Friday, October 14, 2011

主食　かつどう？Job hunting in Japan?

Question:

Hi everyone!
I've been studying Beginning Japanese for two years now and have to do a speech on the job-hunting practice of shushoku katsudo!
For it, it says to include some primary Japanese sources... so Japanese websites about it, Japanese videos, even talking to Japanese people.
If you have any links or videos or ANYTHING that could come in handy, PLEASE comment!
If you're a Japanese person, EVEN BETTER! Tell me your experiences with shushoku katsudo!

Thanks everyone ^.^

Answer:

There are mainly 2 types of 就職活動 in Japan. BTW, it's not 主食活動.

The one is what college seniors do. And the other is what all others do. The latter is not so different from the one in your country.

One Japanese custom is that college seniors try to find a job before graduating. Check this page first.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simultaneou…

'Yatsu' means He or She?

Question:

I would like to know if then end of this sentence is pertaining to males or females, I can't really tell ;;^^
みんなメンバーの前でフニャフニャになってて、もう本当可愛い奴らだな。

Thanks in advanced!

Answer:

Yatsu usually means male.

But your sentence says 奴ら which is plural. So it means like "they". And this "they" could include both male and female.

Buy dakimura in akihabara?

Question:

Is there any shop that selling a whole bunch of dakimura in akihabara?

Answer:

several - kinda hard to explain - hope you've been to Akihabara before...

off the main street on the same side as LAOX duty free and heading away from the main intersection, go up about 100 meters or so. If memory serves me right, it's the 2nd or 3rd alley - turn left and there should be several shops with loads of stuff for you to browse

Caution: many of these stores are failry small and most of the owners speak only Japanese. If you do not speak it, might as well drag a mate with you

What are some good exchange student programs for going to Japan?

Question:

I want to be a foreign exchange student in Japan in high school (I'm in 7th grade). what are some good programs to use. the ones i've seen are-
http://www.ayusa.org/
http://www.best-student-exchange.com/
http://www.afs.org/afs-and-exchange-prog… (Not sure if this one does Japan)
http://www.yfu.org/
http://www.yfu.org/

Are any of these good programs to use? and please suggest some goo programs if you know of any that aren't listed.
Thanks!

Answer:

Lion's Club is reliable.

http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/common/pdfs…

scroll down till you get to Japan.

What are some good exchange student programs for going to Japan?

Question:

Answer:

Lion's Club is reliable.

http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/common/pdfs…

scroll down till you get to Japan.

What is the difference between やめてくれ AND やめて so what does putting Kure and not putting Kure means behind verbs?

Question:

Answer:

Japanese is a sexist language. Meaning men and women speak quite differently. In the case you mentioned, "kure-" is almost monopolized by men. It's rare that women say "yamete-kure;" they'd say "Yamete" most of the time. The meaning is unchanged whether with or without "kure."

These so-called "suffixes" are the most sexist part of our language. Having a girl character in your manga say "yamete-kure" would be a good way to give her a tomboy character.

Which is most important to learn Hiragana, Katakana, or Kanji?

Question:

I will obviously learn all of them, but which should i learn first? and which second and last?

Answer:

All three of them are very important to learn. At school, we learned Hiragana followed by Katakana and Kanji. This seems the best and most logical order to learn them. Remember not to only focus on these areas but 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.

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

What are some good jpop boy and girl groups?

Question:

See ive got into kpop but not really all i listen is BIGBANG, 2NE1, SE7EN, and GUMMY lets just say Yg ent. but i also want to listen to jpop but idk where to start? ooh and ive listen to other kpop groups but they sound to fake while yg's dont so give me a sorta off electro pop,rap,hip hop, with a little R&B
group or singer

Answer:

Some good jpop girl groups are:

Morning Musume
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

AKB48
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

SND48
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

SKE48
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

Some good jpop boy groups are:

KAT-TUN
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

AAA (mixed)
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

I will visit Tokyo by the end of October. What should I wear?

Question:

thick coat or plain shirt? how's rain? umbrella? I'm trying to save as much space as possible in my luggage.

