Here’s some cool rice paddy art. Way better than crop circles!

Some advice on studying Japanese. In the end, it’s all about what works best for you.

JPop group Perfume appeared live the other day, but what’s cool is they have a new single coming out in August.

The ANA Gundum plane looks a little boring. Maybe they’ll make a flashier design in the future.

Narita Sky is here! Get from Narita airport to Tokyo in 36 minutes (or your pizza is free!)

Make a hotel reservation in Japanese with this handy step by step guide.

A monster tuna caught off Japan turned heads at a Tokyo fish market Friday, where the 445 kilogram (981 pound) bluefin — the biggest caught here since 1986 — sold for 3.2 million yen (36,700 dollars).

“Many of the people who work at the market have never seen a tuna that big,” said an official of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which runs the Tsukiji fish market, the world’s biggest seafood market.

I’ve been to a few fish markets, including ones in other countries, but I’ve never been to the Tsukiji fish market. Apparently visitors are allowed to check out the market between 5am-6am while some auctioning is still going on. I heard it’s an interesting experience and it looks pretty impressive. Here are some photos from the market that I found on Flickr: The entrance, items for sale, a lot of fish, tentacles, and some large fish for sale. You can read more about the market here.

Free iPhone in Japan

White Plan : 980 Yen
You can call anybody on the Softbank network for free between 1AM and 9PM. If it’s after 9PM, or if you’re calling a non-Softbank phone, the cost is 21 every 30 seconds. (I currently have this.)

White Plan Family Discount : Free
This is an add on of the white plan. You can call family members for free if they have a White Plan and are under your account. (I currently have this, it comes in handy and it’s free.)

S! Basic : 315 Yen
This is like an Internet connection fee. You have to have it if you want to 1) Use the Internet and 2) Want to have an e-mail address for sending MMS/Text. It’s important because you can’t send a normal SMS to non-Softbank users. (I have this too.)

Packet Flat-rate Full : 1029-4410 Yen
I spoke to a guy at Softbank and he said you can use unlimited Internet for up to 4410 a month. If you use less than 4410 Yen a month, you’re charged less. But if you have an iPhone, I bet you’ll be using the packet plan a lot.

Handset Cost : 1280-1760 Yen
This is a monthly fee for 24 months. The 8GB is 1280, the 16GB iPhone is 1760 a month. “But Steve, you said FREE!?” Well, they don’t want you to run off with the iPhone, so to make the iPhone free Softbank applies a discount.

Monthly Discount : 1280 Yen
This is for 24 months. You are actually paying full price for the phone, but this discount cancels out that price, making it free. It brings the 8GB 1280 Yen cost to 0, and it makes the 16GB only 480 Yen per month.

Tricky monthly phone charge and discount.
It’s tricky because even though it’s a 2 year contact, they don’t start billing you for the physical phone until the 3rd month. This makes it 26 months total until you’re done paying off the phone.

The final price estimate
8GB : 2324 – 5705+ Yen per month
16GB : 2804 – 6185+ Yen per month

In the end it costs more than the price estimate because you’ll probably call more than just Softbank users, but this gives you an idea of the price. If you cancel, you are charged a cancel fee of 9975 Yen and you must pay for the remainder of the phone. So if you get the free 8GB iPhone and you cancel on month 12, you owe for the remaining 12 months + 2 months (because they didn’t charge you the first 2 months). So you owe 1280 x 14, or 17920 Yen in addition to the 9975 cancel fee. OUCH!

I thought about getting the iPhone, but I already have a phone which I’d have to pay the remaining 9 months on. Lame. I already have a 16GB iPod Touch. It’s nice, and with all of the Apps available I’ve completely replaced my Palm PDA. I think I’ll just stick with the iPod Touch for now.

For anybody curious, here are some Softbank iPhone commercials.

Aoki Holdings Inc, a discount menswear chain, last year started selling ‘deodorant suits’ as well as anti-odour shirts and socks.

Read the article here and read more about the 2-Nonenal, the technical term, here.

Thank God I don’t smell now! If this is aging odor is real and comes knockin’ on my door, I’ll be taking 2 showers a day and I’ll keep using Right Guard (with the power strip!) and cologne.

