HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: International Travel (Was: Phobia)
Date: 30 Aug 92 06:22:16 GMT
Organization: Aegis Society, Kyoto Japan

yoichi@milton.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii) writes:

>In article <2523@aegis.or.jp> davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane) writes:
>>I've heard another explanation for this as well: if you plan your
>>own trip and something goes wrong, you have only yourself to blame.
>>But if you let somebody else do it, then you can complain about
>>them!

>I don't know about this one. I've never taken a organized tour but
>the way I understand it, the main reasons for its popularity are:
> 1. Cheap.  Since hotel rooms and airplane seats are booked in 
>    large blocks, the total cost of travel is much less than if 
>    you travelled on your own.
> 2. Easy. Don't have to arrange for transportation, lodging, etc.
> 3. Safe. If something should happen, a good tour organizer has
>    some type of contingency plan.
>There are tons and tons of magazines describing which tour is good/bad/
>cheap etc. If you happened to pick a bad tour, it's your fault. I don't 
>think anyone takes a gamble with an unkown just so he can enjoy 
>complaining :-)

>I would also add that some people have two different modes of travel.

...

Yes, I would say so. I myself don't consider traveling-by-the-clock
really traveling as I've found that the most interesting things
happen by chance. But then I don't really travel to see the sights
as much for the adventure. Guess it all depends on what you want. 

>>One might be tempted to think that this is why Japan's goverment
>>tends to respond to "foreign pressure" rather than have any definite
>>plan of it's own. Only an idea :-)

>I have problem with the travel portion of your article, but I agree
>about foreign pressure working (but for a different reason). As one of 
>the Japanese poster mentioned, many in the Japanese govn't are probably 
>smart enough to recognize impending (or current) problems but don't want 
>to be the first to point it out. Foreign pressure conveniently solves 
>this problem, as one doing the pointing is the foreign govn't. Maybe
>I'm giving them too much credit :-), but when you look at the track
>record of MITI, etc, I think the talent is there, courage to speak up
>may not be.

Speaking up isn't the way things seem to happen here is it. And
while it has high value other places, I have a suspicion that the
people in other places are getting a bit tired of being called upon
to point out problems in Japan and then condemned for always telling
Japan what to do. I'm not really sure, because the evidence (if you
would call it that) is what seems to be a lessening of the American
finger being pointed at Japan. Only an idea....

Dave

--
Dave McLane 
JUNET: davidg@aegis.or.jp (ONLY within Japan: post otherwise)
Nagaokakyoshi, Kyoto Japan Tel: +81-75-951-1168 Fax: +81-75-957-1087



Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.hongkong,soc.culture.taiwan
From: yung@r-node.gts.org (Amos Yung)
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japa
Organization: Public Access UNIX Information System
Date: Thu, 03 Sep 1992 00:59:54 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.155554.2395@island.COM> fester@island.COM (Mike Fester) writes:
>In article <1992Aug29.145343.16617@r-node.gts.org> yung@r-node.gts.org (Amos Yung) writes:
>
>>Then, again, any good will gesture from the Japanese will be met with
>>skepticism from her neighbours. If she even try to increase her political
>>influences, then there can only be out right hostility from everybody.
>>The Americans yell "Pearl Harbour!" just because they are voluntarily
>>buying Japanese goods.
>
>I keep hearing this argument, and I wonder that anyone gives it validity. Are
>you claiming that one only needs to (or should) apologize *IF* everyone else
>accepts it? Is this valid reasoning: "Well, I know that what I did was wrong,
>but he won't accept my apology anyway, to forget it"? Sorry, but that's not
>the way apologies work. The aggrieved party is under NO obligation to the 
>offender. 
>

I think you read-in a little too much into my remarks. I was merely stating
an observation, which I still think is true. 

>BTW, many were skeptical of German apologies. Only after profuse and continual
>application of those apologies has Germany's sincerity become accepted.
>
>As for the "Remember Pearl Harbor!" nonsense, I don't recall that we are 
>asking for such an statement by the Japanese.

I am not sure what "nonsense" you are referring to. Just in case you didn't
know: A few months back were the 50th anniversary of the attack on Pearl
Harbour. The media (TV, News magazine....) made a big deal about it and
people's emmotion were dragged out. 

>Mike
>-- 
>Disclaimer - I'm only doing what the little voices tell me to do. 


