------------------------------------------------------------------------ soc.culture.japan FAQ [Monthly Posting] [1/3] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan.moderated, soc.culture.japan Subject: soc.culture.japan FAQ [Monthly Posting] [1/3] Sender: shimpei+scjfaq@gol.com (Shimpei Yamashita) Reply-To: shimpei@gol.com Keywords: FAQ, Japan, soc.culture.japan, soc.culture.japan.moderated From: shimpei@gol.com (Shimpei Yamashita) Message-ID: Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 14:07:45 GMT Archive-name: japan/faq/part1 Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: Mar 5, 2000 URL: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (1.0) Table of Contents (1.0) Table of Contents (2.0) Copyright and Redistribution (2.1) Credits (2.2) Any mailing list for soc.culture.japan? (2.3) How to obtain the latest version of this FAQ (2.4) Format of this document (3.0) About soc.culture.japan (3.1) History of the groups (3.2) What topics are appropriate for discussion here? (3.2.1) Binary posts (3.2.2) Commercial posts (3.2.3) Spamming (3.2.4) soc.culture.japan.moderated (3.3) What to do before posting (3.4) How to use kill files (3.5) Some frequently argued topics (3.5.1) Japan's involvement in World War II (3.5.2) Is "Gaijin" a derogatory term? (3.6) Why are there so few Japanese posters in SCJ? (4.0) Bibliography (5.0) Japanese culture and customs (5.1) Japanese Films and TV Programs (5.1.1) Japanese pop music (5.2) Language (6.0) Traveling and living in Japan (6.1) Finding a job (for non-Japanese) (6.1.1) JET (6.1.2) Other English teaching jobs (6.2) Travel Info (6.3) Gifts to and from Japan (6.4) Taking electronics to Japan (6.5) Lodging (6.5.1) Home stays (6.6) Money (6.6.1) Bank accounts and services for foreigners (6.6.2) Credit cards for foreigners (6.6.3) Currency exchange; sending cash to/from Japan (6.7) What are the laws for Japanese citizenship at birth? (7.0) Japanese information processing (7.1) How to get Internet access in Japan + (7.2) Finding an email address for XXX in Japan (7.3) How can I read or write Japanese on my computer? (7.3.1) Japanese on the Macintosh (7.3.2) Japanese on MS-DOS and Windows (7.3.3) Japanese on UNIX, X-Windows (7.4) Internet resources on Japan (7.4.1) FTP/gopher sites (7.4.2) WWW sites (7.4.3) Newsgroups (7.4.4) Mailing lists (8.0) Japanese media (8.1) Japanese short-wave radio (8.2) Overseas subscriptions to Japan Times (99.0) Miscellaneous topics [+] revised entry [!] new entry This list is maintained by Shimpei Yamashita -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (2.0) Copyright and Redistribution Last update: 5/98 This document copyright (c) 1994-1998 by Shimpei Yamashita . Portions copyright (c) 1987 through 1995 by Jerry Blanton, Norman Diamond, Mike Fester, KASEGAWA Masataka, Satoru Miyazaki, Mike Rosenlof, and Michiaki Masuda. All rights reserved. This document may be quoted freely for non-commercial purposes; please make appropriate acknowledgment when doing so. "From the soc.culture. japan FAQ" will be sufficient. This document may be freely redistributed by electronic or printed means provided that no money is charged for its distribution and that this copyright and redistribution notice remains attached. Any modification to the original text must be explicitly documented. This document may not be redistributed commercially (e.g., on a CD-ROM) without an explicit written permission from the copyright owner. Any distributor that does obtain a permission will be required to keep this entire document intact, and explicitly notify its customers that the newest revisions of this document may be freely obtained from other sources. This document carries no guarantee of accuracy whatsoever. No mention of a product in this document constitutes a recommendation or an endorsement for its use by the authors. Some efforts have been made to provide varying degrees of accuracy of the information presented here, but some estimates have not been verified or updated with time. Should you find any mistakes, please contact the maintainer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (2.1) Credits Last update: 7/97 As the editor, I have attempted to credit original authors wherever possible. Please inform me if you see any errors in the credits. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (2.2) Is there any mailing list for soc.culture.japan? Last update: 7/97 I get a fair number of emails asking me if there is any way to "subscribe" to soc.culture.japan and soc.culture.japan.moderated through mailing lists. To the best of my knowledge, no such mailing list exists (the fact that the group gets 200 posts a day doesn't really help). If there is one, I'd love to hear about it. Meanwhile, the only suggestion I can give to these people is to get an account with an Internet provider that gives access to Usenet. If you can telnet from another account, nyx.net will give you a free account (albeit a severely limited one in terms of resources and capability) that can be used to read news. zippo.com also gives out Usenet reading accounts, accessible over the web. There is, however, an ftp archive of posts to scj maintained at . If you are looking for specific articles, though, it may be easier to useUsenet search engines like the one at , which not only has a friendlier interface but also keeps articles far longer than kuso (to the best of my knowledge). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (2.3) How to obtain the latest version of this FAQ Last update: 7/97 This FAQ is posted on the 4th of every month to soc.culture.japan, soc.culture.japan.moderated, news.answers and soc.answers.It is available via anonymous FTP from and via the World Wide Web from and In addition, many Japanese-oriented Web pages have links to the FAQ. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (2.4) Format of this document Last update: <11/95 This document is typeset in minimal digest format for easy navigation in newsreaders like trn. See for specifications of this format. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.0) About soc.culture.japan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.1) History of the groups Last update: 7/97 Soc.culture.japan started out as a BITNET mailing list that was administered from one of the machines at MIT. Sometime in or around 1987, the newsgroup soc.culture.japan was created, and the articles between scj and the mailing list were gated back and forth for quite a while. The mailing list apparently no longer exists, and the audience for scj has grown much wider since. In June 1996, a group of scj readers unhappy with the high noise level in scj created soc.culture.japan.moderated as an alternative to scj. The group's aim was to have a relatively low-noise forum for free The full version of scjm's history may be found in the scjm FAQ mentioned in section 3.2.4. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.2) What topics are appropriate for discussion here? Last update: 7/97 (This section mostly applies to s.c.j.moderated as well; the chief difference is that the moderators can and will enforce some of these policies, whereas s.c.j. relies on the honor system. Please read the s.c.j.m FAQ described in 3.2.4 for details.) At my site, s.c.j. is described as "Everything Japanese, except the Japanese language." What is meant by "Everything Japanese" is not entirely clear. Please use your judgment when posting. Like most other big newsgroups, s.c.j. has its share of regular flame fodders. These are discussed in more detail in section 3.4. If you would like to voice your opinion on these subjects, you would do well to lurk for a while to hear what others have to say about it. (This is a sound advice for any topic in any newsgroup, but people tend to forget it.) Customarily, posts to s.c.j. are in English. Many readers outside Japan have trouble reading posts written in kana (in fact, some readers have complained because their terminals go crazy when dealing with 8-bit characters), so it is advisable to post strictly with ASCII characters if you want everyone to read what your wrote. Many Japanese-literate posters circumvent this problem by writing in romaji when necessary. If you do not understand Japanese and would like to know what a particular post was saying, most posters would be happy to translate the passage for you if you email them and ask. Lastly, remember that many of the posts to s.c.j. are written by people who use English as their second language. As such, misunderstandings due to language difficulties are very likely. If you feel compelled to fix grammatical mistakes, please email the poster and save the rest of the net the agony of reading cheap grammar flames. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.2.1) Binary posts Last update: <11/95 In interest of people with small news spools, please refrain from posting binaries to this group. If you feel you have binaries worth sharing with us, please post them to alt.binaries.pictures.misc and post a pointer to scj. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.2.2) Commercial posts Last update: <11/95 Commercial posts are generally discouraged unless it has specifically to do with Japan and there is no other newsgroup more appropriate for the subject. Those posting about job opportunities in Japan are encouraged to add the string "Jobs offered" in the title so that those who are not looking for jobs can run kill files on them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.2.3) Spamming Last update: <11/95 Two words: NO SPAMMING! (See the FAQ for alt.current-events.net-abuse for the definition of spamming.) It is a highly disliked activity on the Usenet, as well as an effective way to lose your account really fast. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.2.4) soc.culture.japan.moderated Last update: 11/96 soc.culture.japan.moderated is a moderated alternative to soc.culture.japan. A FAQ on the group's moderation policy is to be posted regularly to the group; the current maintainer is Akira Ijuin . The most important restriction is that the group allows no external cross-posting except to soc.culture.japan; the moderators do watch for off-topic posts but tend to be fairly generous in approving articles. Properly configured news servers will automatically forward any posts to moderated newsgroups to the appropriate moderators; if this is not the case at your site, you may submit posts by mailing them to . The moderators can be contacted at . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.3) What to do before posting Last update: 7/97 Read news.announce.newusers. Read the rest of this FAQ. Read up on Japan, and the issue you wish to discuss, before posting. Nothing kills a good discussion faster than ignorant generalizations by someone who has strong opinions about an issue with no facts behind them. Keep an open mind when reading the sources. Do the same when reading this newsgroup. The bibliography included in this FAQ should get you started. None of us like political correctness more than you do, but you should nevertheless refrain from using derogatory terms. "Jap" is a very strong derogatory term for "Japanese," and using "Gaijin" for "foreigner" is offensive to many foreigners. I included a short discussion about this in section 3.5. Is soc.culture.japan and/or soc.culture.japan.moderated the most appropriate group for posting? Below is a list of other newsgroups that may better fit what you want to talk about: soc.culture.asian.american soc.culture.korean soc.culture.china soc.culture.taiwan soc.culture.hongkong soc.culture.usa soc.culture.europe ... soc.history.world-war-ii sci.lang.japan rec.arts.manga rec.arts.anime comp.research.japan alt.japanese.text The fj hierarchy comes to some sites outside Japan, but you need to have a Japanese-capable terminal to read it. See section 8 for details. An exception is fj.life.in-japan, which is mainly in English. Should you post to soc.culture.japan or soc.culture.japan.moderated? The latter has much better signal-to-noise ratio and a more manageable traffic level, but the former allows crossposting to other groups and is unmoderated, which prevents moderators from rejecting your posts. If you feel that your post should be visible in both groups, you may crosspost between scj and scjm. Lastly, read all of section 3 one more time. This group represents a cross section of many different cultures with different attitudes toward Usenet. Remembering that not everyone is like you will go a long way toward preventing unnecessary quibbles. