NationStates Jolt Archive

Over the last few years, Japan's LDP has been moving towards the privatization of government institutions like the post office in an effort to control excesses in government spending. This is a new direction for Japan's LDP party, which has been in power with minor blips for almost 50 years.

So here's the question this thread boils down to:
Is it unreasonable to expect you guys to know anything about the economic conditions in Japan?

I think it was rather unreasonable for me to have to learn the Prime Minister of Canada's name. Which I later learned to be Paul Martin. I hope to God they didn't change PM's...because I'll be ticked off with this bit of useless information that I know.

*20 years later*

"Dad, what's the Prime Minister of Canada's name?"
"Well...I rememeber Prime Minister Paul Martin of 2004!"
"Damn you dad...damn you..."

*is waaaaay off-topic*

Well thanks for, oh no, wait, you didn't even try.

Meh, I have a feeling that this thread is going to die or go off-topic pretty quickly, but I wanted to see if there was anyone out there.

Well, I do keep track of Japan's policies, but that is for obvious reasons. :D

Over the last few years, Japan's LDP has been moving towards the privatization of government institutions like the post office in an effort to control excesses in government spending. This is a new direction for Japan's LDP party, which has been in power with minor blips for almost 50 years.

So here's the question this thread boils down to:
Is it unreasonable to expect you guys to know anything about the economic conditions in Japan?


Probably.

I have a friend who says that everything is more expensive in Japan than in America. Also, tobacco are weaker there than here. However he does say that even with the expensive stuff, salary tend to keep up. So he was able to make a modest living.

I have a friend who says that everything is more expensive in Japan than in America. Also, tobacco are weaker there than here. However he does say that even with the expensive stuff, salary tend to keep up. So he was able to make a modest living.

Eh... depends on where you are and what you're doing. I've found that the more Japanese I live, the cheaper things are. But I am out in the sticks and everytime I go to Tokyo I get sticker shock.

Privatising the postal system is a good idea.

Over the last few years, Japan's LDP has been moving towards the privatization of government institutions like the post office in an effort to control excesses in government spending. This is a new direction for Japan's LDP party, which has been in power with minor blips for almost 50 years.

The move is not all that new. JNR (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_National_Railways) was privatized in 1987, almost 20 years ago.
And I'd hardly call the upset of Hata's minority coalition and Murayama's 18 month run a blips. The LDP has not held a majority since then. Each successive government - Hashimoto, Obuchi, Mori, and Koizumi - has been a coalition.

So here's the question this thread boils down to:
Is it unreasonable to expect you guys to know anything about the economic conditions in Japan?

I'm probably one of the most up to date people on Japan (including economic conditions) you (assuming you are an "average" netzine) are liable to come accross. I've lived here from 1988 to 1989 and from 1992 to the present (a total of 14 years). In addition to simply keeping up on the news here, I have a fairly wide array of Japanese contacts from all walks of life.

The current outlook boils down to this: bad.

I have a friend who says that everything is more expensive in Japan than in America. Also, tobacco are weaker there than here. However he does say that even with the expensive stuff, salary tend to keep up. So he was able to make a modest living.
Eh... depends on where you are and what you're doing. I've found that the more Japanese I live, the cheaper things are. But I am out in the sticks and everytime I go to Tokyo I get sticker shock.

Many things are, especially if you live US style or in a big city, as NERVUN pointed out. Tokyo and Osaka/Kobe are often considered among the most expensive cities in the world.

But it's also relative to your home country and the exact products. My Australian and Kiwi friends often say that books and alcohol are cheaper here. And I know many women who find that clothing is cheaper.

i don't really have an opinion, other than the uninformed stock socialist "privatisation bad" opinion. but if it makes you feel any better, i had heard about this.