limboinjapan comments

Posted in: What do you think of school uniforms in Japan? See in context

Pixilated:" I think the main reasons for keeping the girl's uniforms the way they are is because men find them to be a fetishy sexual symbol;" and "the image of the "genki" and "kawaii" sailor-suited school uniform high school girl has become a symbol of Japan. "

My daughter's Junior High had different uniforms for boys and girls but the girls could wear either skirt or slacks all but 2 (my daughter being one of the 2) chose to wear the skirt.

Most public schools have or are moving away from the sailor style uniforms in favour of a blazer skirt/slacks combo and when it come to the skirts they are now enforcing knee length or longer, no more short short skirts in public schools and many are now encouraging the girls to wear tights instead of socks.

This is Japan and yes things are slow to change but things are changing, not long ago it would have been unthinkable to even offer a choice of skirt or slacks to girls, not all schools are doing it and it depends on the ward or city but if a complaint is made and it is a public school then due to legal precedent the school is more or less obligated to offer a choice, you won't make any friends if you are the one making the request but you should win, it was just such a challenge that made my children's school offer a choice and now it is just a normal thing.

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Posted in: Muslims seek change in way Hollywood movies portray them See in context

If you look at movies and TV shows over the years you will find that there has always been one group or another as the main bad guy at one point it was the native Americans, next the Nazi and Japanese and during much of this time right up to today the Italians (Americans) have more often than not been portrayed as gangsters, blacks are often the drug dealers and pimps, Latinos the drug dealers and gang member along with blacks and Asians who are often the modern slavers and white men are the guys that are always the conspirators running the assassinations and behind the illegal control of governments and agencies.

The big problem with Islam is that unlike the 3 other main religions where movies about the founding or about important event in their founding have been made ( life of Buddha, life of Jesus, Moses, Abraham, etc...) there has and will never be a movie portraying the foundation of Islam and the reasons behind much of the misinterpreted "Jihad" and all the rest because to make a movie about Mohamed would mean some one either portraying him or even if he is never seen (as many early movies about Jesus) and only hear his voice both of these situation would lead to death threats and even riots or killings as both the portrayal of the figure and voice of Mohamed are blasphemous and punishable by death.

The best example of this was a few years back a man thinking that he would be nice and create a set of illustrated books that explained Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam for children found that even though he only showed Mohamed in silhouette or from the back and never any real picture or drawing of him just the fact that he made Mohamed "speak" in the book got him on a death list even after he apologies and recalled all the books.

How can this group hope to change thing as long as it is forbidden to use the media they wish to change to explain who they are and where it comes from.

In 3 recant Law and Order CI episodes one portrayed Islamic terrorist and the others right wing and Washington Christian nut terrorist and Latino drug cartels murder spree, this trend will continue as long as these 3 groups are in the news for these activities.

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When I first came to Japan I was not for the idea of uniforms but since then I have had a change of heart.

As a single parent I have found that having done the no uniform elementary school and then the uniform J/S high school, uniforms turned out to be a god send no arguments as to what to wear each morning.

The price was a bit of a shock but being a single parent on low income I was reimbursed for the most part.

I find that some school need to change and move away from the military style uniforms and for those that still have elementary school uniforms the short pants for boys all year long is a bit strange looking as well as a bit abusive on cold days.

The one thing that I have noticed is that back in my home country many public schools are moving back to uniforms ( usually just a shirt with logo and the same colour slacks for all) because of convenience for the parents and to avoid other problem like peer pressure and gang colours.

I once asked a city official why the uniforms could not be simpler and cheaper and his reply was interesting, he said:

" The city covers the cost for those without the means and those with the means pay this way all the children have nice good quality uniforms and in some cases the uniform is the first and only nice thing they own, but no one is the wiser and in the event these children must attend an event, a funeral or even a wedding they and their parents do not have to worry that they do not have appropriate clothing"

This was a bit of and eye opener for me, I have had to attend several funerals and weddings here in Japan and it never dawned on me that without the school uniform I would have definitely been in a bind to find something for the children to wear.

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Posted in: U.S., Canada agree to work on border security See in context

Correction the latest figures are that USA oil supply from Canada (at preferential prices) is now 37% as of the end of 2010

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SolidariTea:"Border security will ensure that whopping 70 percent of Canada's exports continue to be bought by US citizens."

It seems that the USA and it citizens have forgotten why free trade came about.

