HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: yoichi@milton.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Minolta CEO attacks US Second Amendment (American guns)
Date: 28 Aug 92 00:33:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug28.003305.3870
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle

tedrick@whistle.Berkeley.EDU (Tom Tedrick) writes:
[....]
>He [Minolta CEO] may not have understood that American democracy is based on
>the idea that a democratic society cannot exist if the average
>citizen does not have the right to own state-of-the art weapons,

Yes, we should all have a personal nuclear submarine and a sub-launched,
multiple-warhead theromonuclear weapons.

>along with the right to free speech (so the masses have access to
>both the information and the force necessary to resist tyranny). 
>[...]

Seems like economic pressure and other less deadly methods have
become the most powerful "weapons" in US and Japan, but I guess 
I don't understand, just as Minolta CEO's.
From: masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov (Michiaki Masuda)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Buy books from Japan.
Date: 29 Aug 92 01:07:44 GMT
Organization: Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center

In article <17jkgqINNqgt@agate.berkeley.edu> kaneko@ICSI.Berkeley.EDU (Seiji Kaneko) writes:
.....
>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)
.....

   I wonder if we can order technical books and back issues of technical
journals from this store, too.

   When I was in Japan, I once tried to order some technical books published in 
the US and wrote a letter to the publisher. The reply said that I had to place
an order through Maruzen in Tokyo.  When I called Maruzen, I found that the
prices of the books were far from reasonable because of an incredible $-yen
exchange rate that they exploited (I think it was something like $1=280 yen
when the normal rate was $1=125 yen or so). Even though the rate included the
H & S, it seemed definitely less expensive if I could order directly from the 
publisher. They also said that there was no telling how long it would take
me to receive the books. Finally, when I started to complain, I was _advised_
to go to the US and get the books (Yes, Maruzen is notorious for its arrogance
and rudeness).
   A friend of mine in Japan also had a similar experience when he tried to
order back issues of some American medical journal and finally asked me (in 
the US) to order them and to arrange the shipping from the publisher.  
   
   Can we avoid dealing with Maruzen if we order books from Cody's?
Can we order any books and journals published in the US from Cody's?

Michiaki Masuda
From: mulvihil@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Lawrence Mulvihill)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Arrogance
Date: 3 Sep 92 13:43:25 GMT
Reply-To: mulvihil@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Lawrence Mulvihill)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

If Judy Mann had called me, I would have suggested that
multiculturalism is explicitly wrong, because it denies
the superiority of Western values as a way of life for
humans (in effect, setting up situational
ethics relativism for cultures).

-- Newt Gingrich
   Republican Whip
   U.S. Representative (R-Ga.)

   From a letter to the Washington Post Sept 2, 1992
From: davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: What do most of Japanese think of Korean (Re: An open letter..)
Date: 26 Aug 92 23:55:52 GMT
Organization: Aegis Society, Kyoto Japan

aoki@physics.ucla.edu (ken aoki) writes:

>In article <2489@aegis.or.jp> davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane) writes:
>>aoki@physics.ucla.edu (ken aoki) writes:
>[lot of not directly related stuff deleted...]
>>
>>>Just to add another data point, I was such a returnee.
>>>I spent three years in England as a kid and came back in the
>>>first year of junior high school. I was indeed called names
>>>(in fact one girl used to call me 'london hakuchi gorilla shiro buta',
>>>which means stupid white gorilla pig from london.)
>>>In general, I felt no malice and perhaps I was insensitive
>>>but I got along with the other students fine, incl. this girl
>>>who is a friend of mine.
>>
>>After the recent flame war (where people said they felt hate because
>>of what somebody had done to them and I was trying to say that this
>>isn't the only possible response) could you tell us more about
>>how/why you didn't feel malice? What did you feel toward the name
>>callers? 
>>

>I think I am usual in this respect.
>I think I felt as much or as little malice as I did
>for any other types of name calling depending on the
>tone, context, etc.
>Probably from kindergarten or so, most kids learn not to
>react too much to names. Those who react too much tend
>to become the bullieds.  I was neither a bully nor a bullied.

