Maybe some of us live in Japan so lets share what's going on

candlestick

Shoujikina

Oh I see.The English website with more information may banned in Japan but those Japanese websites seem easier to read for you.I can read 汉字 on there only.

That's "hanzi", isn't it? Whereas kanji would be 漢字. So you can read chinese, but not japanese - meaning, that you don't know how to read かな/カナ?

Would be clearer if you had just said in english, what you meant.

Yeah ~I thought you folks can read that .^ ^|||

Well, it nice to be able to read and understand 日本語　and 中国的. Is 中国的 your native language?

musicismagic
Well, it nice to be able to read and understand 日本語　and 中国的. Is 中国的 your native language?

Is 中国语,there is 2 kinds of Chinese,Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese ,It's a bit different on it.The 中国语 is Simplified Chinese ,but my native language is Traditional Chinese.

I heard about Made in Japan tea with radiation been detected by my local government recently.I think no one should buy them anymore...

candlestick

musicismagic
Well, it nice to be able to read and understand 日本語　and 中国的. Is 中国的 your native language?

Is 中国语,there is 2 kinds of Chinese,Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese ,It's a bit different on it.The 中国语 is Simplified Chinese ,but my native language is Traditional Chinese.

I heard about Made in Japan tea with radiation been detected by my local government recently.I think no one should buy them anymore...

I would someday like to visit China. Maybe during the summer or late spring. Only a few hours plane ride from where I'm at. I'm thinking Shanghai. What do you recommend.

reply to post by musicismagic


My unasked outside opinion is the province, and I've never been to mainland China, just SAR. Go out to some remote mountain provincial region away from the pollution and enjoy a simple life in my opinion =)

This is about the Japanese school system. Our child went through the whole school system from 2 years of kindergarten to high school, although she attended 12th grade in the States. The school system where I'm at has seen a big decrease of children so class sizes are down in many schools from 40 to just under 30 students per class. Our child attended both public and private. My thoughts are that both have advantages. Here, we have school after school, called "juku". My wife has been involved in the "juku" education process for quite some time. It is actually a very very big business to further educate the children and almost a must to attend to get into one of the prefectures government universities. Anyway I want to thank About com. for this article so it is a copy paste job, but interesting.

School System

The Japanese educational system was reformed after World War II. The old 6-5-3-3 system was changed to a 6-3-3-4 system (6 years of elementary school, 3 years of junior high school, 3 years of senior high school and 4 years of University) with reference to the American system. The gimukyoiku (compulsory education) time period is 9 years, 6 in shougakkou (elementary school) and 3 in chuugakkou (junior high school).

Japan has one of the world's best-educated populations, with 100% enrollment in compulsory grades and zero illiteracy. While not compulsory, high school (koukou) enrollment is over 96% nationwide and nearly 100% in the cities. The high school drop out rate is about 2% and has been increasing.　About 46% of all high school graduates go on to university or junior college.

The Ministry of Education closely supervises curriculum, textbooks, classes and maintains a uniform level of education throughout the country. As a result, a high standard of education is possible.

Student Life

Most schools operate on a three-term system with the new year starting in April. The modern educational system started in 1872, and is modeled after the French school system, which begins in April. The fiscal year in Japan also begins in April and ends in March of the following year, which is more convenient in many aspects.

April is the height of spring when cherry blossom (the most loved flower of the Japanese!) bloom and a most suitable time for a new start in Japan. This difference in the school-year system causes some inconvenience to students who wish to study abroad in the U.S. A half year is wasted waiting to get in and often another year is wasted when coming back to the Japanese university system and having to repeat a year.

Except for the lower grades of elementary school, the average school day on weekdays is 6 hours, which makes it one of the longest school days in the world. Even after school lets out, the children have drills and other homework to keep them busy. Vacations are 6 weeks in the summer and about 2 weeks each for winter and spring breaks. There is often homework over these vacations.

