HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jcliu@euler.Berkeley.EDU (James C. Liu - Nucl. Engin. UC Berkeley)
Subject: Re: Roman Hikou (was: Pheromones,otoko,and cabs)
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 04:26:07 GMT

In article <AZEGAMI.93Jan5101357@uranus.ulsi.flab.fujitsu.co.jp> 
azegami@flab.fujitsu.co.jp (Azegami Kengo) writes:

  >.....One thing I couldn't get along was that your description was 
  >based on ``Japanese men doesn't have attractive...  

Uhhh, sumimasen.  Didn't mean to imply that Japanese men aren't
attractive.  Hell, if I were a girl, I'd think Carl "Smoky" Ishii was
a pretty attractive dude.  Like guys like him and that other dude who
does the Asahi Supa Dry - Hound Dog commercial are all I see on Japanese
terebi.  Yep, if I were a girl, those Japanese guys would really have
what I looking for... But, I'm not a girl, so instead I think Ishii-san
wore too much make up New Years Eve. :-)

  >it's easier to get along with Gaijin gals than Japanese gals.

[real sarcasm alert on...]

Yeah, I can empathize.  You know, I thought I was hip on the dance scene
with my grunge and hip-hop moves...I was getting along great with the
_gaijin_ gals, but I doubt if I can _get along_ with those two Kome 
Kome Club gals who gave great knee-action on the terebi during "Kimi 
ga Irudakede."  I'm still practicing at home with my finger on the VCR
rewind button.  Nope. Can't say I'll have an easy time getting
_along_ with Japanese gals.

Jaa, James
=======================================================================
James C. Liu |    KARAOKE Addict!     Karaoke: You're the STAR!!!!    |
             |    Wanna go? Need someone who sings worse than you do? |
             |    Know about a cool karaoke bar? send e-mail          |
=======================================================================
From: doi@jrd.dec.com (Hitoshi Doi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Gifts from America to Japan [SUMMARY]
Date: 6 Jan 93 21:58:04 GMT
Organization: DEC Japan Research and Development Center

In article <1idvrjINN180@shelley.u.washington.edu>, yoichi@carson.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii) writes:
# dali@stein.u.washington.edu (David A. Lee) writes:
# 
# >Tetsuya Nishimura was kind enough to mail me this list of 
# > 	 [...]
# >        *beef/buffalo jerky for those who drink
# 
# Is it OK now to bring back jerkies?  I think it used to be forbidden.
# How about seeds of some herbs plants (eg cilantro)? Would these be illegal?

beef jerky is ok.

# Someone told me staple remover was unusual in Japan. Is this still true?

every stapler that I have seen has a staple remover attached to it
on the back.  it is different from the staple removers in the US.

since the price of modems are so high in Japan, if you can smuggle in
a v32bis modem, your friends will be happy. (^_^)
--
Hitoshi Doi, International Open Systems Engineering        doi@jrd.dec.com
Japan Research and Development Center               decwrl!jrd.dec.com!doi
Digital Equipment Corporation Japan      [from JUNET: doi@jrd.dec-j.co.jp]
From: keis@psy.uwa.oz.au (Keis Ohtsuka)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: *Subaru Gone?*
Date: 11 Jan 1993 03:37:48 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: wapsy.psy.uwa.oz.au

bbs.lar@tsoft.net (Larry Greenfield) writes:

>I know that Daihatsu has left the U.S. car market, that Isuzu will be 
>leaving the car market (but still make sport utility vehicles).
>  But what I didn't know was a small mention of Subaru in this week's 
>Time magazine. It said that Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industry) motors is slowly 
>being absorbed by Nissan. I had never heard of this before. Can someone 
>give some more information on this? Is this correct?  Will Subaru become 
>part of Nissan,or what?
 
Daihatsu failed to establish a bridgehead into the US market. In my opinion,
Daihatsu sealed its own fate with an inept TV ad campaign, which completely
misjudged the US consumer's psychology, a few years ago. People don't dare
spend money on a car of the manufacturer that acknowledges that it is a
small fish in a pond that competes with others with smaller price tags.
Incidentally, both Daihatsu and Isuzu thrive in the Australian car market
concentrating on a compact car niche market. Daihatsu's ads here are
much more positive, "a smart car," underscoring a merit of the product,
a fuel efficiency and a low maintenance cost, an important factor in a 
car market where petrol is not cheap.