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.4) Kill files Last update: <11/95 Kill files are great for shutting out posts you do not wish to read in a high-noise group like s.c.j. This instruction is for rn(1) and trn(1) only. If you use another newsreader, check the manuals for instructions. In all of the examples below, strings for searches, those inside slash (/) characters may be regular expressions like those used in ed(1). Searches are generally NOT case sensitive. When reading articles from any newsgroup, control-K allows you to edit the KILL file for that newsgroup (note: that's control-SHIFT-k.) To discard articles with subject lines matching a string, add a line like /unwanted topic/:j the string within the slash characters is searched for on all article subject lines, and when found, the command 'j' (junk the article) is executed. If you add a ':=' to the end of the command it will print that subject line so you can go back and read it anyway if you like. /unwanted topic/:j:= To discard articles cross posted to a particular newsgroup, add a line like /Newsgroups:.*bad.group.name/h:j:= to be strictly correct, you would add a backslash (\) before the dots in the group name, but this is usually OK. To discard articles from a particular author, add a line like /From:.*Author Name/h:j:= or this works in my version of trn /Author Name/f:j:= This looks for the author's name as it's reported in the article header. The name can be either the real name or e-mail address. More detailed information can be found in the man page on rn(1) or trn(1). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.5) Some frequently argued topics Last update: <11/95 There is a document covering the Frequently Argued Topics (FAT) currently in the works. Contact Mike Fester for details. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.5.1) Japan's involvement in World War II Last update: <11/95 This is a sticky issue that pops up periodically in this newsgroup and inevitably causes considerable flamage. I have attempted several times to write an objective overview of the issue, but it is simply too hard to write anything substantial on the issue without offending somebody. If you wish to discuss this topic, please make an effort to maintain constructive discussions (as opposed to finger-pointing and blanket accusations, which is prone to happen during heated debates). If you want a more controlled atmosphere, you may also want to try , a moderated newsgroup. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.5.2) Is "Gaijin" a derogatory term? Last update: <11/95 This issue crops up occasionally as a heated debate in this newsgroup. Gaijin is a contraction of the word gaikokujin, and literally means "foreigner". The Japanese language has several cases of using "gai" (outside) with a noun to indicate one of from another country. Gaisha for foreign cars, gaijin for foreign people, gaika for foreign currencies. Some people are deeply offended by the word, saying that "gaijin" refers to outsiders rife with undesirable characteristics. There is no doubt that is one meaning of the word. "Gaijin" is also used in many cases where it is probably not intended as a negative statement. Consider that it is common in the Japanese language to address people whose names are not known, or even if names are known, by titles: omawari san, Mr. Policeman; sushiya san, Mr. Sushi Shop. It is not unusual for a Japanese speaker to call a non Japanese who is otherwise not known, "gaijin san". It should be noted that: The language also has much stronger words for cases where a speaker wants to discriminate or insult. and Non-Asian foreigners _will_ be called "gaijin" by many Japanese. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (3.6) Why are there so few Japanese posters in SCJ? Last update: 11/95 From: Michiaki Masuda (masuda@ncifcrf.gov) Some netters visit SCJ expecting that they may be able to find a number of Japanese netters to communicate with. However, they usually find that their expectation is rather betrayed. It would be safe to say that Japanese netters have never been a majority in this group despite its name. In 1991, when I started to read this group, there were only a couple of Japanese netters who post articles once in a while. Even though the number of Japanese SCJers has apparently increased since then, their number would be still too small for the group to live up to some netters' expectation. Since SCJ appears to have been initiated by some netters in the US as a mailing list for them to exchange information on Japan, its existence might not be known to many Japanese at first. However, this should no longer be the case. Today, a significantly large number of Japanese have USENET access, and quite a few of them are said to read SCJ. A number of Japanese are also actively communicating with each other in Japanese domestic groups, such as those under the "fj" hierarchy. There are probably three major reasons why they are not interested in actively speaking up in SCJ. [1] English problem Most of Japanese netters, like other netters, are under the impression that they have to use English in SCJ although there is no such restriction. In general, Japanese feel uncomfortable when they have to express themselves in English whether their English skills are actually passable or not. [2] Uninteresting topics Some of the topics often discussed in SCJ are not major interests or concerns of the Japanese netters, especially those living in Japan. They can find somewhere else to go to (e.g., fj groups) to talk about current issues more closely related to their life. It seems also true that some netters use SCJ to deliver their anti-Japan(ense) sentiment in a rather revealing manner. Whether those pieces of message are to the point or not, many Japanese may feel like staying away from them as a natural response. [3] Different argument styles Due to the larger number of American or European netters, it appears that the Western style of debate or argument is accepted as a general standard in SCJ. Although the Western style has its own virtue and merits, it may come out as something too straightforward, too explicit, too aggressive, or even too impolite to the eyes of Japanese netters. Obvioulsy, not many Japanese netters are willing to adapt themselves to a different standard. Since we cannot really hear from those Japanese netters who decide not to speak up in SCJ, we can only speculate about the reasons. However, those listed above seem to give us the most plausible explanation. Whether SCJ should encourage more Japanese netters to participate or not may be a controversial issue. If it should, however, netters -- both Japanese and non-Japanse -- may want to keep these factors in mind when they post an article or respond to others. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (4.0) Bibliography Last update: 2/97 There is a lot of material written about many aspects of Japanese culture, and available from many more authoritative sources than a computer news group. This bibliography lists a few widely available titles that are aimed toward general readers, not sociologists. Some of the books listed have their own bibliographies for further study. A search of any good library's catalog will list many more. Note: for sake of consistency, all Japanese names in this FAQ are written given names first. Japanese Society and Culture: The Japanese Mind; Robert C. Christopher A general introduction to Japanese society. Widely available. Includes a bibliography. Learning to Bow; Bruce Feiler An American teaching English at public jr. high schools in rural Japan. Describes the educational system, relations between Japanese and foreigners, and other aspects of current culture. Japanese Things; Basil Hall Chamberlain Describes Japan at the beginning of the Meiji era (from 1868). Some parts are dated, and therefore more of a historical reference, others still apply. The Book of Tea; Kakuzo (Tenshin) Okakura The book that made tea ceremony famous around the world. The book itself is rather old, but it is an overview of the tea culture that is insightful even to native Japanese. History: Japan; Edwin O. Reischauer A brief introduction to the long history of Japan. Not great, but widely available. History of Japan; Sir George B. Sansom A considerably more extensive history. 3 volumes. Literature: Yasunari Kawabata Snow Country Thousand Cranes _Snow_Country_ is one of the most famous novels in Japan. It describes the relationship of a teacher from Tokyo and a geisha at a small hot spring resort. Soseki Natsume Botchan Kokoro Sorekara (published in English as _And Then_) Soseki is considered by many to be Japan's greatest author, and _Kokoro_ is often considered his most important novel. Botchan is earlier in his career, a much more lighthearted story. Yukio Mishima Temple of the Golden Pavillion Mishima is perhaps, as famous for his 1970 storming of the Japan Self Defense Forces headquarters and subsequent suicide as for his writing. Many of his novels have been translated to English. Mishima is probably more popular outside Japan than at home. Junichiro Tanizaki The Makioka Sisters The Key Some Prefer Nettles Tanizaki lived through approximately the same time as Mishima, but was much more popular in Japan than Mishima. "The Makioka Sisters" and "Some Prefer Nettles" have the transition from traditional to modern (westernized) Japan. Widely available in English. Ryunosuke Akutagawa Rashomon The Hell Screen (Jigokuhen) Words of a Fool (Shuju no Kotoba) Akutagawa was active in the early 1900's. His short stories are often inspired by _Konjaku Monogatari_, a collection of stories from the Heian era. Akira Kurosawa's movie _Rashomon_ was inspired by his short story of the same name. His stories are available in English in the collections "Kappa," "Tales Grotesque and Curious," and "Rashomon and other stories." The following authors and collections represent modern Japan. They may never reach the stature as the authors listed above, but some are popular and all represent to some degree what's happening in Japan now. Kobo Abe The Woman of the Dunes Beyond the Curve (short stories) Abe is sometimes called the Edgar Allen Poe of Japan. Similar macabre or twisted type stories. Died in January 1993. Kenzaburo Oe Man-en Gannen no Futtoboru (English title: The Silent Cry) Kojinteki na Taiken (English title: A Personal Matter) Winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize in literature, Oe is said to be heavily influenced by Western writings; his bold style contrasts with the sensitive style pursued by Kawabata and others. Haruki Murakami A Wild Sheep Chase The Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Murakami is a current best selling author in Japan. These two novels are (sometimes wild) fantasy adventures. Shuusaku Endo Silence The Sea and the Poison Endo passed away in 1996. A devout Roman Catholic, Endo explored the problem of morality (and lack thereof) in contemporary Japanese society. He was also an excellent humorist, although few--if any--of his humorous works have been translated into English. The Showa Anthology; Van C. Gessel * Tomone Matsumoto Ed. Includes stories by some of Japan's most respected authors. New Japanese Voices; Helen Mistios Ed. More recent than _The_Showa_Anthology_. Monkey Brain Sushi; Alfred Birnhaum, Ed. Also very recent. 