HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: farzin@apollo3.apollo3.ntt.JP (Farzin Mokhtarian)
Subject: Re: *** J -> E TV signal converter ***
Organization: none
Distribution: fj
Date: 15 Dec 1992 23:59:23 GMT

In article <4466@nttica.ntt.JP> waynelui@nttica.ntt.jp (Wayne Lui) writes:

 @Many of the TVs sold in Japan have the  capability  of  receiving
 @either  signal  when a TV program is broadcasted both in Japanese
 @and English (e.g. foreign movies).  Since I bought my TV  in  the
 @US, it doesn't have this feature.  Wonder if there exists a magic
 @box that gives me the  aforementioned  capability.   If  so,  how
 @much?  Where can I find one?  Thanks in advance for the info.
 @
 @						  Wayne Lui.

What you can do is to buy a radio with such a capability. There
are special ones which can receive the sounds of TV channels.
Definitely cheaper than a "bilingual" TV. I bought one for
about 15 or 16K in Akihabara.  
    
  - Farzin Mokhtarian
    farzin@apollo3.ntt.jp
                  
PS. It also has two cassette decks with several features. I couldn't
    find one without the cassette decks. I still don't know why!  
               
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
From: claude@trc.mew.mei.co.jp (Claude Huss)
Subject: Soccer[English]
Organization: Matsushita Electric Works Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
Distribution: fj
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 01:36:36 GMT



Congratulations to Sao Paulo FC that became the world champion after beating
Barcelona FC last sunday here in Tokyo for 2x1.

# I hope that Sao Paulo FC lost all its energies against Barcelona FC and
# then permit my TEAM (Palmeiras FC) be the champion in the Sao Paulo State
# Championiship... (Final will be next December 20th(??))
--
         ,,, 
        (o o)           
----oOO--( )--OOo----------------------------------------------------------
 Claude Huss, Network Researcher-Engineer  Matushita Electric Works, Tokyo.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barach's Rule:
	An alcoholic is a person who drinks more than his own
	physician.
From: inagaki@aclab1.resrch.anritsu.co.jp (Shintaro Inagaki)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: Japan, rice and related stories (Again!) (In English)
Date: 18 Dec 92 05:15:24 GMT
Organization: Research Lab., Anritsu Corp., Atsugi-shi, JAPAN
In-reply-to: a62420a@ccsparc01.center.osaka-u.ac.jp's message of 16 Dec 92 05:37:56 GMT

In article <765@ccsparc01.center.osaka-u.ac.jp> a62420a@ccsparc01.center.osaka-u.ac.jp (ruggieri) writes:
    >>
    >>	      But I can't admit some newspapers writing that the opening
    >>of the market will be a disaster because the imported rice will not
    >>be a "safe food". I saw the same story before many times: the Japanese
    >>can not eat meet from America because their bowels are shorter (or
    >>longer - I don't remember), the apples here are better than elsewhere
    >>and so forth.
    >>
I think the newspaper's opinion is
one of the "reject import for whatever reason you think of"
rather than a "Japan is unique and special."

In fact, I am a just typical Japanese, yet I am waiting for cheap rice.
Many Japnese comsumers welcome imported rice, if it tasts nice and costs cheap.
I think the newspaper's opinion is different from that of many other newspapers.
It is not good reason for closing the market that some chemical is used in US.
There are many other ways to reject chemicals.

That opinion reminds me a silly rumor that spread some twenty years ago:
"The McDonalds are using cat meat."
I guess some narrow-minded man in food industry
might have made out the rumor to reject the foreign food.
No one took it seriously.

--
		$@%"%s%j%D!J3t!K8&5f=j!!Bh#38&5fIt(J
			$@0p3@?5B@O:!!(Jinagaki@aclab1.resrch.anritsu.co.jp
From: a62420a@ccsparc01.center.osaka-u.ac.jp (ruggieri)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Japan, rice and related stories (Again!) (In English)
Date: 16 Dec 92 05:37:56 GMT
Organization: Computation Center, Osaka University


	Yesterday I just happened to see once more the Japanese
farmers protesting against the (I guess inevitable) opening of
the Japanese rice market. Although my opinion is that we will
finally have some good and cheap rice to eat in a country where
rice is 5-6 times more expensive than elsewhere, one has to admit
that those farmers have some reason to protest. Besides many farmers
being dependent on their land to survive, rice is something that is
part of the Japanese culture.