It was because the new Canadian constitution in the 80's gave more control to the people and the provinces which ended the great low cost raw materials (such as 1 cent the raw ton for iron ore the USA auto companies and steal manufacturers were paying) prior to this much of the mining and other raw material industries were under USA corporation control.

And as for the 70% of Canadian exports going to the USA you seem to forget that the vast majority are still raw materials including oil, gas and platinum (for the auto industry) all at lower than standard market prices not to mention preferential pricing on all shipments going through the St Laurence Seaway.

The facts are that without free trade and open borders the USA and much of its remaining manufacturing industries as well as its exports in the beef, pork and grains would grind to a crawl because raw material entering the USA would be delayed and cost significantly more and exports from the great lakes region that rely on the St Laurence seaway would also be subject to long delays thus leading to greater spoilage in food exports and higher cost.

I find it interesting that the right never like to mention these facts when talking about the border issues or free trade.

SolidariTea:"They done tricked us, back in '89, when they fooled us into a-signing that U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement . Bilateral "trade"

I wonder how the USA would fair if Canada decided that free trade would end and that the oil and natural gas which make up 25% and 80% respectively of the USA supply and that under NAFTA Canada is prohibited from cutting back energy exports to the USA, with closed borders and no NAFTA how long would the USA low gas and oil prices last and how fast would the USA freeze once Canadian oil and gas is exported to higher paying markets like Japan, the EU and others.

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SolidariTea:"A testimony to the genius of English Common Law and Anglo-Saxon respect for rule of law and property rights" and "suhisake3 thinks I am Canadian.Thats pretty funny. More proof that he is incapable of understanding anything about America."

After your previous remarks I would say it is you who is incapable of understanding anything about America.

You seem to have forgotten that a good deal of Canadian laws are based on the French law and that nearly half the Leaders and founders of what is now Canada and its own unique form of governing to include multiple languages and cultures were not Anglo-Saxon but of French-Latin origin.

I could go on but that would most likely be a waste of time trying to clarify the normal USA right ignorance of things.

The reason that Canada is civilized as it is is because it was never exploited by USA corporation and USA banana republic dictatorships that insured the peasants had nothing and the corporation and elite owned 90% of all land and businesses.

Moderator: Readers, please keep the discussion civil.

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Posted in: Ichihashi's book goes on sale; says he hopes to give royalties to Hawker family See in context

Piglet:"He's been charged with the murder but not condemned yet. As such, he is still officially innocent until proven guilty by the judges. Therefore he is allowed to publish this book (since no judge deprived him of civil rights yet)."

That is true but if my memory serve me correctly at least in Canada and the USA there are provisions for such a situation and any earnings would be held in escrow until a verdict and if found guilty the money goes to into a victims fund.

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sarahsuz25:"Exactly, there's nothing unique about this. It happens in every country."

Actually I think Canada, USA and a few other EU countries have past laws that forbid prisoners or criminals from profiting from their crimes in just such a manor, I am not sure of the details but there are certain crimes and restrictions.

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Posted in: Smartphones foster dumb habits among pedestrians See in context

It seems that now the lady in the fountain is in hot water.

She has a criminal record and is in court for credit card fraud and theft.

Their is even speculation that she may have staged the fall.

All we know for sure is that she now only wants an apology (dropped the lawsuit) and the security guard has been fired.

This crap of texting while walking, riding or driving has got to stop and the laws need to be changed in accordance.

Last years while driving this idiot on a bicycle while texting drove strait into my car, I was driving in the right direction on a one way road and he was coming up the wrong way right in the middle of the road while texting I stopped my car beeped my horn but he just kept on texting and drove right into my car.

Luckily it was right in front of the Koban and the cops yelled at him because normally under Japanese road laws the car is always responsible.

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Posted in: How should schools deal with so-called "monster parents" who verbally abuse or complain about teachers for the way they treat their children? See in context

I have seen "monster parents" and had to deal with them, I have also seen and dealt with "monster teachers"

Real monster parents are the ones who's child is more often than not the trouble maker in school and they refuse to acknowledge it they will complain and in many cases call the teacher at home, on their cellphone late night on weekends and at all hours "demanding" special treatment or the removal of a disciplinary note, I have seen many times where the child was the bully but the parents refused to believe everyone and demanded that the victims of their bully child apologies for "lying" despite several witnesses including teachers other students and parents not directly involved.

"Monster teacher" are luckily getting rarer they are the old guy who still believes that all Japanese are the same and that have never worked in the real world they tend to talk to parents like they are children and treat any child that is not "Japanese" enough in their eyes mixed race, foreigner or just not conform to their view of Japanese, and especially if their parents are part of a group that they view as un-Japanese ( Christian, Muslim, anti Flag and Kimigayo).