For me, the standard response was "Sticks and stones can hurt my
bones, but words can never hurt me." Did you have something like
this? I mean how did kids learn to react too much to names?

...

>I think calling others names that is beyond
>their control is unfair, like using their physical features.
>(fat, thin, short, long nose, big ears, etc.)
>Also racial slurs are most disgusting, and kids should be told so.

IMHO, this depends on what outcome you have in mind. If you want to
be 'right' (according to you local values), then I suppose racial
slurs are useful. But if you want to get along with the world, best
to find some common terms that everybody's comfortable with.

Since I'm trying to get along, I do my best to use agreeable words.
And just recently, I learned from somebody else's post that it's not
even a good idea to quote the non-useful words when replying to
somebody else so I'm going to start "zapping" them.  Obviously I'm
not talking about you, as nothing got z*a*p'd :-)



[* 41 lines quoted but not replied to, omitted *]

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: blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Tofu Sushi ?
Date: 1 Sep 92 15:11:10 GMT
Reply-To: blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert)
Organization: Horizon Research


=> blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert - me) writes:
=> 
=> >I don't even want to talk about it, never mind eat it.

In article <1992Sep1.001706.1789@u.washington.edu>, 
yoichi@milton.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii) writes:
=> Didn't your mom tell you to try everything at least once?
=> "How would you know you don't like it if you never ... blah blah."

1) My Mom would never give me tofu sushi. I believe she
   refuses to recognize the existence of either.

2) I've had chocolate and I've had liver. From that, I know
   I probably wouldn't enjoy chocolate covered liver.

3) I suggest sending tofu sushi to Mr. Mystery to cure him
   of his bizarre cravings for things Japanese.

4) Tofu should be bean and not curd. (extra credit joke
   for Nihonjin).

Nothing personal.... some of my best friends eat tofu sushi.

- Bill

PS - This may be humor. 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
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 15:10:55 GMT

In article <SMITTIE.92Aug29215313@beach.csulb.edu> smittie@beach.csulb.edu (Smittie) writes:
>>Wrong! The U.S. was more civilized in that it want free trade while
>>Britain tried to grab all of China's wealth by illegal narcotics
>>traficking(government-sponsored). What do you think how we had the
>>Opium war and what Hong Kong was originally intended for?
>
>The US wanted free trade with China because the US did not have the fire power
>nor the resources to crave out its own piece of China. By trying to force the
>"Open Door" policy, the US hoped to circumvent the advantages of Imperialism.
>
>Be civil had little or nothing to do with it.

As later events would prove, the US was one of the very few nations with the
"fire power" to do almost anything it wanted, anywhere in the world. 
Certainly, it had enough to carve out whatever piece of China it desired.

Mike
-- 
Disclaimer - I'm only doing what the little voices tell me to do.
From: ntetsuya@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Nishimura)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Festivals and holidays?
Date: 23 Aug 92 23:58:56 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523

In article <1992Aug24.081031.15930@uqvax.cc.uq.oz.au> ccloretta@uqvax.cc.uq.oz.au writes:
>What are the popular festivals/holidays celebrated in Japan - I have heard of kodomo no
>hi - are there any others?
>
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Loretta...

	
	There are *TOO* many festivals in Japan to mention here.

	Official/National holidays are:

	January		1	Ganjitsu  (New Years Day)
			15	Seijin no hi (Coming of Adults Day)
	February	11	Kenkoku Kinenbi (National Foundation Day)
	March		21	Shunbun no hi (Vernal Equinox Day)
	April		29	Midori no hi (Green Day)
	May		3	Kenpo kinenbi (Constitution Day)
			5	Kodomo no hi (Children's Day)
	September	15	Keiro no hi (Respect-for-the-Aged Day)
			23	Shuubun no hi (Autumnal Equinox Day)
	October		10	Taiiku no hi (Health-Sports Day)
	November	3	Bunka no hi (Culture Day)
			23	Kinro kansha no hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day)
	December	23	TeNno tanjobi (Emperor's Birth Day)

	*the day between two national holidays becomes "Kokumin ni kyujitsu,"
	 People's Holiday.  --->  May 4.