11 short stories by authors including Murakami, Masahiko Shimada, and Amy Yamada. Banana Yoshimoto Kitchen A popular female author. Economics and Business: Made In Japan ; Akio Morita Widely available in the U.S. Morita is the founder of Sony. Describes where Japan went right, and others. The Political Economy of Japan; K. Yamamura and A. Y. Yasuba, eds. Covers many aspects of Japanese economics and Politics, easy for non-specialists to read. Religion: On Understanding Japanese Religion; Joseph M. Kitagawa A collection of essays, on topics ranging from prehistoric background of Japanese religion, cross-cultural influences, folk religion, Shinto, Buddhism and Kobo Daishi, Confusiansim, and New Religions. H. Byron Earhart _Japanese Religion: Unity and Diversity_, 1982 H. Byron Earhart _Religions of Japan: Many Traditions within One Sacred Way_, 1984 Ichiro Hori _Folk Religion in Japan: Continuity and Change_, 1968 Ian Reader _Religion in Contemporary Japan_, 1991 The following are OK, but not great references. Shinto, The Kami Way Tuttle publishing. A brief overview of Shinto organization and practices. Japanese Pilgrimage; Oliver Statler Partly historical fiction, partly Statler's writing about walking a pilgrimage to 88 temples in Shikoku. Computing: Understanding Japanese Information Processing; Ken Lunde The author has been a frequent SCJ contributer in the area of Japanese text processing. It comes highly recommended from several sources. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (5.0) Japanese culture and customs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (5.1) Japanese Films and TV Programs Last update: <11/95 There are a number of books on Japanese film. The following is an introduction. Beverley Bare Buehrer, Japanese Films: A Filmography and Commentary, 1921-1989 Contains credits, plot synopsis and comments on a number of Japanese films that are available dubbed or with English subtitles. Akira Kurosawa and Kenji Mizoguchi are considered by many film critics to be the greatest of Japan's directors. Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai" and Mizoguchi's "Ugetsu Monogatari" along with Yasujiro Ozu's "Tokyo Story" have at times appeared on the Sight and Sound magazine's once every ten years poll of film critics. Kon Ichikawa has directed a few movies that have made it to the U.S. and Juzo Itami has been popular for "Tampopo" and "A Taxing Woman". The following companies are sources of Japanese movies, some on film, some on video. Sony Video Software, 1700 Broadway, N.Y., NY 10019 Balzac Video, 1253 Tanager Lane, West Chester, PA 19382 Embassy Home Entertainment, 1901 Avenue of the Starts, L.A., CA 90067 Connoisseur Video Collection, 8455 Beverly Blvd., Suite 302, L.A., CA 90048 Video Yesteryear, PO Box C, Sandy Hook, Conn. 06482 New Yorker Films, 16 W. 61 St., N.Y., NY 10023 Historical Films, PO Box 29035, Chicago, IL 60629 Media Home Entertainment, 5730 Buckingham Parkway, Culver City, CA 90230 Pacific Arts, 50 N. La Cienega Blvd., Suite 210, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Corinth Films, 34 Gransevoort St., N.Y., NY 10014 Republic Pictures Home Video, 12636 Beatrice St., L.A., CA 90066 In many larger cities, especially on the west coast of the United States, there are Video stores that rent tapes of movies and TV programs directly from Japan. These tapes are generally NOT subtitled, and TV programs have commercials and everything. Some of these rental outlets are in grocery or book stores that carry a lot of Japanese goods. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (5.1.1) Japanese pop music Last update: <11/95 Try for graphics and other such stuff. There are two mailing lists available for discussion of Japanese pop music. 1) send the command subscribe jpop to majordomo@tcp.com 2) send the command subscribe to jpop-request@ferkel.ucsb.edu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (5.2) Language Last update: <11/95 Language issues come up regularly in this newsgroup. Even though language and culture are directly linked, the newsgroup sci.lang.japan is preferred for discussions about the language. The newsgroup is also linked to the NIHONGO mailing list. The FAQ for sci.lang.japan is posted from time to time. To subscribe to the list, send an e-mail message to: Listserv@mitvma.mit.edu or Listserv@mitvma.bitnet with no subject and the line SUB Nihongo Please don't send messages for subscription or unsubscription to the addresses for posting on the list. To post an article or question, just send it as normal e-mail to: Nihongo@mitvma.mit.edu or Nihongo@mitvma.bitnet The article will be distributed to all the readers of the list and posted automatically in the newsgroup sci.lang.japan. Please don't send articles to the addresses of subscription and unsubscription. To do other things, send an e-mail message to: Listserv@mitvma.mit.edu or Listserv@mitvma.bitnet with no subject and the line HELP as the message The FAQ file has info on computer programs for learning Japanese, other Japanese-study information, and information about text processing on various computers that may or may not be more up to date than this FAQ. The sci.lang.japan FAQ is available at (Japan) or (Europe) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ soc.culture.japan FAQ [Monthly Posting] [2/3] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan.moderated, soc.culture.japan Subject: soc.culture.japan FAQ [Monthly Posting] [2/3] Sender: shimpei+scjfaq@gol.com (Shimpei Yamashita) Reply-To: shimpei+scjfaq@gol.com Keywords: FAQ, Japan, soc.culture.japan, soc.culture.japan.moderated From: shimpei@gol.com (Shimpei Yamashita) Message-ID: Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 14:07:42 GMT Archive-name: japan/faq/part2 Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: December 27, 1999 URL: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.0) Traveling and living in Japan Last update: 5/99 An extensive introduction to living in Japan (and Tokyo in particular) is maintained by Robert Murphy at . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.1) Finding a job (for non-Japanese) Last update: 5/98 From: mfester@iisc.com (Mike Fester) et al. Getting a job in Japan involves some lag time and effort, but is not really that difficult, especially if you have a technical degree and speak some Japanese. The hard part is knowing where/how to look. And, as in the rest of the world, the better your qualifications, the easier it is. If you can speak, read, and write Japanese (you need not be fluent), pick up a copy of the magazine _Shuushoku Jouhou_ ("Job Hunting Information") at a Japanese bookstore. It comes out 3 times a year, and it contains company descriptions, benefits explanations, etc, from companies who are actively recruiting new employees. In Japan, the magazine is (or was) free, but overseas it costs about $2. It also has lots of postcards to fill out (1 per company) which you send in to those companies in which you have an interest. If you have work experience in addition to the technical degree, don't pay too much attention to the salaries listed, as those are for absolute beginners. Note: there are other magazines for such job-hunting info, but _Shuushoku_ is one of the more expensive. Companies advertising in it are, in general, better able to come to terms with employing a foreigner who does not have exposure to the Japanese system. Kokusaiha No Tame No Shushoku Joho (International Recruit Magazine) is published by: International Career Information, Inc 111 Pavonia Ave. Jersey City, NJ 07310 USA (201) 216-0600 Tokyo Office 7-3-5 Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104 JAPAN (03) 3575-6347 There is another magazine of the same sort called _Adapt_. [Editor: the old number given in the previous versions of the FAQ, 1-800-344-7241, is no longer functioning. I'd appreciate it if anyone can tell me what their current number is.] If you do not speak Japanese, it becomes more difficult, but not impossible. Get a hold of the daily edition of _The Japan Times_, particularly the Monday and Thursday issues. They contain job offers (usually in English, but often in French, German, Italian, etc). Many of these are targeted specifically for foreigners. See the following section of this FAQ list for subscription info. If you have a non-technical degree, but speak Japanese, again, it is a bit more difficult, but not impossible. The _Shuushoku_ route works well there. If none of those applies to you, you really have to hustle. Probably, you will have to actually visit Japan (read: Tokyo) and personally answer those ads for English teachers. There are a lot of jobs available, but there is also a lot of competition. You'll have to hustle, but it can be done. If you take the _Shuushoku_ route, expect to send about 45 - 60 cards in for every 3 or for positive responses. Many of the companies will show an interest, and will await your arrival in Japan for an interview. Some may fly you out at their expense (I got 3 such flights). ONCE I'VE GOT AN OFFER, THEN WHAT? Once you've got an offer, you'll have to negotiate on salary and moving expenses. The company will have to then offer you a contract, which you must sign. They or you then apply for your visa. This can take about 3 - 4 months. One thing you need to remember in this negotiation procedure is that things are different in Japan than here. In the larger cities especially, getting an apartment is EXPENSIVE. Frequently (almost always) you will have to pay an honorarium to your landlord/lady equivalent to about 2 months' rent (non refundable). If you use a rental agency to find your place (you almost certainly will) you will pay them about 1 - 2 months' rent as a fee. There are exceptions of course, but these are not the rule. Also, remember that many apart- ments will NOT rent to foreigners. Nothing you can do about it, really, so keep looking. Someone will take you. Also, getting a phone in Japan is expensive: you will have to buy a 'phone line' from NTT for about $600-680, depending on exchange rate. Sometimes these are available "used" for less. This entitles you to phone service. Then you have to pay for the phone and installation itself (about another $100+). Use all this info in negotiating your moving expenses. Contrary to popular belief, not all (in fact, not most) companies have living quarters for their employees. You will also pay a cleaning deposit and usually a monthly 'management fee' for cleaning the whole apartment, garbage collection, etc. You can be accepted as a 'shain' (real-live employee) or 'keiyakusha' (contractor). There are advantages to each. As a 'shain', you will receive the various 'teate' that the company offers its employees. These are 'allowances' and are NOT included in your wages (they are NOT taxable). These frequently include FULL payment of your train fee (can easily be over $100 a month) which is a pass along one or more train lines from your apartment to work. There is also a payment for your residence; this is NOT a full payment of rent, but is frequently about 50% of the rent. Also, if you have a family, you get an additional allowance for each child and for your spouse. You will receive full coverage under the Japanese national medical plan, and also get the company bonuses. These bonuses can be up to 3 months salary. HOWEVER, they are not always "bonuses". Some companies include them in the yearly salary package they offer their employees, and they withhold part of your salary from each paycheck in order to pay it. Check to be sure which procedure your company follows. As a keiyakusha, you will have to provide for all your expenses, including insurance, etc, and you do not receive bonuses. However, it usually pays a lot better, usually enough to MORE THAN compensate