Tag Archive: japan news – intermediate
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2017年5月12日
Pre-reading questions: How long do you think can a person work in a company? Why? At what age do you want to retire? Why? What do you plan to do with your time after retirement? Seniors in Japan usually still work after they retire. A program has been set in place to help seniors land jobs. Economists say that if Japan wants to alleviate its worsening labor shortage, it needs a whole lot more people, like retiring seniors. It is unconventional for seniors to work after retirement. Japan does an inadequate job of employing healthy seniors. People in their senior years can still work. There are still so many things…
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2017年5月4日
Pre-reading questions: How often do you ride a taxi in a week? Have you ever had a bad taxi ride? How does one become a taxi driver in your country? People in Tokyo who love taking short taxi rides will enjoy the lowered fare. The initial fare for taxis in Tokyo used to be ¥730 for the first two kilometers. The new initial fare for taxis in Tokyo is ¥410 for the first 1.052 kilometers. The new fare system started in the cities of Musashino and Mitaka. An 85-year old Tachikawa resident appreciates this new fare system as this would allow her to move around Tokyo with more ease. She…
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2017年4月10日
Pre-reading questions: Would you be interested in working abroad? Please explain your answer. What are the challenges of working away from your family/home country? Around 600 young Vietnamese students are studying Japanese language and culture, bracing themselves to become technical interns in Japan. Most of the students hail from rural areas of Vietnam. The majority of foreign workers in Japan are Vietnamese since Vietnam promotes export of labor while providing employment to its citizens. Despite the multiple benefits of this project, many foreign trainees suddenly disappear upon dispatch. Some companies committed labor violations such as non-payment of wages so trainees end up fleeing. Other interns have difficulty in…
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2017年4月6日
Pre-reading questions: What is your opinion about cyber attacks? How can you keep information safe online? Companies receive help from Tokyo police to fight against cyber crimes. MPD’s Public Safety Bureau covered about 100 companies whose offices – such as railways operators, airlines, financial institutions, telecommunication services – situate around Tokyo. Participating companies possess key infrastructure and advanced technology. Information gathered will be analyzed by a special investigation unit. Those data will then be placed in a secure and private server so companies can retrieve it. This is to help them have time to take precautionary measures should they experience possible attacks in the future. Vocabulary: bureau – office or…
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2017年4月4日
Pre-reading questions: In your opinion, why are there generally more men than women in top positions in companies? Do you think employers should hire more women than men? Name some of the negative impacts of working overtime. Nowadays, more and more companies in Japan are looking for ways to reduce overtime work. As one measure to achieving this goal, companies are turning to hiring more women to work for them. With more women as employees, overtime work will be lessened. Women do not usually work overtime as they have responsibilities waiting at home. Rank up Co., a Tokyo-based cosmetics development and sales company, where employees are mostly women, start to…
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2017年3月14日
Pre-reading questions: Is it common for working fathers to take parental leaves? Should women be given more parental leaves? What comes to mind when you hear the womenomics? Some Japanese companies have initiated a remarkable shift in giving support to working mothers. Perhaps influenced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s womenomics agenda, certain companies have started giving more benefits to working mothers to increase their participation in the workforce. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made increasing women’s labor force participation one of the most important factors of his economic plan. For example, one company has recommended its working fathers to take parental leave. This company has also encouraged working fathers who take parental…
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2017年2月7日
Pre-reading questions: Do you often visit hot springs? What are the benefits of bathing in a hot spring? Tell me about the last time you visited a hot spring. Some ryokans (japanese inns) have introduced “furosshu”, which offers guests the experience of bathing in an onsen (hot spring) where local sake (rice wine) is combined. Visitors get the chance to soak in a sake-onsen every 26th of the month in ten onsen districts located in Niigata Prefecture. Sake-onsen guests will benefit from different skin treatments. Amino acid in sake is a potent moisturizer which is good for brightening the skin. Satisfied customers continue to rave about the positive…
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2017年1月27日
Pre-reading questions: Have you visited other prefectures in your country? Do you have any favorite cities? Which is better, the urban life or the rural life? Why? Most retired people settle themselves in a rural area. They want to live in a secluded place. Nowadays, young people are considering to live in a slow life. Relocating themselves in a farm life and in fishing villages is a good start. A 29-year-old mother said that she can benefit a lot in slow living over the busy life of the city. People in rural areas can help villagers with their farming and fishing activities. Their culture comes from agriculture and from nature….
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2017年1月16日
Pre-reading questions: How can a child express his love for his/her parents? Have you ever cheered for your parents before they go to work? Can a drawing cheer anyone up? Why? A decorated truck has been launched by a transportation company in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture. The project is to provide emotional support for drivers and to avoid misfortune while on the road. At first, the management has thought upgrading driving equipment would be inadequate to avoid accidents. Now, they have found out that it’s important for drivers and the people they love to find peace while drivers are at work. This project is supported by 15 transportation companies…
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2016年12月22日
Pre-reading questions: What is your favorite TV program? What is the model of your TV set? Do you watch TV every day? Development of higher TV formats is rising in Japan. Japan has just started testing to broadcast in the new format. Private broadcasters and TV companies have high expectations for the broadcasting formats with higher resolution such as 4K and 8K. Companies are also into accelerating their development projects. Electronic companies are signing up to change their formats to 4K and 8K. The 4k format is times higher than the normal format while the 8K format is sixteen times better. This technology is anticipated by most. However,…
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