Makoto Shimizu comments

WOW, would they accept 62 years old student? Full scholarship?

Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside Japan, 2 million of Japanese descendants live in Brazil, here in Japan there are more than two hundred thousand of Brazilians, thousands of young Brazilians who never went to Brazil - These young Brazilians educated in Japan are a tremendous workforce to boost cultural and business between Brazil and Japan. Brazilian chicken meat is sold in most Japanese supermarkets, there is much more than chicken meat from Brazil, there is beef, pork, soy, corn, coffee, fruits, iron, aluminum, precious stones, etc. Japan has been financing large projects in Brazil as it is a strategic country to supply food and biofuel. Japan loves AÇAÍ , native fruit from the Amazon region.

Here in Japan, it is mandatory for everyone above 20 years old to pay for Health Insurance, Pension (Retirement) so, it is just one more item to add, as they mention 500,000 yen the cost of remains repatriation to the country of origin, maybe it is the case of creating one more insurance, to cover death expenses, including the cleaning of the place (so many dies alone in their homes...)

Unfortunately one more case demonstrating that a lonely man is capable of repeated insane behavior when they get illuded by an attractive woman.

Hope that this sad event be educational to lonely men and supposed to be attractive and ambitious women. There were cases of deceit of lonely women believing that they were helping famous figures too, as Brad Pitt...

Again they need a foreigner to do the house cleaning, as Ghosn did. Espinosa is an experienced top executive trained in Latin America, so, he is not naive at all, he will do whatever it takes, fearless. Nissan is a strong brand, make reliable cars, so, deserves a better future. It is a good decision to appoint him to lead Nissan through difficult times.

It is very sad to hear this, to learn that more than 100,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed by these bombings. It was a clear war crime to target non-military installations. It was a bad, wrong, mistaken government decision to not surrender, to insist in keeping the war while all information, circumstances were clear about the defeat. So, the victims, the survivors deserve financial aid from the government.

About 40 years ago I heard in Brazil that overtime is like fever. You can have it as a symptom. Overtime should never be accepted as "normal". But, in Japan, due to the "shortage" of workers, it is a common practice, to have 2 hours of overtime a day, up to 45 hours a month, exceptionally up to 60 hours/month up to 6 months a year. The result is a workforce living to work, not working to live. Several diseases. Crazy and inadequate work shifts as 4x1, 4x2, nikotai, sankotai, and other not healthy schedules of work in the industry. The result of overtime is the dilution of the productivity, people go to work knowing that they have to spend 10, 12 hours at workplace, instead of 8 hours. This daily overtime results in lowering, diluting the productivity and salary. Many people have negative views of trade unions, workers syndicates, workers association, but, there is a big gap, absence of authentic discussions about quality of life, balance between work and family, leisure, future. Worldwide Japan has a tremendous good reputation about its culture. Hope that top management of the private companies awake regarding the need to leverage the working time practices with other developed countries. Happy people produce more. Well-being should be a permanent target.

Open war wounds to be healed. Respect to all who had died, respect to their families. Respect to everyone's life. Great legacy of peace since the end of war. Japan is the only country in the world that has been bombed with nuclear bombs and did not seek revenge, on the contrary, has been developing pragmatic steps towards peace and diplomatic means to resolve disputes.

I had a inguinal hernia surgery that was over 500,000 yen, but, thanks to the limit, I had to pay "only" 110,000 yen. For recovery, I had to stay at home for a month, in my case, hourly paid, had no income, thanks to Shakai Hoken I got 139,000 yen after 2 months. There is no magic, taxes are the source of payment. To get more taxes it is necessary to increase the salaries. Here in Japan, there is a clear shortage of workers, Japan has to prepare to receive more foreign workers and seriously consider the need to become a cosmopolitan country, with diversity of people of different origins. After the Second World War Japan became an example of peaceful country, the spread of the good values of the Japanese culture may be boosted by welcoming foreigners to live and work here, to improve the work force, increase taxes payment to feed the welfare state of Japan.

Despite the negationist opinion of some politicians and billionaires the climatic changes are causing a tremendous negative impact in the food production worldwide. The sea freight has also been experiencing prices increase due to the conflicts as Russian aggression against Ukraine and the Middle East tension in Gaza Strip, Israel.

It is sad, but we are witnesses of the beginning of a new dark period of History, the end of Humanity, big steps towards the past.

