Comments on: Recovering From The Hangover (Best & Worst of the Japanese Decade) http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/ Words & Images Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:47:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: seanmiles1 http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-345 seanmiles1 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:56:26 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-345 Very fair and impartial article on the good and the bad. There's so much ground to cover you didn't get a chance to discuss Japan and the arts which may be worth a separate piece altogether. Postwar Japan made excellent, peculiar, idiosyncratic contributions to literature, cinema, and rock and roll. That was 'once upon a time...' It seems that since the golden age of champagne and real estate, Japan's creative youth has been focused on design and fashion, which might be a cultural indictment. What happened and where are the mad young men who can challenge the status quo with something substantial, confrontational, and beautiful? Very fair and impartial article on the good and the bad. There's so much ground to cover you didn't get a chance to discuss Japan and the arts which may be worth a separate piece altogether. Postwar Japan made excellent, peculiar, idiosyncratic contributions to literature, cinema, and rock and roll. That was 'once upon a time…' It seems that since the golden age of champagne and real estate, Japan's creative youth has been focused on design and fashion, which might be a cultural indictment. What happened and where are the mad young men who can challenge the status quo with something substantial, confrontational, and beautiful?

]]> By: seanmiles1 http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-314 seanmiles1 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:56:26 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-314 Very fair and impartial article on the good and the bad. There's so much ground to cover you didn't get a chance to discuss Japan and the arts which may be worth a separate piece altogether. Postwar Japan made excellent, peculiar, idiosyncratic contributions to literature, cinema, and rock and roll. That was 'once upon a time...' It seems that since the golden age of champagne and real estate, Japan's creative youth has been focused on design and fashion, which might be a cultural indictment. What happened and where are the mad young men who can challenge the status quo with something substantial, confrontational, and beautiful? Very fair and impartial article on the good and the bad. There's so much ground to cover you didn't get a chance to discuss Japan and the arts which may be worth a separate piece altogether. Postwar Japan made excellent, peculiar, idiosyncratic contributions to literature, cinema, and rock and roll. That was 'once upon a time…' It seems that since the golden age of champagne and real estate, Japan's creative youth has been focused on design and fashion, which might be a cultural indictment. What happened and where are the mad young men who can challenge the status quo with something substantial, confrontational, and beautiful?

]]> By: berlinerstrasse http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-312 berlinerstrasse Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:05:55 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-312 If I understand you correctly, that's exactly what we have in Europe. Most people here do not use a credit card, but instead a EC-card (electronical cash). You put it inside somewhere and the money is just removed from your account and put to the other account directly. You can check it online as soon as you come back home.<br><br>However, as Japan at least in Germany we still pay a lot with real cash. Considering the 2010-bug on many EC-cards this might not be that bad (many EC-cards / credit cards have not worked since 2010-01-01, because somebody made a programming mistake), otherwise there might be one day on which we are not able to pay anymore. If I understand you correctly, that's exactly what we have in Europe. Most people here do not use a credit card, but instead a EC-card (electronical cash). You put it inside somewhere and the money is just removed from your account and put to the other account directly. You can check it online as soon as you come back home.

However, as Japan at least in Germany we still pay a lot with real cash. Considering the 2010-bug on many EC-cards this might not be that bad (many EC-cards / credit cards have not worked since 2010-01-01, because somebody made a programming mistake), otherwise there might be one day on which we are not able to pay anymore.

]]> By: berlinerstrasse http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-311 berlinerstrasse Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:01:00 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-311 Hope that you're right and the new government will change the attitude against always following America. However, aren't PET bottles already recycled in China for the production of clothes? I think I heard something like this... Hope that you're right and the new government will change the attitude against always following America. However, aren't PET bottles already recycled in China for the production of clothes? I think I heard something like this…

]]> By: berlinerstrasse http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-309 berlinerstrasse Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:58:52 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-309 Really impressive images. I especially like the old man and the sleeping guy on the bench.<br><br>About the description:<br>“What Japan does not do well:<br>* Web Design / Usage”<br><br>I already recognized this, too. Whenever you come along a Japanese website, it usually does not seem pretty modern. You always feel like back in the 90s. Maybe I should mention my web programming skills when I want to work in Japan someday (even if my interest is robotics). Really impressive images. I especially like the old man and the sleeping guy on the bench.

About the description:
“What Japan does not do well:
* Web Design / Usage”

I already recognized this, too. Whenever you come along a Japanese website, it usually does not seem pretty modern. You always feel like back in the 90s. Maybe I should mention my web programming skills when I want to work in Japan someday (even if my interest is robotics).

