Japan

[MCFCTrick]

Well it's certainly not the place to go if you wish to live a quiet life nowadays. It's past has a lot of ghosts that clearly still haunt them. It's no longer in vogue.
I spent my time there looking in from the outside, but to be expected as a european son. You don't grasp the true goings on in a foreign place. You will always be an alien. Still, don't despair too much, though sometimes I feel so low about it all.
Oyusami nasai ....

 

[Sk@mcfc]

Oh come on some in this country are working very hard at accumulating FPN's and dodging taxes.....

Aye although I did accumulate a few in hale last week while working
Bastards

 

[ZenHalfTimeCrock]

I don’t quite understand how Japan eschews neoliberalism. Can you explain a bit more? Which elements of neoliberalism are missing?

‘In their dealings with their employees and the rest of society Japanese market institutions rely on networks of trust rather than upon a culture of contract. They are far less dislocated from the structure of their surrounding communities that American corporations [that tend to epitomise the neoliberal model]. Their relations with the institutions of the state are close and continuous. The ethical life which Japanese capitalism expresses is not individualist and shows no signs of becoming so.’ - John Gray : False Dawn - The Delusions of Global Capitalism

CEOs also tend to earn a lot less than their counterparts in the US.

Am not sure about the extent to which Japan makes use of import tariffs these days but that kind of protectionism can also distinguish some economies from those that are neoliberal.

 

[JASR]

Well it's certainly not the place to go if you wish to live a quiet life nowadays. It's past has a lot of ghosts that clearly still haunt them. It's no longer in vogue.
I spent my time there looking in from the outside, but to be expected as a european son. You don't grasp the true goings on in a foreign place. You will always be an alien. Still, don't despair too much, though sometimes I feel so low about it all.
Oyusami nasai ....

Ive just been outside, that was a really bad post, I took it out on a snowman, infact it was Snow Borne Sorrow

 

[ZenHalfTimeCrock]

Yes some similarities but they are also very hard working nation not like it’s becoming here

The Japanese are distinguished for having a word, ‘karoshi’, that means ‘death through overwork’, so I wouldn’t disagree.

However, things may be changing a bit. In 2017, yearly working hours were 2,456 in Cambodia, 2,232 in Bangladesh, 2,209 in South Africa, and 2024 in Indonesia. In the same year, they were 1354 in Germany, 1400 in Denmark, 1514 in France, 1738 in Japan, and 1757 in the US.

For the UK the figure is 1670.

Working Hours

How much time do people across the world spend working? How have working hours changed over time, and what do these changes matter for people’s lives? Explore data and research on working hours.

ourworldindata.org

 

[Djibrilshairdo]

Well it's certainly not the place to go if you wish to live a quiet life nowadays. It's past has a lot of ghosts that clearly still haunt them. It's no longer in vogue.
I spent my time there looking in from the outside, but to be expected as a european son. You don't grasp the true goings on in a foreign place. You will always be an alien. Still, don't despair too much, though sometimes I feel so low about it all.
Oyusami nasai ....

Fair enough but wouldn’t be burning bridges yet.

 

[KS55]

‘In their dealings with their employees and the rest of society Japanese market institutions rely on networks of trust rather than upon a culture of contract. They are far less dislocated from the structure of their surrounding communities that American corporations [that tend to epitomise the neoliberal model]. Their relations with the institutions of the state are close and continuous. The ethical life which Japanese capitalism expresses is not individualist and shows no signs of becoming so.’ - John Gray : False Dawn - The Delusions of Global Capitalism

CEOs also tend to earn a lot less than their counterparts in the US.

Am not sure about the extent to which Japan makes use of import tariffs these days but that kind of protectionism can also distinguish some economies from those that are neoliberal.

Thanks for that reply. After seeing your original post, I started to read up the economic history of Japan and boy is it complicated. In general, I agree that they have avoided neoliberal policies, buy I wonder just how much good it has done them. Socially it seems to work, but their economy, since the bubble burst, has been a disaster and real incomes have crashed. They now have a huge balance of trade deficit as well as massive debt. Neoliberal policies, such as selling off companies to foreign investors may be the only solution but their conservatism and fear of foreigners might preclude that. I don’t know where they go next and the real problem is neither do they.
Additionally, their population pyramid is disastrous too, most of the population is over 60 and there is a real dearth of youngsters. Immigration would provide a response but they are dead against that.
The one time biggest manufacturer in the world with massive growth is now a stagnant shell.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

The Japanese are distinguished for having a word, ‘karoshi’, that means ‘death through overwork’, so I wouldn’t disagree.

However, things may be changing a bit. In 2017, yearly working hours were 2,456 in Cambodia, 2,232 in Bangladesh, 2,209 in South Africa, and 2024 in Indonesia. In the same year, they were 1354 in Germany, 1400 in Denmark, 1514 in France, 1738 in Japan, and 1757 in the US.

For the UK the figure is 1670.

Working Hours

How much time do people across the world spend working? How have working hours changed over time, and what do these changes matter for people’s lives? Explore data and research on working hours.

ourworldindata.org

But also is that hours working or hours at work? From everything I've read and watched, Japan has a huge problem with presenteeism. Basically, if you're at work, it's considered to show dedication and hard work, regardless of whether or not you're doing anything useful. If you're sleeping, even better, because you've clearly been working too hard lately.

