Japan. . .What the!?

[Emoni]

I do have to say, from the amount of ads that exist, from the number of stories you hear about this "unofficial prostitution" it makes you paranoid as hell that any girl you run into is/was a prostitute at one time. (Not realistic of course, but it does make you more cautious)

 

[dreamer]

1: haven't seen the movie
2: it has been legally forbidden for years
3: If I remember correctly the game is of Korean conception...

 

[Taiko666]

It is illegal now in Japan.
Your friend will receive a criminal punishment.
QUOTE]

I think you're mistaken there Nagashima-san. Possession of child pornography for personal use is still legal in Japan.

I'm going to indulge myself here with my own "What the ..." favourites

* a woman needs to wait 6 months after divorce to remarry. A man can remarry the same day
* if a woman has a baby within 300 days of her divorce, her ex-husband automatically becomes the legal father
* hospitals often turn away emergency patients
* it's still illegal to have a pillion passenger on your motorcycle on certain stretches of road
* I see red traffic lights run every day

But perhaps the my biggest "what the..."
* I've lost my wallet on the street twice and had it returned with everything intact!

 

[Remixer]

Prostitution in several western countries is legal and some of them also institutionalized.

Germany and the Netherlands are good examples.

Apparently prostitution became a safer and cleaner profession with a list of hygienic requirements having been introduced by the governments.

I am not sure whether you mean Escorts with "call-girls", but yeah, they are available everywhere in the world.

Escorts seem to enjoy the lifestyle of the echelon of society, which is why some of them charge up to 4000 € a night.

It is a sad fact that many people will do anything for money and sell their own bodies not for survival but rather for convenience.

Nobody shall ever expect me to be able to respect a person who has so little respect for herself/himself.

Cheers



Remixer

 

[ShadowSpirit]

1: haven't seen the movie
2: it has been legally forbidden for years
3: If I remember correctly the game is of Korean conception...

1. You're not missing much.
2. I'm relieved to know that. It was such an odd thing to retail.
3. You might be correct on this. Though everything I've researched on the game points to it being introduced in Japan. The first time I heard about it was from an article in an American game magazine based on the strangest games in Japan.

Thanks for the info on point #2 though. I didn't know the current status of that.

 

[Haruspex]

Pecunia non olet. Money has no smell.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

No, there is the person who is already arrested.

