Japan

[shuize]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Kamuy

Good Manga that goes over Ainu traditions, cultures, and history.

Caught between the empires of Russia and Japan the Ainu had no chance.

I also seem to remember the Japanese didn't get serious about settling the interior of Hokkaido until the Russians started getting a bit too friendly with the Ainu. Most of Hokkaido was settled around the time we were pacifying the Native Americans. From what I've heard, it wasn't a picnic on the Japanese side either and a surprising number the early "soldier settlers" 「屯田兵」(tondenhei) died of exposure, disease, or even bear attack. My ex-wife's family in Hokkaido must have had some of their older relatives eaten by the "crescent moon bears" (ツキノワグマ）for as often as they talked about them. Although, as I made a point of telling them, for badass bears my money was still on grizzlies.

[Doctor X]

This may apply to the Ainu:



– J.D.

[Anaxagoras]

FEATURE: Digital nomads riding out coronavirus pandemic in a van in Japan

A free-spirited American couple with the guts to pack up and go on a moment's notice is discovering how crucial skills like agility, flexibility and resilience are in extraordinary times like these.

Liezl Van Riper, 44, and her husband Viet Nguyen, 49, took their kids out of school last fall to let them learn some life lessons on the road, their motivating mantra that spontaneous travel is the most valuable type of travel.

"We saw what was happening with the borders closing in mid-March and I had a feeling that if we were going to Japan, this is it. So we dropped everything, bought the cheapest ticket from Thailand and made it into Osaka a week before the borders closed."

While much of the world sat at home feeling waves of fear and anxiety, the family found a bargain Airbnb listing in Kyoto and "did all the things you do in Kyoto but with no tourists," including cherry blossom viewing.

Must be pretty nice to go touristing without any other annoying tourists.

Lots of pictures if you follow the link.

BTW, I'm not a hater, but it occurred to me that some people who read this article are going to be jelly.

[shuize]

FEATURE: Digital nomads riding out coronavirus pandemic in a van in Japan

A free-spirited American couple with the guts to pack up and go on a moment's notice is discovering how crucial skills like agility, flexibility and resilience are in extraordinary times like these.

Liezl Van Riper, 44, and her husband Viet Nguyen, 49, took their kids out of school last fall to let them learn some life lessons on the road, their motivating mantra that spontaneous travel is the most valuable type of travel.

"We saw what was happening with the borders closing in mid-March and I had a feeling that if we were going to Japan, this is it. So we dropped everything, bought the cheapest ticket from Thailand and made it into Osaka a week before the borders closed."

While much of the world sat at home feeling waves of fear and anxiety, the family found a bargain Airbnb listing in Kyoto and "did all the things you do in Kyoto but with no tourists," including cherry blossom viewing.

Must be pretty nice to go touristing without any other annoying tourists.

Lots of pictures if you follow the link.

BTW, I'm not a hater, but it occurred to me that some people who read this article are going to be jelly.

If I'd known in mid-March we would be able to teach all our classes online, I might have tried to do the reverse and leave Japan for Thailand.

As a side note, I used to live about two blocks from where they were standing in that second picture at Dontonbori.

[Witness]

Bones of over 1,500 people found at Osaka Station area construction site



The district around Osaka Station is called Umeda, and the sub-section where the redevelopment project is taking place is called Umekita (combining “Umeda” and kita/”north”). But once upon a time, it was known as Umeda Haka, or Umeda Grave, one of seven major cemeteries of Osaka. Because of that, survey teams for the Umekita redevelopment project have discovered the bones of more than 1,500 people at a project site, according to a recent announcement from the Osaka CIty Board of Education and Osaka City Cultural Properties Association.

Various burial styles were observed, ranging from enclosed wooden caskets to barrel-like open containers, as well as earthenware coffins called kameganbo (“turtle caskets”). While cremation is the norm in Japan now, surveyors found both cremated and non-cremated remains. Several of the bodies had also been interred with burial items such as juzudama (rosary-like prayer beads), rokusenmon (a set of six coins used to pay passage across the Sanzu River, said to separate the world of the living and the afterlife), pipes, and clay dolls.

In another section of the site, separated from the casket area by a stone wall, a mass grave with bodies of the deceased only covered by earth was found. Given the number of people who were apparently buried at the same time, researchers suspect the burial may have come following a plague that claimed the lives of many in a short period of time.

https://soranews24.com/2020/08/14/bones ... tion-site/

[Anaxagoras]

Despite Japan govt's promise, not 'all citizens' can receive coronavirus cash handout

Even I received the handout (I'm a legal permanent resident and a taxpayer).