Answer:

It is usually still quite warm in October in Tokyo. The average temperature will range from a low of 12 C to a high of around 20 C which makes for perfect weather. I would still bring some warmer clothes and a jacket as it can get a little chilly at night and first thing in the morning. It will start getting a lot colder in November as well.

Do you get a good deal when you exchange your currency at narita airport compared to here in the states?

Question:

I am going to Japan next week and was originally going to get 1000 dollars exchanged for yen here in the states at a local shop, however my friend said that you get a better deal when you exchange your currency in the country you are going to visit. Is this true? Also are the currency exchange booths at narita usually open 24/7? Because my flight doesnt get arrive in narita until 9:00 pm...

Answer:

Your friend is correct. There are 2 reasons:

1) Exchanging money for a foreign currency in your home country will not get you a good rate if the value of your money is sliding against that of your destination country such as in your case where the US dollar is sliding (losing value) against the Japanese Yen. The reason is that when the exchange in the US takes your US dollar and gives you YEN, they are losing money because the YEN will increase in value. This means for the US based exchange to get any more YEN in the future, they would have to pay more and therefore ANY exchange you do with them is going to have a built-in cost adjustment which means you get less YEN.

2) You get better rate of exchange in Japan for your dollar because it is a win-win situation for the Japanese. After all, where are you going to be spending all the YEN you just exchanged your US dollar for? They get the US dollar, and they get the YEN back. Win-win for them.

The currency exchange booths at Narita are not the best or the worst in Japan, but they are still better than any exchange in the US. The difference in rate for Narita and the banks around Tokyo is not worth fretting about. Are you really going to lose sleep over a .001% difference?

As for the booths' hour - the ones in Terminal 1 on the 1st floor of the North and South Wings are opened till 11pm. So are the ones in Terminal 2 on the North, South, and Centeral area. NOTE: I'm referring to the booths before the passport control area.

Do you get a good deal when you exchange your currency at narita airport compared to here in the states?

Question:

Answer:

Where can i read Kimi Ni Todoke 61 chapter in Japanese text?

Question:

Answer:

Either here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wfClyn1pYs
or here http://tieba.baidu.com/p/1243156835
but I am not sore if they're in Japanese or Chinese I am about 90% sure they're in Japanese.

Is japan a country or part of china?

Question:

I m .....

Answer:

You have it backwards. The former nation of Manchukuo, which lay entirely within the borders of what is now China, was a puppet state actually ruled by Japan.

Are there still nightclub singers in Japan?

Question:

I've never been to Japan, and I don't know much about nightclubs in general apart from what I've seen in movies. So I'm very curious. Does Japan have nightclubs that hire regular live performers? I've tried Internet searches, but haven't gotten much information, since all the sites are written in Japanese.

Answer:

Curiously enough, a large number of nightclubs in Japan disappeared all of a sudden when karaoke became popular in early 1980's. Before the advent of karaoke, customers were listeners to those singers and the band music.
But karaoke revolutionary changed entertainment business in Japan. Customers started singing on karaoke by pushing professional singers away from the stage.
There is no nightclubs in Japan today (except for a few shabby looking ones in rural areas). Nightclub culture in Japan has completely extinct, sociologically speaking.

In addition to above,

As a result, many "nightclub singers" and their band members lost their jobs. Most of them were "Enka" and "Kayokyoku" singers. Even though they were not known nationwide, they could make a living by traveling around small nightclubs throughout Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa. But, as I said, a large number of the clubs went out of business with the advent of karaoke. Not only club singers, but their band members (many of their professions were jazz, blues and R&B, believe or not) lost their source of income.

I know majority of those musicians were unwillingly playing behind the club singers just for their limited income day by day. In fact, when their singers were off stage, they used to play those famous jazz numbers of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Glenn Miller. They were pretty good. But majority of Japanese customers back then had no musical background to appreciate them, which is really deplorable!

My point is very simple: karaoke destroyed nightclub culture in Japan and deprived many singers and musicians of their precious venues to perform.

What is the easiest way to learn the Japanese characters?

