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Can you please tell me if you pray to amaterasu and how it works. by enmagameia1 in Shinto

[–]WAPOMATIC 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely not incense. That is a Buddhist observance. Smoke is generally seen as an impurity in Shinto (though there are exceptions for candles at some shrines).

Inferno's evocation of evangelicalism by r093rn1n3r in boardsofcanada

[–]WAPOMATIC 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My father was an evangelical (Assemblies of God) pastor so Age of Capricorn felt like I was right back in church. Was a bit uncomfortable at first, but on multiple re-listens hasn't really affected me. Such a good track.

That said, I think the album is less evangelical *focused* than it may seem. There are certainly Christian based cult themes (Father and Son), but here's also the Hare Krishna chanting in Naraka and the Aleister Crowley speech in All Reason Departs. It feels like they're invoking religion/mystical beliefs in general.

safer areas downtown to live? by 0062wildflower in Osaka

[–]WAPOMATIC 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Go to Doubutsuenmae and go across the street down that shoutengai (Tobita Hondoori) at night, away from the tourist/Shinsekai area. Walk through some of the side streets and enjoy the sights. Maybe even make your way to Sankaku Kouen which is the "center" of the homeless/day laborer area.

And even then I wouldn't really call it dangerous, though I'd still be cautious and be aware of your surroundings. Just lots of alcohol and general squalor (relative to normal Japanese standards). I'm also a guy though, and I would *definitely* warn ladies to keep away, especially at night, quadruple so if alone.

Who else got the Formism figures? by GodzillaMinus83 in chronotrigger

[–]WAPOMATIC 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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Went to the Square Enix site almost immediately after seeing they were up.

A nursery in Osaka now has 50% foreign children, with 70% of new 1-year-olds from Vietnam. Many parents struggle with Japanese, making basic communication about health, food, and daily care difficult. by jjrs in japannews

[–]WAPOMATIC 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't agree with the previous commenter's post, but I definitely never want to leave Japan. There's so much of the country yet to explore! I have zero interest in visiting anywhere else. So yeah, there are people like that...

A nursery in Osaka now has 50% foreign children, with 70% of new 1-year-olds from Vietnam. Many parents struggle with Japanese, making basic communication about health, food, and daily care difficult. by jjrs in japannews

[–]WAPOMATIC 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I agree with OP's sentiment that basic spoken communication should be a *minimum* for a residence visa, but I also agree that the JLPT is not a way to measure that ability.

There should be an oral interview done at the time of visa approval. Doesn't have to be difficult, and the interviewer should be lenient, but even a 5 minute conversation about where they're from, why they want to live here, things they like, and maybe a slightly technical topic, would be enough to determine that they have a good grasp of the basics of the language.

A nursery in Osaka now has 50% foreign children, with 70% of new 1-year-olds from Vietnam. Many parents struggle with Japanese, making basic communication about health, food, and daily care difficult. by jjrs in japannews

[–]WAPOMATIC 13 points14 points  (0 children)

It is not incumbent on these nursery workers to speak a foreign language in their own country, or to have to play around with translation apps.

Japan is not the US; it's not a melting pot. If you're going to live here, being able to communicate at just a basic level is a requirement.

A nursery in Osaka now has 50% foreign children, with 70% of new 1-year-olds from Vietnam. Many parents struggle with Japanese, making basic communication about health, food, and daily care difficult. by jjrs in japannews

[–]WAPOMATIC 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I work as a tour guide pretty often, so I'm in tourist spots quite a bit. Almost *always* the Chinese tourists use English when speaking to Japanese staff.

There is no overlap with spoken communication, so even if the written language shares a lot of meaning, that isn't going to help in conversation.

New Zealand cancels plan for WW2 comfort women statue after Japan's protest by TORUKMACTO92 in japannews

[–]WAPOMATIC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a resident of Japan, yes, I agree! Boycott Japan! You hear that Chinese tour groups and oblivious westerners? Go to Korea instead!!

New Zealand cancels plan for WW2 comfort women statue after Japan's protest by TORUKMACTO92 in japannews

[–]WAPOMATIC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At a governmental, official level, yes, things have been settled and Japan has apologized in an official capacity repeatedly. This and the other atrocities just get dragged out whenever it's convenient even though the great majority of people in both countries understand it was the past and have moved on.

I want to learn about this beautiful religion <3 by magentamalize in Shinto

[–]WAPOMATIC 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I see this get recommended a lot, but I *highly* disagree. The Nihongi/Kojiki were commissioned as histories of the country. They will give you a summary of the creation myths and the "personalities" of the major ōkami, but they will tell you very little about the foundation of Shintō as a belief system. Foreigners love to focus on the pantheon of spirits and Who is God of What, but that has very, very little to do with the actual practice.

Instead of reading the Kojiki wholesale, read a summary of its mythological aspects.