-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amos Yung          | Macintosh Jr.: The power to crush the other kid.
yung@r-node.gts.org| 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: wohfuchi@splash.Princeton.EDU (Wataru Ohfuchi)
Subject: Re: Japanese gov't --- was (Re: An open letter)
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 04:49:31 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.165112.18559@udel.edu> shin@krusty.ee.udel.edu (Jeong-Gyun Shin) writes:
>My point is that inner mechanism of how Japanese society is structured
>or how it works is completely immaterial to victims of militaristic
>Imperial Japan prior to 1945.  That only shows how fledgingly shaken
>Japan's peace pledge is (untill next military comes forward and decide
>to do something for Japan, hypothetically speaking).

 I think it is very important to know inner problems of the Japanese
society, for those, who want to improve Japan, the government, the
people or whatsoever, and her behavior. Examining them may, hopefully,
clarify what an individual can do. I believe this forum is a very good
place to discuss them.
  I, however, agree with Mr.Shin that the inner problems of the Japanese
society are nothing to do with what Japan has to do for war victims.
They should not be interpreted as any excuse.
...Wataru
-- 
  ...Wataru Ohfuchi
     Program in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University
     w1o@gfdl.gov _or_ wohfuchi@splash.princeton.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: cmr@world.std.com (Charles M Richmond)
Subject: Re: Phobia (was Re: The Russo-Japanese War (part 2))
Organization: Integrated International Systems Corp. One Longfellow Place, Suite 3309, Boston, Ma.
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 11:07:36 GMT

Just to clarify a few things. "Homophobia" does not appear to have been
used prior to 1969 ands its only use has been to describe fear/hatred of
homosexuals. Xenophobia or "ic"  has been in use since 1903 (xenophobe 1915) 
and refers to fear/hatred of strangers. Notice that the dates of first
use are not that far apart. These are both fairly new words.

Someone who never leaves their home culture and is phobic of that culture
would probably be called misanthropic or anti-social, depending on the
strength of the feeling. Persons who visit another culture and then shun
members of their own culture do not as yet seem to have their own word.
They should!


Charlie

-- 
*****************************************************************************
*  Charles Richmond 	Integrated International Systems Corporation        *
*  cmr@world.std.com	(Temporary) cmr@chiechan.mro4.dec.com		    *
*  Specializing in UNIX, X, Image Processing, and Communications.           *
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.hongkong,soc.culture.taiwan
From: fester@island.COM (Mike Fester)
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japa
Organization: /usr/local/rn/organization
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 15:55:54 GMT

In article <1992Aug29.145343.16617@r-node.gts.org> yung@r-node.gts.org (Amos Yung) writes:
>In article <1992Aug27.210708.17263@Princeton.EDU> karchang@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Kar Man Chang) writes:
>>
>>I think you hit the nail on the head here. Japan has become an economic
>>giant, but its political influence is not as strong as its economic
>>influence.  I think its history during WWII plays an important role
>>in this.  Just by trying to forget everything about WWII and without
>>owning up to what it did, the effects of the war will always be a
>>dark shadow within Japan itself and between Japan and its neighbours.

>Then, again, any good will gesture from the Japanese will be met with
>skepticism from her neighbours. If she even try to increase her political
>influences, then there can only be out right hostility from everybody.
>The Americans yell "Pearl Harbour!" just because they are voluntarily
>buying Japanese goods.

I keep hearing this argument, and I wonder that anyone gives it validity. Are
you claiming that one only needs to (or should) apologize *IF* everyone else
accepts it? Is this valid reasoning: "Well, I know that what I did was wrong,
but he won't accept my apology anyway, to forget it"? Sorry, but that's not
the way apologies work. The aggrieved party is under NO obligation to the 
offender. 

BTW, many were skeptical of German apologies. Only after profuse and continual
application of those apologies has Germany's sincerity become accepted.

As for the "Remember Pearl Harbor!" nonsense, I don't recall that we are 
asking for such an statement by the Japanese.
Mike
-- 
Disclaimer - I'm only doing what the little voices tell me to do.
From: miklg@acuson.com (Michael Goldman )
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Phobia (was Re: The Russo-Japanese War (part 2))
Date: 30 Aug 92 15:20:21 GMT
Organization: Acuson; Mountain View, California

masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov (Michiaki Masuda) writes:

>   In Japanese, "douzoku ken-o" might be the word for hatred against one's own
>people. Interestingly, when I asked my American colleague if there's any
>English word describing this situation, she told me that there is none as 
>far as she knew. She also said that "douzoku ken-o" is not such a common feeling
>at least among Americans and that there might be no need for the word. I wonder
>if this is something specific to Japanese. 

