan to spend an average 68,632 yen 

You won't go far expending that. It really means that only 1 out of 3 go on holidays.

an average bonus of 903,397 yen

Yeah, right.

Flights from Japan are about 80-100% more expensive than before the pandemic. I cannot even afford a family trip now.

Indeed. Flights are going to become a luxury product for wealthy families. At least from Japan.

Which makes me think, how can an average Chinese family afford a trip to Japan? It's not a few people, it's a constant flow of Chinese tourists. Are flights from China much cheaper?

What is that fossil doing with a mic in his hand? Take him to a beach for retirement FGS!

If someone steals a banana from a konbini you have the whole ward police investigating the case. But the internet seems to be in another dimension for them, it's like explaining a caveman what a fax is.

Mercari and Amazon are totally different businesses.

I do use both, for different purposes. Amazon is very handy, what can I say. But I'm always concerned that work conditions over there are not going to be the best, probably pushing near illegal work conditions to warehouse workers and third party delivery vans. Or that's the fame that Amazon has worldwide, correct me if I'm wrong.

As usual these profits are good news for shareholders and executives, not for regular workers.

A Osaka based party will never get enough support from Tokyo influencers -not the SNS clowns but the guys with real power behind the scenes.

and many areas with aging populations said resistance to __ is high.

Please fill the blank with any changes you can think of.

Toyota's ¥1.3 trillion quarter profits are good news for shareholders and executives, only.

In the US, Toyota workers make more on average than GM workers.

Met once a Japanese that worked for a Toyota factory, his work conditions neared paid slavery.

I feel like the standard of living in Japan is too comfortable (at least in terms of material distractions) for young people to vote for left-leaning parties, unlike the youth in most other developed countries.

You are onto something here. Japanese youth just accept what is given to them and not once are going to stop scrolling on Insta to think about politics or economy.

So what? Is anything going to change? His support could fall to 8% and it wouldn't be any different. 

Exactly. LPD will just replace him with whoever else, they will win the next election anyway.

Nobody has ever told them that the handshake chain looks silly?

Shoplifting by over 60s is so high according to the supermarket security person I am friends with. 

I got to see the unpretty image of an elderly woman being arrested by the police because she stole a single can of beer from a supermarket.

The current defense budget is 5 trillion yen.

I'd personally prefer to allocate that money to more important areas like education, social welfare and so.

But let's buy war weapons instead.

Japan has warned that its laws on cannabis use may apply to its nationals even when they are abroad.

Lol, how is that legal, exactly? An what about gaijin? Are we nationals now?

Japan Inc goes a long way to make everyone’s life miserable.

 when the new regulations from April limits truck drivers' overtime to 960 hours a year.

The declared overtime, that would be. Why truck drivers are allowed to do overtime at all?

The country is already facing a shortage of truck drivers due to aging, poor wages and extensive working hours, while demand for goods deliveries is increasing.

Would the NPA have something to say about this? The government? Labor unions?

Last week I took a taxi with an 82 years old oji driving fiercely through downtown traffic.

according to a survey by nursing care groups.

I have the impression they are asking for government funds.

Also, it seems like it's a very lightly regulated industry, just saying.

I'm still wondering what would a good use of AI in the school/uni be. Are there any creative, educative applications for ChatGPT at all? That's what the ministry should be debating, to decide what is not allowed is just so easy.

Fender Japan has been rising their prices for the last several years, sharply. They make nice instruments, sometimes on par with Fender USA quality, but there are much better options these days, specially for a beginner.

That store is aimed at custom shop buyers and guys looking for special editions and/or 20万 guitars, not teens.

Is there anything in Japan they aren’t going to try and get a heritage listing for?

Indeed. Japan's obsession with being on the UNESCO list is a mixture of an inferiority complex and an air of grandeur, both at the same time.

By running away to Lebanon, he has no credibility whatsoever. He should have manned up and fought in court.

In a Japanese court? That would have been not fair, I don't think a Japanese court would be impartial to Ghosn. He spent months in preventive incarceration because he was a foreigner, Japanese big fish never face prison in the same situation.

 to protect the country against security threats from its neighbors

This line is what is being sold by LPD so they can double the expending on weapons.

There's much to the history than this simplistic sentence but would the Japanese media ever go deeper and look for the details? Sure not.

El Salvador was so weak the game was painful to watch. Bring Colombia or Mexico next time to make the cup interesting, not just a celebration for the glorious nippon team.

It's also pretty insulting for the people that works in Kyoto but live outside the city.

There are already some prints on Kyoto buses asking tourists to not to bring bulky suitcases in, requesting them to use taxis and trains instead. I may agree that suitcases are an annoyance but school kids with their bulky sports backpacks also are.

You cannot have it both ways Kyoto, you want tourists money without having the tourists trooping the city.

Robots, we are surrounded by robots.

Lets be honest here!

99% of these situations start one way.

It usually starts in with June if a business, a city, town etc...is seen not flying the rainbow flag or having a pride month acknowledgement, like sticker posters or event, they will be confronted for not doing so.

And now we have a fight and that is when everything starts.

In North America cities and towns that have since the start flown only the national, provincial/state and city flags are now being told fly the pride flag.

Refusal will result in attacks.

No other group demands this sort of thing, if a business doesn't put Merry Christmas, happy St Patrick's Day, Irish flag the Chinese flag or Chinese new year etc... signs or flags no one says a thing.

So the question is who started it all?

You are right. One side started to push for human rights, mutual respect and dignity.

A response to defend ultra conservative homophobic ideas is the proper thing to do, isn't it?

Oh, how they would love someone else taking all of the decisions for them. That's how they got there, isn't it?

Plane ticket prices have doubled from last year, doubled!

Who is this Hakamada guy? I've been looking and he raised ¥10.2 billion for the company. You don't do that in Japan unless you have pretty solid connections.

It seems to be very easy to spend money when it's not yours. If politicians had to pay from their own pockets they'd be more careful with the expending.