Every class has its own fixed classroom where its students take all the courses, except for practical trainings and laboratory work. During elementary education, in most cases, one teacher teaches all the subjects in each class. As a result of the rapid population growth after World War II, the numbers of students in a typical elementary or junior high school class once exceeded 50 students, but now it is kept under 40. At public elementary and junior high school, school lunch (kyuushoku) is provided on a standardized menu, and it is eaten in the classroom. Nearly all junior high schools require their students to wear a school uniform (seifuku).

A big difference between the Japanese school system and the American School system is that Americans respect individuality while the Japanese control the individual by observing group rules. This helps to explains the Japanese characteristic of group behavior.

Translation Exercise

Because of the rapid population growth after World War II, the number of students in a typical elementary or junior high school once exceeded 50.

Hey there! Yokohama here and I have to say that I love Japan as a whole. Sure we have our share of xenophobia and everything is expensive as hell, but at least the cops are okay and we don't have to worry about our kids getting shot up in school.

I love the atmosphere in Asia, but think I would be happier in a place like Thailand or Malaysia. Japan and it's custom of the fake smile can become a bit trying sometimes. Thankfully I have plenty of foreign friends to let off some steam with from time to time.

intelligenthoodlum33
Hey there! Yokohama here and I have to say that I love Japan as a whole. Sure we have our share of xenophobia and everything is expensive as hell, but at least the cops are okay and we don't have to worry about our kids getting shot up in school.

I love the atmosphere in Asia, but think I would be happier in a place like Thailand or Malaysia. Japan and it's custom of the fake smile can become a bit trying sometimes. Thankfully I have plenty of foreign friends to let off some steam with from time to time.

Hey, wow, someone lives in Japan also. Cool. Do you know Ikuta, Kawasaki. You live anywhere there near. It was the countryside years ago, but now I don't know. I'm down a bit south of Hiroshima. No foreigners where I live. Just rice paddy after rice paddy. I know what you mean about Thailand. I'd like to get the wife to move there, but than just ain't going to happen. Tried once to get her interested in Okinawa, but she said the bugs are too big there.
I'm retired, what about you. Hey, by the way, the pension is only $2000 a year at the age of 66, yes, you read it right, of course, it may vary, but we were self employed.

reply to post by musicismagic


I drink in Kawasaki from time to time, but I am unfamiliar with that particular place.

Yeah, I heard about the pension. Definitely have to save up on your own here. $2000 is entertainment money at the most.

Keep trucking!

originally posted by: aLLeKs

as soon as I give my opinion on it I am called a shill

Welcome to my world. PS. Tokyo here.

originally posted by: Alekto

originally posted by: aLLeKs

as soon as I give my opinion on it I am called a shill

Welcome to my world. PS. Tokyo here.

Hi Ale, are pregnant women in the Tokyo area really being told not to drink the water, but buy it from an out of area source. I lived in Tokyo, well, not really Tokyo, but worked in Hachioji. It was nice back then. Would you believe I and other foreigner were the only gaijins to be seen. Yep, it was some time ago.

originally posted by: musicismagic


Hi Ale, are pregnant women in the Tokyo area really being told not to drink the water, but buy it from an out of area source.

My daughter was born exactly a year after the Fukushima disaster and my wife would have scoffed at the idea of drinking bottled water if she was advised to. And she wasn't. I have no idea where these stories come from.

My daughter's health is of great importance to me and I'm yet to see any evidence that her life is in mortal danger.

originally posted by: Alekto

originally posted by: musicismagic


Hi Ale, are pregnant women in the Tokyo area really being told not to drink the water, but buy it from an out of area source.

My daughter was born exactly a year after the Fukushima disaster and my wife would have scoffed at the idea of drinking bottled water if she was advised to. And she wasn't. I have no idea where these stories come from.

My daughter's health is of great importance to me and I'm yet to see any evidence that her life is in mortal danger.

That's good news.

Tokyo is fine. I'm more concerned about the forthcoming 'big one' than radiation levels in my miso soup.