	But I can't admit some newspapers writing that the opening
of the market will be a disaster because the imported rice will not
be a "safe food". I saw the same story before many times: the Japanese
can not eat meet from America because their bowels are shorter (or
longer - I don't remember), the apples here are better than elsewhere
and so forth. Gee, I am just wondering what makes the Japanese so
special, according to that newspaper, that they can not eat imported
rice. Does anybody out there have any guess ??

	Claudio

	"At the edge of starving due to the rice price in Japan"
From: davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: some questions..
Date: 14 Dec 92 15:11:43 GMT
Distribution: fj

yuji@mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp (Yuji Nagaishi ) writes:

>    Hi there, the contents below may not be of direct interest to the group. 
>If you would permit, I would like to have some intuitive responses whether 
>the following sentences are acceptable or not from English native speaker's 
>point of view. Also, I would appreciate if you can have some comments on the 
>context, whether they are okey or not, and some reasons why they are so. 

>1)  Ann shrieked that there were cockroaches in the cavier.
Sounds OK.

>2)  Tom shouted that the orange was poisonous.
Also OK.

>3)  John mumbled that he was a genius in mathematics, but he actually isn't.
OK, I suppose but I would say "but actually he isn't."

>4)  Mrs. Farmer grunted that Mary broke the window.
OK.

>5)  John grunted that this window is stuck.
OK.

>6)  I didn't know that cooking requires this much of time and energy!
I would say "requires this much time and energy!" (no 'of').

>7)  I didn't know you have 3 kids.
I would say "you had 3 kids."

Comment: When I say "OK" I mean that I understand them and they
sound more or less OK. But actually I don't think I would say
them myself but say:

  Dave shouted, "What is this anyway!"

As it is, the words, 'grunted,' 'mumbled,' 'shouted,' and 'shrieked'
sound kinda weird as in indirect quote. Not sure why, but I think it's
because these are "strong" words and indirect quotes are "weak".

Only my 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
From: hash@ikarac5.ctrl.saitama-u.ac.jp (Toshihiko Hashimoto)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: more food.in.japan
Date: 15 Dec 92 13:13:49 GMT
Distribution: fj
Organization: Araki Lab., Electronic Engineering, Saitama Univ., Japan

In article <Bz95C9.Bpq@world.std.com> cmr@world.std.com (Charles M Richmond) writes:
>I agree , it is not really a romanization issue. In English the name of the 
>place is Hokkaido. Just as "Munich" is the English name for Muenchen. The
>cause of confusion is the closeness of Hokkaido to one of the forms of
>romanization. One might also advocate Hokkaidoo or Hokaido^ ...
>
>Charlie

I see.  I found what I had misunderstood.  His last phrase
about "DOSANKO" made me misunderstood.  I got it from Charlie's 
article.  No, he was talking not about how to pronounce it.

On my personal point of view, HOKKAIDO is not an English word,
but a Romanized Japanese word (my American teacher also said 
it was a romanized word).  There are a couple of ways to romanize
Japanese words in Japan and each of them CAN NOT BE REGARDED AS
THE WRONG WAY.  When I was a junior high school boy, I was learned
that the long vowels should be represented by bars in romanizing
Japanese words like:
       _   _  _  _
HOKKAIDO, TOKYO, OSAKA

I think the representations like TOKYO and OSAKA would come from 
the abbreviations of the romanized forms above.  We could take
the similar logic about HOKKAIDO too.  But I do think HOKKAIDO
is one of the romanizations of $BKL3$F;(J, and HOKKAIDOH, HOKKAIDOU,
       _
HOKKAIDO and HOKKAIDOO can be OK.  I don't think that you can say 
the spelling HOKKAIDOU is wrong because some of $BKL3$F;(J people 
romanize it as HOKKAIDO.  This cannot be a reason why you said 
HOKKAIDO was a CORRECT spelling.  Don't you think so?  I think 
there is no unique correct way to romanize Japanese words.

