How would someone move from california to japan?

Question:

Like my plan is to move to japan when I'm like 20, I'm 16 now. I really love to go but I don't know what I would need to know. Obviously I need to know the language but like the cost of stuff.

Answer:

Unless you are independently wealthy you are going to need a job. That means getting a work visa which will require a college degree and a job offer from a company. So what you really need to know right now is that with your current plan, you will not be moving to Japan. You can,however, come on a tourist visa for 90 days.

Can someone check my Japanese? 10 points?

Question:

My brother's hair was black but is now brown - いとうとう　は　くろかった　が　いま　ちゃいろ　です。
I am taller and smarter than my brother - わたしは　いとうとう　より　せがたかくて、　あたまがいい　です。How would you say, "I have brown hair, BUT now I have black hair"

I know I made a lot of grammatical errors:( It's just so hard at the moment and the grammar is confusing me, so don't kill me for it :)

Answer:

おとうと　の　かみ　は　くろかった　が　いま　は　ちゃいろ　です。
My little borther's hair was black, but it is now brown.

わたし　は　おとうと　より　せ　が　たかくて、　あたま　も　いい　です。
I am taller than my little brother, and aslo smarter.

わたし　の　かみ　は　ちゃいろ　だった　が、　いま　は　くろい　です。
My hair was brown, but now it is black.　

in japanese, we normally say my hair is black, rather than i have black hair.

Can I become fluent in Japanese without going to Japan?

Question:

Answer:

Yes, you will be able to reach a certain level of fluency, but to be truely fluent would actually need to live in Japan to achieve this.

How to Learn Japanese http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2010…

I want to say "there were other surprises" in japanese, which one of these is more appropriate?

Question:

驚き or 意表 or 一驚 or びっくりしたこと?
is this sentence right?:
ほかの驚きがありました。
ほかの意表がありました。
ほかの一驚がありました。
ほかのびっくりしたことがありました。

Answer:

>ほかの驚きがありました。
This is correct. But it's better to say ほかにも.

>ほかの意表がありました。
ほかの一驚がありました。
These are not correct.

>ほかのびっくりしたことがありました。
This would be correct if you said ほかに.

How do you say "out of all of them" in japanese?

Question:

I want to say something like "out of all of these places nara park was my favorite" please help me? thank you for the help.

Answer:

>out of all of them
それらすべてのなかで
sorera subete no naka de

>out of all of these places
これらすべてのばしょのなかで
korera subete no basho no naka de

What do these Japanese sentences mean?

Question:

"みんなも早く寝るんだぞっ"

"早く寝たいと思います"

"なんか新鮮だった"


"たくさん書きたいことあるんだけど"

"すっかり眠いです"

Answer:

>"みんなも早く寝るんだぞっ"
Everyone, go to sleep early.

>"早く寝たいと思います"
I want to go to sleep early.

"なんか新鮮だった"
It was fresh for me.

>"たくさん書きたいことあるんだけど"
Although I want to write a lot,

>"すっかり眠いです"
I'm already very sleepy.

How long would it take for a package to ship from Japan to the US using DHL?

Question:

I live in the Upper Penninsula, if that's any help.

Answer:

it depends, for me it took 2 weeks.

How fat is fat in Japan and what is a "horse face"?

Question:

Also, what kind of people can be described as "looks like a crab"? (I saw this several times in books and movies)
"Horse face" I heard on Akira Kurosawa's movie "Sanjuro".
Fat thing is from YouTube video about an overweight salary-men who have to pay fines (or their companies have to) if their waist is more than 33 inches or so.

Answer:

This is a funny question lol.

you are fat, if you are too big for your height and age. fat is subjective. our government however has made a law that those employees in government agencies and some private companies that have more than 33 inches waistline shall be put in a proper diet, exercise and some education for a period of time. It does not mean, when a police saw you walking in the street with over 33 inch waistline, you'll be put to jail. no it's not, lol although that would be funny.