	*When a holiday is Sunday, the following Monday will be "Furikae 
	 kyujitsu," Substitute Holiday.


	About meanings and origins of the Holidays, please look up in books or
	something by yourself/-selves.   :-)  

						Tetsuya Nishimura
From: ntetsuya@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Nishimura)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: savings accounts
Date: 1 Sep 92 16:38:06 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523

In article <THOMAS.92Sep1180553@beat.aic.co.jp> thomas@aic.co.jp (Thomas Johannsen) writes:
>In article <1992Sep1.010001.17940@news.iastate.edu> TY.A62@isumvs.iastate.edu (jeffrey cross) writes:
>
> >     I have read that Japanese post offices offer tax-free saving accounts which
> >     pay slightly higher interest rates than commercial banks.  Is the
> >     average interest difference between the two large?  Does the banking
> >     counter at the post office offer other services such as converting yen
> >     to $ and electronically transferring it to a U.S.  financial
> >     institution?  
>
>Sorry, don't know any details about post office accounts.
>
	Almost the same as banks.  "Tax-free" is applicable to any savings
	accounts with "LESS" than 3 million yen ($24,000?).  If the amount 
	exceeds the limit, 20% of interest will be taken as tax.
>
> > When opening a savings account in Japan is it necessary to
> >     have a 'han' (personal seal in kanji) or is a signature sufficient?
>
>I was told that I need a hanko for opening my account (at 77 bank). Fine, I 
>got one (in katakana, not kanji!) within a couple of hours for roughly Y4000 
	  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
	This reminds me one of the professoes in my university days.  He was
	a British and named Roger Machin.  He spoke Japanese and gave lectures
	in Japanese.  He sometimes explained some "ignorant" students how to 
	write some difficult kanji ("sore wa kane-hen to ne....").  And he 
	registered his phone under hiragana (Ro ja  Me i chi n) and he had his
	hanko in hiragana, too.  His name on his suits was also in hiragana...
	(Well, I think I have told this story on the net before....  :-)  )

>(don't remember the exact sum). Afterwards I was told that there is a main 
>branch downtown that allows usage of signatures for gaijin ;-)
>
>One more word to hankos: Having one in Katakana is fine enough for everyday
>life (bank, post, etc.). If you want to buy "real property" like a car or a 
>flat, you need to have a registered hanko (inkan?). The problem came with 
>matching my name between that Alien ID card (where it is in romaji) and the
>hanko (where it was in katakana) for the registration process at my city ward.
>
	"Inkan" and "han" are the same.  Well, in my case, I didn't have a
	registered hanko but I bought a car and motorcycles.  But yes, you need
	to have your hanko registered to buy land or a house for a kind of 
	security reason.  You can register your hanko just by taking it to your
	local village, town, ward, or city office and fill in the form and stamp
	your hanko on the form.

						Tetsuya Nishimura
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: yoichi@milton.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii)
Subject: Re: Opening the rice market
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 21:52:18 GMT

blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert) writes:
>Some things freeze better than others and maintain their quality. The raw
>fish may not be so bad, but I would think the rice might be adversely 
>affected in texture.

Actually, rice freezes pretty well. Occasionally I cook a large batch of rice 
and freeze them in small "ball" forms in a regular freezer. Then I microwave
these balls as necessary.  It comes out like a freshly cooked rice (Don't 
microwave too long, though. It will get hard). Try it :-)

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). 

I have no idea how a freezing of rice-fish combination comes out.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: hank@westford.ccur.com (Hank Cohen)
Subject: Re: More on japanese films
Organization: Concurrent Nippon Corp.  Tokyo , Japan
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 01:34:36 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.010318.11689@nmit.mt.nec.co.jp> d-itasak@nmit.mt.nec.co.jp (Daisaku Itasaka) writes:
>
>Though I don't know about the other countries, movies are not so important
>in Japan. The total amount of those who went to the movie for 1 year is
>a little bit more than total population. That means Japanese people see 
>a movie once a year! That's one tenth of 20 years ago. Movie productions
>are dying too. There is no prospect of the motionpicture industry in Japan.
>
How many of those people who see 1 movie a year go to see the new Taro
san movie during their O shougatsu holiday?