ﾅｽ邃｢窶慊ｶﾆ竹ﾆ停?ｹﾆ知ﾆ探ﾂーﾆ弛ﾂ「窶堋､窶堙闇ｽIﾂ」ﾅ?ﾃ??板敖人窶堙?9ﾂ催寂?冕窶堙ｰﾅ陳ｻﾂ行窶敕??佚溪?｢ﾃ - 窶愿樞?氾?陳ｧﾅ遅

http://journal.mycom.co.jp/news/2009/01/07/038/

ﾂ「LimeWireﾂ」窶堙??佚溪?｢ﾃ淒ｽﾃ陳、ﾅｽ邃｢窶慊ｶﾆ竹ﾆ停?ｹﾆ知ﾅ津ｶﾅ?J窶堙?4ﾂ催寂?冕 - 窶卍ｷ窶禿ｬﾅ陳ｧﾅ遅

http://journal.mycom.co.jp/news/2008/11/26/023/

ﾆ稚ﾆ叩ﾆ辰ﾆ停?ｹﾅ津ｰﾅ?ﾂｷﾆ箪ﾆ稚ﾆ暖ﾂ「窶壺?ｦ窶嗟窶壺?｢窶塲停?壺?ｦﾂ」ﾂ（ﾆ辰ﾂーﾆ蓄ﾆ停?ｦﾂーﾆ停?ｹﾂ）窶堙ｰ窶凖岩?堋ｶﾂ、ﾅｽ邃｢窶慊ｶﾆ竹ﾆ停?ｹﾆ知窶慊ｮ窶ｰﾃｦ窶堋ｪﾂ坂?倪?愿?ﾅ?O窶堙姑停??ﾂーﾆ旦ﾂー窶堙俄?凖ｱ窶ｹﾅｸ窶堋ｳ窶堙ｪ窶堙??堋｢窶堋ｽﾅｽ窶毒陳鞘?堙?、ﾂ催ｩ窶ｹﾃ看陳ｧﾅ遅ﾂ渉ｭ窶扼窶?ﾂ債ｸ窶ｰﾃ帚?堙坂?啀窶啣窶愿ｺﾂ、窶愬停?ｹﾅｾ窶徭ﾂ渉ｺ窶懌?｡ﾅｽs窶堙娯?ｰﾃｯﾅｽﾃ斥?ｵﾂ、窶ｹe窶冢ﾂ青ｴ窶｢F窶覇窶ｹ^ﾅｽﾃ陳（窶啌窶啅ﾂ）窶堙ｰﾅｽ邃｢窶慊ｶ窶敞陳春ﾂ・ﾅｽ邃｢窶慊ｶﾆ竹ﾆ停?ｹﾆ知窶ｹﾃ滅ｽ~窶邸ﾋ?｡窶敖ｽﾂ（窶凖ｱ窶ｹﾅｸ窶禿壺?廬ﾂ焦?ﾅｽﾂ敖）窶覇窶ｹ^窶堙??佚溪?｢ﾃ溪?堋ｵ窶堋ｽﾂ。窶佚溪?｢ﾃ淒ｽﾃ停?堙坂?啌ﾂ人窶禿堋。

http://kikikanrikenkyukai1.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2008-11-13-3

 

[justin]

It is illegal now in Japan.
Your friend will receive a criminal punishment.
QUOTE]
I think you're mistaken there Nagashima-san. Possession of child pornography for personal use is still legal in Japan.
I'm going to indulge myself here with my own "What the ..." favourites
* a woman needs to wait 6 months after divorce to remarry. A man can remarry the same day
* if a woman has a baby within 300 days of her divorce, her ex-husband automatically becomes the legal father
* hospitals often turn away emergency patients
* it's still illegal to have a pillion passenger on your motorcycle on certain stretches of road
* I see red traffic lights run every day
But perhaps the my biggest "what the..."
* I've lost my wallet on the street twice and had it returned with everything intact!

I have to say this is the best one yet.

 

[Chris K]

the age of consent in Japan is 14,

From what I know that is the national legislation which is overidden on local level. Pretty much everywhere the actual age is 18.
IMO your bang on about the fact that they get away with it as the models are clothed.
I think Japan gets a lot of flack for being full of paedophiles due to the large amounts of erotic material portraying younger girls but you have to bear in mind that young guys (teens) are a major market and young guys have a preference for girls nearer their own age or a bit younger.

 

[Haruspex]

Teh loli is besieged! Rawr.

 

[konki_d]

I certainly hope that the only point of cultural curiosity we experience in Japan is not limited to sexual topics. I mean, it is a worthy topic, but hardly the only one we could choose. For example, point number 3 in the OP mentions food.

For my part, the whole concept of shiokara (fermented squid guts, miso paste, and diced bits of boiled squid) is a bit daunting. The taste is one of the single most revolting things that I have ever attempted to stomach on more than one occasion.

Of other things that gave me a bit of the "What the . . . ?" came about when I went to get my nihon no unten-menkyoshou (Japanese driver's license). A five-month long process with multiple tests and a total cost easily greater than 5-man-en? ARGH!

Anyway, just my 2-yen worth of thoughts.

 

[Remixer]

Of other things that gave me a bit of the "What the . . . ?" came about when I went to get my nihon no unten-menkyoshou (Japanese driver's license). A five-month long process with multiple tests and a total cost easily greater than 5-man-en? ARGH!

That's nothing, mate.

In Australia it takes at least 3 1/2 years (mind you, minimum, which is very rarely achieved) and 4 separate theoretical and practical examinations before one is awarded with Full Driver's license.

I'm 20 and I still have to hold onto my P2 license for another 3 months before I am eligible for the final examination.



Remixer

 

[Haruspex]

That's nothing, mate.

In Australia it takes at least 3 1/2 years (mind you, minimum, which is very rarely achieved) and 4 separate theoretical and practical examinations before one is awarded with Full Driver's license.

I'm 20 and I still have to hold onto my P2 license for another 3 months before I am eligible for the final examination.

You see Hungary is entirely different. My mate managed to do the whole procedure in 2 months, and the final practical examination was that he had to drive the examiner home. Needless to say he passed.

 

[Remixer]

Hahahahahahahahahahaha, that is awesome!