"looks like a crab"? I have never heard or used that yet lol. I have said someone though he looks like a shrimp. because his eyes are too far from each other. maybe that's how looks like a crab mean.

horse face, me and my friends used to say this to foreigners (white people) with long thin face that look like a horse. this can be use to anyone who has the same face (long and thin).

Is that true about Japan?Someone told me many volcano in Japan already active,it can erupt anytime?

Question:

Answer:

Meteorological Agency of Japan said that some volcanoes have become more active after the earthquake. But who knows if they will erupt soon?

What does 效かない (kikanai) mean?

Question:

I was wondering the meaning of the word 效かない (kakanai)... it's used in the following line:

ねえ、少しも效かない
(nee, sukoshi mo kikanai)

thank you for your help.

Answer:

If you mean 効かない (note the slight differnce), the sentense means "Hey, it's not effective at all" or "Hey, it's not working at all."

How much are Anatometal's super teardrop eyelets?

Question:

So I'm on my iPod because the computer crashed and I can't seem to find the price of these eyelets I want to order, maybe the price isn't listed or it just won't load on here but if you guys can find the price and cost of shipping for them I'd really appreciate it. :)
Here's the link: http://anatometal.com/jewelry/super-teardrop-eyelets/

Answer:

Sorry, I couldn't find where the prices were. It didn't seem like you could! Wish I could help more

What languages do children learn in Japanese public school?

Question:

Answer:

They study kokugo which is the national language (Japanese) and now also learn English as a foreign language in Elementary School. English is taught 3 times a week as a regular subject in Junior High School.

Whats going on in japan?

Question:

I have not seen the news.. please somebody fill me in!

Answer:

Hello. Japan had a terrible earthquake killing many and destroying houses. It is like the Chile earthquake and has broken up families. It also followed up with a tsunami which destroyed buildings and killed many more people. People are also still searching for survivors. Keep the people there in thought because they are going through a terrible struggle.

What happened to the giant Gundam in Japan?

Question:

OK before I go any further I just want to say that I mean no disrespect in asking this. =(

The lively hood of the people had always ben my concern & I am well informed on it. Im just asking this question out of sheer curiosity. Its really understandable if I get negative feedback but pleas don't leave any...

What happened to the Gundam in Japan?

If it makes this question a little less ridiculous id like to also ask what happened to other landmarks & such? [But mostly the gundam]

Again, I have no intention of being rude. Pleas forgive me for asking something silly in a situation that definitely isn't.

Answer:

The giant gundam in Odaiba was moved to Shizuoka last year. It was built for the 30th anniversary of gundam.

How do you feel about Hayden Panettiere's Dolphin crusade?

Question:

I'm Korean, so I've had my fair share of dog eating jokes from many people, but lots of these "animal" activists nowadays completely block off Japanese people from hunting dolphins for food? I've always thought of these people as being too obnoxious (PETA), I mean I guess they have their own reasons but they always try to force the people who are against them has to completely submit their way of life for their needs to protect animals from these "savages" or whatever? I'm not saying eating dogs or dolphins is morally right or anything, it's just that their ways are too forceful or just plain obnoxious? How can people just give up how they've been living for decades and centuries?

Answer:

I can't say for the dolphin-thing, but I think PETA/many animal activist groups are just a little too extreme, and have become a joke in the eyes of a lotta people and almost all ignore them. (People Eating Tasty Animals, anyone? Sorry...)

But I also think...if the protesters are starving to death they would eat an animal, whatever it is, too. :')

What is the difference between Chernobyl's nuclear situation and Japan's?

Question:

thats my first question. my 2nd is if you guys think Japan's situation will still be like this in 20 years? If so how bad do you think it will be? And lastly, how did Japan treat their situation different than Chernobyl's?

Answer:

Sonta is correct. There is just no comparison between the two. Chernobyl was a disaster, while Fukushima is a minor problem.

- you guys think Japan's situation will still be like this in 20 years?