	I have had that same feeling of wanting to avoid other Americans in
	Europe.  The reason was that once I opened up any conversation with
	them it was hard to avoid a rather lengthy talk.  My feeling was "I
	didn't come all this way to meet Americans!"  Once, on the top of the
	Arc de Triomphe in Paris, some Americans asked me where the Eiffel
	tower was.  I pointed it out to them in my execrable French (it's
	impossible to miss it!)  and they took me for French and so they
	asked me the same question again in English, but much more loudly!
	(How sweetly American :) )

	- Michael Goldman

-- 
"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have
exhausted all other alternatives." - Abba Eban
	Disclaimer:  All views are solely my own & not the views of Acuson.
	<sun!sono!miklg>  or  [miklg@acuson.com]
From: kaneko@ICSI.Berkeley.EDU (Seiji Kaneko)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: What did Akihito do during the war
Date: 25 Aug 1992 21:26:01 GMT
Organization: international computer science institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: axiom.icsi.berkeley.edu

Just a quick answer:
Since Akihito is around 60(not 70), I suppose he was
a schoolboy in 1940's.

Seiji
-- 
Seiji Kaneko  kaneko@icsi.Berkeley.EDU,kaneko@sdl.hitachi.co.jp
.................................... 76270.2466@compuserve.com
From: thomas@aic.co.jp (Thomas Johannsen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Reentry permits (wasRe: registering marriages)
Date: 4 Sep 92 10:23:00 GMT
	<HARKCOM.92Sep2083240@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp>
	<1992Sep2.194420.402@hamblin.math.byu.edu>
	<1992Sep3.071230.11803@westford.ccur.com>
Organization: Advanced Intelligent Communication Systems Lab.,Sendai,Japan
In-reply-to: hank@westford.ccur.com's message of 3 Sep 92 07:12:30 GMT

In article <1992Sep3.071230.11803@westford.ccur.com> hank@westford.ccur.com (Hank Cohen) writes:


 > My understanding is a bit different about re-entry permits.
 > If you are a registered alien then when you want to leave Japan 
 > you have 2 choices get a reentry permit either single or multiple and
 > pay the rather outrageous fee that they demand.
 > [...]  The re-entry permit refers to alien registration
 > not to the visa.

This is really crazy. Even if your visa says ``good for multiple
entry'' (as mine does) you _have to_ get the re-entry permit :-(
Is bureaucracy so much in need of money or don't they have other
things to do at immigration office?

Thomas

Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: u2105545@aix00.csd.unsw.OZ.AU (Shigetoh Kumagai)
Subject: Re: What do most of Japanese think of Korean (Re: An open letter..)
Summary: totto-chan book
Organization: University of New South Wales
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 10:17:19 GMT


Has any one read a book called "Totto-chan" by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi.
This book should be very popular.

this book talks a litte about word "chosen-jin" in a episode.

It's been used as text for Japanese in Advance class in Highschool,
when I was year 12. And I have read book when I was Junior High School
student in Japan.

PS I am in Australia.

Shigetoh SARIRI Kumagai
--
Shigetoh SARIRI Kumagai($@$/$^$,$$(J $@$7$2$H$r(J)   shk@newt.phys.unsw.edu.au
					   u2105545@cumulus.csd.unsw.oz.au
							(@@)         
A member of OzNeXT; A member of UNSWARS;		  >
From: harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Opening the rice market
Date: 30 Aug 92 23:54:25 GMT
	<7138@bigbird.hri.com.hri.com>
	<1992Aug28.215218.13265@u.washington.edu>
Organization: Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
In-reply-to: yoichi@milton.u.washington.edu's message of 28 Aug 92 21:52:18 GMT

In article <1992Aug28.215218.13265@u.washington.edu>
   yoichi@milton.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii) writes:

 =}As for fish, I think it depends on the type.  Things like squid and shrimp
 =}(Ok, so they're not technically a fish) freeze OK in a regular freezer.
 =}Others may require industrial strength ones (quick freeze and just the right
 =}defrosting etc). 

