Vox’s posts tagged japan

The world deserves full access to Hello! Project

nobody@vox.com(Rad) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:28:21 +0000

Nobody, except perhaps for those who are blind and/or deaf, can deny the astonishing development of Hello! Project as a music company after watching and listening to the awe-inspiring Hello! Project Summer 2008 anthem linked below. All those Hello! Project Kids of 2003 have grown up. Chisato and Hagiwara of °C-ute are unrecognizable, and Miyabi of Berryz Kobo looks like a Greek goddess. JunJun and LinLin unleash spectacular solos. It's all here:

http://www.dohhhup.com/movie/EwSwQNgnfwSyDYM8HPMudUUf3biVLFRT/view.php

Now, it's time for UFA to spread this kind of phenomenal Japanese idol music to the rest of the world, before all these performers outgrow their talent and end forever what has been a "platinum era" of global pop culture. Sister blog Radreview has further analysis:

http://bloggerparty.com/wake_up_sony_tv_tokyo_h_p_and_ufa

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Thai Truck for Lunch

nobody@vox.com(LonelyBob) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:08:11 +0000

Today is Wednesday that means Thai Truck for Lunch in Meguro!
Photos taken with the Nokia N82.

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An Afternoon Tidbit

nobody@vox.com(Jack) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 05:21:18 +0000

or maybe 2!

So, they've given me a red Honda Civic to drive while my car is going through superexpensive biannual moneygrab tax-by-another-name safety inspection.

It's weird. It's not a bad drive, though. Just weird. Also hella low? Maybe it's my car that drives like ass and this is how driving is supposed to be. I'm not sure.

Just down the street from here, epic parking fail:

His rear end is right where you're supposed to be when stopped and trying to turn. Well fucking played, asshole. I can't tell if he parked all the way up and the van rolled back, or if he actually parked like that. Either idiot option is possible.

In other news, I'm having a really good day :)

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Bee on cosmos daisy

nobody@vox.com(Only a Blockhead) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:12:23 +0000

--Julian

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Nach der Pokerwelle: Forex ((Wiederholung der Warnung))

nobody@vox.com(Tales From The Future) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:57:49 +0000

Am 2. September 2008 hatte ich auf das erhebliche Risiko von Forex-Trading ((sei es nun online oder via einen Dritten)) hingewiesen.

Wieder erscheint momentan eine Inseratewelle auf nicht spezialisierten Seiten für Online Forex-Anbieter in der Schweiz. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Ländern, wie etwa Japan, wo Forex-Trading seit der Deregulation um die Jahrtausenwende vor allem bei der weiblichen Bevölkerung zum Volkssport geworden ist...

In an elegant café overlooking Shiba Park in Tokyo, Ritsuko Shiono looks up from her book to check the foreign-exchange spot rates on her pink, sequin-dashed mobile phone. She is particularly interested in the Turkish lira. Meanwhile, 5,400 miles away in Ankara, the Turkish central bank is in panic mode because of Ritsuko – and the thousands of Japanese women like her who have quietly seized control of global currency markets.
...
In the space of just a couple of years, Japanese online currency speculators – many of them housewives, elderly matriarchs or young working women – have taken the markets by storm. Economists, major corporations and investors, awed by the sheer market influence of the Japanese speculators, have been forced to rethink their analysis of global currency markets. James Gow, the British chief executive and co-founder of one of Japan’s big three internet currency brokerages, FXOnline Japan, says: “We are looking at Japanese women taking a very different attitude to risk and markets than they used to, and a lot of people have been taken by surprise by that.”
...

(( Quelle: The Kimono Traders bei http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article2187250.ece ))

...kennen sich in der Schweiz ((noch)) die allerwenigsten Leute aktiv mit Forex-Trading aus. Die hohen Hebel ((sprich Fremdkapitaleinsatz )) können innert kürzester Zeit zu einem Totalverlust führen.

Ich schliesse nicht aus, dass mit Forex-Inseraten gerade jetzt Anleger angesprochen werden sollen, die mit anderen Anlagen 2008 viel Geld verloren haben. Im Kleingedruckten wird das Risiko beim Forex-Handel war immer vermerkt, aber in grossen Lettern werden vor allem die hohen Gewinnchancen versprochen.