CoPilot says: The Historical Context

Defeat and Occupation: After Japan's surrender in 1945, the Allied forces occupied the country. The goal was not only to disarm Japan but also to promote a peaceful, democratic society that would prevent future conflicts.

The U.S. Role: Led by General Douglas MacArthur, the American occupation authorities had significant influence over Japan's political and social restructuring. A major element of this transformation was the drafting of a new constitution, which came into effect in 1947.

Article 9 of the Constitution

Core Principle: Article 9 famously renounces war, stating that Japan forever renounces the use of force as a means of settling international disputes, and that it will not maintain land, sea, or air forces.

Drafting Process: While Japanese legal experts and scholars were involved in the process, the U.S. occupation authorities provided direction and oversight. This was part of a broader objective to demilitarize Japan and set it on a path toward a stable, peaceful society.

Long-Term Impact: Over the decades, Article 9 has become a symbol of Japan’s post-war identity. Despite ongoing debates in Japan about amending or reinterpreting this clause, it remains a foundational element of the nation's commitment to pacifism.

A Closer Look at "Imposition" vs. "Transformation"

Imposition: From one perspective, because the constitutional reform and the inclusion of Article 9 were carried out under Allied (primarily American) authority during a period when Japan was not fully sovereign, one can say that this aspect of Japan’s new identity was largely imposed by external forces.

Transformation: On the other hand, many argue that post-war Japan not only accepted but also internalized this pacifist clause as part of a broader, voluntary transformation toward peace. Over time, the renunciation of war has been integrated into the national identity, reflecting both the traumatic lessons of the past and a genuine commitment to peace.

Source: CoPilot

Congratulations for the article, brave one!

200,000,000 yen income should be considered for income tax purposes by the Japanese government!

Sex workers are a reality, legalized services in some European countries.

There is tax for tobacco, alcohol, why not sex services? The government should consider one of the oldest work activity without prejudice

She was the victim and it is her right to present all videos, audio recordings that are evidences of the crime she suffered. She has not invented or created fake evidences. The violence was facilitated by the participation of many parts who should think twice now, instead of pretending that it's not their business.

It's good to preserve the remains of war. It's good to visually display that war means destruction, pain, suffering, bad things. Japan has been experiencing prosperity after war and more countries should follow the example of Japan that in it's constitution declares that renounce to war as a mean of solving conflicts

Russia has started this coward attack against Ukraine. It's inadmissible that a permanent member of UN Security Council be an aggressor with full voting rights. Japan has been on the right side fortunately so far. Trump is a threat to the mankind with his selfishness.

Tokyo has people with innovative clothing for sure

Strong commercial relationships are supposed to build mutual benefits and dependency of both parts and so, would increase exchange between nations that would avoid more serious conflicts and war. It seems crazy to invest so much money in fossil sources of energy, it would make sense to invest in local clean sources of energy as wind, solar and why not, sea tydes, sea water current streams.

Assuming that many companies adopt the 40 hours a week regular contract, plus 2 hours daily overtime, making 50 hours a week, 200 hours a month, may be possible to estimate the labor shortage in 20%.

The communication problem is a common issue in all companies, Japanese staff usually do not speak any other language and foreigners do not have a proper knowledge level of Japanese, and after working 10 hours a day they just want and need to rest, usually there is no support from companies to incentive or promote Japanese classes.

Recently there were news about Japan's low position in the ranking of English speakers compared to other countries.

English teaching to the Japanese and foreigners could be the most practical solution to improve communication.

There in Brazil I worked for a Japanese company and English was the communication language, only the coffee lady did not speak it.

World Expo 2025 in Osaka from April to October is a tremendous business opportunity for Japanese companies to show their products and services and for all countries to bring and present their products and services for the Japanese market. Trade, fair trade, building strong commercial relationships may help to keep the world in peace. World Expo in Osaka would be a truly international live event where people from all countries could see each other and confirm that we are all human beings, can talk, discuss, resolve issues in a civilized, diplomatic manner. It will not be a weapons and ammunition fair, but, trade event of goods and services to increase the quality of life and improve living conditions. A multiple entry ticket costs 30,000 yen, not cheap, and single day entrance is less expensive. More marketing is necessary, probably will start from January 2025.