   A lot of the chain sushi restaurants freeze their fish (all types I
believe) and cut them while they are still slightly frozen (to give a
thinner sharp piece).  IMHO freezing doesn't hurt the flavor enough
to make much of a difference at such a place (if I were that picky about
flavor I wouldn't be eating in a chain store)...
From: harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: telephones again
Date: 2 Sep 92 23:33:05 GMT
	<HARKCOM.92Sep2090756@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp>
	<1992Sep2.035108.14502@omrongw.wg.omron.co.jp>
Distribution: soc.culture.japan
Organization: Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
In-reply-to: andy@nff.ncl.Omron.Co.Jp's message of 2 Sep 92 03:51:08 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.035108.14502@omrongw.wg.omron.co.jp>
   andy@nff.ncl.Omron.Co.Jp (Andy Krantz) writes:

 =}I am shopping around for a phone line (or the 'right' as Mr Harkom calls
 =} it).

   Just for clarification:

   I used the word 'right' to refer to the kanyuuken (which is not a
line but a right to have a line).  I used 'line' to refer to the line
which your phone will be installed on if you have the kanyuuken.  One
can shop around for a kanyuuken, but NTT assigns one a 'line' upon
request.

 =}Assuming that the line I get can NOT dial abroad, would I still be able to
 =}get incoming calls from overseas?

   Yes, I believe you can (or at least that is what NTT told me when I
asked for my current line).
From: blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Tofu Sushi ?
Date: 31 Aug 92 18:06:44 GMT
Reply-To: blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Organization: Horizon Research


I don't even want to talk about it, never mind eat it.

- Bill
Xref: sparky soc.culture.japan:7680 rec.arts.movies:26784
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,rec.arts.movies
Subject: Re: More on japanese films
From: shogun@sutro.SFSU.EDU (Mike M. Tatsugawa)
Date: 3 Sep 92 16:46:00 PDT
Organization: San Francisco State University

In article <1992Sep2.130239.16958@kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp> chosei@suiren.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp () writes:
>
>
>I've been looking for the Oshima's movie "In the Realm of the Senses"
>but I can't find it in rental houses. 
>It seems that the name in japanes is "Ai no Koriida" $@0&$N%3%j!<%@(J.
>   Does anyone know it this movie was censored here ?
>   If not, under what indexes I can find it?

This can be found in small video stores.  I rented mine from Tower and
also saw it in San Francisco Japantown.  The sex scenes in the movie
will be censored in Japan and probably were here as well.  I have
never seen a more explicit movie that wasn't X-rated.  (Maybe this
was, but I assume that it was an NR film.)  Do not watch it with your
girlfriend.  You will feel uncomfortable around her for weeks.  Do not
watch it after eating, the closing sequence may make you lose your
lunch.  Aside from these issues, it was a very intelligent film.

Mike
-- 
Mike Tatsugawa, AKA shogun: The busiest anime fan in the world!
President, SPJA:  2425 B Channing, Suite 684, Brk, CA 94704

mtats@ocf.berkeley.edu   shogun@sutro.sfsu.edu   shogun@sfsu.edu
From: benkei@cs.utexas.edu (William Kent Richards)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: mountain bikes & gifts
Date: 28 Aug 1992 21:05:25 -0500
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: nada.cs.utexas.edu

In article <1992Aug22.065404.3179@nntp.csl.sony.co.jp> stevef@csl.sony.co.jp writes:
>In article <HARKCOM.92Aug21083451@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp> harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom) writes:
>
>I think the main difference is that they have a different nozzle on
>the tires for air. American mountain bikes have the same nozzle as
>Japanese cars so it is not so much of a problem, though maybe you
>might want to include a small hand held pump with the gift.

If Japanese bikes use Presta valves (Euro-style), you can just
get some tubes like this at your local bike shop and swap them.
If they use their own style valves, you could get some Japanese
tubes and swap them.  If they use Presta valves, and you want
to include a pump anyway, include a pump that is switchable
from Schrader (American) to Presta.  If they use Japanese-style
(non-Shrader and non-Presta) remmeber that when the person must
change their tube, they will not be able to use an American
-- 

Kent Richards                         "Practice random acts of kindness
benkei@cs.utexas.edu                   and senseless beauty"
Xref: sparky soc.culture.japan:7398 fj.books:817 fj.misc:570
From: kaneko@ICSI.Berkeley.EDU (Seiji Kaneko)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,fj.books,fj.misc
Subject: Re: Buy books from Japan.
Followup-To: soc.culture.japan
Date: 27 Aug 1992 22:21:14 GMT
Organization: international computer science institute
	    <1992Aug25.153324.18187@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: axiom.icsi.berkeley.edu

A typical "fj.life.in-japan" question :-)

In article <CLAUDE.92Aug27161617@tokyo.trc.mew.mei.co.jp> claude@trc.mew.mei.co.jp (Claude Huss) writes:
>Does anyone kno a good bookstore in the US that I can
>Fax/Phone/E-Mail and order books (not technical books,
>something like romance, literature,etc.) using a 
>credit card for dispatch to Japan?