Deshalb nochmals meine Warnung bzw. ein Link auf meinen Blogeintrag vom 2. September 2008, wo ich eine Einführung zum Thema Forex und den Gefahren gegeben habe:

http://talesfromthefuture.vox.com/library/post/nach-der-pokerwelle-forex-so-easy-ist-forex-leider-nicht.html

Wer es wirklich nicht lassen will, findet dort einen weiterführenden Link zu babypips.com, wo man weitere Grundlagen zu Forex-Trading erwerben kann. Ich kenne weiterhin fast Niemanden, der damit sein Geld verdienen kann...Ausnahmen gibt es sicher - wie beim Pokerspiel.

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photo-paloosa

nobody@vox.com(Sherapova) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:16:00 +0000

The first picture is cream filled panda bread. It was delicious.

The other pictures are from the imperial palace (well, as close to the palace as I could get, which is not very). There is a park full of pine trees that look like the grown up version of bonsai trees. It was a very pretty area although the area was surrounded by tall buildings. It would be a great place to pack a lunch and hang out on a sunny day.

Fun facts: The place is supposed to be ninja-proof. In reality there are security cameras hidden all over the place as well as police officers. You are not allowed to take pictures of these officers. If they happen to accidentally be in picture, it's fine, but they will refuse if you ask to take a picture.

It may be hard to tell in this picture, but there are guards on either side of the entrance and a couple of wires running along the ground. There were also officers on the public side of the gate, so I suspect anyone who tried to jump the gate would be quickly neutralized. The entrance is on the far side of the bridge in the pictures before and after it.

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NANA

nobody@vox.com(JadeMidori) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:02:09 +0000

That's 9 episodes done.

Two girls end up sitting together on a train to Tokyo and find out they have loads in common, including their name - Nana...

They run into each other again when they're hunting for a place to live and decide to share a flat. The anime is stunning because of many reasons, especially the graphics and more importantly, the sound track. Wow. Whoever is Nana-the-singer's voice actor is stunning.

As for the "Nanas". They're both 20 years old. And they're both shifting to Tokyo. But that's pretty much where the similarity ends.

Nana 1 has strawberry blond hair and big hazel/brown/golden eyes. She's always excited and completely dependent on someone or the other. She's naive and child-like and falls in love with any one who is older and more "dependable" (whatever that means!). She's also been described as spoilt and selfish, but it really is in a harmless sorta way. As Nana 2 says, Nana 1 is like a puppy. "Friendly and obedient but always wanting atention". She's "run away" (sort of) from home and come to Tokyo so that she can be with her best friend and the guy she's in love with.

Nana 2 on the other hand, is... well... For starters, she has short dark hair. As for her eyes, they can be gray, blue, brown... Its really quite strange, but also somehow endearing. When she's upset, her eyes seem to go all wide and a light shade of gray. When she's angry or depressed, they're almost black. I dunno. She seems to be the more responsible of the two, but I've only begun the series and I think she's just as spaz in her own way. She always has a cigarette dangling from her lips and wears a leather jacket almost everywhere. Oh yes, and she is a vocalist for the recently disbanded "Blast".

What I love about the series is that there are so many little moments and scenes and words that just hit you, and you know exactly what it would feel like to be there, you know? Nana 1 has been narrating most of the episodes till now, and she sounds so ... grown up, and slightly sad... It draws you deeper into the show coz you keep wondering what happened to them.

Another reason to watch this anime. Ren. Hot. *grins* (For the guys, the two Nana's running around should be enough!)

As for the series itself, the amount of detail is refreshing. There's always something to make you grin. For example, episode 9, when Yasu is listening to Nana sing over the cell phone, he lights up right before a sign that reads "No Smoking". And he's a lawyer. *laughs*

I can not wait to find out what happens to everyone on the show.

More updates as I get the time.
Cya!
^_^

P.S. T_T. I know I totally can't write a review! Gomen Nasai. *bows* *teary eyed* I aim to improve!!! Anyhow, now I'm off to watch the first episode of Vampire Knight! Later!

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Summer memories: Climbing Mount Fuji

nobody@vox.com(Only a Blockhead) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:58:33 +0000

For an account of the epic climb that produced these photos, see here.