for the loss of the teate's. Also, some companies may not allow you to work outside their company on your own time (e.g., as a translator). As a keiyakysha, you can make a LOT of money in your spare time. Once everyone has agreed to the conditions of employment, the company will apply for your visa. They will probably act as your guarantors for your con- duct in Japan (if, however, you have relatives there, you can ask them to do so). If you are married to a Japanese national, however, you can apply for a spouse visa. In either event, you will need the contract, and a guarantor. If you can, get the spouse visa; you will have more flexibility in getting another job, assuming things do not work out with your new company as you expected. Also, they can be granted for longer periods of time, though in practice, only a single year is granted for first-time entrants into Japan (and sometimes for people who have been there for years). You will also need lots of documentation, including college transcripts, proper identification, etc. Once you have made the application, you must wait. I have had embassy people tell me the process would take "3 weeks", but 2 - 3 months is about right. BE VERY POLITE TO EVERYONE YOU DEAL WITH AT THE CONSULATE OR AT IMMIGRATION! THEY CAN KEEP YOU OUT OF THE COUNTRY ON A WHIM AND THERE WILL BE NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! Not fair, of course, but that's life. Once you have gotten your visa, you can go to Japan and begin your new career/life/adventure. You must register at the local city hall (and they apparently will no longer fingerprint you). You will have to pay a residence tax (which can range from several hundred to several thousand dollars) each year. You will have to pay Japanese income tax (usually MUCH lower than US tax). If you make less than $70,000 a year, you can get an exemption from US taxes, though you still have to file. WHAT IF I AM LOOKING FOR A LANGUAGE TEACHING/TRANSLATION JOB? I will address the spouse situation first, as many people seem concerned about finding a job when they move with their spouse to Japan. Note: whether or not you speak Japanese, the suggestions for language teaching apply. My advice is to learn the language as quickly as possible, once you're there. This opens the translation / interpretation jobs to you; MUCH more lucrative, and in many cases, more interesting. If you are married to a Japanese, and have, or can get, a spouse visa (as above) you should have no problems once you get to Japan, if you are willing to hustle. Most jobs are not full-time, however. It is MUCH easier to find these part-time jobs than full-time jobs. You can get quite a few of them. Standard pay, through an agency, is Y3,000-Y4,500/hour. These jobs are often advertised in the Monday and Thursday edition of the _Japan Times_. After you get some experience, it becomes a bit easier to get a full-time lecturer job at a university. The competition is much tougher for these, but the longer you're in Japan, the better your chances. And once you have some experience, it is much easier to keep getting these part-time jobs, if you so desire. Also, your name will become known in the teaching circles, and you'll have more access to better information on full-time positions. If you are not married, you will need to find a sponsor in one of the companies you will be working for. Many companies are unwilling to do this. My advice is to keep plugging. If you can make it to Tokyo, you CAN find such a job, IF you answer every ad that you see. If you are outside of Japan, then it becomes much more difficult, about like finding a job in any country without being there. What few hints I have are above. Part-time jobs offer transportation costs, period. Only full-time jobs will provide benefits (usually). However, you can very nicely supplement your income with translation jobs. This would enable you to work at home. (It assumes, of course, that you will speak/read some Japanese.) These jobs are also advertised in the J Times. Get a FAX and a computer capable of handling Japanese language and you really can make a lot of money. It is, however, a constant hustle. Note: most J-E translation jobs pay about Y5,000 a page, E-J pays about Y3,000. I did get one translation job that paid Y10,000 a page, but those are rare. Many of these translation companies also offer the occasional interpretation job as well. These can be real plums; my wife and I got paid Y100,000 EACH for a one-day outing to the beach at Chiba with a couple of foreign models. If you stay in Japan long enough to learn the language even moderately well, you will find a larger and larger number of translation/interpretation jobs coming your way, as there is a very high turnover among employees of these these smaller translation/interpretation companies. WHAT IF I JUST WANT A JOB FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS? As of May 1998, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada have reciprocity agreements with Japan, allowing people to do a "working holiday"--work for a couple months under various restrictions with nothing more than tourist visas. The US (last I checked, 1991) was not such a country. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you: must be a citizen of Australia, New Zealand, or Canada currently residing in his or her country of citizenship. must intend primarily to holiday in Japan for a specific length of time. must be between 18 and 30 years of age at the time of application. must possess a valid passport and a return ticket or sufficient funds to purchase a return ticket. must possess reasonable funds for living expenses, including medical expenses, during the period of the initial stay in Japan. For a single person, the minimum is US$2000, for a married couple, US$3000 or equivalent amount of the national currency. must be in good health and not have a criminal record. More details are available at . It IS possible to get a part-time teaching job or two, and some translation jobs if you hustle. (In case you're wondering, I am *not* recommending this! --FAQ maintainer) It is illegal, and if you get caught, you'd better do some sincere apologizing to avoid getting kicked out of the country. As noted above, Japanese authorities can be much more forgiving if you give them reason to be (no guarantees of course.) Many companies will not ask you too many questions about your visa status, if you don't volunteer anything, or "misrepresent" your status. So, it CAN be done, and if you get caught, most likely the worst that will happen is you will get kicked out of Japan. There are also some internship programs available for specific areas, but these are very competitive, and Japanese authorities sometimes have problems getting intern visas run through immigration (sounds strange, but it is true.) Consult your local program for more info. So, have fun, work hard, and enjoy the land of the rising Yen! (some information here courtesy of Ray Tang) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.1.1) JET Last update: 2/97 From: jer@well.com (Jerry Blanton) What is the JET Program? JET stands for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, a program sponsored by the Japanese Ministries of Education, Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs. The program began in 1987 and was designed to bring young, native English speakers to Japan to assist English teachers in public junior high, high schools and college/universities as well as to help bring 'internationalization' (the 1980's buzzword) to Japan. These goals has now been expanded to include German and French speakers as well. Currently (1995), participating countries are: Australia, China (CIRs Only), Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Republic of Korea (CIRs Only), Russian Federation (CIRs only) UK and the US. This year there are nearly 5,000 participants (hereafter referred to as 'JETs') spread across the entirety of Japan. There are two types of JET positions: 1) ALT (Assistant Language Teacher). The ALT goes to junior/high/colleges and 'team-teaches' with a native Japanese teacher. Until 1989 there were only English instructors on the program but then it was expanded to include German and French teachers as well (big cities only). ALTs work in a wide range of situations and some ALTs teach in only one school while others never visit the same school twice. 2) CIR (Coordinator for International Relations) The CIR position helps to fulfill the lofty internationalization goal. CIRs work in prefectural offices or in large cities (or sometimes not so big) doing anything from tourism to helping the city deal with the influx of foreign workers. The CIR position is much less defined than the ALT. The vast majority of JETs fall into the ALT category while only a few hundred are CIRs. Where Do I Sign Up? All hiring for the JET program is done in the home countries of respondents. Generally, the initial applications have to be received by mid-December and then notification of interviews is made in late January or early Februrary with the interviews being held in Feb. Most interviews are conducted at the Japanese embassy or consulates in each country. (Below is a list of Japanese embassies in each of the participating countries) What if I Don't Speak Japanese? To be an ALT you DO NOT need to speak Japanese, nor do you need any special knowledge about Japan. You do need to have an interest in Japan and a willingness to help the Japanese improve their English skills. Because CIRs tend to work more with larger government offices, they need more Japanese skills from the outset, although this is NOT always the case. In all cases, you must have at least a bachelors degree by the time that you are to departfor Japan (end of July). The JET year is from August 1 to July 31. At the initial application stage you can request a rural or urban posting as well as a High School or Junior High School posting but there are no guarantees you will get what you ask for (probably the vast majority of people are randomly assigned). How Much Do I Get Paid? (And Is it Enough?) JETs are pretty well paid considering that the majority of participants are fresh out of college and have no experience. As of this writing, the JET salary is 3,600,000 yen which is about US$40,000 (@ the current 'endaka' rates of approx 85 yen to 1 US$) This is TAX FREE so your monthly salary is 300,000 yen wihich is more than enough to live on, and then some. Big city JETs often complain that they make less due to higher cost of living, but they are no where near poverty level. Besides, the JET program isn't about making money, it's about a great opportunity to live in Japan, learn Japanese, and work. If you are interested in finding out more about applying for the JET Program, contact your closest Japanese Embas sy or consulate. Following is a list of Japanese embassies for the participating countries: Australia Embassy of Japan "JET Desk" 112 Empire Circuit, Yarralumla, Canberra ACT 2600 Tel (06) 273-2679 Fax (06) 273-1848 Canada Embassy of Japan "JET Desk" 255 Sussex Dr. Ottawa ONT K1N 9E6 Tel (613) 241-8541 Fax (613) 241-2232 China Embassy of Japan "JET Desk" 7 Ri Tan Rd. Jiam Guo Men Wai, Beijing Peoples Republic of China Tel (01) 532-2361 Fax (01) 532-4625 France Ambassade du Japon "La Division de JET" 7 Avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris Tel: (01) 4888-6200 Fax: (01) 4227-5081 Germany Japanische Botschaft "JET Desk" Abteilung Oeffentlichkeitsarbeit und Kultur Godesberger Allee 102-104, 53175 Bonn Tel 0228-81910 Fax: 0228-379399 und Republic of Ireland Embassy of Japan "JET Desk" Nutley Bldg., Merrion Centre, Nutley Lane Dublin 4 Tel: (01) 269-4244 Fax: (01) 283-8726 Republic of Korea Embassy of Japan "JET Desk" 18-11 Choonghak-don, Chongro-ku, Seoul Tel: (02) 733-5626, Fax: (02) 734-4528 New Zealand Embassy of Japan "JET Desk" GRE House, 113 Custom House Quay, Wellington 1 Tel: (04) 472-7807 Fax: (04) 472-3416 Russian Federation Japan Information Service, Embassy of Japan Dobryninskaya Ulitsa, Dom 7 Domeshshenie 12, Moscow Rusia Tel (095) 238-9868 UK Embassy of Japan "JET Desk" 101-104 Piccadilly, London W1V 9FN Tel: (071) 465-6500 Fax: (071) 491-9347 US Embassy of Japan, Office of JET Program 2520 Massachussetts Ave., N.W. Washington D.C. 20028 Tel: (202) 939-6772 Fax: (202) 328-2187 You can also contact CLAIR (Council of Local Authorities for International Relations) @ Tel: +81-3-3265-1491 or Fax: +81-3-3265-1368 (Japan) for more information. I am happy to answer general questions about the JET program vis a vis my own experience as both an ALT and a CIR. However, please bear in mind that I was a JET four years ago and my experiences come from when the program was much much smaller. Furthermore, I cannot help you with application procedures for your own country or supply you with any more information than the above as far as telephone numbers, addresses, etc. is concerned. Also, *please do NOT e-mail* me with requests about teaching opportunities in Japan! I have never taught English outside the JET program and have no idea whatsoever about opportunities, contacts, ways to get information, etc. about teaching in Japan. [The toll-free information line for JET in the US is 1-800-INFO-JET. --ed.] The following WWW pages contain information about JET: http://www.shef.ac.uk/~eas/info/jet/ http://www.apic.or.jp/JapanInfo/ http://www2.gol.com/users/robu/ http://wacky.ccit.arizona.edu/%7Esusd/jet.