Any objection or arguement about this would be appreciated,
although it seems boring and trifling.

Thanks,

HASHIMOTO
-- 
  ____          _    _  |  HASHIMOTO Toshihiko 
   /  __   __   /       |  <<Dept. of E&E Engineering, Saitama University>>
  /  /  / /__  /__  /   |  e-mail: hash@ctrl.saitama-u.ac.jp (JUNET )
 /  /__/ ___/ /  / /    |          TGH70044                  (PC-VAN)
From: inagaki@aclab1.resrch.anritsu.co.jp (Shintaro Inagaki)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: sinoco??.cod(translation) needed.
Date: 16 Dec 92 03:32:51 GMT
Distribution: fj.life.in-japan
Organization: Research Lab., Anritsu Corp., Atsugi-shi, JAPAN
In-reply-to: liu@ai.rdc.ricoh.CO.JP's message of 15 Dec 92 08:03:45 GMT

In article <LIU.92Dec15170345@nozawa.ai.rdc.ricoh.CO.JP> liu@ai.rdc.ricoh.CO.JP (Xueping Liu) writes:
    >>
    >>	Could some send me the sinoco??.cod for converting "7bit GB -> JIS".
    >>
Look fj.sources for
  nnnn: [ 58:handa@etlken.] Sinocode Ver.0.1 (0/4)
  nnnn: [753:handa@etlken.] Sinocode Ver.0.1 (1/4)
  nnnn: [756:handa@etlken.] Sinocode Ver.0.1 (2/4)
  nnnn: [756:handa@etlken.] Sinocode Ver.0.1 (3/4)
  nnnn: [658:handa@etlken.] Sinocode Ver.0.1 (4/4)
    >>--
--
		$@%"%s%j%D!J3t!K8&5f=j!!Bh#38&5fIt(J
			$@0p3@?5B@O:!!(Jinagaki@aclab1.resrch.anritsu.co.jp
From: t_yamasi@hoffman.cc.sophia.ac.jp (Yamashiki Tsuyoshi)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: Japan, rice and related stories (Again!) (In English)
Date: 18 Dec 92 06:09:42 GMT
Organization: Computer Center, Sophia Univ., Tokyo, Japan

In article <BROWN.92Dec17163045@chairo.vdrl.src.mei.co.jp> brown@vdrl.src.mei.co.jp (BROWN Gary) writes:
>tries to help the world understand why this myth (the Japanese fascination 
>with  their own language and culture) is being perpetuated.

I have this feeling that most of those `myths' are excuses
propagated by Japanese government, and that built the myths
amongst foreigners.
Me, I'm not fascinated.  I seldom see Japanese fascinated
with Japanese culture.  Youngsters still tries to import
western culture, thinking it's cool.  I often get surprised
to know that many foreigners think Japanese are tough
defenders of their culture -- we're not.  We've been heavily
infulenced by foreign culture, or say, our culuture is a
mass of mixed foreign cultures.  I never felt Japanese was
original.  This lack of identity has been annoying me (may I
say, us?) for a long time.  Combined with traum of war, it
lead (I think) to this indifference to our past and lack of
respect to our culture.  Afterall, who can pay attention to
the culture s/he thinks doesn't exist?  The vision of `Japanese
culture' that foreigners possess is just an illusion to me.

As for language, no, it's just that Japanese can't speak or
write English.  That's all.
--
Tsuyoshi Yamashiki, lost boy in cyber space.
From: dji@atson.asahi-np.co.jp (David J. Iannucci)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: some questions..
Date: 15 Dec 92 04:27:33 GMT
Distribution: fj
Organization: ATSON, Inc. (a subsidiary of the Asahi Shimbun)

>>>6)  I didn't know that cooking requires this much of time and energy!
>>requires-> required.

	I'm surprised no one has pointed out the most obvious error.  In
the above sentence the word "of" should be removed.