--Julian

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Delfinleben > Hühnerleben ((Doppelmoral))

nobody@vox.com(Marc) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:56:10 +0000

Alle Jahre wieder. Die Bilder der Delfinschlachtung in Japan, letztes Jahr mit grossen Bildern auch im Blick...

http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/panorama/vermischtes/Japaner-schlachten-tausende-Delfine-ab/story/10336363

Die bösen Japaner. Blutrotes Meer. Tausende Delfine werden abgeschlachtet. Anscheinend sind Schweizern Tausende Delfinleben in Japan mehr wert als Millionen von Hühnerleben vor der Haustür...

http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/coq_au_vin_biogas_oder_einfach_nur_brennstoff_1.1004370.html

Ich sage nicht, dass man den Tötungsprozess nicht tierschonender veranstalten könnte. Aber Hühner zu Brennstoff zu verarbeiten ist auch nicht sinnvoller als aus Delfine Haustierfutter zu machen.

Fazit: Wer nicht Vegetarier ist, sollte besser nichts sagen oder sich wenigstens über beide Vorgänge gleichermassen beschweren.

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Nobelpreisträger Paul Krugman im Juli 2008 ((Fannie, Freddie, Sweden, Japan))

nobody@vox.com(Tales From The Future) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:05:39 +0000

Ok, Krugman ist erst seit heute Nobelpreisträger, aber lassen wir es gelten, dieser Artikel ist vom Juli 2008 ...

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/fannie-freddie-sweden-japan/

Siehe auch den im Artikel verlinkten PDF-Aufsatz zum Vergleich der US-Krise mit fünf historischen Asset Bubble-Krisen, unter anderem mit Finnland/Schweden und Japan.

Das ((zusammen dem Interview mit Marc Faber im letzten Post)) zu meiner Einschätzung, das die Krise noch lange nicht vorbei sein wird - besonders nicht in den USA.

PS: Siehe auch ((nochmals zur Erinnerung, hatte ich schon verlinkt)) diese sehr interessante Grafik aus dem Economist von 2005..

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See where you can go when you spend 10 Days Under the Sea!

nobody@vox.com(MindStorm) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:47:04 +0000

10 Days Under the Sea (34 MB download)

Set sail and help Little Carrie find her body. She's been turned into a ghost by a mysterious old man and must find hidden treasures to be freed from her spectral prison. But, she has just ten days to complete the task before her! Comb underwater scenes for hidden objects in gorgeous locations like the Sea of Japan, the Caribbean, the Nile and many more! Encounter many types of interactive fish and take pictures of your favorites! See where you can go in 10 Days Under the Sea!

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THE OLD IMPERIAL HOTEL in PRE-WW2 TOKYO -- Frank Lloyd Wright's Masterpiece in Japan

nobody@vox.com(Ken Kelsey) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:24:33 +0000

Okinawa Soba writes:

Here we have T. ENAMI meeting up with the work of FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT. Wright's version of the Imperial Hotel, replacing those that came before it, opened on September 1st, 1923 -- the same fateful day on which the Great Kanto Plains Earthquake destroyed Enami's Photographic Studio -- along with most of Yokohama and Tokyo. Thanks to Wright's modern building techniques that employed a large amount of steel girders and reinforcements, this hotel survived with only minor damage. And Enami himself had rebuilt his studio on Benten Street and was back in business within two years.
After 45 years in service, the structure was finally razed in 1968 to make way for a new incarnation. Thankfully conservation minded individuals assured that part of the Hotel was saved. Students of Wright's architectural works may continue to see and examine this original Entryway at Meiji Mura Architectural Park outside of Nagoya.
The new Imperial Hotel in Tokyo also has incorporated some pieces of Wright's embellishments as part of the public interior spaces -- at least I remember seeing some of it before passing out in the Bar after too many "Rum and Cokes".
For more on the long history of the place, and its many incarnations, see : www.imperialhotel.co.jp/cgi-bin/imperial_hp/index_e.cgi?a...
Frank Lloyd Wright was also a photographer, and a book of 50 of his photographs taken while in Japan has been published. (Try a used book connection thru amazon.com)
From a Lantern-slide by T. ENAMI of Yokohama. Ca.1923-28. For more on the Life and Times of Enami see : www.t-enami.org/

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Extended Home-stay

nobody@vox.com(Sherapova) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:21:53 +0000

I have some revisions to post.

The host mom has 3 brothers, all younger. She has a desk job at a company that makes steel products such as screws.

The host dad is a crane operator for high end construction projects (bridges etc). From what I understand it's a REALLY FREAKING BIG crane.