It's true that the Japanese film industry is pretty moribund.
Kurosawa is produced by Lucasfilm these days.     Every year sees the
production of one or two spectacular historical epics (gidai gekki)
but these are usually box office flops.

There is a thriving porno video production industry though.

I mentioned by E-mail to one netter that probably the best collection
of classic Japanese Movies in the US is at the Pacific Film Archive at
the University of California at Berkeley University Art Museum.  They
provide research support as well as a archival and preservation
function.
-- 
Hank Cohen
Concurrent Nippon Corp.  	Shuwa yanagibashi Bldg. 5F
Yanagibashi 2-19-6 Taito-ku 	Tokyo 111, Japan
Denwa: 03-3864-5714 	Fax: 03-3864-0898
From: miklg@acuson.com (Michael Goldman )
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Phobia (was Re: The Russo-Japanese War (part 2))
Date: 1 Sep 92 18:42:37 GMT
Organization: Acuson; Mountain View, California

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

>   Here's my naive question. Would you be able to tell the difference
>between Americans and non-Americans without talking with them in Europe?

	Easily.  They look like Germans with worse taste, and they're quieter
	than the Australians (who isn't?).

	- 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: z91005@kgupyr.kwansei.ac.jp (z91005)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: savings accounts
Date: 3 Sep 92 22:59:20 GMT
Organization: Kwansei Gakuin University, Hyogo, Japan

In article <HARKCOM.92Sep2084829@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp> harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom) writes:
>
>   The tax and interest on most accounts will not be different enough to
>be significant.  For any account of less than 3 million yen (I think) there
>is no tax.  The interest rates on savings accounts are very low and there is
>almost no difference between the banks and post office in this respect.
>
WRONG.
There are practically no tax-free bank/postal office accounts.
20% of the interest is automatically deduced.

Atsu Yagasaki
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: fester@island.COM (Mike Fester)
Subject: Re: Tofu Sushi ?
Organization: /usr/local/rn/organization
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 15:40:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.001706.1789@u.washington.edu> yoichi@milton.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii) writes:
>blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert) writes:
>
>>I don't even want to talk about it, never mind eat it.
>
>Didn't your mom tell you to try everything at least once?
>"How would you know you don't like it if you never ... blah blah."

Sorry, Yoichi. As apparantly the only person on the net to have tried the
stuff (or, at least, the only one to admit it) Bill has the right idea on
this one. 

Excuse me, now. I feel a bit ill just thinking about the stuff.

Mike

PS - Someone else posted something about fried grubs. I've eaten them. 
Believe me, it's better than tofu-sushi (and yes, I love NORMAL sushi).
-- 
Disclaimer - I'm only doing what the little voices tell me to do. 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: pjyamamo@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca
Subject: Re: Opening the rice market
Organization: Data Structures Group, C.S. Dept., U. of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 20:53:45 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.153913.2097@island.COM> fester@island.COM (Mike Fester) writes:
>In article <7138@bigbird.hri.com.hri.com> blamb@rodan.hri.com (Bill Lambert) writes:
>
>>Frozen sushi? My God! Can anyone in Japan tell us about the quality of
>>the "Sushi Boy" chain? I'll have to try this at home, because sometimes
>>we're at a loss with what to do with "left-over" raw fish and sushi rice,
>>so we proceed to stuff ourselves to the gills. 
>
>Of course, this is a trivial topic, so I thought I'd jump right in. First, 
>tuna, routinely frozen BEFORE it ever reaches Japan (special flash-freeze 
>process, requiring large amounts of dry ice). Does anyone know of any other 
>fish that is frozen prior to use in sushi?

I believe that this not only applies to tuna but to most fish caught in
the open seas and not being delivered immediately (ie not returning the
same day).

Also I belive that it is not only routine but it is also the law in some
places.  Somebody (from Florida?) once posted a longer article on such
legislation in North America.

