July 18, 2006
$150,000 Passports from Japan
Wow. What a way to spend 2 billion yen!
In yet another wildly clueless governmental program to waste taxpayer money, The Foreign ministry of Japan has admitted defeat after their online passport registration system fell flat on its face.
The ministry pissed away over 2 billion yen developing and managing a system that only created a couple of hundred passports in it's short 3 year lifespan. The cost for registering for a passport online comes out to about 4 thousand times more expensive than the current method.
I think the government was surprised by the lack of enthusiasm for the project. After all, them people seems to like that inter-web thingamajig.
Sure, the current way is a pain in the neck, requiring citizens to go to ward offices and fill out forms. The new system is much better, Now instead of going to the government office, filling out the forms and showing your ID, taking a picture at the booth in the office, paying a fee and waiting in a long line, the e-process has been streamlined to, go to the government office, fill out a form to gain another id and pay a fee, wait in another line to fill out another form and pay another fee, take a picture, then go to a store and buy a computer, go to another store and buy a IC card reader for your computer (there are at least 18 stores nationwide that you can do this in), pay another fee to do this online, buy an online ic card reader compatible payment card, wait... I think i forgot a step. Ok after you take a photo, then you get... oh nevermind.
yeah. my tax money at work...
Asahi.com: Passport program packed in
Posted by Kakyou at 04:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 19, 2006
You're... ummm... errr....
Interesting read from the Financial Times on the failure of media producers to bring the American Reality show "The Apprentice" to Japan.
FT.com: Show of raw capitalism fails to fire Japan’s bosses
Basically, they left deciding that the concept of the show was completely foreign to Japanese businesses. They couldn't find a host for the show since Japanese executives don't like to show off (display leadership), and they even worried that they wouldn't be able to find young entrepreneurs to risk it all.
The truth seems to to be that in the worlds second largest economy, the concept of capitalism is still very foriegn.
In Japan there is a broad reluctance to fire anyone. A job is supposed to be for life and low-performing employees are rarely summarily fired. Instead, they are politely sidelined, transferred to a rural branch office or given a window to gaze out of until retirement – all of which lack the necessary televisual punch.
In Japan, "You're fired!" isn't a business related decision. It's moslty just an empty threat used to bully and harass new employees.
Posted by Kakyou at 08:22 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 05, 2006
can things get any worse?
AP: Emergence of rich and poor rattles Japan
A very interesting peice outlining yet another problem with the local economic planning (or lack of) here in Japan.
Japan, a county that for decades has firmly embraced the concept of a strong middle class could be just years from watching it all dissapear in smoke.
With a quickly growing poverty rate (8.1 to 15.3 in just 6 years!) and a record high number of households without any savings, things can only get worse for the "have-nots" here.
Just think about it. 22.8% of Japanese households are "scraping by", meaning that they basically spend money as fast as it comes in. No savings, no investments, and a national pension plan that is managed by a team of brain damaged circus monkeys (on loan from Sony Corp.). Now with rising tax rates (another due in 2 months), skyrocketing consuption tax increases (up to 450% in the next 10 years), and interest rates ready to start rising again, this means that within just a few years, one in five Japanese (or more) could be classified as "poor" in one of the most expensive countries in the world.
Has this been planned for? Is the welfare system in Japan ready to deal with this increased load?
What do you think?
Posted by Kakyou at 03:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 03, 2006
Governor Ishihara vs. Mickey Mouse (which one is really a 2 dimentional character)
I half believe that this is some leaked April Fools joke it is so ridiculous.
UPI breaks the story that Gov. Shintaro Ishihara of Tokyo *Hates* Mikey Mouse.
Here's the quote.
"I hate Mickey Mouse," Ishihara said. "He has nothing like the unique sensibility that Japan has. The Japanese are inherently skilled at visual expression and detailed work."
and here's the article.
UPI: Mickey Mouse denounced at Tokyo anime fair
Everyone's favorite racist, gay-bashing, facist, boogerhead probobly has his deep loathing for the evil of Mickey from a horrifying experience he had as a child. Although most rational people would realize that such stories are total bull-flap.
Posted by Kakyou at 12:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 28, 2006
Screwed! Part XIV
So the budget was submitted to parliment, along with a lot of reports and statistics on the Japanese economy.
While things may be looking up for the market in the short run, the news continues to be very bleak for the common sap on the streets.
In short, the government is still spending too much money (a large portion of it just to pay maintanance on the ridiculous amount of debt that it has been building up over the last few decades), and the only way to pay it off is to raise taxes.
Not the nice, gentle 2-5% bumps that they have been doing over the last few years. No, these are big, hairy monster taxes with TEETH!
In one report an advisory committee ells the Finance Ministry that one way to balance the books would be to raise the consumption tax by 17% over the next 10 years. This course make the assumption that in spite of such a tax hike, the economy would continue growing and income levels continue to increase at the current rate.
Yeah, that's a pretty reasonable plan.
Well, it's either that or they could just reduce government spending by 68%.
yup... totally screwed!
Kyodo: 22% consumption tax needed if Japan goes without outlay cut: panel
Posted by Kakyou at 05:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 17, 2006
Horiemon Busted?
Crisscross: Prosecutors search Livedoor for alleged securities law violations
Well, a bit too early to say.
But with a profile like his, you can bet that a LOT of very powerful politicians and corporate leaders would love to see livedoor go down in flames.
From what I can see, the violations are quite serious. Near the level that brought down Seibu last year. Its still unclear however whether anyone at the parent Livedoor had anything to do with the alleged misdeeds.
There will be many more scandals to come. Things need to start breaking down in this country and there will be a lot of blame to go around before anyne thinks to start fixing things. I think that japan desparately needs more people like Horie and Softbanks Masayoshi Son (despite my feelings about them personally), but I wonder if they will actually be able to rise and make a difference.
Scandal has always been a preferred method to get rid of agitators. Just ask Makiko Tanaka.
Posted by Kakyou at 09:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 20, 2005
The Japanese NPO Debacle
This is an article I wanted to post up shortly after my blog went down. I found it again, and still feel it's important to mention.
Having worked for and with non profit groups in the states, it's pretty disheartening to hear how the Japanese government has blocked attempts by aid groups in Japan.
The government will be the first to point out how much it helps developing countries through aid and donations, the the frightening fact is that they pretty much ignore the needs of Japanese citizens who are in similar need. Homelessness in Japan is pretty much looked on as a voluntary condition. Well, with the economy shaping up the way it is now, this is a condition that's going to start getting a lot more popular.
In this Zeit Gist article, Melanie Burton writes about the plight of the Japanese NPO. There are some ridiculous statistics here. Here's a couple of scary numbers.
of over 16,000 non profit organization in Japan, only 23 have tax exempt statusonly 20 percent of NPOs have paid staff
While Japan spends billions each year feeding the poor in other countries (or more accurately bribing third world countries for consideration), food and shelter for the hungry is not only not provided, but aid from third parties is discouraged.
Social welfare programs in Tokyo are practically medieval, and with the newspapers filling more stories of robbery, murder, and violence, the "safe" Japan is a myth from another time.
I know I lock my door at night.
The Zeit Gist: Hurting Japan's hungry
Government greed, inaction hinders NPO efforts to help needy
Posted by Kakyou at 04:58 PM | Comments (0)