As to how I suddenly learned this information, I have B to thank. B is a former study abroad student who stayed with this family. He is currently in Japan on the JET program. He and his girlfriend came to stay a couple of nights because they have to come to Tokyo to find stores that sell shoes big enough for B's feet (he's a pretty big guy). So last night they invited me to go long with them to visit one of the host mom's brothers, who apparently lives less than a 5 minute walk away. That was a really fun time. We stayed there until 1:30 AM talking, eating, drinking, and talking some more (drinking does not necessarily mean alcohol). I got to learn some new Japanese words (which I can't actually remember right now...) and they (host mom's brother and family) learned some new English words.

And, as promised, pictures of Santa and Mei! They didn't want to hold still, but the host dad helped. Mei is the lighter colored one.

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My Geisha Girl

nobody@vox.com(Elentari) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:48:51 +0000

My best friend found this for me at a yard sale. She's an authentic Geisha doll, made in Japan during the war. She was brought back by a soldier and stored away and never displayed. The lady sold her for 50 cents!!!! My friend gave her a dollar. :) I absolutely adore this doll...she's GORGEOUS! :) She's about 15 inches tall or so.

This one came out blurry. I was on a really slow speed. I like the result though..she looks so mysterious...like a passing memory in the night. :)

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Der Lahme und der Kranke ((GM und Chrysler wollen fusionieren)): Symbolik aus den USA

nobody@vox.com(Tales From The Future) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:13:06 +0000

Da wünsche ich Chrysler viel Glück, denn GM steht meiner Meinung noch viel schlechter da...

http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wirtschaft/unternehmen-und-konjunktur/GM-und-Chrysler-wollen-fusionieren/story/11465577

Warum ich das für nennenswert halte, obwohl ich Aktien dieser zwei Unternehmen nicht im Traum anrühren würde:

Die Krise wird in den USA nicht nur die Banken-/Finanzwelt, sondern auch die Realwirtschaft enorm aufwühlen in den nächsten Monaten und Jahren. Nun kann man einwenden, dass das eine Platitüde ist und nach jeder Krise der Fall ist.

Ich denke, dass wir ((durch die Kreditknappheit und damit fehlenden Liquidität/Investitionsfähigkeit in vielen kapitalintensiven Branchen)) in den USA keine "normale" Krise oder Rezession vor uns haben werden.

Wieder ist ein Vergleich zu Japan angebracht, wo in den 90ern nach der Krise kein Stein auf dem anderen blieb und enorm viele (Not-)Fusionen stattfanden:

- Die drei heutigen Megabanken Japans etwa sind aus einer Vielzahl sehr grosser, angeschlagener Banken entstanden:

Mitsubishi UFJ FG (MTU) (JP: 8306)
Mizuho FG (MFG) (JP: 8411)
Mitsui Sumitomo FG (SMFJY.PK) (JP: 8316)

Das waren die positiven Beispiele, in anderen Branchen entstanden dadurch nur noch grössere Problemfälle.

- Die US-Autoindustrie wird durch diese Fusion zumindest kurzfristig weiter geschwächt, auch der Konkurrent Ford steht schlecht da:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=akt6CERWfk7o

Profitieren werden die europäischen Marken ((Volkswagen...)) und die zwei japanischen ((Toyota, Honda)) mit Fabriken in den USA...

http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/0,1518,458289,00.html

((In diesem zwei Jahre alten Artikel wurde Chrysler natürlich noch als DaimlerChrysler geführt.))

...und der technologischen und finanziellen Fähigkeit, in den nächsten fünf bis zehn Jahren Alternativantriebe einführen zu können.

Update 13. Oktober 08: Gespräche scheinbar abgebrochen, Chyrsler verhandelt wieder mit Renault-Nissan. Und GM ? Sehe ich untergehen oder sehr, sehr stark schrumpfen im Umsatz auf nur noch 2-3 Marken, könnte bedeutungslos werden...

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Home-stay

nobody@vox.com(Sherapova) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:31:37 +0000

I've now been staying with my host family for a couple weeks. They seem like nice people, although I haven't had much in the way of extended conversations with them. I'm not all that talkative most of the time, even in English. My host family is comprised of two parents in their 50s and their son, who is older than me by about 10 years. No, he's not a lazy bum, he is gainfully employed, as are the parents, which means I mostly only see them in the evenings. (Unlike the US, it's not that odd for a child to live at home until married).