Like what. There really isn't any problem unless you are very close to the plant. The damage to Japan was caused by the tsunami. Asking a question like this is similar to asking what the U.S. will be like twenty years after hurricane Katrina.

- And lastly, how did Japan treat their situation different than Chernobyl

Because the two incidents are so different, the methods used can't be compared either. In Chernobyl the reactor blew it's top off because there was no venting, and radioactive material was spread everywhere. Workers could not get near the plant. In Japan the pressure was vented so the containment vessels weren't breached and the problems have been minimal.

Here is an informative article describing the situation:
http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/13/fu…

And here is where you find current, factual status information:
http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsun…

And a slide presentation that describes the effects:
http://www.slideshare.net/iaea/7th-april…

And here is a chart that helps make sense of the numbers:
http://www.xkcd.com/radiation/

Information on Chernobyl:
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/cherno…

What are some common electric apliances found in a japanese home?

Question:

Answer:

TV, washer, dryer, air conditioner, rice cooker...

What are some common electric devices found in a japanese home?

Question:

Answer:

Japan has all devices you have in your country.

If you want to know devices only Japanese have, it's rice cooker, kotatsu and so on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotatsu

I'm afraid of moving to Japan. Can anyone help me?

Question:

When my mother was seventeen she was raped by a Russian man and he was sent to prison in Russia and she hasn't seen him since (thank God). But because this happened she had me. I live in Ireland and my mother was Irish. When I was eight my mother finally began seeing other people again she began seeing a Japanese man named Shouhei. Well, my mother died a few years back and Shohei is my step-father and guardian and he wants me to move to Japan with him. I love him so much but I'm kind of scared of Tokyo because it's so big and everyone lives in flats instead of houses and things. I'm used to the rolling hills of Ireland, not the sky scrapers of Tokyo. I just think that it'll be a huge change from my small Irish city of nearly 100,000 people to Tokyo with almost 16M. That's nearly three times the size of the population of the entirety of Ireland. I'm afraid I might get bullied at my new school for looking different and even though I can speak Japanese I'm afraid they will still mock me for my obviously strange accent or worse that they might just choose to ignore me. The music and culture is so different. I know I'm rambling a lot but can anyone give me any advice.

Answer:

i don't think everyone in Tokyo lives in flats :)

What are some vampire anime/mangas?

Question:

Any Vampire animes or mangas?

Answer:

Here's a list of all the animes tagged with vampires.You can click on them and read a mini synopsis to see if they interest you :)

http://www.anime-planet.com/tags/vampires/anime

Scary Japanese shows?

Question:

Ok so does anyone know any japanese series or shows about ghosts or the supernatural? Like it has to be a show not movie. It can be old. It just has to be a series. List all of them you know. Thank you very much. :) Best answer will get 10 points

Answer:

.

What's this Japanese movie/tv show?

Question:

If I recall correctly it's about a prince or a popular rich boy who goes to a new school and there's this girl who is not really popular and kind of an outcast. It came out in the year 2006 or before than I believe.
It's not an anime or manga

Thank you :)

Answer:

maybe "Hana yori Dango"?? 花より男子

それでは それじゃ is there a difference, and what are their respective nuanced meanings in english?

Question:

also, if you guys don't mind.

Can you translate this?

"What's the difference between それでは and それじゃ？"


thanks.

Answer:

じゃ is just a contraction of では, so it is inherently more informal. It is like "can't" versus "cannot."
It means "Well..." like "Well, I guess we will have to do X instead of Y."

「それでは」と「それじゃ」の違いは何ですか。

Scary Japanese shows?

Question:

Ok so does anyone know any japanese series or shows about ghosts or the supernatural? Like it has to be a show not movie. It can be old. It just has to be a series. List all of them you know. Thank you very much. :) Best answer will get 10 points

Answer:

Well, not sure when it comes to anime, but I know this really creepy but awesome manga (anime, but in book form) called The Dreaming by Queenie Chan. You would not believe how long it took me to find the title seeing as I read it so long ago. It was really creepy and gave me and my friend nightmares, but if your up for it, it has a really good plot line.