Dave Iannucci                                        dji@atson.asahi-np.co.jp
Gaijin-in-residence                     ATSON/Trans Cosmos Inc., Tokyo, Japan
(They move fast)*(They tell me)*(There's someone)*(Rainbows)*(Alternate Tune)
From: t_yamasi@hoffman.cc.sophia.ac.jp (Yamashiki Tsuyoshi)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: Japan, rice and related stories (Again!) (In English)
Date: 17 Dec 92 07:33:23 GMT
Organization: Computer Center, Sophia Univ., Tokyo, Japan

In article <765@ccsparc01.center.osaka-u.ac.jp> a62420a@ccsparc01.center.osaka-u.ac.jp (ruggieri) writes:
>	But I can't admit some newspapers writing that the opening
>of the market will be a disaster because the imported rice will not
>be a "safe food". I saw the same story before many times: the Japanese

I'm no expert in this field, but the point is that chemicals are added
to some imported rice after it get harvested.  Post-harvest chemicals,
I think that's how they call them.  Whether it's safe or not is another
issue though.
--
Tsuyoshi Yamashiki, lost boy in cyber space.
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
From: cmr@world.std.com (Charles M Richmond)
Subject: Re: some questions..
Organization: Integrated International Systems Corp. One Longfellow Place, Suite 3309, Boston, Ma.
Distribution: fj
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 13:45:41 GMT

creubank@is.crl.sony.co.jp (Curtis Eubanks) writes:

>In article <YUJI.92Dec14161343@mickey10.mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp> yuji@mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp (Yuji Nagaishi ) writes:
>  >... instructions delete
>  >1)  Ann shrieked that there were cockroaches in the cavier.
>Fine.
>  >2)  Tom shouted that the orange was poisonous.
>Fine.
>  >3)  John mumbled that he was a genius in mathematics, but he actually isn't.
>Fine.
>  >4)  Mrs. Farmer grunted that Mary broke the window.
>Okay.  It sounds better to me if you use "had broken" instead of
>"broke."

The use of "broke" indicates a nearness in time to the event and is perfectly
correct.

>  >5)  John grunted that this window is stuck.
>"This" needs to point to something.  There is no context, so you
>should use "the window" instead.  Also, "is" should be "was":
>	       John grunted that the window was stuck.

Again, the use of the present tense is perfectly correct , as is the use of
"this". The original sentence indicates , in completely proper English ,
that John is trying to open one window from a selection of windows. The
use of "this" implies more than one window and the use of "is" indicates
that the window is still stuck. 

>  >6)  I didn't know that cooking requires this much of time and energy!
>requires-> required.
>  >7)  I didn't know you have 3 kids.
>[6&7] I think these are okay for casual speech; at least many
>Americans speak that way; however in formal English, the correct tense
>is the subjunctive (?) "had".  I.e., "I didn't know you had three kids."



Each of these cases of mixed tenses are acceptable. Refer to the section
on "Sequence of tenses" in _Fowlers Modern English Usage_.

Charlie
-- 
*****************************************************************************
*  Charles Richmond 	Integrated International Systems Corporation        *
*  cmr@world.std.com	(Temporary) cmr@koneko.shr.dec.com		    *
*  Specializing in UNIX, X, Image Processing, and Communications.           *
From: hash@ikarac5.ctrl.saitama-u.ac.jp (Toshihiko Hashimoto)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: more food.in.japan
Date: 15 Dec 92 03:46:49 GMT
Distribution: fj
Organization: Araki Lab., Electronic Engineering, Saitama Univ., Japan


>SANTOS WROTE IN <SANTOS.92Dec9192912@mickey00.mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp>
>>  - Hokkaidou ($B$[$C$+$$$I$&(J,$BKL3$F;(J)
>
>"Hokkaido" is a right spelling. People who live in the ``HOKKAIDO''
>never add 'u' at the tail of "Hokkaido".
>
>DOSANKO ($BF;;:;R(J) A child who was born in the Hokkaido.
>
>					I'm a man who came from Hokkaido

In your previous article, you were talking about how to
romanizing $BKL3$F;(J, weren't you?  At least it seems that 
the word "spelling" implied so.

>"HOKKAIDO" is a noun. It was not how to write $BKL3$F;(J using RO^MA-JI.

What do you mean "a noun"?