So after having worked in many schools here and having raised ( Still raising) 2 children on mu own in the Japanese system and having had problems on both side of this issue my only solution and my conclusion is to have webcams and recordings of all classes and all meeting with parents, video evidence does not lie.

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Posted in: New Alabama governor apologizes for remarks on Christians See in context

sarahsuz25:"One of the senators from my home state is Muslim, and I don't see a problem with that either."

If my memory serves my right wasn't there a big controversy regarding taking the oath of office when a Muslim senator was going to use a Qur'an instead of a Bible during his swearing in?

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I wrote this before on a similar subject.

Use technology and the fact that every school is wired and install webcams in all classrooms, that way the principal can monitor classes without anyone knowing and parents with a password could look in on things and by keeping a backup recording teacher can show parents how their children behave in class as well as protect themselves against any false accusations.

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Ah yes Alabama what a nice place it was beautiful and nice and friendly, OH wait sorry must have been thinking of some other place, Ah yes, Alabama was the nice place that in just about every town and county outside the large cities my friends (from Massachusetts) and I were chased out or told not to stay (by the local police) and to keep on moving because and I quote "We do care for you foreigner and northern trouble makers around here!".

This was in the mid 80's but from what I can see by this idiots remarks not much has changed!

FYI, us "trouble makers" consisted of one US Marine, a marine biologist, a Paramedic and a CPA you know real dangerous types.

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Posted in: The younger generation is confronted by unstable employment prospects. That means many will be excluded from the workplace in the first half of their adult life, which in turn, will deny them the oppo See in context


You made some valid points but there are some major differences between today and past generations.

In the past changing jobs often also meant changing living arrangements with the new living space either supplied or backed by your new employer.

It also meant being employed as a full time employee so that even if no housing was provided you could still rent.

In today's work environment Japan if closing in on the 40% mark for "hakken" work, this means that nearly 40% of the work force is now considered part time or temporary worker.

Unlike changing jobs in the past these "hakken" jobs most often do not provide housing or backing for housing, they also avoid paying pension or health insurance.

Without a full time job it is next to impossible to find decent housing and even less to get a housing loan, this is reflected by the fact that public housing is now stretched to the limit in most palaces,

Public housing was previously occupied mostly be the sick single elderly, single mothers, and handicapped but today young "hakken" adults and working elderly that cannot get housing due to their employment situation are now the fastest growing section requesting public housing.

In previous generations companies often retrained current workers who's sections became obsolete or if they needed workers for other sections, today companies hire "hakken" workers for one job in some cases for years and then when that section is made redundant they just end the "hakken" contract make a new contract with a "hakken" company for whatever new section is now created, no severance pay no unemployment insurance often not even any notice given.

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Posted in: 5-yr-old girl dies after falling out of car and being run over in driveway at Tochigi home See in context

"not past of the law" should read "not part of the law"

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miamum:"I should add before anyone calls me a moron that my kids DON`T ride like that-they are always in the back seat!"

Single father, 2 children, they don't make the rules!

I make the rules and the government makes rules not the children so unless they want to walk it's the back seat!

And for those asking about booster seats in the front READ THE INSTRUCTION and the rules concerning air bags, no booster seats or children under a certain height in the front seat equipped with an air bag! (this also applies to very small adults but in this case it is not past of the law)

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saru_au:"i wonder how many parents know what will happen to a kid in a booster seat sitting in the front when that airbag goes off... splat!"

Anyone that doesn't know is a moron and shouldn't have a license and perhaps not even children seeing that there are nice big stickers on the side of the seats that state that fact as well as on the sun visor in every car and has been pointed out in the video they must watch when renewing their drivers license since 2000.

Again I will state this there is NO EXCUSE for not having child seats or booster seats and properly using them in the back seat or having the children wearing seatbelts, it is the LAW and has been well publicized, anyone driving who says they didn't know this is either lying or so stupid that I would be scared they are even driving.

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bcbrownboy:"There is no law broken here - it's not required by law to wear seat belts in the back seat."

You had better check you laws.

It has been the law since June 2008 for all occupants to wear seatbelts for some time now in Japan front and back.

It has also been the law (since 2000 ) for children to either be in a child seat or booster seat up to a certain age (6 years old) and or height and weight.

These have been in effect for some time now

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7777777:"And really when someone gets a drivers license/renewal and has to sit through that video, it should show a clip of what happens to children not properly secured in their seats. Part of the problem is the population has not been well educated on the dangers."