Can you recomend some dynamic ways to learn japanese?

Question:

Something I can access online, or buy from a site like amazon.
(If you have some really good books you want to recomend, you can but I am not looking for language boods).
Any magazines/media I can learn from.
Lower level books?
Simple animes?
Links on where to find the stuff would be helpful.

Answer:

A website is not always the best way to learn a language, especially a language like Japanese. They are not a good, reliable source to learn a language. The authors of a lot of online courses have no teaching credentials and are not native speakers of the language. If you really want to learn, then take a class or invest in a good textbook.

The best way to learn Japanese is through a variety of methods. You need to work on your grammar, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Its best to think of these as separate categories and focus on each specific category as these require different methods and techniques.

Start by learning the basics through grammar. These books really helped me:

• Shin Nihongo no Kiso I & II (great if you want to take the JLPT one day)

• Shin Nihongo no Kiso Japanese Kanji Workbook

• A Course in Modern Japanese by The University of Nagoya Press

• An Introduction to Modern Japanese by Osamu Mizutani & Nobuko Mizutani

These books cover both polite Japanese, which is extremely important to learn in order to speak Japanese effectively and causal Japanese, which is great for everyday conversations. They are written by native Japanese speakers and are the real deal unlike most websites that claim to be.

How to Learn Japanese http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2010…

Help with translating short Japanese sentence?

Question:

その日の天気によっていろいろ言えば良い。
does it say (depending on that days weather it is okay to say all kinds of things?)
please help me?
thaaank you!

Answer:

その日の天気によっていろいろ言えば良い。
It depends on the weather of that day, You can say whatever.

i don't know what exactly this sentence is trying to say without a whole context.

How dangerous is it to go to Japan now?

Question:

How bad is the radiation problem and general situation in Japan now? I know the government isn't telling the whole truth. But how bad exactly is it?

This is for work, not leisure. Although I can insist on not returning, I don't feel good as I left my project halfway when I left there two days after the 311 earthquake.

I don't think I should risk my life for work (I'm in IT) but if it isn't too bad I'd like to go back to finish the project, which will take another 6 months in Japan.

If I shall return, what kind of precautions can I take?

Answer:

The only danger of radiation at this time is inside the nuke plants. If you stay out of the hardest hit areas such as Fukushima & Sendai, you'll be fine.

What would you say that are the 3 or 4 best japanese books to go from passing the JLPT4 to JLPT3?

Question:

I study by myself. And i only have around 35 - 40 dollars for buying books to study. I'm not really interested in kanji (because i have a kanji dictionary already) or writting (stroke order). My biggest concerns are grammar, vocabulary and listening.

Which books would you recomend me? (I don't mind getting used books, and keep it cheap if possible)

Answer:

The best way to learn Japanese is through a variety of methods. You need to work on your grammar, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Its best to think of these as separate categories and focus on each specific category as these require different methods and techniques.

I have used the Shin Nihongo no Kiso I & II series of books, which are designed specifically for the JLPT. They are widely available and really help by showing you what exactly you need to study for the test. The Shin Nihongo no Kiso Japanese Kanji Workbook is also great and comes in different volumes so you can choose the right one for your test. They contain all the kanji you need to learn for that level of the test.

How to Learn Japanese http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2010…

In Japan, How many years would someome receive in jail for stabbing someone to death?

Question:

Answer:

It depends on each case, of course. You will get at least 3 years imprisonment.

What are some japanese usernames?

Question:

something like "‪Oritasho‬‏"

10 points for the best answer

Answer:

Do you just want random japanese words as usernames?

Shoyūbutsu
Kasumereba
Kenbutsu
Shokumotsu
Koubutsu

list goes on. lol

Did i translate this song the right way? It's a 8 short verses song ^_^?