Host Dad: late 50s, don't actually know what he does for a living (the whole not having extended conversations thing), light smoker, likes whiskey. He's friendly, but admits he is (or was) a bit nervous because even though they have hosted several students before me, I'm the first girl they have hosted.

Host Mom: early 50s, don't know what she does either, but sometimes she has to work on Saturdays. She also smokes sometimes, but even less than the host dad. I'm not sure how often or when she eats (I've only actually seen her eat food a few times) but she always wants to make sure she gives me enough to eat. She taught me a phrase not too long after I arrived in her house: "amai mono wa betsu-bara" (sweets go in the other stomach). Most of my conversations with her involve food. Has 4(?) brothers. She's expressed and interest in dressing me up in a kimono for New Years. I'll make sure to get pictures of that to post.

Host Brother: has some kind of software design job. Before meeting my host family I was given a sheet with very basic information on the family. However, there was a typo concerning my host brother: the sheet I got said he was 50...which really did not make much sense. But he's definitely not that old. He does karate on Saturdays, and took me with him last week, and it seems he will continue to do so. Karate is karate, so the basics are essentially the same, but from what I've seen so far, the kata (forms) are very different looking from what I am used to.

House: yes, it really is a house, not an apartment or townhome or something. Houses in Japan are a lot closer together than they are in the US. I can tell that the neighbors have young children, since I have heard them screaming on occasion. The house is 3 stories, with the second floor being the main living level. The host brother claims the top floor, and the dogs usually stay up their too. My room is on the bottom floor. It's a traditional Japanese style room, with tatami mats, sliding door, the whole nine yards, except I have an actual bed and internet access. My room is an 8 mat room (1 tatami mat = approx 3 ft x 6ft), which is definitely bigger than some of the rooms that fellow students on this program can call their own. Being on the bottom level, my room tends to be fairly cool all the time. The house also has a balcony that is used for hanging out laundry, and a falt roof that can be used for entertaining people.

Food: tasty. I've gotten to have some variety of food, including some Italian and yakiniku (very similar to Korean barbeque). I haven't actually been eating nearly as much fish as I thought I would be, although I've had some octopus. Moreso than liking fish it seems rather important to like rice (duh) and eggplant. Yes, eggplant has shown up on my dinner plate a lot more than I expected. I never really thought about it being a popular vegetable in Japan. As for breakfast, the most common things to appear on my plate are eggs, salad, yogurt, and fruit. No, I don't mean one day I have fruit, and another I have salad. Those will all show up for one day's breakfast. Before moving in here I usually didn't eat much in the way of breakfast. So, both breakfast and dinner are usually more food than I'm accustomed to eating, but then I usually don't get the urge to snack. The host brother eats a lot of food. I'm not sure where it goes, since he's so skinny. He goes cycling regularly, and I guess he has high metabolism. The bowl I get rice in has probably a 5 inch diameter whereas his probably has an 8 inch diameter and is usually heaping full of rice. Before I left a friend expressed concern that I'd get really skinny in Japan from not eating enough, but I don't think she needs to worry about that. The host mom's primary concern about me is that I'm fed.

The Dogs: Santa and Mei. Corgies. 2 years old and full of energy. Sometime soon I will pull out my camera and get some pictures of them. They seem to like me. I've helped walk them a few times. They know the neighborhood better than I do. Mei is a girl and Santa is a boy.

School: classes are going fine. It's really not that interesting, although I got my butt handed to me by a kanji quiz the other day. A change in study habits should prevent that from happening again. My schedule is pretty relaxed, although I have to take the train during morning rush hour 3 times a week. I make sure to get on the all-women car when I have to go early. The all-women car tends to be a tiny bit less crowded.

And that's all for now.

TSUZUKU

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Made it to Nagoya

nobody@vox.com(Random Encounters) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:30:10 +0000

And in 1 piece too. Plus all my stuff in tact, remarkable considering the sheer volume of stuff I've got.

It's 6:28pm here, but it feels like 1:28am to me. I'm tempted to just shower and call it a night. The humidity here is terrible relative to the west coast of the USA. Tomorrow I've got a lot of stuff to prepare for so I might as well go to bed sooner rather than later.