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.1.2) Other English teaching jobs Last update: 4/96 [look back at the main section 5.2 - it's got a little on this] editor@ohayosensei.com (Lynn Cullivan) writes a semi-weekly electronic newsletter called O-hayo-Sensei dealing with English teaching jobs in Japan. It includes job listings, guidelines on job applications and resumes, and even cheapest airfare to Japan. You may want to go through the newsgroup for the latest posting. The URL is In addition, you may find the following pages useful: Japan is known for being relatively easy to find good paying English teaching jobs with few qualifications. That's the reputation, but it's not nearly as true now as it was several years ago. There are many English schools in Japan, and many of them still hire native English speakers, but the good ones--and "good" means both the quality of their teaching and how they treat their employees--are much more likely to require that their employees have experience or even some credential in teaching ESL. Freelancing is possible, but getting established is difficult. Note that freelancing on a tourist visa is illegal, and to get a working visa, you need a sponsor--usually an employer, but friends or relatives are possible. The bottom line is that it's not as easy as it once was. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.2) Travel Info Last update: 5/99 (This section is incomplete. If you would like to write up a more informative article, please talk to the FAQ maintainer at shimpei+scjfaq@gol.com.) One way to get exposure to Japanese culture is to actually travel to Japan. Unfortunately Japan's reputation, in the U.S. at least, is that it's horrendously expensive. In reality, it can be expensive, but doesn't have to be. James Liu's travel guide that was formerly listed in this section no longer appears to be available. However, searching for "travel guide Japan" at search engines like www.yahoo.com will turn up a large number of free travel guides that may be helpful. Nothing can substitute for a well-written paper guide book, however. The most egregiously expensive part of a trip to Japan is probably, in the editor's opinion, transportation, so plan your itinerary carefully in advance. A Japan Rail Pass may or may not be a profitable purchase. Finally, although English classes are compulsory in middle and high schools, many Japanese people speak little to no conversational English. Do not expect to get too far with English outside of large cities or popular foreign tourist traps. This is not to discourage you from going off the beaten path; just don't forget a Japanese phrase book if you do so. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.3) Gifts to and from Japan Last update: 1/96 To Japan: Don't expect to find anything that your recipient can't get in Japan; these days you can get almost anything from any part of the world in Japan, provided that you're willing to pay for it. Having said that, there are still many items not commonly found in Japan that would make perfect gifts: Calendars--"Cute" or "artsy" calendars are rare in Japan, where most households and businesses keep track of dates using boring, generic calendars with corporate logos imprinted, handed out by businesses for promotions. My mother always used to ask for a Peter Rabbit calendar for Christmas. (And then she found a store that sold Peter Rabbit calendars in Tokyo. But let's not get into that.) Mugs and T-shirts--Creative patterns are not as common in Japan. For T-shirts, take into consideration that Japanese people do not wear T-shirts too often and, when they do, they generally like to avoid flashier-colored clothes. Alcohol--Up to 3 bottles of spirits are duty-free upon entering Japan. Just remember that, if you need to travel before meeting your recipient, you're going to lug 3 liters of water with you during those legs of your trip. These are just a few examples. Email me if you have any other wildly popular/successful ideas. From Japan: The great thing about Japan is that practically every region has some unique product to offer. Consult your travel guides for appropriate gifts from wherever you traveled. In general, I find that room decorations, accessories, etc., are more convenient for you (and more appreciated by the recipient) than food. Michiaki Masuda suggests the following items: 1. Art prints - Inexpensive copies of traditional wood printings {Ukiyo-e}. 2. Baseball caps (*) - Those of Japanese professional baseball teams. 3. "Basukurin" - Scented powder for a hot bath tub. {You can reproduce some of the famous Japanese hot springs at home.} 4. Books (*) - Books on Japan written in English, "Manga" (comic book), other magazines, and photo books showing scenaries in Japan. (For those who are interested in Japanese language) Books written in plain Japanese and books on "kanji." 5. Calligraphy set - "Fude" (brush), "sumi" (a block of ink) and "suzuri" (ink plate) for "shodo" (Japanese calligraphy). 6. Ceramics (*) - Tea set, "sake" set, etc. 7. Chopsticks - A nice pair of lacquered chopsticks. 8. Crafts (*) - Paper crafts made of "washi" (traditional Japanese paper). Small ornaments that could be used for a Christmas tree. Origami, kites, a little statue of Buddha etc. One netter has mentioned that a book titled "Gateway to Japan" by June Kinoshita and Nicholas Palevsky (Kodan-sha) contains a good description of Japanese crafts. 9. Dolls (*) - Kokeshi, Daruma, Hakata doll, etc. 10. Fake food (*) - Food samples made of plastic or wax that you can see in front of restaurants. {Available at the pro shops in Kappabashi, Tokyo.} 11. Footgear - "Zouri" (Japanese sandals), "tabi" (Japanese traditional socks), ets. {"Geta" might be good, too.} 12. "Go" (*) - Go stones in the bowl and the board. 13. "Hanko" - A sealing stamp (for Japanese-American friends). {If you can write other American's name in Kanji, it would be possible to order a custom made hanko, too.} 14. "Kabuki" program and other "kabuki" goods. {kabuki = one of Japanese traditional theater plays.} 15. Liquors - Whisky and brandy of a Japanese maker in a miniature bottle. 16. Music - Japanese music CDs and cassettes. 17. "Noren" - A small curtain for an entrance of a restaurant or a doorway. 18. "Omamori" - A small lucky charm tag, especially the one for a car {"Kou-tsuu Anzen" [Safe Driving]}. Available at shrines and temples. 19. "Sake" (*) - Preferably in a bottle of a "strange" shape (e.g., "Tokkuri", bottle made of a dried squid, etc.) or traditionally wrapped. 20. Snacks (*) - Dried fish, rice crackers (e.g., senbei, kaki-no-tane), etc. 21. "Soroban" - Japanese traditional calculator. {It was probably invented in China, but the Japanese model seems to be different from the Chinese model.} 22. Stationaries (*) - Mechanical pencil + ball point pen (e.g., Sharbo), stationaries with fancy patterns, etc. 23. Sweets (*) - Traditional "wagashi" (Japanese sweets), candies, cookies, and other "okashi." 24. Toothpicks - Ones with unusual carvings. 25. Towels - Japanese "tenugui" towels with sumo wrestlers, "Kamikaze", "Ichi-ban," etc. 26. Toys (*) - Electronic toys and traditional Japanese toys (e.g., kendama, daruma-otoshi, etc.) 27. T-shirts (*) - Ones with a logo in "Japanglish." {Ones with "Ukiyo-e" print might be fine, too.} 28. "Yukata" (*) - A casual "kimono" for summertime. Can be used as a bathrobe, or a nightgown as well. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.4) Taking electronics to Japan Last update: <11/95 The Japanese TV standard is NTSC, the same as used in the North America and a few other places, so videotapes and laserdiscs from Japan are compatible with North American equipment. Channel assignments are somewhat different, so a North American TV set won't necessarily work if you take it to Japan. SECAM or PAL equipment won't be much use in Japan, but reportedly can be purchased in Japan if you want to take something home. Because of the channel assignment differences, a TV set and a VCR or laserdisc player need to be connected by the RCA type video cables (or S-video), not the coaxial "signal modulated onto channel 3 or 4" cables. There are probably exceptions to this statement, but in general, this is so. Electricity is 100 volts 50hz in Eastern Japan, 60hz in western Japan. The dividing line is the Oi river in Shizuoka prefecture about half way between Tokyo and Nagoya. Apparently, Tokyo and Osaka, being the first cities in Japan to electrify, ordered their equipment from different European (or US?) sources, thus the frequency difference. The outlets fit US standard two prong plugs with two parallel flat blades. There are many houses that don't have the third wire ground hole in their outlets, so she three prong grounded plugs common on PCs in the US may have a problem with the ground pin. Power supplies on many computers can handle a wide range of voltages. The MAC IIvx nearby says 100-240V, 50-60 Hz. So with the correct line cord, it will be happy in Japan, but I don't know that to do if there's no ground connection. Some devices with motors depend on the line frequency for their speed and will run slow in eastern Japan. With the lower voltage, devices with heating elements will run cooler. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.5) Lodging -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.5.1) Home stays Last update: 7/96 The following was received by a reader from the Japanese Consulate whos address follows. There have been no reports on what any of these organizations are really like. Some reportedly charges astronomical amounts for their services, so caveat emptor. Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles 350 South Grand Avenue, Suite 1700 Los Angeles, CA 90071 Telephone (213) 617-6700 Thank you for your interest in finding a host family in Japan. The following organizations will assist you in your homestay search: 1) The Japan Foundation 244 South San Pedro Street, #508 Los Angeles, CA 90012 (the phone number formerly listed here was invalid) 2) LEX America 68 Leonard Street Belmont, MA 02178 (617) 489-5800 3) Nihon Kokusai Seikatsu Taiken Kyoukai 4-5 Kojimachi, Tachibana Building Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 120 4) Tokyo WMCA 1-8 Kanda Surugadai Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 101 5) International Friendship Association 1-10 Chiyoda Building, Nanpei-dai Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan 150 6) Japan Junior Chamber, Inc. International Exchange Committee 2-14-3 Hirakawa Cho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 102 You may want to try the following URLs as well: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan Home Page http://infomofa.nttls.co.jp/infomofa/ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan Home Page (mirror - Calif, USA) http://www2.nttca.com:8010/infomofa/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.6) Money -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.6.1) Bank accounts and services for foreigners Last update: <11/95 Citibank is the only foreign bank known to do *consumer* banking in Japan. (There are a number of foreign banks that do commercial banking. Email the FAQ maintainer if you know of another foreign bank that handles personal accounts.) A branch manager for a major Japanese bank told me that they need to check personal identification for foreigners because of money laundering problems; however, he added that passports should suffice as an ID for most foreigners. This, of course, does not guarantee anything for *your* case, and there have been complaints against Japanese banks not servicing foreigners. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.6.2) Credit cards for foreigners Last update: <11/95 Credit cards are not nearly as popular in Japan as they are in some other developed countries. Most stores that handle large transactions (like, say, electronics outlets) will accept credit cards, but don't expect to pay for your lunch at the ramen joint with a credit card. Note: personal checks are practically unheard of in Japan. Nevertheless, credit cards are very convenient to have. Citibank reportedly offers them to foreigners; there have not been any reports about Japanese providers, but many credit card vendors in other countries do limit/deny cards to foreigners, so it may also be the case in Japan. VISA is probably the most popular credit card. AmEx is also frequently seen, and Diner's Club is more common in Japan than in, say, US. Strangely, MasterCard is not seen often in Japan. A similar-looking card called Million Card is not compatible with MasterCard to the best of my knowledge. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.6.3) Currency exchange; sending cash to/from Japan Last update: <11/95 by Norman Diamond In buying and selling US$, if M is the market fixing (at around 10:00 a.m.), then banks and large department stores and some hotels set the rates as: cash buying US$1 = M - 3 yen traveller's cheque buying US$1 = M - ??? yen (around 1.7; I don't recall) telegraphic transfer buying US$1 = M - 1 yen (maybe minus some fee?) telegraphic transfer selling US$1 = M + 1 yen (plus 4,500 yen plus *) traveller's cheque selling US$1 = (M + 1 yen) x 1.01 cash selling US$1 = M + 3 yen postal money order US$1 = prior day's M + 1 (plus 500 to 2,500 yen) * U.S. banks charge about US$10 to receive a telegraphic transfer in US$. In buying and selling German marks, the rates differ from the market fixings by about the same amounts as for US$. In buying and selling other major currencies, telegraphic transfers still differ from market fixings by about 1 or 2 yen (or maybe 3 yen for British pounds, just guessing), and rates for traveller's cheques are almost reasonable, but rates for cash get really bad. For example, the buying and selling rates for Canadian cash differ by about 20%, and the buying and selling rates for Hong Kong cash differ by about 30%. For minor currencies, it is even worse. Postal money orders to other countries also use the prior day's bank selling rate. The fee is usually 1,000 to 3,000 yen (500 yen higher than for US$) but the post office sends the money orders themselves through some system, instead of making (or letting) the buyer send or carry the money orders as to the US. Postal money orders to some countries can be sent by telegraphic transfer (giro) instead of the post office's paper money order system. The cost is intermediate between ordinary money orders and Japanese bank telegraphic transfers. But some Japanese postal employees don't understand the word "giro" even when it's painted on the signboard in front of them. Some Japanese banks will also sell demand drafts for a rate equivalent to telegraphic transfer with a fee of 2,500 yen instead of 4,500. But the buyer has to return the next day to pick up the draft and still has to send or carry it to the destination country. If you are sending a telegraphic transfer from another country, you might find it cheaper to send the transfer in yen, so that you pay the conversion rate set by your bank instead of the Japanese bank. But again, I don't know if a Japanese bank might charge a fee to receive a telegraphic transfer even in yen. Do not send or bring a bank draft payable in yen, from another country. Even if the draft is payable by a Japanese bank, and even if the recipient (or your own bank, after you open an account) understands the draft, they will charge very high fees. Also do not send or bring a bank draft payable in any other currency; the fees are even higher. Only traveller's cheques have reasonable fees, along with telegraphic transfers and US$ cash. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (6.7) What are the laws for Japanese citizenship at birth? Last update: 4/96 From: Mike Fester (mfester@iisc.com) [disclaimer] The following was written by an individual who is not an expert, nor a lawyer in the matter in question. The information is believed to be correct, but don't say you weren't warned if it's wrong. 0. If both parents are Japanese citizens then the child is a Japanese citizen; though if the child is known to have a second citizenship for some reason (such as being born in a country that grants citizenship due to place of birth) then rules for dual citizens apply. 1. If one parent is a Japanese citizen and one parent is a non-Japanese citizen, then the child is a Japanese citizen, but must choose by age 22 whether to keep Japanese citizenship or the other citizenship. The child's choice is recognized legally by Japan. The child's choice might or might not be recognized by the other country, so the child might choose Japan and still be a dual citizen when in the other country or maybe third countries. Until recently, this was the rule only if the father was the Japanese citizen -- if the mother was the Japanese citizen, the child might become stateless as a result. But the law no longer discriminates by parent's sex. Note: For a child born overseas, the child MUST be entered in the family registry of the Japanese parent, technically withing 30 days of the child's birth. This can be done at the nearest Japanese embassy. 2. If both parents are non-Japanese, then the child is not a Japanese citizen. Status depends only on the laws of the countries of the parents' citizenships, and maybe of the country where the child was born. 3. If the parents are not married but both recognize the child as theirs, the above rules still apply. 4. If the parents are not married and the father does not recognize the child as his, then only the mother's citizenship (and possibly the child's place of birth) determine the child's citizenship(s). 5. If both parents are unknown and the child was born in Japan, then the law says that the child is a Japanese citizen. This case has probably not been tested recently in the courts or otherwise, so the status of such a child will probably in reality, be stateless. Such a case was tested, and last year (1995) the final verdict rendered; the child in question was granted Japanese citizenship, over the objections of the Japanese government. The court cited the intention of the law, which is to specifically PREVENT children born in Japan from being stateless. The government had argued that the mother was "probably" a Filippina, and lower courts had alternately accepted and rejected the government's argument. The US-born missionary championing the child's case pursued the matter all the way to the Japanese Supreme Court, where the above-mentioned verdict was rendered. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ soc.culture.japan FAQ [Monthly Posting] [3/3] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan.moderated, soc.culture.japan Subject: soc.culture.japan FAQ [Monthly Posting] [3/3] Sender: shimpei+scjfaq@gol.com (Shimpei Yamashita) Reply-To: shimpei+scjfaq@gol.com Keywords: FAQ, Japan, soc.culture.japan, soc.culture.japan.moderated From: shimpei@gol.com (Shimpei Yamashita) Message-ID: Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 14:07:39 GMT Archive-name: japan/faq/part3 Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: Mar 5, 2000 URL: Subject: (7.0) Japanese Information Processing Last update: <11/95 Look back to the bibliography section of this FAQ, and note a book by Ken Lunde. It's a good start to answering many questions in this area. The sci.lang.japan FAQ (URL listed elsewhere in this document) is also a good reference. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.1) How to get Internet access in Japan Last update: <11/95 Because the status of Internet service providers (ISP) change quite rapidly, I will not attempt to maintain a list as I have done in the past. These URLs do maintain current listings of ISPs in Japan: Japanese Internet Providers FAQ, maintained by Jesse Casman (jcasman@unm.edu or jcasman@rt66.com) ISP providers in Japan list, by Taki Naruto (tn@panix.com). Includes links to many other sources. Another ISP list, maintained by Bon-Chan (ecpbn@csv.warwick.ac.uk). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.2) E-Mail address for xxx in Japan Last update: 3/2000 One of the most frequent asked questions (FAQ) in this group has been: "Does anybody know the e-mail address to xxx in Japan?" While there's no foolproof way, oftentimes you can guess an email address from the recipient's affiliation. The translation from affiliation to email domain can be made with the help of the standard list of active domains in Japan. As an example, to contact someone at Akita University, you might try loginname@akita-u.ac.jp where "loginname" is something reasonable like the person's last name, their first initial followed by last name, etc. If that doesn't work and you know the person is in, say, the CS department, you might try loginname@cs.akita-u.ac.jp A list of active domains is also available for anonymous FTP from . THIS CAN BE VERY USEFUL if you're trying to guess at an address. Another service you may want to try out is Netfind. Netfind tries to locate a host and login name based on the name and the location of the person. Telnet to bruno.cs.colorado.edu, login as netfind, and follow the directions. While there aren't all that many posters from Japan, if you find a poster at a probable site, you may want to email the person and ask for help. Of course, this may or may not bring about anything. If all else fails, sending a query to the loginname "postmaster" at that site will usually elicit a response. Do not abuse this option, as postmasters tend to be very overworked sysadmins. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.3) How can I read or write Japanese on my computer? Last update: 4/97 Note: This section is not meant to be an exhaustive guide. For more comprehensive treatments of this topic, see and This question is broken down into three subsections, Macintosh, IBM (PC and compatibles), and Unix. Unix means mostly X-windows software. Reading Japanese on a computer requires a terminal emulator or text editor program that 1) handles the two byte character set(s) which are used for transmitting kanji electronically; and 2) Displays the text in a readable form, at least one kanji font is generally required. Writing Japanese requires an input system, which may or may not be built in to a text editor. The input system takes keyboard input, usually romaji, converts to kana, and then converts words or phrases to kanji. An article from Ken Lunde which describes character encoding and other aspects of Japanese language on computers is available at several FTP sites. There are several FTP sites which carry Japanese related software. Try one near you first before trying one on the other side of an ocean. North America Lots of stuff for all platforms A few MS-DOS utilities Japan Japanese related programs for PCs jTeX a few MS-DOS utilities lots of good stuff Australia A few MS-DOS and Mac utilities many language references including kanjidic and edict dictionary files Europe Mirrors: ftp.cc.monash.edu.au as well as other things lots of stuff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.3.1) Japanese on the Macintosh Last update: 1/99 Parts due to Ken Matsuda (matsuda@mtholyoke.edu) Good news! The latest release of Mac OS as of this writing, Mac OS 9.0, comes with the Japanese Language Kit (along with other Language Kits), which is all you need to read and write Japanese. Mac OS X reportedly will also come with complete internationalization as well. If you are stuck with earlier releases of Mac OS, you will have to purchase the Japanese Language Kit separately, or buy an earlier version of Japanese localized Mac OS (called "KanjiTalk" in its earlier releases). Apple claims that the Japanese Language Kit (JLK) will run on System 7.1 or later. It has true type Kanji fonts, an input conversion system and dictionary, and sold for US$139.00 at the Apple Store at one point. There is gomTalk, which takes a U.S. system 7.0 or so and a 6.n version of Kanji talk and produces a Japanese system 7. Don't expect true type fonts, or any support. More details not available here. Once a Japanese OS is installed, you can run many applications on a U.S. Mac and use Japanese input to create Japanese text. However, many U.S. applications make assumptions about single byte characters, so you will be disappointed. You can use the following: [terminal emulators] -ASLEdit an english/kanji text editor, simple terminal emulator -NinjaTerm terminal emulator -ActiveTalk cheap(3800 yen) commercial terminal emulator -NCSA Telnet-J Japanese-compatible port of the freeware Telnet client -MacBlue Telnet Chinese, Korean and Japanese-capable telnet client (allegedly operates without JLK, but I have not found the right supporting files to make Japanese work--ed.) Absolutely hideous user interface. [web browsers] -Netscape 1.1N and later all support Japanese. [newsreaders] -NewsWatcher-J Japanese localization of John Norstad's NewsWatcher. [Integrated application] -ClarisWorks/AppleWorks: Integrated office suite. Version 4.0 is the last available Japanese-localized version; however, AppleWorks 5.0 *does* support WorldScript II and let you use Japanese in its documents. Decent word processor, lightweight spreadsheet functions, toy database, etc. [wordprocessing and text editing] -Nisus Writer: This is a neat program. Its interface is unique, and some people may find it awkward at first. Nonetheless, it is a well-thought-out program. One problem that I heard is that it slows down when you work on large documents. This may have to do with the fact that Nisus saves documents in text files, and all formatting information is stored in the resource fork. Current version: 5.x. 4.x is available as freeware from http://www.nisus.com/. -WordPerfect 3.1: It works very well with Japanese. 3.0 had some bugs: Japanese subtitles and footnotes were problematic. However, these problems are fixed in the current version: 3.5. Currently languishing in Corel's hands. -Edit 7: The author of the freeware claims that he is attempting to create a multi-lingual text editor. This software is not complete yet, but you can select a text string, and drag & drop it for pasting and deleting. I find this feature useful. [spreadsheet] -Lotus 1-2-3: You can paste Japanese characters in the cells. Someone told me that you can do the same thing with MS Excel, but I don't know for sure. In any case, since Excel is the only commercial spreadsheet still under development for the Mac, you may have to settle for buying the Japanese version of Excel, which can be expensive. -Also see AppleWorks, above. [database] -4th Dimension: I heard that the international edition of 4th Dimension is WorldScript-savvy. I have not seen this myself. Unfortunately, FileMaker Pro does not work with Japanese Language Kit. (However, you *can* get a Japanese localized version of FileMaker Pro.) [presentation] -Astound: Astound accepts Japanese characters without much trouble. Persuasion does not. [graphics] -MacFlow: This is a chart drawing tool, and it accepts Japanese characters without much trouble. DeltaGraph3 does not. [others] -StorySpace: This hypertext tool accepts Japanese characters without much trouble. -FullContact 2.0: This contact manager does accept Japanese characters in some fields, but I have not used the product extensively, and I cannot say much about this. Microsoft and probably others produce Japanese versions of their software, but for various reasons, aren't sold in the U.S. You can bring them back from Japan. Much commercial software in Japan is very expensive. (Prepare to pay double US rates.) Many programs that won't work correctly for creating text do fine when reading only. Most U.S. word processing programs fit this category. You may need to select all text in your document and change it to a font that contains kanji - look for font names like "Kyoto" or "Osaka". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.3.2) Japanese on MS-DOS and Windows Last update: 10/98 The easiest way to get Japanese on Windows is to buy a Japanese version of Windows 98 or NT, and run all-Japanese applications. :-) For those who want to retrofit Japanese onto a non-Japanese Windows environment, there is Fabian van-de-l'Isle 's extremely useful FAQ, posted under the subject Japanisation FAQ for computers running Western windows [FAQ] to soc.culture.japan, soc.culture.japan.moderated, and sci.lang.japan approximately once a month. (It may eventually make its way into the RTFM archives. In the meantime, use DejaNews to find a copy if there isn't one on your news server.) In addition, the following two pages may be useful in setting up a Windows machine for Japanese: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.3.3) Japanese on Unix, X-windows Last update: 1/99 by Masataka KASEGAWA (kagesawa@wing2.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp) Note (1/99): This section is growing increasingly out of date, and the I find updating this material a daunting task. It will be done eventually, but for now, I will merely note that the least painful way to get Japanese on a Unix system is probably to install a Japanese-localized Linux (or possibly FreeBSD) system on a PC. Good Japanese distributions include Vine (http://vine.flatout.org/), Laser5 (http://www.laser5.co.jp/), Kondara MNU/Linux (http://www.kondara.org/), and TurboLinux (http://www.turbolinux.com/). [General] You cannot usually display kanji on the console of an UNIX machine. So when you need to read or write Japanese on an UNIX machine, you usually get into the environment of X-window system. The standard X-windows distribution, Release 4? or later, contains kanji fonts, but some PC-based packages do not include them or include bogus one because their size is large and they are rarely used. It is explained later how to check whether your machine has Japanese fonts or not. But if you use an UNIX machine as a 'Japanese server', which means that the machine just serves japanese utilities mentioned below, then you don't need the X-window system. Instead, you must connect to an UNIX machine from your Japanese terminal (PC or Mac) with a modem or direct connection via serial port. You don't have to get Japanese locale on your UNIX OS. In fact, many administrators of SunOS 4.x machines in Japan hate JLE (Japanese Language Environment? Extension?) kit, which presents your machine Japanese locale, so they won't install JLE. (The followings are just for users who are interested in locale) It is recommended that X is compiled with option -DX_LOCALE if you need Japanese localization on X. Remark that you can read and write Japanese on X which is compiled without this option. This option overload setlocale() function. [PC-UNIX] In recent years, many commercial or free UNIX like OSs on PC are available. One of the most popular OS is Linux. In Slackware, there is a package named JE (Japanese Extension) which include almost all Japanese softwares that you usually need. Others, especially those who like BSD UNIX, prefer NetBSD, FreeBSD or BSD/OS. There is no package like JE, but still some useful packages like mule and wnn are available, (at least on FreeBSD). Under the port directory of FreeBSD-current there is the directory named japanese in which you can find many sources of Japanese utilities for FreeBSD. Japanese version of BSD/OS offers Japanese environment but I don't know how to get it from outside of Japan. [How to Read and/or Write Japanese texts on UNIX machines] There is two methods in order to read and/or write Japanese on UNIX machines. One is to create whole Japanese environment on an UNIX machine, and the other is to access UNIX machines from a Japanese terminal. The difference between the methods are just whether you need Japanese input system on UNIX or not. It is usually very complicated 'server' program (see below) so you might hesitate to install it on the machines if you are not root. Anyway, if you like to use Japanese input system on PC or Mac to write Japanese on UNIX, then you can use your PC or Mac just as a Japanese terminal for UNIX machines. You don't need any Japanese input system on UNIX machines. Of course you need programs which understand Japanese such as NEmacs, mule, XEmacs (20.0 or later) or jvi on the UNIX machines. See also [Connection to UNIX from PC or Mac]. [Japanese Fonts on X window system] You need at least one Japanese font to read or write Japanese on X. You can check with xlsfonts command whether your X server has Japanese fonts or not: % xlsfonts | grep jisx0208 If you get some output like -jis-fixed-medium-r-normal--0-0-75-75-c-0-jisx0208.1983-0 -jis-fixed-medium-r-normal--16-110-100-100-c-160-jisx0208.1983-0, then your machine does have Japanese fonts (The name of fonts, especially 0208, might be changed in future release). If you can not have any output, then it means that either your system does not have any Japanese fonts or your font-path is wrong. Consult an expert of X window system at hand. [Japanese Terminal on X window system] Look in the contrib area of your copy of X-window system. You can see kterm or mterm(terminal program). Kterm is the most popular terminal program in Japan. Don't forget to install application default (resource) file named KTerm.ad or your kterm will behave the same as xterm. [Japanese input system on UNIX] The most common Japanese input system in UNIX is probably Wnn. Its latest version is 4.2 and it is the final version as freeware. Wnn consortium is going to be dissolved in 1995. Wnn 6 and later become commercial products. There already exists not only sample version of Wnn6, which is a freeware, but also the product for solaris 2.x. In order to compile Wnn 4.2, you need X window system environment. Moreover, you need the source tree of X if you are under X11R5. If you are under X11R6, you don't need the source tree. Another common Japanese input system is Canna. Canna 3.2 is included in contrib of X11R6 but you need a patch in order to compile it under X11R6 (but don't need under X11R5). In order to compile Canna, you Need imake of X11R5 or later, but don't need any library of X. [Editor's note: 3.2p2 appears to compile under X11R6.x without additional