]]> By: Manny Santiago http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-308 Manny Santiago Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:37:51 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-308 Everyone's confused about trash. It's purposefully deceptive. On the surface it's about discipline and coordination and everyone working in concert to separate what needs be separated and (supposedly) properly dealt with. But that's where the simplistic superficial reality ends and the deep down dirty truth gets going. But think about it, even without some kind of ulterior motive, the burning of trash seems like a temporary stopgap solution at best for "ways of dealing with an overconsumptive society", as opposed to the lagging, smelly and respiratorily harmful reality it has been these past 40-50 years. An important point here is that there is no domestic plan for disposal. Many prefectures make households buy certain bags (usually manufactured in the SE Asian countries where they often export the garbage to...) at 10 for 5-8USD, and / or write your name / address on the bag. During one such trash day I came outside to find my trash strewn across my doorway because I had not properly separated it out. <br><br>Then the reality after going to all that trouble, for all these years, is that most of it's just burnt, not recycled. Recycling is not as lucrative as some investors initially thought and will only turn a profit over the long term. While this is fine for aluminum, what about P.E.T. Bottles (which along with plastic grocery store bags are already banned in places like Berkeley and San Francisco), all of which are not necessarily "recycled"? <br><br>Anyway, you're right, it's confusing, so much so it's ridiculous. And I too like the Moore quote for the reason you stated, and actually with the new administration in power we might be seeing a shift from being America's lapdog, and asserting more international authority. We'll see. Everyone's confused about trash. It's purposefully deceptive. On the surface it's about discipline and coordination and everyone working in concert to separate what needs be separated and (supposedly) properly dealt with. But that's where the simplistic superficial reality ends and the deep down dirty truth gets going. But think about it, even without some kind of ulterior motive, the burning of trash seems like a temporary stopgap solution at best for “ways of dealing with an overconsumptive society”, as opposed to the lagging, smelly and respiratorily harmful reality it has been these past 40-50 years. An important point here is that there is no domestic plan for disposal. Many prefectures make households buy certain bags (usually manufactured in the SE Asian countries where they often export the garbage to…) at 10 for 5-8USD, and / or write your name / address on the bag. During one such trash day I came outside to find my trash strewn across my doorway because I had not properly separated it out.

Then the reality after going to all that trouble, for all these years, is that most of it's just burnt, not recycled. Recycling is not as lucrative as some investors initially thought and will only turn a profit over the long term. While this is fine for aluminum, what about P.E.T. Bottles (which along with plastic grocery store bags are already banned in places like Berkeley and San Francisco), all of which are not necessarily “recycled”?

Anyway, you're right, it's confusing, so much so it's ridiculous. And I too like the Moore quote for the reason you stated, and actually with the new administration in power we might be seeing a shift from being America's lapdog, and asserting more international authority. We'll see.

]]> By: berlinerstrasse http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-307 berlinerstrasse Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:35:10 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-307 Very good article, but I am really confused about the passage about trash. I read a book of a German guy in Japan and he said that Japanese people were sorting trash so strict that it was already ridiculous. However, reading your lines it sounds completely different. The only explanation left would be that they sort their trash but then make two piles again (burnable, not burnable). Though, this would be ridiculous, too.<br><br>I like the quotation of Michael Moore the most, because that's what I am hoping (probably unfulfilled) for too. When I go to Japan, I want a Japan which is not America, a Japan which has its own culture, which relies on its own culture, which does not follow the pure capitalism, superfluity and entertainment only. However, considering the statements of a Japanese acquaintance it seems as if Japan was exactly going there... Very good article, but I am really confused about the passage about trash. I read a book of a German guy in Japan and he said that Japanese people were sorting trash so strict that it was already ridiculous. However, reading your lines it sounds completely different. The only explanation left would be that they sort their trash but then make two piles again (burnable, not burnable). Though, this would be ridiculous, too.

I like the quotation of Michael Moore the most, because that's what I am hoping (probably unfulfilled) for too. When I go to Japan, I want a Japan which is not America, a Japan which has its own culture, which relies on its own culture, which does not follow the pure capitalism, superfluity and entertainment only. However, considering the statements of a Japanese acquaintance it seems as if Japan was exactly going there…

]]> By: Jon http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-306 Jon Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:25:59 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-306 It looks like you've fixed the openid login stuff! It looks like you've fixed the openid login stuff!

]]> By: Manny Santiago http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-539 Manny Santiago Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:57:00 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-539 "get on the train, any train, by touching the infrared sensor to the electronic turnstile wicket" Oh no you don't! FeliCa is a contactless RFID smart card system by Sony in Japan, primarily used in electronic money cards. -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FeliCa#Mobile_FeliCa -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suica One of the reasons that Sony refused to use the international standards for RFiD and built it's own was the requirement that they be able to process the traffic volume at Tokyo station during rush hour. Doing it with infrared would be close to impossible, as it requires physical alignment. :) Even though that stuff was pushed out in 2006, i don't see many people using it... but then i don't do much JR'ing. Japanese people seem to have this odd concept of privacy that means that they'll not cross certain lines even for the sake of convenience. “get on the train, any train, by touching the infrared sensor to the electronic turnstile wicket”

Oh no you don’t!

FeliCa is a contactless RFID smart card system by Sony in Japan, primarily used in electronic money cards.

– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FeliCa#Mobile_FeliCa
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Suica

One of the reasons that Sony refused to use the international standards for RFiD and built it’s own was the requirement that they be able to process the traffic volume at Tokyo station during rush hour. Doing it with infrared would be close to impossible, as it requires physical alignment. :)

Even though that stuff was pushed out in 2006, i don’t see many people using it… but then i don’t do much JR’ing. Japanese people seem to have this odd concept of privacy that means that they’ll not cross certain lines even for the sake of convenience.

]]> By: uchujin http://hesomagazine.com/featured/recovering-from-the-hangover-best-worst-of-the-japanese-decade/comment-page-1/#comment-301 uchujin Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:35:21 +0000 http://hesomagazine.com/?p=961#comment-301 Characteristically eloquent and insightful writing. And a best of list that should be on the "best of 2009 lists" list. Keep up the good work in 2010. Characteristically eloquent and insightful writing.
And a best of list that should be on the “best of 2009 lists” list.
Keep up the good work in 2010.

]]>