If Isuzu is retreating from the US market and Nissan gobbles up Subaru
eventually, what would happen to a Isuzu-Subaru joint car manufacturing
plant in Lafayette, Indiana (or was it in Terre Haute, IN?) and car
parts suppliers in the area (Chanute, IL. for example)? 

Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: jwb@capek.rdt.monash.edu.au (Jim Breen)
Subject: Re: Recommend History Books/Authors?
Organization: Monash University, Melb., Australia.
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 05:49:00 GMT

keis@psy.uwa.oz.au (Keis Ohtsuka) writes:

>How about looking at the period from 1853 when Commodore Perry arrived
>in Japan demanding the opening of the country and the Japanese first
>attempt to turn a table from a status of a potential colony (a la 
>Chin Dynasty) to a colonial power to be reckoned with by other
>Western powers in the context of global politics?  You can't
>get a whole picture if you're nitpicking local developments in 
>isolation from the rest of the world.  

The colonial status thing was a very real threat to Japan. The 
post-Perry treaties forced non-application of Japanese law to visiting
Brits, Americans, etc. which was both an insult and a common precursor
to "send in the marines to protect our nationals" moves.

>During 1853-1890s, there
>were momentous events in the USA; the Civil War, which perhaps gave
>Japan an extra time to shape up the nation because the USA was
>going through a painful process of division/reunion of the nation.

Hmmm, possibly only true if the US had been the sole player. You have
taken the typical US-centric view of things, but in fact Britain, Russia
and France had also been chipping away too. It was just that Perry turned
up with the most guns and arrogance.

The *real* affect of the US civil war was to give Britain, France,
Germany, etc. a free run for about 20 years, before the US got itself
sorted out. When one reads the history of Japan 1860-1880, one
is struck by the prominent role of Britain and the relative absence
of Americans.

> Japanese sent massive numbers of young students to 
>Western countries (hedging risks) and imported what they considered
>suitable for the countries. (The decimal currency and a system of
>the central bank from the USA; 

Actually lots of European countries were decimal then, and as for
a central bank, well Hamilton will be spinning in his grave. I think
you'll find the Olde Lady of Threadneedle Street was the model.

>Military system first from France then
>Prussia; Railroad second-hand from UK.  Telephone and Postal Services
>from somewhere else. AT&T? just kidding.)  
>
Pommgolia again. Britain also supplied most of the shipping and Navy.

Japan also got a mainly French legal structure and, with massive 
repercussions in this century, a Prussian-style constitution.

Most good histories deal with this era quite well. Storrie is a good
place to start.

-- 
Jim Breen                           JIS:$B%8%`!!%V%j!<%s(J
Department of Robotics & Digital Technology. Monash University. 
PO Box 197 Caulfield East VIC 3145 Australia (ph) +61 3 573 2552 
(fax) +61 3 573 2345  AARNet/Internet:jwb@capek.rdt.monash.edu.au  
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: maierj@edmund.cs.andrews.edu (Joey Maier)
Subject: Re: Not a Myth at All
Organization: Andrews University
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 21:42:24 GMT

> > [some stuff I wrote about vandals spray-painting their opposition to
> >  the Rodney King verdict onto the walls of several prominant
> >  buildings on our campus]

Kevin responded:

>We had quite a bit of vandalism and rioting in Seattle after the
>Rodney King verdict.  Most of the participants were white and
>Asian, not black.
>
>You didn't mention who did the spray-painting, but the
>implication in the context of this discussion is that Blacks were
>responsible.  Was that in fact the case?  Can you be reasonably
>sure?

I implied because, to the best of my knowledge, the identity of the
vandal(s) was never discovered.  If, indeed, one of the black students
on campus was the culprit, this would be a good example of how the
behavior of a minority, or even a single individual, within a group is
capable of causing discrimination towards the entire group [the topic of
the post I was responding to.]

>Maybe the spray painting did help the situation.  It brought the
>extent of the problem to your attention.

I'm aware that there are many social ills in the US, but I don't think
that defacing the university help to draw attention to this fact as much
as it helps to create additional resentment.  That is the last thing
that we need.  If we are going to solve the social ills in this nation,
we need to be working *together*.