Question:

街に出掛けよう ==> Let's go out of the city
一人でいたって暗いだけでしょう ===> You're alone and it's getting darker
ループして落ち込んで なおさら 悩んじゃって==> Make "loop" and now you won't feel down and there will be no agony.
外に飛び出おう 心配イラナイ 大昔から ===> Let's start flying outside, there's no worry, from a long ago.
地球だってまわってる きっと ツキだってまわるよ ==> Because the earth turns, and surely the moons does too.
みんなハジけて愛し合おう ==> Everybody pop and let's meet love
単調な日常 通常な感情 ===> Monotone rutine, common emotions
守らなくちゃダメなこと いつもある===> There will always be bad things to protect.

Answer:

街に出掛けよう ==> Let's go out TO the city
一人でいたって暗いだけでしょう ===> You will get more depressed if you stay alone.
ループして落ち込んで なおさら 悩んじゃって==> you will keep thinking more and get depressed more like a loop.
外に飛び出そう 心配イラナイ ===> Let's just get outside, there's no worry.
大昔から 地球だってまわってる きっと ツキだってまわるよ ==> since long time ago, the earth turns, so surely the luck does too.
みんなハジけて愛し合おう ==> Everybody pop and let's love each other
単調な日常 通常な感情 ===> Monotone rutine, common emotions
守らなくちゃダメなこと いつもある===> There will always be things that we have to protect.

hope it helps~.

I have some questions about teaching English in Japan?

Question:

Well I want to teach English in Japan after university in a few years. I'm going to be majoring in East Asian studies so I will learn Japanese and I will get my ESL or TEFL certificate.
I really want to teach in Tokyo.
- What are my chances of getting a job in Tokyo?
- What are my chances of getting a job in Osaka?
But I know there is a lot of competition for those cities.
So... I guess there's the option of teaching English in another part of Japan, like the country side.
But I'd like to know:
- If I teach over in the country side for a few years (3-4) is it possible for me to switch jobs and be an English teacher in Tokyo after a while?

Thank you very much! :)

Answer:

I really cannot give you much of a feel for what the current climate is like for English teachers in Japan. It's been 21 years since I was there, but I taught almost a year in Tokyo and then almost another 7 outside of Tokyo. In the 80's there were coffee shops a native speaker could go to hang out and make some money just by being there so people could come practice their conversational skills. I know if you want to get hired by any of the top schools where people go to study English, you will need credentials for teaching as well as English from an accredited university.
If your interest in going there is to learn more about the culture and their language, then I recommend you look for somewhere outside of Tokyo or Osaka anyway. I became very frustrated in Tokyo after I began to know enough of their language to venture out on my own and ask questions about places I was going to. In the metropolitan areas there are more people who have enough confidence in their English that even when you ask them a question in Japanese, they often will answer you in English. I'm sure this is appreciated by tourists and anyone with not much more than a basic understanding of Japanese, but to someone attempting to immerse their self in the native culture, it becomes aggravating at best.
If your interest is more to get into one of the many scenes there are in Tokyo, like fashion, music or film, while making a living using your English, then that's good reason to prefer that locale.
As one of the other people answered, I have to agree, it is very expensive to live in Tokyo. Unless you are employed by a very reputable school or company, then you'll want to have a living arrangement where you can live below the standard. You also should not expect to eat the same as you do now because that too will raise your cost of living significantly.
My recommendation is to focus your search on some of the outlying towns near Tokyo or Osaka. Then you can still get in to the city when you want to check out the life there, but it won't cost as much to live. If you get too far out in the country, your chances of finding employment teaching English increase, but I've heard a few horror stories from people who couldn't stand the curious nature of the "country bumpkins". You're better off, especially as a single woman, if you settle somewhere where they're more used to being around foreigners.
I'm not sure about now, but when I was there, it was typical to sign on with one of the tutorial schools for a year and then at the end of that year a person could sign on again or move on to another gig. So to answer your question about finding work in Tokyo later, that is a definite possibility. By then you'll have had a chance to sharpen your teaching skills and make yourself more desirable in a tougher market too.
If you find that you're still interested in continuing more than a year or two, it probably means you've achieved some degree of success in that profession and have not become overly intimidated by the language and cultural differences. By then, if you haven't already met and married someone, I imagine your biggest concern may be securing your visa to legally stay longer. If you marry someone from there, you'll be getting a spouse visa and that makes things quite simple. Your visa won't even have to state what line of work you are there for. If you're there on a work visa, your employer has to be noted on your visa as your sponsor and every time you change employers, you'll have to let the authorities know about it.
Hope I've given you enough to make some good decisions regarding your future. Take care.