Who can't? The homeless.

Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced at an April press conference that "all citizens" would be eligible to receive the government's one-off 100,000-yen cash handout to soften the economic blow of the coronavirus pandemic, there is a portion of the population that has been unable to receive them: the homeless. This has those living on the streets asking whether they are "citizens," too.

"If I'd had 100,000 yen (approx. $947), I could've lived much differently," said a 68-year-old man who sleeps in front of a commercial building near Shinjuku Station's west exit in Tokyo.

Born in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, the man arrived in Tokyo some 20 years ago looking for work. Unable to find stable employment, he began living on the streets about 10 years ago. As openings for day laborers decrease by the day, he visits soup kitchens run by support groups. He was unable to receive the government-issue "Abenomask" cloth face masks that all households were sent two of, and uses a mask that he bought himself. With libraries -- which are a comfortable place to pass the time -- limiting their accessibility to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, he escapes the summer heat by riding the loop JR Yamanote Line for hours a day. "Everyone's given up on getting the 100,000 yen," he said.

[shuize]

Despite Japan govt's promise, not 'all citizens' can receive coronavirus cash handout

Even I received the handout (I'm a legal permanent resident and a taxpayer).

Who can't? The homeless.

Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced at an April press conference that "all citizens" would be eligible to receive the government's one-off 100,000-yen cash handout to soften the economic blow of the coronavirus pandemic, there is a portion of the population that has been unable to receive them: the homeless. This has those living on the streets asking whether they are "citizens," too.

"If I'd had 100,000 yen (approx. $947), I could've lived much differently," said a 68-year-old man who sleeps in front of a commercial building near Shinjuku Station's west exit in Tokyo.

Born in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, the man arrived in Tokyo some 20 years ago looking for work. Unable to find stable employment, he began living on the streets about 10 years ago. As openings for day laborers decrease by the day, he visits soup kitchens run by support groups. He was unable to receive the government-issue "Abenomask" cloth face masks that all households were sent two of, and uses a mask that he bought himself. With libraries -- which are a comfortable place to pass the time -- limiting their accessibility to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, he escapes the summer heat by riding the loop JR Yamanote Line for hours a day. "Everyone's given up on getting the 100,000 yen," he said.

Everyone in Japan is required to register their address.

Therefore, there are no homeless.

[Anaxagoras]

Basically, yeah. As far as the government is concerned, they don't exist.

[Witness]

1200 stone sculptures with different expressions on their faces at the nenbutsu-Ju Buddhist temple. Kyoto, Japan.

[Hotarubi]

1200 stone sculptures with different expressions on their faces at the nenbutsu-Ju Buddhist temple. Kyoto, Japan.

Wow. Thanks.

[Witness]

1985 – Marco and the Fuyo Robot Theater Expo’85 – Automax

[shuize]

There's a typhoon currently working its way toward Okinawa and possibly toward mainland Japan after that.

It's expected to have really strong winds. Like stronger than I can ever remember hearing about with gusts predicted up to 70 m/s (252km)(156mph).

Checking Wiki, the strongest hurricanes on record apparently get stronger than that, but it's right up there for typhoons.

Wiki on tropical cyclones:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_t ... e%20listed.

The Japanese news article:

https://www.msn.com/ja-jp/news/national ... d=msedgntp

[Witness]

It's expected to have really strong winds. Like stronger than I can ever remember hearing about with gusts predicted up to 70 m/s (252km)(156mph).

Checking Wiki, the strongest hurricanes on record apparently get stronger than that, but it's right up there for typhoons.

World Record Wind

For nearly sixty-two years, Mount Washington, New Hampshire held the world record for the fastest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth: 231 miles per hour, recorded April 12, 1934 by Mount Washington Observatory staff.

The Mount Washington record was toppled in 1996 when an unmanned instrument station in Barrow Island, Australia recorded a new record of 253 miles per hour during Tropical Cyclone Olivia. Though the Observatory record fell, it’s a very human story, and it still stands as the highest surface wind speed ever observed by man.

https://www.mountwashington.org/about-u ... -wind.aspx for details.

As a reference for what that means concretely:

Speed Skydiving

Speed Skydiving is a new skydiving discipline with as simple a definition as it gets. Achieve the fastest speed possible over a given distance.

It has developed over the last few years and represents the fastest non-motorized sport on Earth. In essence, speed skydiving is the discipline where only one aspect of skydiving counts – freefall speed.