patches. YMMV. -SY 10/12/98] In any case, Japanese input system is designed as server-client system, which means that many people can access via LAN, so it is recommended for you to be able to become root. But, if you can not become root, don't worry. The whole input system works just for you :-) and will work fine except that any other user can not use the system. [Front End for Japanese input system] Japanese input system usually offers a very primitive front end such as uum, canuum. So I think that few Japanese people use it. Many Japanese people prefer Nemacs and/or Mule, which are extension of GNU Emacs. The final version of Nemacs is 3.3.2, which is based on Emacs 18.55, which means Nemacs is not supported any more. Mule, whose latest version is 2.2.2, is based on Emacs 19.28 (the announcement of new Mule version is going to be posted to soc.culture.japan). Mule is very huge program but its compilation is easier than that of nemacs, I think. Make sure that japanese server is running before you start Nemacs or Mule. [Editor's note: Mule has been integrated into Emacs 20.x and XEmacs 20.x, so you no longer need to download Mule separately. You will have to flip a compile-time switch to enable Japanese, though; precompiled binaries--particularly the one that comes with Red Hat Linux-- usually won't support Japanese out of the box.] Some people like kinput2, which is a front end under X window system. In paticular, if you prefer vi rather than emacs, then you should use kinput2. Kterm supports kinput2 protocol, so you can input Japanese on command line of kterm with kinput2. Kinput2 is also in contrib of X11R[56]. There are some Japanese vi-clones: jstevie, jelvis, jvim and so on. That is, you can edit Japanese articles with the combination of X+kterm+jvi+kinput2+(japanese input system). Kinput2 is used for some drawing tools (idraw, tgif) to make them input Japanese on I18N X-window system. Some editors (not only mule, emacs but also some vi-clone) support Japanese input system with Wnn or Canna. If you use only such editor, then you don't need kinput2. But kinput2 is very convinient under X, so I recommend to install it. Remark that you must have at least one kind of Japanese input system before the compilation of a front end program. [Easy Japanese input system on mule or NEmacs] In spite of the description above, there is a Japanese input system named SKK, which doesn't need any server. SKK is available only on NEmacs, Mule, Demacs. It will be enough for those who like to input Japanese kanji one by one. Its latest version is 8.6 (as of May 29, 1995). You can get information about SKK on WWW: When you archie SKK, try with the keyword 'skk' (skk/8.6 might hit). [Japanese Editors and Viewers] As mentioned previous paragraph, there are many Japanese editors on UNIX. I'm not sure but almost all editors on UNIX has Japanese localization. The following list shows only some of them. vi-like editors (jvi): jstevie, jelvis, jvim emacs-like editors: (Extension of Emacs) Mule, NEmacs (Restriction of Emacs) ng, kemacs, micro-emacs The viewer 'less' has also Japanese localization whose latest version is 2.3.7. It is offered as a patch for original less and its name is less-237-iso2022-patch* or so. [Kanji code] In UNIX machines, there are three major kinds of kanji code: JIS, SJIS, EUC. JIS coding system, whose formal name is iso-2022-jp, use only 7 bits so it is used for Internet news and mail while SJIS (MS Kanji) is standard for PC and Mac. But it seems that the standard of UNIX in Japan is EUC. (In JIS coding system, there are some special escape sequences which distinguish US-ASCII environment and that of kanji) There are some kinds of kanji-code-converters, one of which is nkf (Network Kanji Filter). Since Mule and NEmacs convert kanji-code of input files to suitable one, so you don't care about kanji code if you use only Mule and/or NEmacs (with correct settings). [Japanese Mail and News on UNIX] The easiest way is to install mule and use RMAIL and GNUS on mule for Mail and News respectively. For settings, read Mule.FAQ, which is distributed with mule. If you like to read Japanese on mail and news with the same tool as you are using now, such as MH, tin, rn or so, then you must get Japanese localization of the tool and install it because original tools can not understand escape sequences for JIS kanji-code, which is used on Internet. The names of Japanese localization for MH and tin are mh-6.8.3-JP* (mh_version-patch_level-JP) and ktin1.5-1.22* (ktin-ktin_version-tin_version) respectively. **Complement(Dirty trick)** The above method is complete one to read mail and news. But there are some 'incomplete' methods to read news: 1) For trn, try option '-j'. 2) For tin, use a Japanese viewer or editor as a filter. Just 'more' might work. In both cases, you might be in trouble that your console become confused on command line (all characters, including prompt, become kanji)--a condition known as "moji-bake." The solutions are as follows: a) If you are on kterm, then press [ctrl]+[middle mouse bottom] to pop up the menu of vt options and select 'Do full reset'. b) If you are on Japanese terminal, try (in blind) 'reset [ctrl]+j'. c) (All mighty) Try "echo '\033(B'", where 'echo' must understand the notations such as '\033'. 'echo' in System V machines will work in general (In SunOS 4.x, use /usr/5bin/echo while in Solaris 2.x, /usr/bin/echo works). Anyway, your terminal will be recovered if you send 3 charactors '033'(in octal; escape),'(' and 'B' in this order. [Japanese WWW browser on UNIX] Netscape 2.0 and later supports Japanese under all platforms. Just go to Document Encodings under the "Options" menu and pick your favorite language encoding. Mosaic has cjk (chinese-japanese-korean) localization whose archive names are Mosaic-2.4-l10n-* or so. It is true that there are the localization of Mosaic 2.[56], but I'm afraid that they are distributed only in source codes. As you know, you need Motif in order to compile Mosaic. But then again, who uses Mosaic these days? On Emacs, there is a WWW client named w3, which is available also on Mule (and NEmacs) and can display Japanese texts. [Connection to UNIX from PC or Mac] You need a Japanese terminal emulation program on PC or Mac, which is mentioned in (7.3.1) and (7.3.2). The points of setting up are as follows: 1. Check the setting of both your modem and the modem of a connecting UNIX machine. The parameters character size, parity, stop bit are important to communicate in Japanese kanji (2byte chars.), and the following setting is recommended: non parity, character size=8 and do not strip 8th bit. (In the words of UNIX stty: np, ms=cs8, -istrip) 2. If you have direct connection with a serial port, then just check the setting of the serial port. 3. Check the setting of your terminal program. 4. If Character size is 7 and the setting can not be changed, then you can use only JIS kanji-code for communication between the machines. Make sure that your terminal program can handle JIS code. 5. If the setting recommended 1 is realized, then you can (and must) select suitable kanji-code among JIS, SJIS and EUC. Make sure which kanji-code your terminal program can handle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.4) Internet resources on Japan Last update: 7/97 With the explosive growth of Internet in Japan (and other countries as well), it is impossible for me to keep up with all the neat sites out there, or even to check all of these sites frequently. I would appreciate hearing about invalid URLs, new sites to add, etc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.4.1) FTP/gopher sites Last update: <11/95 soc.culture.japan FAQ, along with the FAQ of many other newsgroups, is available via anonymous ftp at rtfm.mit.edu in /pub/usenet directory. Other ftp sites that have Japan-related materials are (mirrors other sites, too) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.4.2) WWW sites Last update: 7/97 This is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of imagination; these are sites which were brought to the FAQ maintainer's attention which may help people seeking information on Japan. Home of US-Japan Technology Management Center, this is one of the largest WWW sites on Japan that I know of. Features a "Guide to Japan Information Resources", and other technologically-related sources that makes this site a good place to start your information hunt. A comprehensive site operated by Nippon Telephone and Telegraph. Contains links to just about any Japanese WWW site imaginable. http://www.hayamasa.demon.co.uk/afaq/afaq.html The sci.lang.japan FAQ site. The site contains links to many sites in Japan, Japan(ese) related sites in the US and elsewhere, and mirrors James Liu's Tokyo Off Time Server. It also contains information on Japanese Pop music, links to Anime sites, and links to FTP servers where Japanese related programs such as Edict etc are stored. Contact: Byron Kidd An online Japanese-English dictionary. Contact Jeffrey Friedl . Web sites of major Japanese newspapers. A major English-language newspaper published in Japan. Web page for the ISSHO inter-cultural awareness organization (see also section 7.4.4). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.4.3) Newsgroups Last update: 5/99 kuso.shef.ac.uk archives the fj.* hierarchy of newsgroups, where discussions are in Japanese. You can also search for fj.* articles at www.dejanews.com along with most English language newsgroups. Refer to section 3.3 for some English language newsgroups that might be of interest. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (7.4.4) Mailing lists Last update: 10/98 ISSHO ISSHO is a non-profit organization formed by Tokyo-based foreign nationals which uses performing arts projects, symposia and computer networking to bring inter-cultural awareness in Japan and resolutions to cultural conflict on a global level. ISSHO digests are also posted to soc.culture.japan.moderated on a regular basis. To subscribe, (Japanese) Send mail to majordomo@jca.or.jp with the message SUBSCRIBE ISSHO-J (non-Japanese) Send mail to listproc@ishiilab.dnj.ynu.ac.jp with the message SUBSCRIBE ISSHO yourname -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (8.0) Japanese Media -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (8.1) Japanese short-wave radio Last update: 4/96 by Satoru Miyazaki, Michigan State Univesity Radio Japan has its own Web site now. Information on the current frequency schedules and the programs is available from: They also have some other interesting features both in English and Japanese. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (8.2) Overseas subscriptions to the Japan Times Last update: 10/98 The Japan Times is a daily newspaper, published in English. The latest subscription information is available from their web site at . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (99.0) Misc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: (99.1) How can I get copies of Japanese research papers? Last Update: ~1990 info from: Lawrence Garfield gwjapan@hamlet.umd.edu lg76@umail.umd.edu An academic or non-profit researcher can obtain internet access to NACSIS (Japan's National Center for Science Information Systems) by contacting: User Support Section II User Support Division Administrative Department National Center for Science Information Systems 3-29-1, Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112 Japan fax: +81-3-3942-6797 Their databases include information about research projects sponsored by Japan's Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture; papers presented at electronics and chemistry society conferences; doctoral theses; and Japanese- and foreign-language holdings of periodicals and books in the libraries of 1100 Japanese universities. Translation is fairly expensive running at this time (1990) at $50-80 per page of text. Double that for 1994.