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Turning Japanese III: The USA that can say NO ((US-Staatsbeteiligung an Banken))

nobody@vox.com(Tales From The Future) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:08:11 +0000

Soeben hat man Teil II der Saga geschrieben und schon ist die Trilogie komplett...

(ap) Angesichts der dramatischen Lage im Finanzsektor denkt die amerikanische Regierung auch über eine teilweise Verstaatlichung von Banken nach. Das verlautete aus Regierungskreisen in Washington. Die vom Kongress jetzt im Rahmen des 700 Milliarden Dollar umfassenden Rettungspakets gewährten Vollmachten zum Umgang mit der Finanzkrise eröffneten der Regierung eine Reihe von Möglichkeiten, hiess es.

http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/wirtschaft/aktuell/us-regierung_banken_1.1070001.html

Siehe auch...

Paulson told reporters in Washington yesterday that legislation Congress passed last week to rescue financial institutions gave him broad authority that he intends to use, beyond just buying mortgage-related assets on banks' balance sheets. He indicated that an option available may be boosting companies' capital with cash infusions.

``It is the policy of the federal government to use all resources at its disposal to make our financial system stronger,'' Paulson said. ``We will use all of the tools we've been given to maximum effectiveness, including strengthening the capitalization of financial institutions of every size.''

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=au4PnE_L1TCQ&refer=home

Ich nehme an, dass der US-Staat im Gegenzug spezielle Vorzugsaktien ((mit vielen Klauseln und langen Ausführungsbestimmungen, schliesslich sind wir den USA, man muss also sicher noch die Details abwarten)) erhält.

Das könnte eine gewisse, zusätzliche Beruhigung geben - und verdeutlicht nochmals, dass die USA im Gegensatz zur damaligen Lethargie in Japan rasch reagieren wollen. Was auf das optimistischere Szenario eins hindeuten könnte ((siehe Teil I dieser Beitragsserie Turning Japanese für Details zu Szenario eins und Szenario zwei)).

Bin ich optimistischer geworden ? Ganz wenig. Momentan jagen sich die Tickernews im Minutentakt - es ist äusserst unklar, wie die meisten Markteilnehmer dies interpretieren. Das zeigte auch die Bewegung der US-Indizes von gestern..Rollercoasters in einem Tradermarkt. Die nächsten Wochen würde ich in jedem Falle sicher noch abwarten vor einem vorsichtigen Einstieg mit kleinsten Mengen:

Bis dann werden a) viele Quartalszahlen erschienen sein und b) die Pläne der US-Regierung dürften konkret bekannt sein.

(( Dies auch nur als Empfehlung wenn sie momentan gar keine Aktien haben. Wenn Sie bereits Aktien besitzen würde ich wie gesagt das Jahr 2009 in aller Ruhe abwarten, ausser sie lieben ungünstige Risiko/Chance-Profile...das würde auch den Umstand zeigen, dass sie momentan noch viele Aktien besitzen ; ))

PS: Eigenartiger Titel ? Ich erlaubte mir eine kleine Anspielung auf das Buch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Japan_That_Can_Say_No

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Turning Japanese II: Staatsverschuldung ((Nach dem Credit Crunch ist vor dem Debit Crunch))

nobody@vox.com(Tales From The Future) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:19:05 +0000

Siehe den ersten Blogeintrag Turning Japanese zum Thema Credit Crunch, der momentan schon voll im Gange ist in den USA.

Was dann folgen wird in den USA ist der Debt Crunch nachdem in Feuerwehrübungen Löcher aller Art gestopft wurden mit Staatsanleihen und dank sinkenden Zinsen - letztere wecken beim Staat die Begehrlichkeiten, sich "günstig" weiter zu verschulden. Hier kann man wieder das Drehbuch in Japan mit einigen Jahren Vorlaufzeit konsultieren...

Monday, 18 June, 2001
Japan's biggest economic problem may not be the fact that it is on the brink of its second recession in two years.
Or even that its banks are owed trillions of yen by companies that are struggling to repay it.
It could yet be the money that the government itself has borrowed - now thought to be equivalent to about 18% of the world's gross domestic product.
"It is the biggest bubble in the world, more important than the one that exploded on Nasdaq," is how Ken Courtis, vice president of Goldman Sachs Asia, described Japan's debt.