• Reuters reports how Golf-Japan’s ‘Tiger’ Ishikawa turns professional at 16 – Just turned 16 and he’s worth over $10 Million USD over the next 5 years. That’s pretty cool!
• Google/AFP reports Japan police receive 400th secret pledge to poor after 33 years – “The police station in Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo, received the first envelope in August 1974, which contained 1,000 yen, or nine dollars at the current rate. It did not bear a sender’s name but enclosed a piece of paper only saying: “Please use this for the unprivileged people.” This money came in every month and gradually increased. This week they received the 400th envelope which brings the total amount donated to 1,744,000 yen over time. Awesome! It’s nice to know that somebody cares that much.
• CNN Money is reporting that Japan’s Softbank wins more new subscribers in December than KDDI, DoCoMo – I like the name DoCoMo, it’s fun to say. Docomo docomo docomo… but I like Softbank’s service (friends with Softbank + woman who talks a lot = cheaper than DoCoMo). What’s the key to Softbank’s increase in success? I blame Cameron Diaz. She’s all over the place with her softbank phone she’s not even talking in the commercials

photo courtesy of sleepycat
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVPlipdl8eg[/youtube]

• Guardian reports how Japan tries to cut bike toll – “Multi-tasking cyclists beware. Japan is planning new measures to discourage some of the more outlandish but popular saddle habits, including “triple riding” (balancing children on the frame), listening to portable music players or using an umbrella while on the move.” Okay, first of all balancing children on the frame? This sounds ridiculous, it should say ‘people’ not ‘children’, and this news reporting proves that the author of this story is a fool. Moving on… “The number of bicycle accidents involving pedestrians has risen almost fivefold since 1996 to 2,767 incidents last year, the agency added.” It’s easy to get around busy cities using a bicycle and more cyclists = more accidents. It’s going to be tough for police to ticket and regulate ‘saddle habits’. An alternative is to increase public awareness about the dangers of these habits.
• G4TV reports that 20 Gig and 60 Gig PS3s discontinued in Japan – “We’d understand getting rid of the smaller HD models in favor of the beefier 60 gig model, but getting rid of the bigger-drived model is a little odd…” I agree with this. WTF?

photo courtesy of ruliweb

A Switzerland-based English language institute on Wednesday invited instructors who lost jobs because of the failure of Nova Corp to teach English in China where demand for English learning is expected to shoot up ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. EF Education First Ltd, which has been chosen as an official language partner of the Olympics, is seeking about 1,000 English instructors who can teach English in such major Chinese cities as Beijing and Shanghai, Molly Fitzpatrick from the institute said at a press conference in Tokyo.

In other news, 12 companies apply for sponsorship to rebuild Nova.

Twelve companies have applied for sponsorship to rebuild Nova Corp, the failed biggest foreign language school chain in Japan, Nova’s two court-appointed administrators said Saturday. Some of the 12 companies made specific proposals to turn around the Osaka-based Nova, they said. Nova was granted court protection from creditors Oct 26 under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law.

To survive in this world you gotta do what you gotta do. And the word on the street mentions Nova teachers offer lessons for food. Whoa!

A labor union representing teachers and staff at the failed Nova Corp said Thursday it will set up a relief fund for the teachers and a program whereby students can take their language lessons from their Nova teachers in exchange for basic food items or a meal. The National Union of General Workers Tokyo Nambu said at a press conference in Tokyo that the program called “Lessons-for-food” is to support the non-Japanese instructors, many of whom have been left penniless after Nova, Japan’s largest foreign language school chain, filed for court protection from creditors after several months of delays in paying wages to its instructors.

But what about the students? I think it’s important that the people of Japan learn the English language as good as possible. Not because I can’t speak Japanese, but for economic reasons. A ton of countries speak English and Japan is the 2nd largest economy right now. I don’t see the rest of the world learning Japanese that quickly. So what about these abandoned Nova students? Geos, Aeon, other schools to take Nova students

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has asked two umbrella organizations of the language education industry to extend their support to the students. The 66-member Japan Association for the Promotion of Foreign Language Education is set to accept some 5,000 Nova students mainly to its five major language school operators – ECC Foreign Language Institute, Berlitz Japan Inc, Aeon, Shane Corp and American Language School, the sources said. Meanwhile, the 21-member All Japan Linguistics Association will accept a total of 3,000 students, mainly at schools operated by Geos.