Are there any black people in Japan?

Question:

Like born and raised there. Quite simply I was watching one of those ridiculous Japanese game shows and there was a black guy who was speaking Japanese and basically acting like he was Japanese and it didn't look like it was some kind of joke. He just WAS Japanese like someone is African American.

Answer:

Maybe you saw Nesmith of Exile band. I personally do not know any black or asian-black born and raised in Japan. But I see some black foreigners (tourists) and some living & working here. And also, I've been with African-American students studying Japanese here in Fukuoka. I like hanging out with them. They're so cool and laid back.

Nesmith:
http://exile.jp/profile/nesmith/

How popular/famous is this singer in japan?

Question:

asianfanatics dot net/ gallery/ archived/ Japanese_Female/ Airi_Suzuki_/ 13_1 dot jpg
Remove the space and replace "dot" with "."
Her name is suzuki airi.
Im just wondering how popular/famous she is in her country.

Answer:

She is famous among Hello Project fans.

Japanese radiation cleanup?

Question:

Who would I have to contact to find a job cleaning up radioactive waste in Japan? Would they take someone from the US?

Answer:

You can inquire with Areva USA, since Areva is raking in the dough with radiation cleanup. The same requirements for a job visa applies. You pretty much need a college degree, unless you already have a couple of years experience in radiation cleanup. It would be more of an engineering or a project management job than putting on a hazmat suit and mopping the grounds.

Layover in Japan, 2 hours: will I need to go through customs/immigration/etc?

Question:

I'll be taking a trip to Korea in a couple of months and some of the cheaper tickets have a 2 hour layover in Tokyo. When I disembark for my connection flight, will I have to go through any special procedures? The reason I ask is I'm wondering if 2 hours is really a safe window to catch my flight, given the possibility of a flight delay. I have my passport already (which is all I need as an American to enter Japan and Korea).

Note: I have no intention of leaving the airport during my connection time. I will stay in the airport and wait.

Answer:

Because you are not leaving the airport and entering Japan you will not have to do anything more than just go to your next gate and wait. Immigration and customs are only for people entering the country, so you will only do that for Korea when you finally arrive and not Japan.

Is it possible to meet a real samurai in Japan or is it all a forgotten history?

Question:

I watch a lot of samurai movies so I want to meet a samurai.

Answer:

The class system was abolished 140 years ago or so, so you won't find anyone who was officially from the samurai class and still alive today.

You can still find families that are descendants of the old samurai class. They aren't tourist attractions, so none of them are at any tourist village doing historical recreations.

Then again, a historical recreation theme park would be the perfect place for you to meet a "real" samurai. The Edo Wonderland Nikko Edo-mura theme park in Nikko would be the right place for that. Unfortunately, they are indefinitely closed following the March 11 earthquake, so you'll have to wait for them to reopen.
http://www.edowonderland.net/

How about Japan's supermarkets and grocery stores?

Question:

Parts of Japan and Tokyo area not badly hit by nature's disasters.
Do they have enough stocks and are there shortage in daily consumers needs?

Answer:

In Tokyo, there's been shortages of things like bread, milk, toilet paper, batteries and frozen food items. But things are slowly getting back to normal.