(( Quelle: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1388006.stm ))

Wiederum ist aufgrund der jetzigen Entwicklung realistisch, dass Japan etwa zehn Jahre Vorlaufzeit hatte, also verkürzt und stark vereinfacht: USA 2011 = Japan 2001. (( Wie früher geschrieben sind in den USA die meisten Unternehmungen zum Glück weniger stark verschuldet als in Japan - bei den Privathaushalten sieht es leider ganz anders aus)).

Die ausgehenden Anzeigeziffern auf der öffentlichen Schuldenuhr in New York sind ja wohl ein symbolischer Vorbote, Japan im Wettstreit um die höchsten Schulden unter den OECD-Ländern einen Platz an der Sonne streitig zu machen...

Als kurzfristige Abhilfe wird nun das Dollarzeichen auf der Anzeigetafel zu einer Eins an der ersten Stelle der neuen Schuldenzahl umfunktioniert. Die Uhr misst die rasant steigende Verschuldung der USA derzeit mit 10,2 Billionen Dollar. Die Betreiber der riesigen Uhr, die Immobilienunternehmerfamilie Durst, will im nächsten Jahr die Schuldenuhr gleich um zwei Stellen erweitern.
...
Die Uhr wurde 1989 von dem inzwischen verstorbenen Seymour Durst angebracht, um auf die nach seiner Ansicht gefährlich hohe Kreditaufnahme aufmerksam zu machen. Sie befindet sich auf einem Gebäude an der Kreuzung Sixth Avenue und 42. Street, einen Strassenzug vom Times Square entfernt.

Quelle: http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/ausland/amerika/Zu-wenig-Platz-auf-Schuldenuhr-in-New-York/story/27449258

Dem neuen US-Präsidenten wünsche ich jedenfalls bereits viel Spass bei dieser unangenehmen Arbeit ((Steuererhöhungen und Ausgabenkürzungen...)) in den nächsten vier oder acht Jahren. In Japan dürfen die Ministerpräsidenten wenigstens schon nach kürzerer Zeit wieder zurücktreten :)

PS: Damit schliesse ich die volkswirtschaftlichen Themen für den Moment ab im Blog. Ich erwähnte sie nur als Grundlage, welche Grundlagen/Szenarien ich als realistisch sehe in den USA - um daraus dann potentiell interessante Aktientitel in den nächsten Monaten auszuwählen für die Jahre 2009 und darüber hinaus, wenn es wieder interessantere Anlagen in diesem Anlagebereich geben könnte.

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Matsugen Restaurant Review!

nobody@vox.com(SoFullKitchen) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:43:15 +0000

I'm off this week for a three-part root canal! No work is good & bad, because it's like a mini-vacation but.. I'll have a hefty bill to pay when all this is over! At least I'll be able to chew on both sides of my mouth, which has to count for something, especially in someone who loves food as much as I do. I am trying to use this time wisely.. to blog, clean the house, & do other things that I haven't had the chance to get to. Anyway, lets get started!

Lately, I've been having a conversation with Nameless, a fellow soba-enthusiast, over one of my photos & was inspired to share a little more about this series. This beautiful gem of a restaurant, Matsugen, is located on the back side of the new beach walk in Waikiki, 255 Beachwalk Ave. just next door to the wonderful Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin- known for their katsu sandwiches- but that's another story. The prices here are very reasonable (8.80-$18.50 soba; $4.50-$9.50 appetizers.) depending on what you order so..

If you haven't gone yet, you now have no excuse! Here are some tips to ensure your slurping:

Timing is everything! & this place closes in the afternoon, so time your visit thusly!

Their weird hours are as follows: 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. then 5:30 - 10 p.m. Daily

This place is usually packed, especially for dinner. You can chance it, which I like to do, or go ahead & make reservations. (808) 926-0255

If it's your first time, request a seat at the soba bar so you can watch them roll out & hand cut the noodles!

Now let's talk about the food! I think the freshness & quality of the ingredients is what first makes their dishes so special. The veggies are local, when possible, & the buckwheat is flown in from Japan, for an authentic taste. This place is great, even by Japanese standards. A peek inside will reveal predominantly Japanese clientele, so dining here is like being let in on a secret, a taste of Nippon, right here in Hawaii.