>Speaking as a tax-paying citizen, I'd rather pay to have the
>paint cleaned up than than to have to deal with civil war.

Amen.

>It's unfortunate that black Americans don't have that same luxury
>of choice.

Sorry.  I don't follow.  Please clarify.

Joey     maierj@andrews.edu
From: ee52fbc@sdcc15.ucsd.edu (Maiko Covington)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Cultural Relativism (Re: My Thought on Wife Beating and more)
Date: 12 Jan 93 07:17:44 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego

In article <1993Jan11.233413.16977@leland.Stanford.EDU> underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe) writes:
 
>>That was a big leap, Dwight Joe. In particular, my point is that
>>something cultural is defendable by the culture that does it,
>>and difficult to argue with by those within a different culture.
>
>Then, Mr. Lambert must necessarily agree with Mr. Lee, who claims precisely
>the same thing.  He insists that wife beating is a defendable practice in 
>Korean culture and that it is inappropriate for Americans to judge this
>practice by the standards of American culture, which condemns wife beating.
>
>This is also known as cultural relativism, to which both Mr. Lambert and
>Mr. Lee subscribe.  At least, Mr. Lee claims to subscribe to this belief.

I think what Mr. Lambert means is that whether one agrees with wife
beating or not (note that I do not), when you are arguing with
someone from a culture which DOES believe in wife beating, then that
culture will have made reasons why wife beating is ok, and so it
will be extremely hard to win your argument. No matter what you say,
the other guy will have a reason that supports him, taken from his
culture.
	Maiko
From: sf1x+@andrew.cmu.edu (Shinya Fujimoto)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: TAKA & RIE
Date: 9 Jan 93 05:03:18 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.cfHiYq_00WB54jfFQ_
Organization: Sophomore, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

Can anyone post some details on the recent news of their breaking up story?

I heard that the main reason is because Rie's mom won't let her retire from 
'geino~kai'.

How have both of them speaked about it to the public?
From: yoichi@carson.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: flash news
Date: 8 Jan 1993 09:49:11 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
NNTP-Posting-Host: carson.u.washington.edu

masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov (Michiaki Masuda) writes:
>susaki@icot.or.jp (Kasumi Susaki) writes:
>[...]
>>And I think this marriage is not really based on mutual understanding.  
>>Ms. Owada rejected it again and again.  The last rejection is the middle
>>of Oct. 1992.
>
>   Although I don't know exactly when she accepted the proposal, wouldn't
>it be possible that the Crown Prince did something that touched her
>heart after October?

I have to say I gained a new-found respect for the prince. 
He certainly has incredible "nebari" (as Nakasone-san put it). 
Much more than, say, I do. :-)    Maybe he was a believer of 
"101-Kai Me No Propoozu" ("The 101st Marriage Proposal"), a hit 
TV program in Japan in which a guy keeps at it until the woman 
finally "converts". :-)

>>  But the messenger between them is an old boy of Foreign 
>>Affairs and also was a vice precident of it.  
>>I think there is some pressure on her. 
>
>   I wonder what kind of pressure could make a woman accept the proposal
>which she definitely wants to reject. Was there a life-threatening
>conspiracy?

Her career? Her father's career? Or if you're an old fashioned type,
maybe you'd worry about the honor of your family name for generations 
to come ("Owada-ke, the ones who snubbed the crown prince").

>>I think we lost a good diplomat who probably makes a footstep for us 
>>women as a world wide career.  

If the course of event you describe is true, then yes, I agree.
But if she really liked him enough to abandon her career, then 
I think she had every right to do that, too, even at a cost of
setting back Japanese women's cause for a few years.  Frankly, 
however, I don't know why the crown prince couldn't just pick
some cute, innocuous woman and save people like Miss Owada for
(potential) good of the entire country.  Seems like he put his 
needs before that of his country and his subjects.

>   I'd rather expect that this marriage could turn her life for the better.
               ^^^^^^                               ^^^^^^^^
Why? You have some insider information? :-)

>She might try to reform some outdated royal regulations and might show
>a novel way of being a member of the royal family. Although she would not
>be allowed to have any political influence, it should be possible
>for her to play a significant role in the diplomatic stage for improving the
>international relationship.  