Japan: how will native japanese poeple react to an indian girl traveling over there ?? i love japan inside out?

Question:

& planning to go in a couple of months but im abit nervous on how they will react i know i will get a few stares ...not that im complaining ^_^ but still nerveous

oooh japan <3 the food, shrines , landscape , kyoto, sushi, hello kitty, fuji-san = My love

Answer:

We basically welcome travelers no matter where they came from.

Is it safe to go to Japan?

Question:

It's always been my dream. We were going to go in April but because of what happened we had to cancel out.
My question is if it is even safe to go to Japan because most people say it isn't due to radiation.

?

Answer:

Obviously not...

Japanese wedding kimono, should it be simple or has a lot of embroidery?

Question:

Im looking to buy vintage japanese wedding kimono, uchikake. but I just wonder since they have a lot of detail, I want it to be a really traditional.
anyone know how to suspect which one is a real vintage and traditional kimono? or the modern?
what about the pattern? should it be a lot more pattern or just a simple crane pattern?

please help.

thank you!

Answer:

Do you want a modern one or an antique? Many antique uchikake do not have much embroidery on them -- there may be some at the hem and on the ends of the sleeves. Many modern ones, on the other hand, have a lot of embroider, woven designs, sections with painted designs, etc. Some even have attached rhinestones. There are many kinds of patterns and they don't all involve cranes. Mine, for example, has fans, several kinds of flowers, and ducks. Not a crane in sight. And no, they don't have to be white -- there are lovely white ones out there but there are plenty of colored ones too.

I would suggest going through sites like Ichiroya, Yamatoku, and Ryu Japan/Shinei to get an idea of what's out there, how much they all cost, and the differences between modern and vintage or antique uchikake. Ichiroya usually has a couple of antique ones floating around, though their modern selection is much larger.

How do Chinese Ninjas Differ from Japanese Ninjas?

Question:

I always wondered this. Are Chinese ninjas called something else, because the word "ninja" is Japanese. I was watching Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and the fight scene on the roof between Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh, Zhang was wearing ninja attire. So I was just curious... Can anyone help me?

Thanks in advance to anyone who answers! I really appreciate it!

Answer:

Hey I am a Chinese living in China.

Ninja, Shinobi, and Kunoichi are Japanese words.

Renzhe, Shashou/Shasho, are Chinese. But some people still use the term "ninja' or 'assassin'. Chinese assassins often operated in daylight, in disguise. During ancient times, Japan didn't have very large cities, mostly villages, thus the need to operate at night, and being silent etc. There were many large, heavily populated cities in china with tall buildings and such. Blending in with the crowd was a must.
Chinese assassin often had concealed weapons, not kunai or katana, but ring blades (around your fingers) or needles, and other small projectiles including bombs. However, not all Chinese assassins operated under disguise. Many come out in the open with a blade or strangle their victim. These assassins used intimidation technique. They also wore armor. They are more 'warrior' like.

Basically,
Chinese: Undercover or in the open, used large variety of weapons, no ninja, just assassin
Japanese: Operate in groups, usually operate at night, usually katana or kunai

Questions about Japan, please answer?

Question:

Japan has 4 main islands.
The 4 main islands are divided into regions.
Then the regions are divided into prefectures.
Then prefectures are divided into cities and municipalities.
Then cities are divided into wards.

I can't quite understand how places in japan are divided.
-Am I wrong about the divisions in Japan and did I miss something? (If so, please correct me)
-And I don't really get/understand the "districts." Are wards divided into districts? If so, how?
-Can you explain the use of districts and wards in Japan?

Please answer as many as you can. Your answers are deeply appreciated.
Thank you very much! :)

Answer:

>Japan has 4 main islands. (correct)
>The 4 main islands are divided into regions. (correct)
>Then the regions are divided into prefectures. (correct)
>Then prefectures are divided into cities and municipalities. (correct)
>Then cities are divided into wards. (not necessarily)
---------------------------

Most cities in Japan are divided into towns (and villages in some rural areas).
From the central government down to the city municipalities, there is a nation-wide legally-set 'standard' for our administrative units. But, under the city level, there are a variety of administrative divisions, depending on their respective administrative requirements.