I hope that Lawson hires executives with intelligence enough to make this case a top case for transforming a problem into an opportunity. They should hire architects to draw a store with multiple floors, cafe, restaurant and a terrace with the best viewpoint to Fuji-san. When I lived in Yokohama, I went several times to the top of Landmark Tower to see the marvelous view of Mount Fuji from there, the sunset, the city lights. There they built places for people to sit and enjoy the scenery, and there is a bar to buy drinks, ice cream and beverages. Oh, yes, there was a charge to access this floor via a high-speed elevator. Unfortunately, there is a narrow thinking and short view of the privileged location that they have and could make a top case of marketing (positive)

Japan as country, government and people should consider that there are 11 Chinese people for each Japanese person, China population is 11 times bigger than the Japanese one. Other important figure to consider is that the GDP per capita, the income of the Japanese is 3.3 times bigger than the Chinese. So, issues like the Senkaku Islands and its natural resources may not be be fair to consider 50/50 business as China needs more income to leverage with Japan. The world, Japan and China need urgently new leadership with a vision of sharing and cooperation, not selfishness, not polarization.

Bears are part of Japanese culture. According to CoPilot: Bears in Japanese folklore hold a nuanced position, embodying both positive and negative aspects, depending on the story and context:

Positive Portrayals

Guardians and Deities: In Ainu folklore, bears are seen as manifestations of the god Kim-un Kamui, the Mountain God. They are respected, revered, and seen as protectors and providers of blessings.

Cultural Heroes: In some legends, bears act as guardians and helpers to humans, symbolizing strength, bravery, and wisdom.

Negative Portrayals

Man-eaters: There are tales of bears that turn into man-eaters or spirits of vengeance, representing nature's dangers and the unpredictability of wild animals.

Ambiguous Beings: In certain stories, bears can be seen as both protectors and threats, embodying the dual nature of the wilderness—both nurturing and perilous.

Examples in Folklore

The Matagi Hunters: The Matagi, traditional hunters in northern Japan, have stories of bears that are both revered and feared. They perform rituals to honor the spirit of the bear they hunt, acknowledging its power and the respect it commands.

The Legend of Tugaru Otoshi: This tale involves a giant bear that was considered both a threat to the villagers and a sacred creature. The villagers had to balance their fear and reverence, ultimately learning to coexist with the bear.

In summary, bears in Japanese folklore are complex creatures with dual roles. They can be seen as wise and protective, but also dangerous and fearsome, reflecting the multifaceted relationship humans have with nature.

There is no excuse. The right procedure would be him to negotiate with customers that he had not enough production and other (very common) procedure would be negotiating the purchase of produce from other growers. Japanese immigrants in Brazil had started the first cooperative in 1927, they gave an example of association, mutual cooperation, community assistance. To steal production is a crime, very silly crime as Japan is not tolerant to crime, as Kurosawa movies had shown . "The Hidden Fortress" (1958) by Akira Kurosawa. In this movie, two peasants are forced to help dig graves for a family that was buried alive as punishment for stealing

China government has been cleverer than Russia's one. Japan and China have the opportunity to build even stronger partnerships and cooperation projects for mutual benefits than engaging in conflicts. Instead of expending money on weapons and ammunition Japan and China should invest in joint venture initiatives aiming economical growth

Congratulations for the Japanese justice system that had condemned an irresponsible driver. Japan has a good culture of responsibility in driving and for sure it is necessary to review the renewal system of driving license to elderly drivers as the risks are great

It is time to the Second World War winners to adopt what they had imposed to Japan, the Japanese Constitution that renounces war is Article 9. It states:

"Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes"

Russia has started this coward war and now is adding more countries in it, as North Korea, so Russia and Israel are promoting the Third World War by including more countries in the conflict, weapons and ammunition suppliers and extending battlefields to other countries.

It is utmost important that these foreigners be treated according to the law and all government agencies work on fully understanding the root causes of this situation. Fact, people are attracted by the offer of good jobs and good pay but are not warned about harsh conditions of work. Some social work must be done, the companies that they had worked for need to be investigated in depth. Public authorities must be impartial and analyze case by case to minimize and avoid new cases. Simply classifying these people as criminals will not resolve the issue of illegal stay, it is necessary a broader vision, a wider view of the entire situation that feeds, motivates immigrants to run away from these companies, it seems to be obvious, but, nobody leaves a place where there is respect, fairness, good treatment.

Interesting. As I work in the night shift, from 20:00 to 07:00, would need a morning schedule, will wait for more options of time.

I ride on a bike every day to go and come back to work and what I found most dangerous in rainy days are people holding an umbrella with one hand and the other conducting the bike, they are not able to make full stop and for sure do not have 100% control of the situation. It is not usual to see people using the cell phone while riding, at least here, in Komaki, Aichi