Do you feel comfortable with an Imperial family member playing 
active, significant role in Japanese foreign affair?  I'd rather 
have them restrict their activities to entertaining guests,
making polite speeches at opening ceremonies, and generally
staying out of government affairs.
From: keis@psy.uwa.oz.au (Keis Ohtsuka)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: FLASH NEWS!!
Date: 11 Jan 1993 05:34:07 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: wapsy.psy.uwa.oz.au

jfriedl@shibuya.omron.co.jp (Jeffrey Friedl) writes:

>masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov (Michiaki Masuda) writes:
>|>   If that "collective decision" did not include that of Crown Prince
>|> and Ms. Owada and they were made to engage [snap!] just like this, I 
>|> think that it is a shame.

>I had dinner with a couple of (Japanese) women last night, and commented
>that I thought it was a shame about the engagement.... Owada is apparently
>a very intelegent woman with a zest for acheiving things, and these
>qualities are not those that get to be excercised much as princess or
>emperoress.

>They explained that apparently the prince has been intereseted in her for
>something like seven years, and that she had asked him to wait (apparently
>until some particular milestone in her life/work had been reached).
>So at least from this it appears to be an engagement of love, which is
>much better all around.

>After a bit the two women I was talking with went into their own discussion
>about it (too fast for me to catch much), but I did catch the final
>"mottainai, nee" (what a waste!) at the end....

Exactly. How many female career diplomat are there in Japan? A long-
time exile like me knew who Ms Owada is.  However, even a "republican"
like me has no problem extending the consitutional right for individuals
for the pursuit for happiness to HIH Prince. Constitutionally speaking,
HIH Prince has an option to abdicate if he wishes to save his fiancee's
professional career.  Maybe Ms Owada should pick up a phone and consult
with Diana and Furgie to get a crash course in "Royal Household Politics
100: How to fight against chamberlains and manipulate news media for
own advantage."
From: cmort@NCoast.ORG (Christopher Morton)
Subject: Re: First Love
Reply-To: cmort@ncoast.org (Christopher Morton)
Organization: North Coast Public Access *NIX, Cleveland, OH
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 16:57:47 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.japan

As quoted from <4fGcsg600Uh_E4yR0N@andrew.cmu.edu> by Rikiya Asano <ra01+@andrew.cmu.edu>:

> Freinds,
> 
> .
> 
>     The first few days of this year I fell in love. But, now as I look
> back it was only infatuation. But, I did love her. I would have given
> her my virginity but I found her crack pipe by the toilet instead. There
> it was, Spike Lee's "Glass dick".(He called it this from the movie
> Jungle fever-'Suckin' on the glass dick') She had to know I found it
> because in anger I broke in up and left. 

I'll be listening for this on Paul Harvey.  It isn't every day that somebody
teaches a sheep to smoke crack....

Baaaaaad Rikiko, baaaaaaad....

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------  

"Well whose opinions did you THINK these were...?" 
------------------------------------------------------------------  
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: jturley@netcom.com (Jim Turley)
Subject: Re: Offered: GIFs of Naked Rie Miyazawa
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 07:17:22 GMT

Thats all right netters....Ill lay off. Just email me in private.
From: tnt@netcom2.com (Terry Turner)
Subject: central bank model (was Recommend History Books/Authors?)
Organization: Watch the Skies
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 08:15:48 GMT

it has been alleged, in this thread, that the central bank of japan (Bank
of Japan) was modeled on that of the US. as it happens this appears to be
incorrect according to a book that i am reading, _samurai and silk_. 

the japanese first used the us system which was not centralized at that
time--187*.  this lead to what the japanese felt was runaway inflation
because individual banks (150 of them) could all issue script and paper
currency was worth only 58% of silver currency. in part because of this
inflation, the Bank of Japan was founded in 1881 and it was modeled upon
the belgium central bank. by 1886, after a severe depression, everything
was going well, finacially speaking.

the book is written by the granddaughter of the guy who founded the bank.