I don't know if you drive but for the past several year every time I have had to renew my drivers license in Japan I have had to sit through a video that shows what happens when children are not tied in or in safety seats as well as drinking and driving, speeding, etc...

So when I went last year it also had the part that said that young children now need to wear safety helmets when riding a bicycle.

So in the case of people in cars and that drive THERE IS NO EXCUSE in not having a child seat or booster seat to say that this woman did not know is BS she could not have renewed her license without watching the video and receiving all the new regulations given in written form to each driver who is renewing their license.

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Takuma7 & Zenny11

If my understanding of Japan's road traffic laws are correct the driver is almost always responsible and I am guessing that in the end the mother will be charged with professional negligence no mater what the circumstances are.

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Zenny11:"All 3 kids were in the backseat, center was the 1yr old in child-seat, 9yr+5yr old sitting next to the doors. From the time of day It guess it was a routine trip to drop them off for the day."

2 ￥2,500 booster seats and seatbelts tied by the mother would have avoided this even if the door had opened.

And from my own experience once the seatbelt is tied around a booster seat it is not that easy to reach the clasp and unlock it, so anyone that says something stupid like the children can still get out of it have never really used one, sure they can get out but it is not that simple.

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It is a little unsettling that not long ago on JT we had an article about child seats and in the debate that ensued I described a very similar accident that happened next to my place (the child survived but is handicapped now).

This was an avoidable tragedy, child seats and booster seats have been mandatory in Japan for some time now up to a certain age, height and weight, child locks for door and widows were on every car I have ever had in Japan for more than 19 years and to my knowledge are on every car.

Since I had children it was commonsense to use the child proof lock and to lock the widows from day one.

The present generation has no excuse not to have children in child seats and booster seats or using the safety locks because the law has been in effect for long enough that today's young children should have been in those seats since the moment they left the hospital.

My eldest is almost 16 and when she was born I bought a infants seat here in Japan for under ￥7,500 (brought her home from the hospital in it) and I know prices have dropped since, and by the time my son was born booster seats were available for as low as ￥2,500 anyone saying they are not easily available or to expensive are fools and bigger fools if they are not using them.

If you have the money to own a car in Japan then you have the money to by a simple booster seat and a simple child seat. (no need to buy the fancy swivel, reclining, etc.. types)

This woman failed as a mother it is that plain and that simple.

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Posted in: Annoying habits by train commuters, hot trends for 2011 and other survey results See in context

himehentai:"I disagree. In EVERY train car their are priority seats for old people, disabled, mothers holding young children etc."

I'm a single father and I have HAD to travel at rush hour with the children in the past when they were young, so I know the reality.

It is next to impossible to get near the priority seat in may cases at rush hour (not to mention that some trains like the Yamanote have no seats at all during rush hour, the seats are folded up to make more standing room.

I have also yet to see a women only cars nearly as full as regular cars.

As for "The way the guards pack people into trains is a real pet peeve of mine. I wish they just would say "sorry, this ones full" once in a while." I have seen the station workers "try" and tell people this only to be ignored!

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Posted in: Iran rounds up Christians in crackdown See in context

"The suicide blast in Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Alexandria on Jan 1, which killed 21 Coptic Christian worshippers, followed threats by al-Qaida in Iraq over claims that Coptic leaders forced two women who converted to Islam to return to Christianity—allegations that church leaders deny."

How ironic can things get.

The Coptic Christians have been in North Africa and the middle east since before Islam existed and even before the RC church existed.

Not a day goes by in one or more of these countries where a Coptic girl goes "missing" only for her family to be told that she is now married and has converted to Islam and even when and if these girls escape their so-called husbands (read captors) in most cases the governments refuse to annul their supposed conversion making it against the law for them to marry a non-Muslim.

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I think some here have taken number 9 the wrong way.

First today most trains at rush hour have women only cars so any mother with a brain traveling at rush hour with young children should be in those cars, they are usually much less crowded.

But this line that so many seem to have missed (“I know you’re worried about your kid, but even if you yell at me, I can’t do anything about it.”) says it all, in most cases the person being yelled at has little or no control, he or she is being pushed by the masses trying to stuff themselves on to the train, a mother can yell all she wants at the person next or behind her but when that persons feet are barely touching the ground there is little they can do.