Question:

Should i use a textbook, go online, or have a tutor? i was going to get the Rosetta stone thing but my dad doesn't want to but it cause it's expensive. so which of the things i listed are easiest to learn the Japanese characters.

Answer:

Truthfully every person has a different way of learning the kanji, I do not think there is one easy way, but depends on what type of learner you are.

Some people flashcards, some people like myself do it the "old fashion" way of writing it over and over and over again.

For people who have been to Japan?

Question:

Ok i have read a lot about good and bad points of Japan and living there.and i really want to be a exchange student there for like a school year in high school to see what it's like there. so can you just tell me is it worth going there? did you like it?

Answer:

I lived in Japan for 2 years. I loved it. It's safe. You see single women walking alone at all hours of the night. The food is healthy and delicious. People are polite and very generous. Overall, it's a comfortable country. I met a lot of great people, and just a few bad ones, bad meaning they didn't like me just because I am "gaijin" - a foreigner. But that didn't happen very often. I think you should go.

Are there any kawaii japanese stores in new mexico?

Question:

I will be moving to aztec new Mexico and I really want to go to one. I can't shop online. Please help

Answer:

I think it's better to ask this on New Mexico section.

How do you say "brain softener" in japanese?

Question:

Answer:

脳の柔軟剤…
⇔　頭の体操 brain teaser

What nearby culture had a major influence on japan?

Question:

its for my home work

Answer:

None.
Japan learned from China, but not influenced by China or any other nations.
From the early 7th century to mid 9th century, Japan sent many missions to China (Sui and Tang Dynasties to be exact) to learn political system, religion, ideologies and culture. But those missions were sent by an independent nation of Japan. Japan was never under the "influence" of China or any other nations throughout its history.

What is that thing in Miso Ramen?

Question:

What is that white wavy disk that has a spiral on it. I looked up miso ramen on the internet to see it and a lot of the images had it in it. Well, What is it?

Answer:

They are called Fish Cake - Japanese or Chinese or Asian - not to be confused with Western Fish Cake. Fish kind is the most popular ones. They also have it in pork, beef, shrimp, lobster. They are about as firm as the candy gummy bears, but soft enough to not to be chewy as a gummy bear.

Here's a site for examples of them:

http://www.google.com/search?pq=http://s…

English language theater groups in Osaka?

Question:

Hi! I'm currently a Japanese language student living in the Shinsaibashi/Namba, Osaka and I would like to join an English theater group. I'm fairly fluent in English but I've never acted professionally before, would there be any available English language theater groups here that would accept me? Thank you!

Answer:

How about this?

English Theatre Company AlphaBet City:
http://englishtheatrecompanyabc.web.fc2.…

English language theater groups in Osaka?

Question:

Answer:

How about this?

English Theatre Company AlphaBet City:
http://englishtheatrecompanyabc.web.fc2.…

How much ticket to Japan for 2weeks?

Question:

I want travel to Japan ,I'm from egypt.

Answer:

A ticket is not "for 2 weeks". An air ticket is something which enables you to go and come back to Japan.

It's $1000-2000.

What is the difference between public and private high school in Japan?

Question:

need long detail about public and private high schools in Japan please be more detail/specific

Answer:

Public high schools are high schools run by local government while private high schools are run by a private institution.

Private schools are more expensive.

Other factors like what you learn, depends on each school. There is no general answer.

Are there any cheap not expensive high school in Japan?

Question:

I'm in 1st year high school here in Japan I stopped cuz I don't know which school to pick and everything is expensive and my parents doesn't agree of me going on trains they say I might get lost so I need near saitama or in tokyo and cheap high school and don't tell me that there is no cheap high school here in Japan so if you answer thanks for all of your answers

Answer:

I just want to know if you went to a Japanese junior high school, or you came to Japan after finishing 9th grade in your country. If you were new to Japan, it is understandable that you are not familiar with Japanese school system. If so, your parents should have been more careful before sending you to a private school in Japan. They should have been aware that private schools are awfully expensive. I feel sorry for you; you are not responsible for this mishap.
Definitely, you need someone who understand your situation and help you out.
You should not quit high school if you live in Japan.