-- 
terry
	tnt@netcom.com
From: yoichi@carson.u.washington.edu (Yoichi Ii)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Sumo - Hatsu Basho (Preview)
Date: 13 Jan 93 03:53:54 GMT
Article-I.D.: shelley.1j03oiINN3ld
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
NNTP-Posting-Host: carson.u.washington.edu

elt@astro.Princeton.EDU (Ed Turner) writes:
>[reasons for Ozeki not being promoted to Yokozuna] By far the
>most common reason seems to have been inconsistancy.  Scattering good
>showings amidst poor and mediocre ones has not, historically, been the
>road to becoming yokozuna.  On these grounds, I don't think Konishki has
>a good case.
>
>As for the younger guys (Taka, Akebono, et al.), my personal opinion is
>that the sumo elders (or whoever they are) should move quite cautiously
>in promoting them to yokozuna.  [...]
>
>It is worth noting that most recent and successful yokozuna have
>been active in sumo for around 10 years (Chiyo was 9 yrs as I recall)
>before reaching the top.  This gave them time to find and develop a
>*consistently* strong technique/style with which to stay in the game at
>teh yokozuna level.  By contrast, the current crop of young men at the
>ozeki and sekiwake ranks have been in for four years or less.  It would
>be a real shame if Akebono or Takahara made yokozuna in 1993 only to be
>forced into an early retirement in 1994.  It is a real possibility though.

It's been a while, but I'm sure the Futahaguro debacle is still
fresh in many sumo elders' minds.  Being promoted too young, too 
soon can lead to a self destruction for wrestlers who are not 
mentally mature.

# Futahaguro, I believe, was the youngest ever to be promoted
  to Yokozuna.  Subsequently, he was repremanded for wife-beating
  (a current topic :-), and finally thrown out of the sumo
  world for gambling (intensionally losing).  I'm a little fuzzy
  but I think his records were expunged from the sumo history.
  Can someone confirm?
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: cmr@world.std.com (Charles M Richmond)
Subject: Re: Gifts from America to Japan [SUMMARY]
Organization: Integrated International Systems Corp. One Longfellow Place, Suite 3309, Boston, Ma.
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 20:59:30 GMT

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

>>Anyway, she came back here for the New Year and then smuggled it back in. 
>>The presence of the custom seal just made the gift that much better and he 
>>was careful not to damage the seal when he opened the package.

>Hmm, so they kept the book until you were leaving Japan (ie did not 
>permanently confiscated the book)? You realize you are fraternizing
>with an international outlaw :-)


They charge Y1200 for each 3 day period. I arrived on the 28th and left on the
30th, so the rent was the minimum amount. I do not know what they do if you
are there for 2 weeks... burn it??


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.           *
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
From: km34@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Keith Moulton)
Subject: Re: What is culture? (was: Brainwashied
Reply-To: km34@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Keith Moulton)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 00:15:31 GMT

	I guess I didn't make it clear--the practice of Mayan human sacrifice
is wrong because it violates human rights which are inalienable.  Of course
this is an opinion of sorts--an invention of the 18th century; but, I believe
that the members of any human culture, which has had access to the idea of
human rights, accepts these truths (even if unable to act on them).  So it's
not my opinion that sexism in Japan is a bad thing--the Japanese constitution
itself regards human inequality as a bad thing (I think:))  Is not hypocrisy
a universal bad thing?
	Furthermore, I can't imagine where a 'correct' method of judging
cultures would be born, except in a particular culture where 'personal
preferences' exist.  For example, the concept of human rights was born in
European culture, according to the personal preferences of Europeans, but
this does not automatically eliminate its truthfulness in application to other
cultures.  Truth has to come from someplace, from some culture.  Doesn't it?
	Oh yes, it comes from God, I forgot. (some sarcasm intended)

Keith Moulton.
From: an3936@anon.penet.fi (Silly Question)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Japanese women, foreign men
Date: 9 Jan 93 19:52:21 GMT
Organization: Anonymous contact service
X-Anonymously-To: soc.culture.japan

In article <7582@bigbird.hri.com.hri.com> you write:
>In article <1993Jan7.050926.906@fuug.fi>, an3936@anon.penet.fi 
>(Silly Question) writes:
>
>=> I have a funny experience to relate on why some Japanese women like foreign
>=> men. The most violent sexual response I have ever got from a woman was when
>=> I (as a joke, initially) rubbed the bridge of my (definitely gaijin) nose
>=> directly on my (Japanese) girlfriend's clitoris. I just about had my ears torn 
>I thought this was common knowledge, transcending all
>cultures and peoples, as all males have noses and all
>females have those other things. Gives the word "nosey"
>new meaning.

But it's not just what you do with it, it's the size that counts.

Anonymously.
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