We started with a Maui Onion Salad.. succulent tomato segments, paper-thin sliced sweet Maui onion, in a very light dressing over a small bed of spring greens. There's a very good chance that everything in this salad was grown in Hawaii; Nalo Greens, Maui Onion, Hamakua Tomato.. Hmm.. I almost can't remember if there was dressing, or just olive oil; the flavors of the veggies shown through so well. If you haven't had an onion salad before, don't over look this one. The onion is more of a sweet pop contrasted by the tomato, verses a jump-kick to the face, as one might imagine upon hearing the word 'Onion'.

I had the Tempura Soba, which may sound traditional or even simple, but was equal parts mind-blowing & orgasmic. A crispy-on-the-outside-juicy-on-the-inside assortment of shrimp & veggies (maybe even a shiso leaf in there?) were welcomed into my mouth with amazing speed. I loved dunking the tempura & noodles into my amazing little cup of joy.. er.. broth. This simple broth elevates the already perfect soba noodles to great heights. There is so much flavor in it, it's almost hard not to drool as you slurp the noodles up. Going back to the noodles, it might be kind of hard to beat freshly hand made, & further more, perfectly cooked. The texture of the noodles was soft without being soggy, firm without being al dente, just a treat to chew on.

My date had Tororo Soba, or soba with a grated yam dipping sauce, verses the standard tsuyu. I think the yams may be soaked in vinegar & water to help break down some of the salt or acids in the vegetable. This helps a pleasantly slimy texture form when the yam is grated. I don't know what it is about this smily potato stuff, but I love it. Sometimes it's served with a raw egg, lots of times there will be thin nori strips in it. Chiba-ken serves it with pieces fresh ahi sashimi floating around in it. I like mixing wasabi into mine. Just dip & slurp, slurp, slurp! Those who are into texture may love this, or may need some time to get used to it. It's kind of something you just have to try & figure out for yourself, but I wouldn't suggest it if it wasn't good. Besides, everything at this soba spot is fantastic!

At the end of your meal you get a special treat. They bring out a small tea pot of the water used to cook your noodles, soba-yu, which you pour into your soba broth or tsuyu. The result? A soul-satisfying soup I wish I could have everyday for breakfast. It fills up all the empty spots in your belly & floats your subconscious up, up, up! To a beautiful cloud called Contentment where you can rest in bliss for a few eternities before coming back down to earth. I suggest not making any major decisions during this time, but if you are trying to get someone else to make a major decision in your favor, take them to this restaurant!

I remember a dessert menu.. that's right. We truly ended out meal by finishing up our tea & munching on some delicious peanut powder covered Warabi Mochi. There was also a rich, dark sauce that went over them.. was it black bean maybe? It had a sort of molasses taste to it, very nice. As for the rice cakes themselves, they were oh so soft, sticky beneath their coating, & warm! Yum!

I heard the 'Kobe' wasn't that good. & the service was kind of blah because a lot of the staff was very young, but after my waiter heard me bitch a little about that, he shaped up & took great care of us. Which was a little rude of me, but just play it by ear.

I give this place 5 out of 5!

I'm kind of hungry now.. maybe to celebrate my new dental work I'll have dinner at Matsugen! Iki masu ka?!

Stay full!

Kitchen Terminology Used Today

Ahi- Ahi refers to two species, bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares).

(http://www.hawaii-seafood.org/yellowfin.html)

Al Dente- Pasta & (less commonly) rice that has been cooked so as to be firm but not hard. "Al dente" also describes vegetables that are cooked to the "tender crisp" phase - still offering resistance to the bite, but cooked through. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_dente)

Nori- Thin seaweed pressed into sheets and most often used as the wrap around sushi.

(http://www.chefkati.com/Glossary.html)

Mochi- Japanese rice cake.

Sashimi- Sashimi is thinly sliced, raw seafood. Many different kinds of fresh fish & seafood are served raw in the Japanese Cuisine. Sashimi, while similar to sushi, is distinct for its absence of vinegered rice. When slices of fish are served on top of a small ball of rice, it is called nigiri zushi.

(http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2044.html)

Tsuyu- A Japanese soy-based sauce flavored with dried bonito and used for dipping cold Japanese buckwheat noodles (soba). Somen tsuyu is used for vermicelli (somen).

(http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=814)

Wasabi- A Japanese horseradish that is dried, powdered, and made into a pale green paste with a sharp, pungent, extremely potent flavor. Often mixed with soy sauce and served as a condiment to sushi, sashimi, and other Japanese specialties.

(http://nbez.biz/cookingi.shtml)

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