Well that’s about it for now. Good luck to the teachers and the students both.

A woman leapt from an 11-story apartment in Tokyo on Wednesday evening, striking and seriously injuring a 47-year-old man who was walking along a nearby sidewalk, police said.

That’s insanity. And what is up with so many people committing suicide over here in Japan? Life’s not that tough, really.

I read about Love Hotel investing today on Yahoo:

Japan’s secretive love hotels are opening up to European investors as one player in the sector prepares for a debut on London’s stock market this month.

Japan Leisure Hotels, which owns five love hotels worth some 21 million pounds ($43.68 million USD) in Japan, hopes to lure investors to its IPO with an 8 percent dividend and promises of fast growth — shedding light on a sector that is often associated with sleaze and organized crime.

Japan’s 25,000 or so love hotels have long provided discreet hideaways for couples, some featuring Karaoke machines or vibrating beds. Guernsey-based Japan Leisure Hotels rents out rooms for short stays lasting only a few hours, but the company’s director believes this system doesn’t just appeal to thrill-seekers…

WTF is a Love Hotel anyway? Well… you’ve got to love Wikipedia! Check out what they say… but first some pictures!

A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found in Japan operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy to do some bam bam (aka sexual intercourse.)

Love hotels usually offer a room rate for a “rest” kyukei , as well as for an overnight stay. The period of a “rest” varies, typically ranging from one to three hours. Cheaper daytime off-peak rates are common. In general, reservations are not possible, leaving the hotel will forfeit access to the room, and overnight stay rates only become available after 10pm. They are often used by young couples, since many young Japanese people live with their parents. They are also commonly used for prostitution.

Entrances are discreet and interaction with staff is minimized, with rooms often selected from a panel of buttons and the bill settled by pneumatic tube, automatic cash machines, or a pair of hands behind a pane of frosted glass. While cheaper hotels are utilitarian, higher-end hotels may feature fanciful rooms decorated with cartoon characters, equipped with rotating beds, ceiling mirrors, karaoke machines or decked out like dungeons complete with S&M gear.

Want to know more? Here are some links about these sexy time hotels:
Love hotel information site: http://www.rabuho.com/
Love hotel guide: http://kavp.wordpress.com/love-hotel-guide/
Love hotel pics: http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/love_hotels/
Love hotel pics: http://www.mistykeasler.com/

Photo credits:
107131542_8be9b5674c_o.jpg by kaishin http://flickr.com/photos/kaishin/ | 366579355_324714a31c_b.jpg and 366579319_0a8ada1ca7_o.jpg by RVLTN 12 3 http://flickr.com/photos/twelvethree/ | 106645707_1ba918385c_o.jpg by prepreet http://flickr.com/photos/1990/ | 118027509_c8b3086951_b.jpg by liquidindian http://flickr.com/photos/liquidindian/ | 490820903_8f039e861a_o.jpg by thecameo http://flickr.com/photos/kiad/ | 70265551_053d16c84b_o.jpg by PDMZ http://flickr.com/photos/pdmz/ | 187930472_784035fd46_o.jpg by Mil http://flickr.com/photos/danw/ | 1445197170_5b9c7b8496_o.jpg by blogsorbeta http://flickr.com/photos/blogsorbeta/ | 1256329015_4b80a561eb_b.jpg and 1256319417_81b3f625a9_b.jpg by gruntzooki http://flickr.com/photos/doctorow/ | 56303704_f3729e393b_b.jpg by dotben http://flickr.com/photos/dotben/

I read in many places about emergency loans this, emergency loans that, hoping to get an emergency loan from the Embassy blah blah blah. Good luck with that! I can’t find any information on the web regarding this type of loan. The U.S. Embassy website (tokyo.usembassy.gov) mentions nothing about a loan or emergency funds for people employed by Nova. They do say this:

If you require financial assistance, you could request that your family wire funds through the U.S. Department of State here or purchase an e-ticket on your behalf.