I agree on many of these but my most hated is not there:

People who stop just as they pass through the ticket gate either going in or out and block you from passing ( you know the idiot that stops to look at where they are going just centimeters from the gate) how many time my ticket or pass has either been sucked back in or blocked because some idiot stopped I couldn't get by and the next guy put his ticket/pass in so the gate doors close and you have to get the station worker to unlock or retrieve your ticket/pass.

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Posted in: Drunken driver crashes car; back behind wheel 4 hours later See in context

"runwithscissors:"We read about DUI all the time, maybe at least two dozen articles a year. Meanwhile most of the 724,811 accidents last year were sober, yet, nary a peep about them"

Here is something for you to digest even more, prior to lowering the limits in 2002 from 0.05% to the present 0.03% (0.15 from 0.25 (2.5 grams of alcohol per litre). (in one year after the new levels the death tool dropped by 1000)

Statistics showed that prior to the change the death related to alcohol were above 16% (that is aprox 1,200 deaths) by 2005 that was down to less than 10% ( for around 700 deaths).

More significantly the total number of traffic deaths dropped from over 8,700 to under 5,000 by 2009 and a large portion of that drop came after the latest revision to the drinking and driving laws in late 2007.

So we are seeing less deaths and less accidents since people are to "scared" (as you put it) to drink and drive.

I for one see that as a good thing.

@runwithscissors: you also wrote this;"Do you imagine an unfair society is all good to go so long is the goal is to prevent less than 51 deaths in the whole nation? Why not just put everyone under house arrest then?"

Where did you pick that "51 deaths"? from your head?

As it stand the numbers for alcohol related death in traffic accidents still stand a around 9% so seeing the total deaths are 4,863 that would make it more like 437 deaths though not all the data for 2009 is available just yet but seeing the previous years were around 9% I highly doubt that it suddenly dropped to 1%."

Moderator: Readers, please focus your comments on the story. Those that do not will, of course, be removed.

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nigelboy:"there are many questions that are unanswered in the articles (other sources) one of which is whether or not the driver/friend were over the alcohol limit at the accident."

@Nigleboy you consistently love to showoff your knowledge of all things Japan.

So for once we actually would like you to use that knowledge, correct me (and my neighbors one J-cop and one lawyer) that Japan's equivalent in BAC previously was 0.03% but that it is now Zero tolerance.

I have looked but it seems ambiguous, there seems to be some leeway for officers but that the official view is Zero.

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Posted in: Kan prods Ozawa to resign, calls for tax reform See in context

saborichan:"Why is it we never hear of Japanese PEOPLE being able to force out their poor politicians?"

Japanese can force a recall/election and it has been done, albeit I do not know if it has ever been done a the national level but it has been done at local levels in prefectures and cities.

It would be up to the local constituency of his riding to collect enough signature of eligible voters to force a new election and I doubt that the people in his riding care to do that seeing he has brought them a lot over the years.

It is pretty much the same in other countries, only those that directly elected their representative can force a new election and that is only if they collect enough signature for confirmed eligible local voters.

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runwithscissors:"It is always sad to read comments from people so eager to throw freedom under the bus despite a serious lack of information (a BAC for example) and faith in the fraud that is the breathalyzer test,"

I wrote this to you in a post on the same subject but it seems you either chose to ignore it or are hoping if you repeat your own falsehoods they will become the truth.

As a former Paramedic and rescue worker I have personally seem what drunk driver like yourself have done all claiming "but I only had one drink" and "the test are not accurate".

The most annoying thing is that more often than not the drunk responsible for the whole thing walks away without a scratch while those he hit are seriously injured or dead.

The breathalyzers used today are extremely accurate (and as I also wrote if you are so sure the test is wrong you have the right to request a blood test) and only those caught drunk driving and their lawyer challenge it and lose every time ( most often because they refused the blood test ore the blood test confirmed the breath test).

You also love to bring up you "freedom" as in the above and your "rights" as in your previous postings.

Well here again are the facts DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE and NOT A RIGHT!

You and these men or anyone else can jump up and down and cream all you want but this is a fact in just about every country including the USA, Canada, the EU, etc... a PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT, you can look that one up.

So if you cannot follow the rules you lose that privilege plain and simple.

I say throw the book at these idiots and any other idiot that chooses to drink and drive and I have zero sympathy for them!

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Posted in: Japan’s current trade fiasco See in context

"The author of the article points to the disproportionate amount of power farmers and special interests groups in Japan wield in government and notes that without political reform, the Japanese economy will continue its slow but gradual decline."

If this isn't the pot calling the kettle black!!!!

One word here: LOBBYIST!

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