The speed achieved by a human body in free fall is conditioned of two factors, body weight and body orientation. In a stable, belly to earth position, terminal velocity of the human body is about 200 km/h (about 120 mph). A stable, freefly, head down position has a terminal speed of around 240-290 km/h (around 150-180 mph). Further minimizing body drag and streamlining the body position allows the skydiver to reach higher speeds in the vicinity of 480 km/h (300 mph).

https://www.fai.org/page/isc-speed-skydiving

[Witness]

[shuize]

It's expected to have really strong winds. Like stronger than I can ever remember hearing about with gusts predicted up to 70 m/s (252km)(156mph).

Checking Wiki, the strongest hurricanes on record apparently get stronger than that, but it's right up there for typhoons.

World Record Wind

For nearly sixty-two years, Mount Washington, New Hampshire held the world record for the fastest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth: 231 miles per hour, recorded April 12, 1934 by Mount Washington Observatory staff.

The Mount Washington record was toppled in 1996 when an unmanned instrument station in Barrow Island, Australia recorded a new record of 253 miles per hour during Tropical Cyclone Olivia. Though the Observatory record fell, it’s a very human story, and it still stands as the highest surface wind speed ever observed by man.

https://www.mountwashington.org/about-u ... -wind.aspx for details.

I should have specified that gusts of 156 mph (252km) are close to the record for the western North Pacific.

As a reference for what that means concretely:

Speed Skydiving

Speed Skydiving is a new skydiving discipline with as simple a definition as it gets. Achieve the fastest speed possible over a given distance.

It has developed over the last few years and represents the fastest non-motorized sport on Earth. In essence, speed skydiving is the discipline where only one aspect of skydiving counts – freefall speed.

The speed achieved by a human body in free fall is conditioned of two factors, body weight and body orientation. In a stable, belly to earth position, terminal velocity of the human body is about 200 km/h (about 120 mph). A stable, freefly, head down position has a terminal speed of around 240-290 km/h (around 150-180 mph). Further minimizing body drag and streamlining the body position allows the skydiver to reach higher speeds in the vicinity of 480 km/h (300 mph).

https://www.fai.org/page/isc-speed-skydiving

I've been sky diving once. Tandem.

Maybe it was from my paragliding experience, but I wasn't really nervous on the way up.*

But, man, I was completely unprepared for the initial fall from the plane.

That and the force of the wind in my face.

I had to remind myself to breath.

Tandem, arms out, I'm sure we were going a lot slower than what was possible but, man, the winds were incredible.


* Planes don't bother me. Or paragliders, obviously. But I don't really like to stand next to the windows in skyscrapers, towers, etc. I've talked to several other paraglider pilots who say the same.

[Anaxagoras]

Oh, by the way, Abe is stepping down as Prime Minister for health reasons. I think I heard recently that the length of his tenure in the position was some kind of record in Post-War Japan.

Here's an article about who might replace him:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/ ... 03QkItUtaQ

There's a question as to whether only members of the Diet will vote on his replacement or whether "rank-and-file" party members will be allowed to vote.
If it's only Diet members, it will probably be Suga. Ishiba may have a chance if rank-and-filers are allowed to vote.

Nothing lasts forever. Even the longest, the most glittering reign must come to an end someday.

[shuize]

So, not to be outdone, Typhoon # 10 is feared to have sustained winds up to 80 m/s.

Hold on to your hats boys and girls, that's 178.9 mph (288km).

The Japanese article says momentarily wind speeds of 85 m/s (190 mph/ 306km) expected around Okinawa and 800mm (31.5 inches) of rain expected to fall in the southern Kyushu region over a 24 hour period.

気象庁は沖縄・奄美の最大瞬間風速を85メートル、九州南部の7日午後6時までの24時間雨量を最大800ミリと予想。台風から離れた地域でも太平洋側を中心に警報級の大雨の恐れがあり、警戒を呼びかけている。

https://www.msn.com/ja-jp/news/national ... d=msedgntp

[Witness]

I see you need some soothing music:

[Doctor X]

– J.D.

[Anaxagoras]

https://ibb.co/RQ52CSP

[shuize]

Japanese news reported Nagasaki received 110mm (4.3 inches) of rain in one hour this morning.

You know, I'm not an expert on these things, but that seems like kind of a lot.

I remember telling my father, a plumber (and thus someone who knows a bit about water), the amount of rain Japan can get and him not believing me. (Ha! Ha!)