I wonder if there's anything to be said for basically finding jobs for people to do. I've seen videos of people cutting the grass with shears rather than being given a strimmer to do it, because it's basically a fake job given to people so they have a role in society. Obviously massively inefficient, but they still have this idea that if you work for a company, they will look after you, which is something we often bemoan the loss of in the West. And we talk about improved efficiency, but who is benefiting from that efficiency if it involves sacking half the workforce?

 

[KS55]

But also is that hours working or hours at work? From everything I've read and watched, Japan has a huge problem with presenteeism. Basically, if you're at work, it's considered to show dedication and hard work, regardless of whether or not you're doing anything useful. If you're sleeping, even better, because you've clearly been working too hard lately.

I wonder if there's anything to be said for basically finding jobs for people to do. I've seen videos of people cutting the grass with shears rather than being given a strimmer to do it, because it's basically a fake job given to people so they have a role in society. Obviously massively inefficient, but they still have this idea that if you work for a company, they will look after you, which is something we often bemoan the loss of in the West. And we talk about improved efficiency, but who is benefiting from that efficiency if it involves sacking half the workforce?

Make work schemes eventually lead to poverty. The trick is to expand your markets, invent new products etc.

 

[bluealf]

They will find a tech solution to the aging population. I'm guessing it will be robots, and that they will be adapted to be sex robots.

With large eyes and in schoolgirl uniforms or they won't sell many.

in @idahoblues case waitresses outfit.

Perverts

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

With large eyes and in schoolgirl uniforms or they won't sell many.

in @idahoblues case waitresses outfit.

Perverts

I'm hoping they will be pretty customisable - tits with variable psi, variable orifice tension, and maybe even some Kenwood Chef style attachments like extra arms or cocks.

 

[bluealf]

I'm hoping they will be pretty customisable - tits with variable psi, variable orifice tension, and maybe even some Kenwood Chef style attachments like extra arms or cocks.

For the wife or are you branching out?

 

[ZenHalfTimeCrock]

Thanks for that reply. After seeing your original post, I started to read up the economic history of Japan and boy is it complicated. In general, I agree that they have avoided neoliberal policies, buy I wonder just how much good it has done them. Socially it seems to work, but their economy, since the bubble burst, has been a disaster and real incomes have crashed. They now have a huge balance of trade deficit as well as massive debt. Neoliberal policies, such as selling off companies to foreign investors may be the only solution but their conservatism and fear of foreigners might preclude that. I don’t know where they go next and the real problem is neither do they.
Additionally, their population pyramid is disastrous too, most of the population is over 60 and there is a real dearth of youngsters. Immigration would provide a response but they are dead against that.
The one time biggest manufacturer in the world with massive growth is now a stagnant shell.

All those points are valid.

I have a tendency to see Japan through rose-tinted spectacles as I had a great time when I lived there.

Although it was published 20 years ago, Alex Kerr saw a lot of this coming in his book Dogs and Demons: The Fall of Modern Japan.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

For the wife or are you branching out?

Adaptable for all tastes mate - I wouldn't want to buy more than one, and where would you store them? - the understairs cupboard has already got the Henry hoover and loads of fishing gear in it.

 

[ZenHalfTimeCrock]

But also is that hours working or hours at work? From everything I've read and watched, Japan has a huge problem with presenteeism. Basically, if you're at work, it's considered to show dedication and hard work, regardless of whether or not you're doing anything useful. If you're sleeping, even better, because you've clearly been working too hard lately.

I wonder if there's anything to be said for basically finding jobs for people to do. I've seen videos of people cutting the grass with shears rather than being given a strimmer to do it, because it's basically a fake job given to people so they have a role in society. Obviously massively inefficient, but they still have this idea that if you work for a company, they will look after you, which is something we often bemoan the loss of in the West. And we talk about improved efficiency, but who is benefiting from that efficiency if it involves sacking half the workforce?

Yes. Thought that was a problem when I lived there.

Presenteeism can also be used to humiliate an employee if they have fallen out of favour: you are assigned a role but it involves having nothing to do.

There's also a lot of bullying goes on in Japanese workplaces. My wife is Japanese and her sister has just quit her job because of it.

Perhaps presenteeism can be economically beneficial in a Keynesian sense as you will be spending your salary and therefore helping the economy in that sense.

 

[bluealf]

Adaptable for all tastes mate - I wouldn't want to buy more than one, and where would you store them? - the understairs cupboard has already got the Henry hoover and loads of fishing gear in it.

There must be just the two of you at home now, you could sit the robots on the unused seats of your 3 piece suite (if it is a 3 or 4 seater couch)

Here is your wife playing with her robot!!!

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

There must be just the two of you at home now, you could sit the robots on the unused seats of your 3 piece suite (if it is a 3 or 4 seater couch)

Here is your wife playing with her robot!!!

Fair play to the robot if he's happy to sit there and listen to her moan about fucking work and watch the shit she likes on TV - he's welcome to the 'perks'.

 

[bluealf]

Fair play to the robot if he's happy to sit there and listen to her moan about fucking work and watch the shit she likes on TV - he's welcome to the 'perks'.

You see how intently he is looking at her, you will be redundant inside a week lol

 

[mexico1970]

There must be just the two of you at home now, you could sit the robots on the unused seats of your 3 piece suite (if it is a 3 or 4 seater couch)

Here is your wife playing with her robot!!!

Being fingered by a fridge is never going to take off.

 

[bluealf]

Being fingered by a fridge is never going to take off.

it's the washing machine spin cycle they like best