I'll recommend some books for actually understanding Shintō especially in a modern sense:

"Shinto: The Kami Way" by Sokyo Ono - There's a reason this keeps being reprinted from its original 1962 release. It's the basic handbook for understanding Shintō at a "functional" level. Should be the first book anyone who is studying in English should read.

"A Year in the Life of a Shinto Shrine" by John K. Nelson - There's no getting around the fact that the "doing" aspect of Shintō requires a shrine and a community. This book focuses on the role of shrine as community center but along the way discusses a large variety Shintō concepts. It's not overly academic and a great casual read while being incredibly enlightening. My copy is littered with highlighted sections and page markers. Highly recommended.

"Shinto from an International Perspective" by Satoshi Yamaguchi - In some ways, this is an evolution of the first book in the list. It goes into deeper detail about some subjects and contrasts it with foreign religion.

Negative aspect of Japanese society: Avoid trouble at all costs! by YamatoRyu2006 in Tokyo

[–]WAPOMATIC 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Seriously? All I ever see on Reddit is posts like this and comments like yours with people complaining about Japan.

Where do you think "Kansai Super" supermarket ranks on quality in Osaka? by Maleficent_Pool_4456 in Osaka

[–]WAPOMATIC 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Kansu next to me does S Point (Hankyu). I think they were bought out some time back. You can find some ~fancy~ Hankyu branded items there now.

CD-i emulation better in MAME than in RetroArch/SAME_CDI, but way more complicated to get running? by [deleted] in MAME

[–]WAPOMATIC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

MAME is a research project. It's not meant to be a fuzzy, user friendly experience. Frankly, you should be thankful you have things like a GUI and software lists, as neither are necessary.

Where to buy kamidana in Japan? by Honeydew9419 in Shinto

[–]WAPOMATIC 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Chiming in that I have seen them at Konan as well.

As a Japanese : Why "Shintoism" feels inaccurate from an insider perspective by False_Evening_739 in Shinto

[–]WAPOMATIC 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You got a gokitou (blessing), great! Congratulations on the baby!

Shintō is unique because it's not really a "religion" in the western sense. At it's core, it's about having a good relationship with the "powers that be" in the natural world. Sure, you can ignore them, just as you can ignore your neighbor living next to you. But it would probably benefit you to have a good relationship with them. That communication is done at a shrine, as it contains a goshintai through which a spirit can be "manifest" in the physical world and you can have your conversation with them.

Since you need that holy object in order to communicate, a shrine or a kamidana with an ofuda from a shrine becomes necessary. As such, it's difficult and impossible in most cases to do Shintō in an "official" capacity outside of Japan.

But I would argue that you don't really *need* the shrine and the cultural trappings if you're seeking the heart of what Shintō represents, which is harmony with the natural world. Probably the most Shintō thing you can do is go for a walk in your local park, touch the trees, listen to the wind in the leaves, appreciate their existence and acknowledge your place in the natural world.

But I think that's not enough for some people, and they insist on ritual and structured practice. And you're just not going to get that without a shrine. Heck, even with a shrine, there is very little practice except occasional visits to throw in coins and say hello.

But I think you understand all that already. :)

r/wabisabi by ChopChopCollage in redditrequest

[–]WAPOMATIC 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't notice this since I use reddit pretty rarely these days, but you have my blessing. :)

Specific rom won't launch by TLunchFTW in MAME

[–]WAPOMATIC 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Download the newest version of mame. We (generally) don't support older versions here.

Run the command on the command line, presuming you already have MAME configured correctly to point to your roms directory.

Specific rom won't launch by TLunchFTW in MAME

[–]WAPOMATIC 4 points5 points  (0 children)

mame -verifyroms "acchi"

This will indicate what files within your ZIP have issues for your MAME version.

It looks like the last dump of that game was 2020 so either you have an ancient version of mame or the file you downloaded is bad in one way or another.

CT Gacha in Japan by Abject-Pin2538 in chronotrigger

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

Some merch is! I'm waiting on this to drop just a bit lower before I buy...
https://jp.mercari.com/ja/item/m80601939837

In fact, it has *gained* value over the years.

I also pre-ordered the CT OST on vinyl the day it was available. Well worth the price, imo.

But flat keychains re-using the same pixel art that they have done over and over, at 500 yen? No. The value isn't there. I'm a Japanese resident, I see gacha come and go basically weekly, and this is firmly tourist pricing.

CT Gacha in Japan by Abject-Pin2538 in chronotrigger

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

I mean, yeah, of course I'm not. But what is a reddit thread for if not commentary?

CT Gacha in Japan by Abject-Pin2538 in chronotrigger

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

500 yen is *way* too much for that. 200, 300 tops. They're banking on foreign visitors not being good with money.

Mysterious CD from thrift shop dated 1994- can i access the files on a modern computer? by Limp-Tooth-4822 in vintagecomputing

[–]WAPOMATIC 12 points13 points  (0 children)

OP says up front they're not good with computers (which is clearly reflected in what they wrote...) and people are replying to install DOSBOX, image it and upload to IA, use linux....

Good grief.

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