How about Cody's in Berkeley? They accept order from Japan,
and many people in FJ have experiences to purchare from them.
(therefore, crosspost to fj.books, and of course, to fj.misc)

Cody's
2454 Telegraph avenue, Berkeley CA 94704 USA.
Tel: +(510)-845-7852
(No fax number shown in yellow page)

and here follows explanation of this bookstore from FAQ of rec.arts.books.

		Cody's (2454 Telegraph at Haste).  "One of the two stores
			in the Bay area I hold up as the definition of the
			term 'bookstore.'"  A very large selection of just
			about everything, (foreign language books on
			Dwight just west of Telegraph).  There is even a book
			about Cody's: CODY'S BOOKS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A
			BERKELEY BOOKSTORE, 1956-1977, by Pat and Fred Cody
			(scheduled for Oct 1992 and described in an article in
			the August 3, 1992 issue of "Publishers Weekly").

Hope this helps.

# Let's vote yes to "fj.life.in-japan" (^_^)
-- 
Seiji Kaneko  kaneko@icsi.Berkeley.EDU,kaneko@sdl.hitachi.co.jp
.................................... 76270.2466@compuserve.com
From: djohnson@cs.ucsd.edu (Darin Johnson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Toto Washolet
Date: 2 Sep 92 18:43:35 GMT
Organization: =CSE Dept., U.C. San Diego

My interest is now piqued.  What the heck is a washolet toilet seat,
and why is it so special that one would consider going through the
hassle of bringing back as a gift?
-- 
Darin Johnson
djohnson@ucsd.edu
    "Only Nixon could go to China"  -- Vulcan proverb
From: blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Tofu Grub Sushi ?
Date: 3 Sep 92 22:10:43 GMT
Reply-To: blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Organization: Horizon Research

I'm not going to try the fried grubs either, even if Mike
Fester claims they're better than Tofu Sushi. I saw them
being gathered from a river bottom and roasted on a TV
"food" show. On the same show, I saw people eating fungus
off a foot high hunk of tree bark on a plate in front of
them. I wasn't sure if this was a food show, or "Believe
It Or Not."

In a state of hot sake induced euphoria, however, I have
tried things even my Mom wouldn't want me to try, such as
fugu and sea cucumber intentines with raw quail egg. 

I watched some friends - gaijin - eat raw eel liver once,
and the eel was watching too! My admiration for them 
increased immensely, but I still practically retch
thinking about it.

(I'm feeling a little green.... think I'll go home and
throw some sake in the microwave. Mrs. is stopping by the
Asian food store to pick up some Kim Chee on the way
home. I'll live.... I guess :-)

- Bill
From: wen@frigg.NTT.jp (Wu Wen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: telephones again
Keywords: telephone, NTT
Date: 2 Sep 92 08:40:53 GMT
Reply-To: wen@frigg.NTT.jp (Wu Wen)
Organization: NTT Communication Science Labs., Kyoto, Japan.

Talking about getting a telephone in Japan, the deposit
is over the top, but the worst is that you'll have to
go to the NTT's office between 9-4, pay your deposit (
in my case I had to take a leave and wait for about 1hr for 
them(three of them!) to sort out the forms etc. (This is
probably due to the staff's enthusiasm after I showed them
my company pass:-)

And some technician has to visit your room (between
9-5) and you'll have to be there. Note that my room is
fitted with a proper socket. For me this technician
didn't turn up at the time and i was asked to wait again,
do you believe that? after I complained loudly, in the end 
i didn't have to be there probably because some manager 
also realised it is rediculous.

In other coutries it is just a phone call and a credit card
away. But it seems that no one is interested in changing it here.
I wonder if this has something to do with NTT's monopoly.(British
Telecom is also a monopoly but they are not as errogant).

So here you go. the lesson is, please be patient with NTT's 
people(your alternative is without a telephone of course).

Have a nice day.

-WWen-
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan