Japanarama

[Kaptin M]

Some news that occurred during the week, that may have some bearing on future employment opportunities for non-Japanese.

JAL orders 30 B737NG’s (Fox)

TOKYO — Japan Airlines is ordering 30 jets from Boeing Co. (BA) in a contract worth about $1.8 billion, the companies said Friday.
The order for the 737NG, which stands for "next generation," follows an order by Japan Air Lines in December for 30 of Boeing's new wide-body jets called the 787, formerly dubbed the 7E7.
Chicago-based Boeing applies the "next generation" tag to its 700, 800 and 900 versions of the 737, and Japan Airlines did not specify which mix of those models it will select.
The 737NG, an improved version of the older 737 series, are longer versions that seat about 180 people and are billed as requiring low operational costs.
Friday's order includes an option to buy 10 more in the spring. JAL plans to begin the 737 flights next year.
JAL said it was placing the orders for domestic flights ahead of an expansion at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
The fuel-efficient Boeing 787 is due to go into service in 2008.

ANA airs plans to boost capital to ¥250 billion (Kyodo News)
All Nippon Airways Co. unveiled a new medium term plan during the week, that calls for boosting its equity capital to ¥250 billion by the end of March 2008.
The capital size represents an increase of ¥60 billion from about ¥190 billion in the current 2004 business year through the end of this March.
Under the business plan covering the 2005-2007 business years, ANA aims to improve its financial strength ahead of the planned expansion of Haneda Airport in 2009.
ANA also intends to accelerate its cost-cutting efforts under the plan to offset the impact of recent rises in crude oil prices.
The company hopes for ¥1.37 trillion in sales and ¥31 billion in net profit for the year ending in March 2008, up 6.9% and 24% respectively, from those expected for the current financial year.

Immigration control plan calls for hiring more foreigners (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

The Justice Ministry has compiled the outline of a new, basic immigration control plan, with the aim of considering hiring more foreigners to work in more fields, as a means of dealing with a graying society and a declining birthrate, the ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry started soliciting public opinion on the plan on its website from Wednesday and will finalise the policy by the end of March. Based on the finalized plan, the ministry will begin from fiscal 2005 (April 2005) to discuss in detail expanding the hiring of foreigners.
The goals of the plan are to encourage the hiring of foreigners and to solve the labour shortage.
The outline of the basic immigration control plan is essentially in line with recommendations made by an advisory panel to the justice minister in December. It will serve as a guideline for Immigration control for five years beginning in fiscal 2005.
It proposes accepting more foreign workers in specialist or technical fields (pilots are classed as “Skilled labour) and exploring the possibility of extending the length of visas from the current three year maximum for people with skills in highly specialized fields, as well as relaxing the requirements for obtaining permanent residency visas for such people, to encourage more talented people to come to Japan.
It also recommended increasing the number of foreigners allowed to work in non-specialised fields to compensate for the declining population.
In addition, the outline includes proposals on measures to crack down on people entering the country illegally, and increase the number of enforced repatriations to achieve the government’s goal of halving the number of illegal immigrants.
This is the third basic immigration control plan. Previous plans allowed foreigners to work in the country for a certain period of time (usually 3 years) after receiving technical training here.

[Prince of Dzun]

Kapitan M;

Selamat pagi kawan. I follow your postings with interest and humbly offer some advice. Why dont you chuck Japan and go to mainland China where I'm sure you would have a better professional and personal life ? Japan is for nippons only and they will never let you forget it.Trust me I know.

Air tenan jangan disangka tiada buaya or in English this means " do not be deceived into thinking that still water holds no crocodiles " . Selamat Jalan. Prince of Dzun.

[Kaptin M]

Selamat, Prince.
Suffice to say, I enjoy....nay, thrive on.....a challenge??
Terima kaseh banyak, kawan!

[Kruntip]

Hi Kapt. M,

Please check your PM or Email.

Brgds

Kruntip

[Prince of Dzun]

Kapitan M;

I understand what you say but surely as the years roll by we should opt for the smoothest ride . [ These words remind me of an " abang " ]. Selamat Jalan Prince of Dzun.

[JapJok]

"The ministry started soliciting public opinion on the plan on its website from Wednesday and will finalise the policy by the end of March."

Are you kidding???

They must have been considering it for the past five years or so, and this is just a justification exercise.

I've never seen such indecisive people, and to finalize policy after a month on such an important issue as diluting Japanese society, and God forbid, perhaps even a few marriages between foreigners and locals, diluting the strain even further, would be impossible.

The Prince is right; Nippon is for the Nippons.

Nah, this has been under consideration for years, and they haven't yet said which year the March will be.

[Prince of Dzun]

JapJok;


I dont lay claim to omnipotence but I know one thing for sure and that is that you and I are on the same frequency. In case you are wondering about the word " abang " as expressed to Kapitan M it is Malay for " big brother ". Regards Prince of Dzun.

[Kaptin M]

It seems I'm not going to get the chance to grow old, gracefully, PoD - not that at times I don't wish it could be so.
But we travel this way only once, so it might as well be an interesting journey!!
And "No" I have no intention of trying to "colonialise" Japan - I have my OWN country, of which I am proud.
Japan has some beautiful areas, but unfortunately it is - in the words of a colleague of mine - like one big factory....full of smoke stacks, smog, and pollution around the major city areas.

Yes, you're quite right, JJ - NOTHING in Japan happens that quickly. This is obviously a strategy that the Government has had in the pipeline for several years at least. I liked this bit,

The ministry started soliciting public opinion on the plan on its website from Wednesday and will finalise the policy by the end of March.

Still there are LOTS of pilots - such as myself - who aspire(d) to living and working here, to whom this article might give some ray of hope.
Perhaps if it becomes OFFICIAL Government policy, some of the aggression from some sections of airline management, experienced by some to date might be forced beneath the surface for a while!

But as the ancient samurai said, "Money talks, bs walks!!"

[Prince of Dzun]

All;


There is an important international football match to be held in Tokio [note spelling] on Wednesday. It is between North Korea and Japan and if the North Koreans are fully up to speed on their historical knowledge[as I'm sure they are] then it could be a spectacular affair. More than 3000 police have been detailed to maintain order. Remembrance versus nationalism.



Prince of Dzun

[Kaptin M]

JAPAN AIR LINES DECIDES ON BOEING 737 NEXT GENERATION SERIES

Japan Airlines has announced that it will introduce the Boeing 737NG – New Generation – aircraft on the airline’s domestic network, settling the carrier’s selection of a new type of small, single aisle airplane for future fleet development. (The other aircraft under consideration was the Airbus 320).

JAL aims to conclude an agreement on the purchase of 30 aircraft and 10 options in Spring this year.
The 737 Next Generation series includes the 737-700, -800, and -900X types.

JAL is ordering the new aircraft in response to increased departure and arrival slots resulting from Tokyo Haneda Airport’s continued expansion and in anticipation of its forthcoming new fourth runway, together with corresponding increases in demand for flight frequency. Factors contributing to the choice are JAL’s need to minimize the number of aircraft types in the fleet and overall business efficiency.

Currently JAL operates 65 single aisle, small aircraft of this capacity, including 23 B737-400’s, 18 MD-81’s, 8 MD-87’s, and 16 MD-90’s (as of February1, 2005). JAL plans to introduce its first 737 Next Generation series in 2006.
End of press release.


From one source, I’ve been told that JAL Express will be looking for about 100 foreign pilots over the next few years, due to the rapid increase in upcoming (Baby Boomer) retirements.

[JapJok]

Those looking at the AirDo 737 contract may be well advised to do some homework on the taxation situation.

I understand that the contracts are worded along the lines" .....(recruiting company) is responsible for Japanese taxation on the above amounts."

The `above amounts` do not include the entire package though, so it`s possible that you may be responsible for at least some of the taxation.

A former colleague recently told me that there are changes to taxation, and things such as travelling allowance, per diems, etc., will now be the subject of taxation. May be true, may not...maybe, sometimes, almost.

These agencies, along with airline managements, have more tricks than a monkey on a trellis, so be careful.

Prince, I am familiar with the Malay/Indonesian word `abang`. I did speak Bahasa Malaysia some years ago when I spent some time there..not fluent, but not bad.

And you would now know that Japan won the soccer match in extra time....bitch!!!

Kaptin M, why would you ever want to grow old gracefully, when you can grow old DISGRACEFULLY!!

You can do as the Japanese do...In an internet look at the Japanese English newspapers a couple of days back, I noticed that the number of prosecuted`groping` cases, on Tokyo trains, was up significantly from last year to about 2,400. Not all that high in a city of 16 million people I wouldn`t have thought, and I`m sure there`s room for you to get in there and make your mark.

That`s make good headlines in the Yomiuri....Foreign pilot charged with groping local lovely....bag of $hit.

[Prince of Dzun]

Japjok;


Very disappointed, I heard the result on BBC news but no details supplied. If it went into extra time then the North Koreans kept them honest and this spells well for the rematch on 8 June in Pyongyang that is if they are game to show up. Eight is a good number and coupled with six [ June ] makes for excellent Fung Shui. I tip the Nips will go under and then it will be a case of " anak kuching menjadi harimau " which for all except Kapitan M a
nd yourself means , The Kitten Has Become a Tiger. Prince of Dzun.

[Kaptin M]

REAL ESTATE
Apartments for Rent

Shirogane, Tokyo: Tremendous 3 bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms, versatile room, eat-in kitchen. ¥900,000.

Hiroo, Tokyo: Flawless 4 bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms, large family room, ample storage room. ¥1,450,000.

Ichibancho, Tokyo: Beautiful 3 bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms, easy access to French school. ¥850,000

Houses

Kaminoge, ??: Lovely 3 bedrooms, 11/2 bathrooms, foreign-made appliances equipped, close to station. ¥400,000

All of the above through Sun Realty & Insurance Corporation.
Tel [phone] http://www.sunrealty.co.jp

Japan times
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I'll try to get some more rental prices on properties in other cities to allow you to compare prices in Japan with where you are now.
To rent here, you need to provide 1 month's "Key money", which apparently you can expect to kiss goodbye.
You'll also be required to have a "guarantee person" (guarantor) - in most cases a Japanese resident.

[Kaptin M]

Revenge of the Garbage Nazi by Kay Itoi

In Japan, we live in fear of getting caught putting out our gomi, or garbage, at the wrong place, or at the wrong time. And the scariest thing about gomi is the ladies- usually older and very proper – who police the rules.
Officially, these are simple : you must separate burnable gomi (household paper, kitchen garbage) from unburnable (plastics), and recyclables (glass, cans, newspaper, boxes). Each must be set out on specified days of the week at a designated place, where city garbage trucks can collect it. Sound easy? I used to think so too.

One morning a few years ago, the piercing ring of the doorbell jolted my husnband and me out of our futon. There was our neighbour, at 6.57 am. Forget “Good morning” or an apology for waking us up. She immediately began screaming about the trash we’d placed outside the night before. We’d moved in and hadn’t even had a chance to say hello. Yet there she was, berating us for using her spot. We’d also put the waste bags too close to her house, some touching her fence! “Around here,” she added, residents put the bags in a big plastic trash can instead of just placing them outside, as we’d always done in our former neighbourhood.

That’s how I learned that each block or apartment complex has its own laws on gomi. And in our area, this lady was the rule book. We called her the “Garbage Nazi”, and after that we lived under her thrall. She returned only once, delivering another fusillade for some infraction of the rules. But I would see her from our windows, eying our garbage. “She’s checking on us again!” I would whisper to my husband. “What do you care?”, he would whisper back. “And why are we whispering?”

It’s easy to make fun of such paranoia, but some of us recycle out of fright, not concern for the environment. Take a friend of mine, who one evening came home to find a bag of garbage on her doorstep. “Don’t ever mix burnables and non-burnables”, read the note attached to it, written by her landlord, who had obviously been going through the tenants’ trash. She’s still quaking.
Then there’s the Japanese businessman and his wife who went to Singapore and left their three children home in Tokyo.
They’re worried sick – will the kids handle the garbage correctlty?

Most rules are actually not unreasonable.
A plastic container keeps crows from ransacking garbage bags for food, a big problem in Japan. Still, some people ignore the rules when they think nobody is watching, and so residents watch each other.
Some communities require names on their garbage bags. The latest innovation, I hear, is surveillance cameras that monitor gomi-pickup stations. The goal isn’t to expose the offenders, but to scare them into honouring the rules.
These tactics work, because Japanese hate to stick out.
I never asked my neighbour why she felt entitled to set the rules, or why she had to come banging on the door that early in the morning. I was afraid of being seen as the community troublemaker.
We’ve since moved to another town, where we’ve yet to meet the local garbage police. I haven’t stopped fretting though. The moment I wake up every morning, I still ask myself: “What is it today, burnable or unburnable?”

The other day, on my way to the train station, I saw a young couple disposing of a heap of waste bags at a collection site. Though I had no obvious reason to suspect any wrong-doing, something prompted me to watch.
They saw me, with a look on their faces I could only describe as pure horror.
Then I realized what had happened – I was turning into a Gomi Nazi myself!
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WRT the above, the residents in the area of Osaka where I live are issued witha set number of gomi bag vouchers annually. We use these vouchers to collect our garbage bags (which are a clear, see-through plastic type) from allocated stores - once you run out, you must BUY more of these bags.
Previously we could dispose of our burnable garbage in any sort of plastic bag, and most residents used the bags they had brought their groceries home in from the supermarket.
Garbage is now allowed ONLY in the council issued type.

Continuing on, the times when you place your garbage out must be strictly adhered to - a sign placed in the garbage collection area here (a square concrete area about 2 metres square[check out the gomi storage area by clicking here ]) states, "Place your garbage no later than 9.00 am on the day, not the day before" (read the Notice here by clicking ).
Garbage bags, when full, are stored on a small area outside each apartment, accessable only by the apartment's occupants.
So when one of the guys here was due to go on vacation for about 10 days, he figured it was reasonable to place his gomi out at about 7pm the night before garbage collection day, rather than leave it "sweating" and stinking out the back.
WRONG!!
Upon his return to his 5th floor apartment, he found his bags of gomi waiting for him at his front door, with a note, "Rule out" attached.

As the saying goes, "Small things amuse small minds."

[JapJok]

Now that's a crapy gomi storage area KM. Ours had a complete enclosure, roof, and gate.

On days when it wasn't burnables, unburnables, or recyclables, the gome nazi put a concrete based sign across the gate. It was so damned heavy I don't know how he managed to move it, but gmi nazis are known to leap tall buildings, arrest the movement of locomotives, etc.

We went away for a couple of days, and put out the burnables a day before the pickup day. Infringement!!! We arrived back and there was a message on our door, in Japanese of course, so of no consequence, but we had no doubt it was about the gomi infringement.

The caretaker was particularly vigilant about visitors' parking as well. He frequently put notices on visitors' cars to warn them off parking on the premises.

All too much for me.

Incidentally, the groping jibe above wasn't intended to suggest you may involve yourself in such unsavoury behaviour. It was just convenient to use you since you are such a prolific poster on things Japanese, and as a follow on from your growing old gracefully comment. I'm really a nice guy.

[Prince of Dzun]

JapJok:

Pleased to see your guilty conscience won out and you've nullified what you said. I tried to write this in Malay as I feel it would come across nicely as a simple admonishment. Unfortunately I am not up to it but I would appreciate it if a genuine Malay speaker could do it for me.

Regards,

Prince of Dzun

[Kaptin M]

It's okay JJ, my skin is thicker than a crocodile's!

Thank you for your concern, PoD.

Back to Japanarama. The idea of this thread is to try to allow some people, who are considering moving to here for work, the opportunity to look at issues other than what might appear to be a reasonable salary, and to give you some insight into the cultural differences that make living here "different" to what you may have been accustomed to.

I'll bet just about every gaijin has a gomi story - here's another one (or 2 ) to add to the above.
It was Recyclables day (here it's USUALLY every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month, but occasionally that will change - for who knows what reason. The Japanese residents all generally seem aware of the change..again, JJ's ant nest analogy probably best explains HOW they get to find out!) and one of the Aussies took his cans* and bottles to the drop-off area - in our case it looks the same as the one in the photo, but THIS one is for recyclables only.
The rules are you put your recyclable aluminium, steel, and glass containers into a basket - separate baskets for each one. The trucks then come along, and the crew on them tip the baskets into crushers, which smash the bottles and compact the cans.
From there, they're taken to the recycling centre.
As he started unloading his empty wine bottles, one of the Gomi Nazis appeared and told him "Dame! (da-may)"..meaning "no, don't/don't do it".
He looked around at the plastic baskets that contained aluminium cans, tin cans, and bottles and then asked her why "Dame".
"Because you haven't washed them out - they are not clean!"
He has never forgotten that ill-fated day - the day his garbage was rejected for being dirty!!