What is your parents' nationality?
If they are Americans, your story sounds strange.
If they ae Japanese, your story sounds strange, too.
I they (or one of them) are Filipino, this is understandable.
Our suggestions would vary, depending on your racial and family background.
Please let us know when and where you came to Japan.

Edit:
Oh, one of your parents is Filipino. That's what I thought.
But, you made me confused again:
You wrote, "I'm in 1st year high school here in Japan." But, in your 'additional details,'
you wrote, "we live in Manila." Where are you now?
Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you graduated junior high school in Japan.
If you are in Japan, you should talk to your teachers in your junior high school.
I am pretty sure that they would give you an appropriate advice on how you can re-start your high school education in Japan. They would show you one or two public high schools or public vocational schools based on your school record.
Don't give it up until you graduate from a high school in Japan. High school (or vocational school) diploma is the minimum requirement for you to survive in Japan.

Are most Asian parenting styles/families similar to this?

Question:

I am an Asian American and I've observed throughout my life that my Asian American friends have had similar upbringings like mine. Our parents are usually very strict with getting good grades, being close with the extended family and knowing everyone's gossip, upholding "family honor", large family reunions with a lot of drama, etc. Some even hit their kids or verbally call them names and degrade them in public, and to them it is normal and some even say they are "being easy and forgiving" on their children when they do this, and that it is for their own good. My dad has called me pathetic, that I live a sad life, curses at me, yells constantly when I don't meet his expectations.

Some of the parents are immigrants from impoverished or third-world countries who either escaped from war/conflict or came to build the "American Dream" and provide a better future for their children (Bengladesh, China, Vietnam, Philippines, etc.) and some were well-off when they were living in their home countries and came to provide their children with a privileged, all-American education (Japan, Korea, India etc). Yes, I completely understand that Asian is a VERY wide and diverse concept and that not every family is the same. But seeing these similarities with my friends and my own life (and the differences between ours and the "western" or American style of parenting), I just inherently know that there must be something cultural behind this.

Of course people from any background can offer opinions and observations, but I would really love to hear from those with personal experience, either Asian parents or children (I don't mean Asian Americans since I know about this topic already, but meaning Asians living overseas). Is it socially acceptable to physically or verbally abuse your kids (is abuse even considered a negative concept at all)? What is the attitude your Asian parents hold towards education? Is the utmost respect towards elders mandatory (and therefore rebellion and disobediance is forbidden)? Specific details would be appreciated! Thanks :)

Answer:

Yes, Asian families have something in comon.
It may come from "Confucianism" that promotes virtues, encompassed by the Five Constants (五常)
Ren (仁, Humaneness)
Yi (義, Righteousness or Justice)
Li (禮, Propriety or Etiquette)
Zhi (智, Knowledge)
Xin (信, Integrity)

Check out these words at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianis…

If I compare Asian families to North American families, North American parents seem to focus on respect of individualism. Social manners may come first (rather than study)
The seem to give higher priority to "enjoy yourself", "relax", "have fun" and to "do on your own"

What about us? We tend to say "work hard" to our child....
-------- edited: (I changed "Western" to North American)

I have a German friend (new comer family to Canada) who is complaining about "less homework"
-

How to write a Japanese address on a envelope?

Question:

I've gotten my Japanese friend's address, but its the first time I'm writing a letter to Japan, so I have no idea how to write it on the envelope!

She's just written it on one line so I don't know where to write what, can you please tell me how to write it?

This is address, but I took off the numbers because i'm not sure if i'm giving away her actual house number

0-0-00, Ogaya, Otsu, Shiga, 000-0000, Japan

Thank you!

Answer:

The order of forms of the address is reversed to US in Japan.

000-0000 Shiga Otsu Ogaya 0-0-00, Japan

Even if order is different, the letter arrives if the number (postal cord and lot number) is correct.

Art supplies in Okinawa?

Question:

Where in Okinawa can I buy art supplies? Such as, fabric for sewing,(pony) beads, elastic cord.... I need these things for an art project!

Answer:

Where in Okinawa?
There are some fabric stores. But they look not to have English pages.
Maybe "虹の家" (Niji no ie) is the most famous.