長崎県長崎市付近では、12日午前6時までの1時間に約110ミリの猛烈な雨が降ったとみられ、「記録的短時間大雨情報」が発表されました。

https://www.msn.com/ja-jp/weather/topst ... d=msedgntp

[Witness]

Haunted toilet experience in a Japanese theme park

The effects of the pandemic inspired for a new attraction

Lagunasia, an amusement park located not far from Nagoya in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, is bringing terror, to a new venue, with the first haunted toilet of the theme park industry.

The attraction is named ‘Horror! Hanako-san of the Toilet’ and it’s based on the story of a young girl named Hanako-san. The urban legend is about the spirit of the young girl, Hanako-san, who haunts school bathrooms in Japan. Now, she will be taking up residence in one of the bathrooms of Lagunasia.

The haunted restroom is part of the amusement park’s ‘With Corona Horror Fest 2020’. It will be limited to one person at a time and it will also be disinfected after each guest’s session.

Lagunasia teamed up with Tokyo-based horror entertainment company Kowagarasetai (the team behind Tokyo’s recent drive-in haunted house, which simulates being stuck in a car during a zombie outbreak), to create experiences that limit congestion and contact because of COVID-19.

https://www.brokenhousecompany.it/blog/ ... heme-park/

[sparks]

Jeebus Christ.

I blame lingering radiation.

How's about this one: The Haunted Spoon(tm)? Stupid goddamned bastards.

[Witness]

Japan's police introduce facial recognition system in criminal probes

Japanese police have been using a system that can match photos of people who have been previously arrested with images gathered by surveillance cameras and social media, police officials said Saturday, a move that could raise concerns about privacy violations.

The facial analysis system has been operated by police across the nation since March to identify criminal suspects more quickly and accurately, the officials said. But critics warn that the system could turn the country into a surveillance society unless it is operated under strict rules.

“We are using the system only for criminal investigations and within the scope of law. We discard facial images that are found to be unrelated to cases,” a senior National Police Agency official said.

The NPA manages and utilizes facial images under rules set by the National Public Safety Commission, as it does with fingerprints and DNA.

About 10 million facial images are currently stored in the agency’s database, including those of suspects referred to prosecutors who have not been arrested, the officials said.

The system only requires police to enter facial data such as security camera footage. It then compares the data with database images before displaying multiple mug shots containing similar features including eyes, nose, mouth, and eyebrows.

The system also provides the name, address and criminal history of those found matching the entered data.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/ ... al-probes/

[Anaxagoras]

Aging and empty: Suga's hometown highlights nation's challenges

Yuzawa, Akita Pref. – It’s noon on a warm day in the Akita Prefecture town where Yoshihide Suga, the man most likely to become Japan’s next prime minister, grew up, but more than half the stores in a downtown shopping arcade are shuttered and sidewalks are empty except for the rare older passerby.

A building proclaiming “I Love Yuzawa” stands abandoned. A giant department store nearby hulks over the street, mostly unusable because it doesn’t meet earthquake safety standards but is too expensive to tear down.

The remote part of Yuzawa where Suga grew up, 480 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, captures key challenges his administration will face: Half the residents in the area are over 60. Depopulation and aging have meant a dramatic fall in tax revenue, pushing the town’s government, reliant on support from Tokyo, to consider merging with other towns in Akita Prefecture.

“Japan is the world’s fastest-aging nation, Akita the fastest-aging prefecture and Yuzawa one of the worst in Akita,” said town employee Toru Abe, noting that close to 40 percent of all Yuzawa residents are over 65, compared to 28 percent for the entire nation.

“If we didn’t have fiscal support from the central government, we couldn’t make ends meet,” said Abe. Of the town’s annual budget of ¥27 billion, only about a fifth comes from taxes, he said.

You can see photos of the town if you follow the link.
I also thought this bit was funny:

By a row of cigarette vending machines in the city center hangs a sign: “Tobacco taxes are important for our area. Let’s buy cigarettes!” In 2019, the tax brought in ¥209 million, it says.

Great reason to smoke, right?

And, of course, it's only going to get worse from now on.

[Doctor X]

No, Mr. Bond! I expect you to die!

– J.D.

[Grammatron]

https://www.reddit.com/r/awfuleverythin ... with_rats/

[Grammatron]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/ ... l-license/

The Supreme Court has ruled for the first time that tattooing people without a medical license does not constitute a violation of the medical practitioners law.