Now I have a story not dissimilar to the first one related by Kay Itoi.
I wasn't long out of bed when the phone rang, and so I answered it.
A Japanese woman said, "May I speak to your wife please.", to which I replied "What is your name, please?"
"Mrs Teppanyaki from Block 8 (our apartments are numbered by Block)."
Realising that my wife didn't know any Mrs Teppanyaki from Blk 8, I asked her "What is it about, please?"
"It's your garbage - you have put out the wrong things."
Now I KNEW that she was shooting blind here, as it is ALWAYS me who puts the garbage out when I'm home on those days, and I hadn't been outside!!
"How do you know it's OUR garbage?" I asked her.
"Because it's a foreign brand packet." she replied.
"But Mrs Teppanyaki, Carrefour (which is just a 10 minute walk from here) opened only a week ago, and I have seen many Japanese coming back here with groceries and shopping from there. Besides that, our gomi has not been taken out yet. Good bye."

It's possible that it WAS a gaijin who made a mistake, and inadvertantly put the wrong gomi out that day. But if there IS a problem, then it is a knee-jerk reaction of the Japanese to try to pin it on a foreigner if one can be found.
They are quite tolerant of their own, who steal motor scooters or cars, and dump them along with other rubbish in the side streets.
And it's quite okay for the men to get out of their cars to urinate on the plants or fences on the roadside.
But if a gaijin mistakenly parks in the wrong place, then expect some form of retribution!!

* One "interesting" difference between Japan and Western countries, is the disposal of pressurised containers.
I have a (pressurised) can of deodorant that I purchased in Australia or New Zealand, and on that can is printed the following
CAUTION : Pressurised container. Protect from sunlight..... Do not pierce or burn, even after use.
However, it is the RULE here, that pressurised cans MUST be punctured before they are dumped.
Oh, and in case you hadn't already guessed, the collection day for pressurised containers is NOT the same as for other recyclables!!

[Stereolab]

Hey Japjok,

A couple of months ago in the States, I guy got shot by a Mack-10 down the street from me...and you guys in Japan are complaining about garbage???

You guys slay me...

I remember the building my better half used to lived in Tokyo, she was tagged a couple of times by the "super" for not seperating her garbage. It was a really big deal. To me, if that's your biggest problem, life is good.

How about complaining about real problems....oh I forgot, there isn't any REAL crime in Japan. It's the safest, cleanest country in the world.

We should all get together at the Sapporo Beer museum in Ebisu and kick back a few...the biggest problem people seem to have in Tokyo and Osaka is how to spend the rest of the night partying because you miss the last train home...

Most expats love Japan...it's a fact.

[Kaptin M]

Hi again, Stereolab. No gomi isn't our biggest problem - the idea of posting the gomi stories was merely to demonstrate just how closely you should expect to be "monitored" on a daily basis, whether it's at work, or away from it.
In other words, don't expect the same freedom and liberties you are used to if you currently reside in a Western country.
By the same token, this means there is far less grafitti and vandalism of public property.

there isn't any REAL crime in Japan. It's the safest, cleanest country in the world.

I assume your tongue was firmly planted in your cheek when you wrote that. Some of the crimes that happen here are pretty horrifying at times - people murdered and then served up in soup, an entire family slaughtered in the cruelest possible way because the killers didn't like the clothes the Father was wearing, the Osaka school massacre a few years back, 2 little boys drowned by a family "friend". It happens alright - regularly.

Was at the Sapporo Beer Works, in Chitose, just a few nights ago, after visiting the "Snow Festival". I expect to have a few nights in Tokyo next month (recurrent sim).
Yeah, missed the last train home - what a great excuse THAT one has been over the years!!

"Most expats love Japan"......if the conditions are right!

[OperationsNormal]

Just a quickie.........

As a young lad looking at coming to Japan (Osaka) and living on about US$3500 a month, am I dreaming if I hope to:

1. Share a clean (furnished) unit (with another expat?)

2. Drink lots of beer ?

3. Eat some cow every now and then ?

4. Go out and enjoy the nightlife at least a night a week ?

5. Do my job, go home, and stay out of the politics ?

6. Have lots of meaningful very short term relationships with the local lassies even though most western girls wouldnt piss on me if i was on fire ?

7. Save some money that I could send home to dear old mum ?

Thats the dream..... Is its feasible or do I need a reality check ??

Thanks !