Navioki:
http://navioki.com/shugeiten/

Japan - how old do you have to be to stay in hotel?

Question:

my friend (18 years old) and i (17 years old) are going to japan in november.
can we even book hotels at that age? what is the age your allowed to book hotels and stay in hotels in japan ? thanks

Answer:

18. And a 17 year old needs signed parental consent to leave the country.

Hotels in Japan! - Tokyo and Osaka?

Question:

Okay, so Tokyo is the most important. There is two of us going. we want a really nice hotel, that is near everything. but not something that is extremely expensive. well known places like hilton etc would be nice but also places that arent generally heard of would be good aswell. so per night around $100 US - $190 US per night for each person would be good. thank you so much for all the suggestions! please suggest as much as possible. thanks again!

Answer:

If you want to stay in Shinjuku area, this is the list of hotels:
http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/subu…

Shinagawa area
http://www.agoda.com/asia/japan/tokyo/at…

Roppongi area
http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/subu…

Shibuya area
http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/subu…

In downtown Tokyo, you can go anywhere by trains and subways within 30 minutes. So, in whichever area you stay, it would not make much difference. I don't recommend taxi, because traffic in central Tokyo is always crowded and jammed.

General information on tourism in Japan
http://www.japan-guide.com/

Shopping in Japan - what shops to go to?

Question:

hi can you please give me names of some shops in japan, tokyo mainly. but maybe osaka aswell.
i love shops like h&m, topshop, zara etc. is there anything else you think there is worth seeing?

THANKYOU

Answer:

Tokyo is one of the best places in the world to go shopping. Tokyo offers everything for the keen shopper ranging from flea markets to high-end department stores. Most of the shopping hotspots in Tokyo are accessible via the Japan Rail (JR) Yamanote Line with a one-day JR train pass for 730 yen (about $9). The following are the best spots in Tokyo for shopping.

Shinjuku – around Shinjuku station are lots of major discount camera stores and music shops. Shinjuku also has most of the major big department stores on Shinjuku Dori (avenue). One of the best is Takashimaya department store and food hall. Tokyu Hands is an eight level craft store and Uniqlo is a great store for really cheap, high quality, basic clothing.

Harajuku - home to Japanese street fashion. Harajuku Station and Takeshita Dori have many shops that cater to teen fashion and Japanese street fashion. For cheap knick-knacks, souvenirs and bargain gifts check out Daiso in Harajuku, which is one of the famous 100 Yen Shops where nothing costs more than 100 yen ($1.25) plus 5 yen tax. The Daiso in Harajuku is one of the biggest and best in Japan.

Shibuya - with its famous intersection where the style tribes gather and Shibuya 109 the 10 level fashion emporium.

Akihabara – known as electric city is where dozens of stores sell everything electronic. You will find dozens of mainly duty free stores selling computers, cameras and TVs. The Yodobashi Akiba megastore houses nine floors of electronics.

Ginza – home to exclusive department stores, galleries and coffee shops. This is where some of the best high-end shopping can be done or like me some great window shopping. At the Ginza intersection is Wako, Japan’s most exclusive department store, and Mitsukoshi, known as the Harrods of Tokyo.

Read more on Shopping in Tokyo here
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

Shopping in Japan - what shops to go to?

Question:

Answer:

What country uses the most soy sauce in there cooking????

Question:

Answer:

Japanese cuisine uses a lot of soy sauce in their dishes. It is used as a flavour base for hot pots such as sukiyaki, and dishes like niku jyaga and gyudon as well as dipping sauces for various dishes.

For example, for sukiyaki sauce we would use 1/3 cup soy sauce for the base.

Who are some good Jpop/Jrock singers and bands?

Question:

I've recently started listening to Jpop again (because I was listening to Kpop and still am ^^) and I want to know some good bands and singers. If you could as well list some of their good songs aswell.

Thank you~ ^^

Answer:

ViViD
Kana Nishino
Shota Shimizu
Miliyah Kato
AKB48
SoulJa
Supercell
Tsubasa Masuwaka