Your Embassy is there to help you out, but only to an extent. Here is a link to a list of attorneys who speak English who may be able to help you out with any legal matters. The British Embassy will offer a little bit of help to its citizens (about 1000 teachers) but they did release a statement that said the U.K. Embassy is unable to provide financial assistance (aka emergency loan) but could help Nova employees contact family and friends. I’m not sure what that means. Free phone cards or something? Shiiiiiiiiiiit.

The United States Embassy in Japan has posted Information for Americans employed by NOVA

The U.S. Embassy is aware that NOVA filed for court protection on October 26, 2007and has temporarily shut all of its schools in Japan. We are closely monitoring the situation.

NOVA’s Foreign Personnel Section contact telephone number for East Japan is in Tokyo at (03) 6688-4441 and for West Japan is in Osaka at (06) 7688-0404. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has also announced that NOVA teachers may call the Shinjuku Employment Assistance and Instruction Center for Foreigners at the Hello Work Office in Shinjuku at (03) 3204-8621 and the Osaka Employment Service Center for Foreigners at (06) 6344-1135 for advice. NOVA’s situation is changing rapidly, and you may wish to follow the English-language websites of some of the major newspapers, including news at these sites:

• mdn.mainichi.jp
• www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy
• www.japantimes.co.jp

If you decide you wish to remain in Japan, you may also wish to contact some of the following organizations for advice on employment contracts and Japanese labor regulations. Some teachers may be eligible for unemployment benefits; please contact Hello Work or the following organizations for further information.

Yahoo News repots:

These days, teachers feel as if the joke is on them. Some 4,000 foreign teachers are without jobs and are owed $4,000 in back pay after Japan’s largest school chain, Nova Corp., closed its 900 schools last week, declared bankruptcy, and failed to pay refunds to its 400,000 students.

Good luck to all of the people that got the shaft from Nova. I’d hate to be in your situation right now.

I wonder what this means for current employees and their work visas. Not only that but if an employees income stops or is slowed it could mean trouble for their living expenses. Damn.

Check out the news from Yahoo

Nova Corp , the largest operator of English language schools in Japan, said on Friday that it has filed for court protection from creditors amid efforts to turn around its business.

Following the company’s announcement, the Jasdaq Securities Exchange said it would delist Nova’s shares on Nov. 27.

Nova, which operates over 900 schools in Japan, posted net losses for the past two business years and said it held a total 43.9 billion yen in debt as of July.

More on this:
Aussie teachers lose jobs in Japanese school shutdown
Google News
Nova applies for court protection from creditors; president missing, 4 execs resign
Scandal-tainted school Nova granted court protection from creditors

The prints will remain on record for 70 years. According to the new procedures, if requested, the Justice Ministry will turn over the data to the police and other government agencies.

This excludes ethnic Koreans and other permanent residents with special status, those under 16, those visiting Japan for diplomatic or official purposes, and those invited by the state.

Japan Times said an estimated 6-7 million foreigners entering Japan every year will be covered by the ordinance.

878,000,000 in USD would be 100,495,879,196 Yen. That’s why the Yen is so cool when you’re an American… it sounds like a shit load of money. 10 dollars? Oh hellz no! 1,000 Yen! That’s where it’s at!

About Seiyu:

Seiyu Group is a Japanese operator of supermarkets, shopping centers, and department stores. In addition to its Japanese operations, Seiyu also has department stores operating under its name in Singapore and Hong Kong. The group used to directly operate its Singapore and Hong Kong stores, but in October 2005 its three Singapore stores were sold to CapitaLand Limited, which transferred them to Beijing Hualian Group later the same year. The group’s Hong Kong store in New Town Plaza, Sha Tin was sold to Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited in June 2005, but like the stores in Singapore it continues to operate under the Seiyu name.

According to BusinessWeek Online, Wal-Mart, the giant American retailer, bought a 37 percent stake in Seiyu in 2002, and according to a company press release, in late 2005 Wal-Mart acquired a majority stake in the company.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiyu_Group

Read more about this at…
MSNBC.com
BloomBerg
CNNMoney