Of course this does not imply that most fish used in sushi/sashimi has been
frozen. Certainly there is a certain supply of "unfrozen" fish depending
on location/season.

Peter
From: feng@cs.cornell.edu (Zhongyang Feng)
Subject: Re: Sakamoto
Organization: Cornell University, Ithaca NY
	<jwb.714788063@capek.rdt.monash.edu.au>
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 21:10:27 GMT

In article <jwb.714788063@capek.rdt.monash.edu.au> jwb@capek.rdt.monash.edu.au (Jim Breen) writes:

   >What's the Chinese characters for the name "sakamoto" ? Anyone can help ?

ban3 ben3 


Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.hongkong,soc.culture.taiwan
From: smittie@beach.csulb.edu (Smittie)
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japa
Organization: Cal State Long Beach
	<SMITTIE.92Aug19095225@lark.csulb.edu>
	<1992Aug20.214534.18096@news.iastate.edu>
	<SMITTIE.92Aug20160552@beach.csulb.edu> <dyang.714723340@cunews>
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 01:51:47 GMT

>I guess you have never seen those kind pictures in Japan. But I have
>seen a record film that showed how Japan was bombed by A-bomb in
>China.
 
>If, according to what you meant, those pictures are not the first hand
>knowledge of Nanjing massacre, I guess you do not have the first hand
>knowledge of A-bombing in Japan too.  So why you Japanese asked
>American to apologize A-bombing on Japan?

First Hand knowledge usually means you witnessed the event. Anything else is
second hand and open the door to interpretive information being included,
emotive information being associated, selective instruction, etc. Before anyone
jumps off the handle here, I am not saying that any or all or these were or
were not employed. I am only saying that it is possible.

While most countries or people groups paint their own actions in the most
favorable way possible they will also paint the actions of other in the least
favorable way possible. Somewhere in the middle is the truth.

I am not in Japan I am in America. Moreover, I am not Japanese I am American.
Thus I do not ask Americans to apologize for the dropping of the A-bomb on
Japan nor do I ask Japan to apologize for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

But more importantly I didn't ever suggest that lack of first hand knowledge
was reason that no apology should be requested. I have stated my position on
the request for an apology and it has not changed. The discussion the netter
quoted was about the blalant racism within the ranks of those who request an
apology and its affect on winning support.

smittie
-- 
___________________________________________________________________________
GEnie, MCI, AOL:Smittie | If all of us were as smart as we think we are the
smittie@beach.csulb.edu |  current world problems would be yesterday's news.
________________________|___________________________________________________
Organization: Masters student, Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 21:23:07 -0400 
From: David O Hunt <dh4j+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Any Japanese Pussy Available?

What a loser!

No wonder the Japanese call us "gaijin"!

Geez...

David
dh4j@cmu.edu
From: djohnson@cs.ucsd.edu (Darin Johnson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Any Japanese Pussy Available?
Date: 1 Sep 92 18:37:58 GMT
Organization: =CSE Dept., U.C. San Diego

>  mistake! it was comp.os.windows.misc and the title is "Is Gates Gay?

Amiga group also.  Probably just selected some random groups, and
decided to post whatever he thought the readers would find most
offensive.

-- 
Darin Johnson
djohnson@ucsd.edu
    Strange things are afoot at the circle-K...
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: tychay@juliet.caltech.edu (Chay, Terrence Y.)
Subject: Re: Any Japanese Pussy Available?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 12:31:00 GMT

In article <31AUG199222510900@juliet.caltech.edu>, tychay@juliet.caltech.edu (Chay, Terrence Y.) writes...

>  this mystery character wrote some stuff to the effect that "windows is gay"
>or "bill gates is a fag" on comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc.  unfortunatley, i can't
>grep our usenet database for his other brillant comments.

  mistake! it was comp.os.windows.misc and the title is "Is Gates Gay?
Only a fag could make windows" or something to that effect.  sorry.

          -terrychay
                 TYCHAY@CITJULIE.BITNET
                 tychay@juliet.caltech.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.history