> |I call $BKL3$F;(J HOKKAIDOU, and at least my ATOK7(kanji-FEP) 
> |never gives us "$BKL3$F;(J" by typing HOKKAIDO. 
>.......
> |because they call it so.  Although ATOK7 gives us $BKL5~(J by 
> |spelling PEKIN.
>
>It's no concern of mine.  I don't know how ATOK was implemented.
>Please ask just system.

I didn't intend to explain about the ATOK system at all.  
I showed you how appropriate "HOKKAIDOU" is, even if some 
of HOKKAIDOU people call $BKL3$F;(J HOKKAIDO.  And I do think
that he was not wrong and HOKKAIDOU is more general than
HOKKAIDO in Japan.  I think you cannot say which is right
or which is wrong...

Thanks,

HASHIMOTO

-- 
  ____          _    _  |  HASHIMOTO Toshihiko 
   /  __   __   /       |  <<Dept. of E&E Engineering, Saitama University>>
  /  /  / /__  /__  /   |  e-mail: hash@ctrl.saitama-u.ac.jp (JUNET )
 /  /__/ ___/ /  / /    |          TGH70044                  (PC-VAN)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
From: cmr@world.std.com (Charles M Richmond)
Subject: Re: more food.in.japan
Organization: Integrated International Systems Corp. One Longfellow Place, Suite 3309, Boston, Ma.
Distribution: fj
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 13:55:21 GMT

hironobu@sra.co.jp (Hironobu Suzuki) writes:

>In article <5483@sinec.cent.saitama-u.ac.jp> hash@ikarac5.ctrl.saitama-u.ac.jp (Toshihiko Hashimoto) writes:
> |I don't understand your intention to correct the Romanized
> |spelling.  

>"HOKKAIDO" is a noun. It was not how to write $BKL3$F;(B using RO^MA-JI.

> |I call $BKL3$F;(B HOKKAIDOU, and at least my ATOK7(kanji-FEP) 
> |never gives us "$BKL3$F;(B" by typing HOKKAIDO. 
>.......
> |because they call it so.  Although ATOK7 gives us $BKL5~(B by 
> |spelling PEKIN.

>It's no concern of mine.  I don't know how ATOK was implemented.
>Please ask just system.

>					--hironobu


I agree , it is not really a romanization issue. In English the name of the 
place is Hokkaido. Just as "Munich" is the English name for Muenchen. The
cause of confusion is the closeness of Hokkaido to one of the forms of
romanization. One might also advocate Hokkaidoo or Hokaido^ ...

Charlie
-- 
*****************************************************************************
*  Charles Richmond 	Integrated International Systems Corporation        *
*  cmr@world.std.com	(Temporary) cmr@koneko.shr.dec.com		    *
*  Specializing in UNIX, X, Image Processing, and Communications.           *
From: inagaki@aclab1.resrch.anritsu.co.jp (Shintaro Inagaki)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: how US society politically correct?
Date: 14 Dec 92 05:50:19 GMT
	<MELBY.92Dec10120559@dove.yk.fujitsu.co.jp>
Distribution: fj
Organization: Research Lab., Anritsu Corp., Atsugi-shi, JAPAN
In-reply-to: melby@dove.yk.fujitsu.co.jp's message of 10 Dec 92 12:05:59 GMT

In article <MELBY.92Dec10120559@dove.yk.fujitsu.co.jp> melby@dove.yk.fujitsu.co.jp (John B. Melby) writes:
    >>Japanese society is not known for its political correctness.
Of course not; many societies in the world are not either.

I am just curious, are many cities/towns in US really political correct?
#Do not tell me about Berkley.
And so-called political correctness is really good?
Democrats are going to hire a lot of homosexuals and women in military
because this is politically correct;
I believe this will only make the military less efficient,
and will not contribute anything correct or in justice.

I think so-called political correctness is a movement
that has get popular only in the US society in this couple of years;
I wonder the society might swing to the other direction in a few year.