Remixer

 

[kusojiji]

For my part, the whole concept of shiokara (fermented squid guts, miso paste, and diced bits of boiled squid) is a bit daunting. The taste is one of the single most revolting things that I have ever attempted to stomach on more than one occasion.

Oh, shiokara is gooood. I'm having some with a beer right now!

 

[konki_d]

Oh, shiokara is gooood. I'm having some with a beer right now!

I would have to have the beer (and a lot of it) first before the shiokara.

<shudders>

Hoya was something else I was never fond of, but I could eat it for novelty value. Generally, I am open to all manner of culinary experiences. But, shiokara was just something I never got the taste for. Uni, natto, gyuutan - all of these are absolutely delicious!

The rotted insides of the kraken?

 

[Thuglife]

Japan still has not joined the World Community (Along with Russia) with outright banning of Child Porn.

 

[Chidoriashi]

On the driver's license tangent... Back in Nebraska (USA)(14 years ago), you could walk in on your 16 birthday take a 20 question multiple choice test, and go take a driver's test, pass both and be given a full license right then and there.... oh and the price is like.. 20 bucks or something i think.

On the "What the?" part... I don't know if this is true, but the potential penalty for not having your alien registration card on you is a fine of 200,000 yen...... and for drunk driving.. it is 300,000. Now nothing wrong with drunk driving fine.. but if the fine amount represents the "thought" danger to society.. then all I have to say is.. wow.. Drunk driving and foreigners forgetting to carry a card on them are considered to be similar threats to society..

 

[justin]

I certainly hope that the only point of cultural curiosity we experience in Japan is not limited to sexual topics. I mean, it is a worthy topic, but hardly the only one we could choose. For example, point number 3 in the OP mentions food.
For my part, the whole concept of shiokara (fermented squid guts, miso paste, and diced bits of boiled squid) is a bit daunting. The taste is one of the single most revolting things that I have ever attempted to stomach on more than one occasion.
Of other things that gave me a bit of the "What the . . . ?" came about when I went to get my nihon no unten-menkyoshou (Japanese driver's license). A five-month long process with multiple tests and a total cost easily greater than 5-man-en? ARGH!
Anyway, just my 2-yen worth of thoughts.

You're kidding, right? fermented squid guts. . . Just thinking of that makes me a bit ill!

Five months to get a driver's license!? Remind me to thank my driver's ed teacher.

 

[kusojiji]

You're kidding, right? fermented squid guts. . . Just thinking of that makes me a bit ill!

You should try it before you knock it.

 

[Ibostyle11]

Well considering that I just made a trip to kyushu with my j-american girlfriend to see her family, I think I can post some recent wt?! situations... apparently I stand out a bit since I'm 6'1, mixed black and white, and look it.
1) I'm using a public restroom and this guy keeps staring me up and down. I ignore it and focus on my business until and hear the sound of a picture being taken. I look over and see that the guy's phone is aimed at my manhood... wt?!
2) I'm at an arcade since I needed my Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Street Fighter fix and this group of (assuming) teenage girls surround me. I figure it's cuz I'm good at the game I'm playing and had a large win streak. When I leave, my girlfriend is laughing hysterically, telling me that they were calling me a pornstar... wt?!
3) I was minding my own business outside and these two (again assuming) teenage girls pop up out of nowhere and start rubbing on my arm. According to my girlfriend's interpretation of what they said, they were curious if my skin color would rub off... wt?!
So what did I get from my first trip to Japan... A sense that they really are ignorant to other races/cultures. I know that they don't necessarily mean harm by it. Hell I thought is was funny but damn... Oh and is there some kind of penis fetish out there??

 

[Ashikaga]

...For my part, the whole concept of shiokara (fermented squid guts, miso paste, and diced bits of boiled squid) is a bit daunting. The taste is one of the single most revolting things that I have ever attempted to stomach on more than one occasion.

Shiokara is raw squid mixed with the contents of its guts (the digestive tract) with salt, and sometimes, other flavorings such as sake, citrus peel, etc. Miso is not used in Shiokara. The fermentation occurs if it is kept for a while after being prepared, and it helps to prevent spoilage, but some people (like myself) enjoy the freshly-made Shiokara (my father who is an expert Shiokara maker, says it tastes the best 2 or 3 days after it was made).

It goes great with beer/sake/shoochuu (or so I hear. I don't drink.) as well as with white rice. If I had a bowl of white rice and some of my father's shiokara, I wouldn't need anything else!