In the decision, handed down on Wednesday, the top court’s Second Petty Bench turned down an appeal by public prosecutors over a suit against Taiki Masuda, a 32-year-old man who tattooed three people. It finalizes a high court ruling that overturned a district court verdict fining the man ¥150,000.

[Anaxagoras]

Didn't know that was even a thing. But I've never had a tattoo, nor even ever seriously considered getting one.

[shuize]

Didn't know that was even a thing. But I've never had a tattoo, nor even ever seriously considered getting one.

Anax no doubt knows this, but for our non-Japan based friends, tattoos in Japan cause more trouble than they’re worth. Due to their connection to organized crime, you can be denied entry or forced to cover them at resorts, water parks, gyms, etc.

[ed]

jesus Abdul, they'll get to you. Be patient for chrissakes.

[ed]

Hope he never has to go on the lam.

[Anaxagoras]

Didn't know that was even a thing. But I've never had a tattoo, nor even ever seriously considered getting one.

Anax no doubt knows this, but for our non-Japan based friends, tattoos in Japan cause more trouble than they’re worth. Due to their connection to organized crime, you can be denied entry or forced to cover them at resorts, water parks, gyms, etc.

Does that apply to Gringos, or only Japanese?

It generally applies also to Gaijin, although I did see some talk of loosening the rules recently. (To make it more "tourist friendly")

However, I don't know how far that has gone.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-28/ ... s/10735044

[Anaxagoras]

Even in America there is a correlation between tattoos and criminal behavior. Not that everyone with a tattoo is a criminal of course, but those who have them are also more likely to have a criminal record.

https://m.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/ ... t-behavior

[shuize]

Didn't know that was even a thing. But I've never had a tattoo, nor even ever seriously considered getting one.

Anax no doubt knows this, but for our non-Japan based friends, tattoos in Japan cause more trouble than they’re worth. Due to their connection to organized crime, you can be denied entry or forced to cover them at resorts, water parks, gyms, etc.

Does that apply to Gringos, or only Japanese?

It generally applies also to Gaijin, although I did see some talk of loosening the rules recently. (To make it more "tourist friendly")

However, I don't know how far that has gone.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-28/ ... s/10735044

Yes, as Anax says, it's both. Originally directed at the Japanese mafia.

As Anax also says, it might be easing a bit. Thus, the "must cover" accommodations in some places. It used to just be "no entry."

But tattoos are still a bad choice here for anyone expecting to go for job interviews, meet prospective in-laws, etc.

In fact, I don't think I've ever seen any of my university students wearing one.

After I spent several years in Japan as a university student myself, it was strange to go back to the States and started meeting criminal suspects in jail sporting kanji -- often jumbled kanji -- tattoos.

Tattoos don't bother me as much as they used to -- I guess, like Japan, I'm mellowing in my old age. But I'm still not a big fan.

I think I already told this story, but a few years ago I was in a dive class in Thailand with a couple of beautiful young Swedish girls. One of the girls had trouble with her ears and quit. When she came back to meet her friend a few days later she had a very thick, wrap-around tattoo from her wrist to her elbow. It looked like she'd put on a glove and stuck her arm in a barrel of tar. I thought, "Man, such a beautiful girl. What a fucking waste."

[Grammatron]

Even in America there is a correlation between tattoos and criminal behavior. Not that everyone with a tattoo is a criminal of course, but those who have them are also more likely to have a criminal record.

https://m.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/ ... t-behavior

I can only speak for Los Angeles, but tattoos are incredibly common here and I would say have been completely decoupled from criminal or even deviant behavior.

[Anaxagoras]

Of course, the type of tattoo, the location, the message, and maybe even the total amount of tattooed body area probably also say a lot about the person. I don't think it would be prejudiced to be wary of a man with "FUCK YOU" tattooed on his forehead.

[shuize]

I can only speak for Los Angeles, but tattoos are incredibly common here and I would say have been completely decoupled from criminal or even deviant behavior.

Does that apply to facial tattoos?

While I agree with the sentiment, I wonder if there might not have been another way to make his point.

[Doctor X]

I believe I posted this long ago, but from a That Guy who is actually quite good at Japanese since he lived and studied there:



– J.D.

P.S. Unfortunately my spoken Japanese is more like "David" than "Ken."

[shuize]

P.S. Unfortunately my spoken Japanese is more like "David" than "Ken."

Yes, Ken's Japanese is solid.

It sounds like David is purposely trying to make his Japanese sound shitty.

David's "tattoo" just says "Sex Offender." "Registered" was dramatic license.