I am very curious how US society politically correct?
--
		$@%"%s%j%D!J3t!K8&5f=j!!Bh#38&5fIt(J
			$@0p3@?5B@O:!!(Jinagaki@aclab1.resrch.anritsu.co.jp
From: creubank@is.crl.sony.co.jp (Curtis Eubanks)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: some questions..
Date: 14 Dec 92 09:22:50 GMT
Reply-To: creubank@is.crl.sony.co.jp (Curtis Eubanks)
Distribution: fj
Organization: Sony Corporation, Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan.
X-Bytes: 1508

In article <YUJI.92Dec14161343@mickey10.mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp> yuji@mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp (Yuji Nagaishi ) writes:
  >... instructions delete
  >1)  Ann shrieked that there were cockroaches in the cavier.
Fine.
  >2)  Tom shouted that the orange was poisonous.
Fine.
  >3)  John mumbled that he was a genius in mathematics, but he actually isn't.
Fine.
  >4)  Mrs. Farmer grunted that Mary broke the window.
Okay.  It sounds better to me if you use "had broken" instead of
"broke."
  >5)  John grunted that this window is stuck.
"This" needs to point to something.  There is no context, so you
should use "the window" instead.  Also, "is" should be "was":
	       John grunted that the window was stuck.
  >6)  I didn't know that cooking requires this much of time and energy!
requires-> required.
  >7)  I didn't know you have 3 kids.
[6&7] I think these are okay for casual speech; at least many
Americans speak that way; however in formal English, the correct tense
is the subjunctive (?) "had".  I.e., "I didn't know you had three kids."

  >   Thanks in advanced.
                ^^^^^^^^advance :-)

Sounds like you are studying for the $@1Q83(J.

				-creubank
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Curtis Eubanks                   creubank@is.crl.sony.co.jp

Sony Information Systems and Telecommunications Research Laboratories
                       Information Systems Division
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: hironobu@sra.co.jp (Hironobu Suzuki)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: more food.in.japan
Date: 12 Dec 92 07:53:13 GMT
Distribution: fj
Organization: Software Research Associates, Inc., Japan
In-reply-to: santos@mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp's message of 9 Dec 92 10:29:12 GMT


SANTOS WROTE IN <SANTOS.92Dec9192912@mickey00.mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp>
>>  - Hokkaidou ($B$[$C$+$$$I$&(B,$BKL3$F;(B)

"Hokkaido" is a right spelling. People who live in the ``HOKKAIDO''
never add 'u' at the tail of "Hokkaido".

DOSANKO ($BF;;:;R(B) A child who was born in the Hokkaido.

					I'm a man who came from Hokkaido
						--hironobu
From: kenji@rcac.astem.or.jp (Kenji Rikitake)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Re: Japan, rice and related stories (Again!) (In English)
Date: 17 Dec 92 04:31:52 GMT
Organization: RCAC Project, ASTEM RI, Kyoto, Japan
In-reply-to: a62420a@ccsparc01.center.osaka-u.ac.jp's message of 16 Dec 92 05:37:56 GMT

In article <765@ccsparc01.center.osaka-u.ac.jp> a62420a@ccsparc01.center.osaka-u.ac.jp (ruggieri) writes:
]	   But I can't admit some newspapers writing that the opening
]   of the market will be a disaster because the imported rice will not
]   be a "safe food". I saw the same story before many times: the Japanese
]   can not eat meet from America because their bowels are shorter (or
]   longer - I don't remember), the apples here are better than elsewhere
]   and so forth. Gee, I am just wondering what makes the Japanese so
]   special, according to that newspaper, that they can not eat imported
]   rice. Does anybody out there have any guess ??

These kinds of irrational arguments in mass media have been
contaminating minds of Japanese people quite a long time. I think
these arguments are spreaded by notorious writers/producers and owners
of the companies. Those mass media people simply want to get more
attention of readers/viewers and they try to provoke Japanese reactive
immune system for "foreign and alien things". 

I respect farmers. But if they intentionally or unintentionally offend
the basic principle of free market, which our country depends on 100%
to expand its economy, I will support free import of all agricultural
products, even if it would cause serious damages to farmers in our
country.

// Kenji
--
Kenji Rikitake, cyberspace samurai
<kenji@rcac.astem.or.jp> <kenji@rd.macrofield.or.jp> <...!uunet!reseau!kenji>
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