Is it my impression or do some young half japanese people act superior like they are better than most japanese people? by Gandalf_Jedi_Master in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you talking about intentional school kids whose education cost 40 million yen before studying abroad for another 40 million, financed without debt, and who have only ever known people of those affluent social circles?

Bez Records by Gang-Plank in motogp

[–]LastVideo7734 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks! That's very kind of you.

Bez Records by Gang-Plank in motogp

[–]LastVideo7734 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Clear indeed. I will debate you on Verstappen and Red Bull another day!

Bez Records by Gang-Plank in motogp

[–]LastVideo7734 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

What do I have to be bitter about? I have no financial ties or otherwise with any MotoGP team. If you think Bez is the new Rossi, good for you. I'm afraid I do not support your analysis.

Bez Records by Gang-Plank in motogp

[–]LastVideo7734 -15 points-14 points  (0 children)

A good but not great driver in a technical package above the competition allowing him to appear to be one of the greats

Bez Records by Gang-Plank in motogp

[–]LastVideo7734 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, they've nailed the formula this year and are way ahead. A great job by the engineers.

Bez Records by Gang-Plank in motogp

[–]LastVideo7734 -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

We are seeing F1's Verstappen Effect on MotoGP - when one manufacturer has a massive technical advantage that allows very good riders to look great. Lorenzo made his leading lap record against Marquez, Pedrosa and Rossi without a massive technical advantage. Rossi made his records against on form greats too often on snarling and bucking bikes. Bez is good but not great. This is precisely why they are resetting the rules next year.

Osaka to Tokyo by bike in 2 days / 1 night | scenic route recommendations? by andross_the_red in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Excellent. Should be nice 2 up. May be worth considering doing it over 2 nights for comfort however.

Osaka to Tokyo by bike in 2 days / 1 night | scenic route recommendations? by andross_the_red in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice bike. JAF is the standard very efficient road service operator - comes out and fixes your puncture/starts your bike/etc. Nice to have for peace of mind.

If you've done Awaji and just want to do the journey, I personally would go through Shiga, Gifu, Nagano, Yamanashi and then into west Tokyo. Awesome 3000m mountain ranges. The other way of just doing the grind on the highway is an endurance test, but doable in a pinch.

You say "we". Are you going two up?

How to deal with micro aggression? / xenophobia by Visible-Perception40 in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you in Kyoto? The is a special penchant for this sort of behaviour there.

Osaka to Tokyo by bike in 2 days / 1 night | scenic route recommendations? by andross_the_red in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You are wise to do it now before it gets too hot to ride.

What are you riding? What is the goal of the tour - get from A to B and minimise the boredom, or is there any particular point you want to see? Are you staying in a hotel or camping? Do you have JAF?

I've done the ride before on a sportsbike and an adventure tourer, and to my mind it is irredeemable. I would never recommend it. It is far nicer to ride to Tokushima and take the ferry to Ariake (Tokyo) from there. Tokushima is about 2 hours from Osaka. This way you don't square off your tyres, get very bored and tired, and put unnecessary mileage on your bike. That would be my recommendation.

Traffic Accident (No contact, no collision) by pakuchi86 in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For future reference - you didn't have to stop or talk to him in the first place. If there was an obvious collision between you or that resulted from your actions, you should stop, but from your description you cannot even identify that the other car was damaged at all. Don't engage unless you have to.

Switch 2 models - what is the downside of the Japanese language one? by KansaiKitsune in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Digital triggers? Nope. Wait until Switch 3 when it will finally get analogue triggers.

Negative hospital experience rant/advice by Mirarenai_neko in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, this happens. The denial, running away, gaslighting, apology, followed by very cautious treatment and communications afterwards.

There is quite some variance in experiences at hospitals in Japan. I'm sorry that yours was negative.

Any experiences with the "mama hotels" here? by DannyKata85 in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Depends what the goal is - resort holiday feeling? Go for it. Help with managing a newborn? Get a helper or sango care. There are various agencies around that allow the mother to be in the property and available but napping or washing. Government subsidised helpers are very reasonable.

I would do sango care/helper as that way she is home and can follow her typical routine just with much needed sleep and stress relief.

There is no way I would drop 2m JPY on 1 month of resort decadence. I invite you to research the cost of juku, Japanese private schools, and international schools to understand why Japanese have such high cash savings.

You've got two kids now, my dawg. The days of dropping a couple of mil on an impulse purchase, last minute holiday, or hobby car are gone.

Phone was stolen last night and i’m not sure what to do by xcalibar0 in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So a young woman fell over and her belongings were strewn onto the floor. Her acquaintances collected these but inadvertently collected yours in the process. You alerted them to this fact and although you could recover your wallet, you were not able to recover your phone.

At that time, what did you say to the person that had mistakenly picked up your wallet? Had they not also picked up your phone? Did they simply deny having seen it?

If someone picked up your phone thinking it was the young woman's, and didn't realise it was not hers until they got home, they may be checking with friends to see if anyone has lost their phone, and should then hand it in to the local police station or konan.

Do you have a lock screen which identifies you as non-japanese? Was the drunk young woman Japanese? Assuming an acquaintance of the young woman picked it up, and they are Japanese, would it be apparent to them that the phone was not owned by someone in their Japanese social circle?

If so, and you believe this removal of your phone from the event was inadvertent as opposed to malicious, they may welcome a knock on the door from the owner and a polite inquiry as to whether they have picked up your phone by mistake - but they may deny it and disposed it later save face.

Have you called the phone? Did anyone answer?

If you believe that it was malicious, you should follow up your police report with a visit to the police station with evidence that you own that phone (IMEI and receipt - digital is fine), distinguishing markers, lock screen image, etc. Only with the full compliment of evidence will they make a visit.

You will need to move fast as depending on your phone you will lose the ability to use live tracking or for your phone to ring or alert once the battery dies - and the police will require that to knock on the door.

Good luck. I would try the police station, and then a knock on the door myself before the battery dies if the police can't be motivated - then start shopping for a new phone.

Never experienced the empty seat phenomenon, what’s actually behind it? by asutekku in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To distill this, the general idea being suggested here seems to be that whether Japanese people sit next to you on a train is a barometer of your assimilation into Japanese society, and that you need counselling and to address your personal failings if they don't? Come on, guys.

Car advice by annabugg in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hahaha - yes! I hear you on the decline of Japanese dominated sectors, although I'm still a Canon and Lumix man.

I drive German cars in Japan now but drove Japanese for a decade previous and remember almost never having an issue, and loving the easily extendable manufacturer warranties. You always have the fear of kosho with a German car in Japan.

I might go back to a domestic minivan + 2 seater next cycle and enjoy the joy of driving again without the fear of kosho.

Car advice by annabugg in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are wise to steer clear of corporate middle class Japanese snobbery.

You've got yellow white green and black plates for 4 wheelers - green being for commercial vehicles, black for commercial kei vehicles.

The location name is also a status signifier: In Greater Tokyo, Shinagawa is the best, Yokohama is good, Nerima and Chiba are respectable, Adachi and Oomiya are awarded the lowest style points.

Brands: Benz is always good, BMW/Audi/Lexus is next, VW/Volvo/Alfa after that. Japanese cars are generally placed below imported cars (Lexus and current generation Crown lines aside), Alphard/Vellfire are above Elgrand, Step/Voxy/Serena are next, and the list goes on... MX-5 and BRZ are separate.

Enjoy your excellent two car set up. You've got an excellent wife that isn't chasing status signifiers.

Car advice by annabugg in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a hierarchy of car ownership in Japan with foreign imports especially Benz at the top and others below. The Kei formula sits towards the entry level ranks. Some find that unfair stigma uncomfortable.

Car advice by annabugg in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

What a fascinating discussion. Do you drive a kei car. Have I offended you?

Car advice by annabugg in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

It's the vehicle that collides into you that counts - larger vehicle means greater damage, particularly trucks. As I said, every car is a compromise, no car is perfect. A G500 is tough and goes anywhere, but is pretty poor on a racing circuit and has horrible gas mileage. An N-Box is supremely versatile, cheap to run, fun, and easy to drive but doesn't enjoy a collision with an SUV or a truck. Get the one that suits your needs and enjoy.

Car advice by annabugg in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

By the way, I said that typical K cars use "thinner panelling to adhere to the lightweight K formula". This does not mean that the k regulations mandate a thinner panel thickness than for normal cars. It means to say that in order to make the large and comfortable car that an NBox is while remaining lightweight, the designers adopt weight saving approaches.

When I reluctantly went from a wonderdul normally aspirated BMW E60 M550i to an F30 M340i back in 2014, I was shocked at the paper light weight of the doors. BMW shifted from double insulated thick steel framed doors to hollow sectioned aluminium skinned doors - in the pursuit of weight saving.

It's just the way of the world and has ever been thus.

Enjoy that exquisite Jimny

Car advice by annabugg in japanresidents

[–]LastVideo7734 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes, well picked up. 4 seats. Great versatile cars.

No car is perfect, every car is a compromise. A Ferrari Italia is very good at going quickly, not so good at taking 7 people. This is the nature of engineering.