Speaking in general,
1) large cities (with more than 500,000 population) are divided into wards. And, their wards are divided into towns (and villages).
2) smaller cities are directly divided into towns.
However, Tokyo is the only exception. The Tokyo prefecture consists of 26 suburban cities and one "special district" in its center which consists or 23 wards. But, this "special district" is not a city, which makes a sharp contrast with the city of Osaka within the Osaka prefecture (dig it).

I am not sure how to answer your question, but
1. "Region" is not an administrative division; it is nothing more than a geographical division like the East Coast or the West Coast of the US.
2. "Prefecture" is an administrative division; we elect our governors by our direct votes just like you(?) elected Sarah Palin as the governor of Alaska.
3. "City" is an administrative unit; we elect our mayors by our direct votes.
4. "District" is not an administrative division except for "the special district" in Tokyo.
The special district (23 wards) in Tokyo used to be called the City of Tokyo until 1943.

I am not exactly sure why they changed its name from 'city' to a 'special district' in the midst of WWII. But, if you can explain why Washington D.C. is a 'district' instead of a state, then you can understand why the heart of Tokyo is 'a special district', I guess.

Mail from Japan and Parcelforce update. Am i free from custom/duty charges?

Question:

I imported some personal stuff from Japan and I got this update from Parcelforce


08-04-2011 18:42 National Hub Received and processed
08-04-2011 12:03 International Hub Received in destination country
07-04-2011 01:54 Delivery Agent - Tokyo Forwarded for export
06-04-2011 15:27 Delivery Agent - JAPAN Collected from customer

Does this mean I mail has cleared customs and is on its way to me? The last update was more than 24 hours ago is it because Parcelforce staff are off during saturdays? thanks!

Answer:

I'm not 100% sure on this but I think that you have to wait for delivery to see if there are any charges. I have never found out about duty fees on items coming into Japan until they were standing at my door with the package in hand.

How is the situation in Japan now aregarding the Nuclear crisis? Is the radiation still high,able to control?

Question:

Answer:

The radiation level is high only around Fukushima Nuke, 30km radius from the plant. It's not so high in other places in Japan.

But the problem is, the situation is not improving and the government can't see when they can end this crisis.

They are still struggling to contain radiation. No end is still in sight.

Earthquakes in Japan?

Question:

First off, I would like to say my thoughts and prayers go out to the people who suffered in the quake. I hope they have a speedy recovery.

...

When I get older I would like to go to Japan, I am learning a bit of Japanese right now so I am prepared to go there. I am fascinated by this country's culture, music and technology and language.

But I have a fear of earthquakes, how do the people of Japan live there knowing they're on the edge of the Pacific plate?
Two earthquakes happened in a row, one last month and this month, is it that very common?
Which part of Japan is the most safest from quakes?

And could you tell me what to do during a quake to increase that chance of you being more safe? I learnt that you shouldn't run out to the streets due to falling objects...

Answer:

I think there has been a common impression to foreigners that earthquakes like 9.0 is common in Japan. No, it's not. Earthquakes like 4.0-5.0, the ones that you won't really feel much, are the often happening.

If you look at here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ear…
the m 6.0-8.0 are mostly happening in the islands, not in the mainland Japan itself.

>>>Two earthquakes happened in a row, one last month and this month, is it that very common?
No it's not.

Infrastructures here in Japan are built to withstand strong earthquakes such as 7.0-8.0 And the recent one did not do great damage, most damages are done by the tsunami.

We are used to earthquakes but that does not mean we are not scared. You just have to be calm and alert in a situation like this. There are some signs that will tell you where to go incase an earthquake happens.

Tips here:
http://golosangeles.about.com/od/latrave…