HIGHTECH
Hello, Yoshimasa here.
The world is still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Japan still has not gotten it under grips. The yearlong battle with the coronavirus has led to enormous changes in Japan’s way of doing business.
Hello, Yoshimasa here. In my last column, I offered an intro to the Python 3 Certified Engineer Basic Examination that I and my colleagues administer. I also discussed the Zen of Python, which serves as a basic style guide for coding in Python, and the pythonic philosophy.
Carbon capture technology to prevent global warming
In order to prevent global warming many countries are working to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is one of the main greenhouse gases. Because the increased use of electric vehicles may reduce CO2 emissions, many regions have declared that only electric vehicle (EV) sales will be permitted in future.
Hello, Yoshimasa here. Python demand continues to grow globally. The language was first released over twenty years ago, and ever since engineers have been using it worldwide, helping to increase the number of available libraries and adding to its ease of use and productivity. At the same time, there is a sense that Japan lagged behind a little in adopting Python.
WORK
Interview with Henrique, a network engineer from Brazil, who wanted to step out of his comfort zone came to Japan. Now employed as a voice engineer by Human Resocia GIT.
Working for someone comes with a whole mess or unspoken assumptions and rules (or business etiquette, if you’re trying to phrase it nicely), especially in a Japanese workplace, and the consequences for missing those rules aren’t generally something you want to deal with.
It turns out there's a bit more to talking to people at work than one article can cover. I know, I wish there wasn't, but since it's things you might need to know, we might as well cover it.
So, you’ve got a job at a Japanese company. Congratulations! You’ve made it through the application and interview process, and now it’s actually time to go to work.
LIFE & RESIDENCE
The idea of bento (obento vs.bento is a matter of formality, 'obento' is more formal) is nothing unusual — boxed lunches exist just about anywhere. The main difference in Japan is how widespread it is, and how ingrained it is in the culture. Packing lunch happens everywhere, but it's an entire class of meal in Japan, partly because of the amount of time people spend away from home at work or school.
STUDY
So you've learned standard, formal Japanese from classes or textbooks, and not long after, you've run straight into a brick wall of phrases that weren't in there at all.
Self-study is key if you really want to get ahead in your Japanese language studies. Fortunately, there are a lot of great websites available offering free online study materials that can help keep you motivated. Here’s a run-down of some of the best.
We are in a golden age for Japanese language learners. Apart from all the apps, websites, interactive textbooks, and more that you can use to teach yourself, right now access to Japanese content is unprecedented. There is so much out there it can be hard to know where to get started. In this article, I’ll be offering some tips and introducing some of the best Japanese dramas to help out!
CULTURE
Today’s Akihabara is a town of subcultures and electricity.
The district is filled with stores selling anime, manga, various associated merchandise and video games, and maids can be seen in the streets, but that’s not all. If it’s machine parts you’re looking for, you can find that in Akihabara as well.
The reason for this is that a few decades ago, Akihabara was a district filled with parts shops selling radios, wireless machinery components, vacuum tubes and more.
There are a number of reasons why you might want to take up a martial art in Japan. The regular physical practice can help you keep fit, build confidence, and let off steam. A martial art can also be a gateway into Japanese culture.
Japan has a generous number of annual public holidays. There are 16 annual shukujitsu (祝日, national holidays) peppered throughout the year during which schools, public institutions, and many businesses are closed. By law, if a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will also be a holiday.
Japan has a rich array of annual events and festivities that are celebrated through the seasons, each with their own special traditions, and each with their own special foods. In this article we are going to look at some of Japan’s most important seasonal foods, and examine their significance.
TRAVEL
If you ask just about anyone in Japan, you will hear that Japan has four very distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
This is the second part of a two-part article on Japan’s most beautiful traditional gardens. In Part 1 we introduced gardens from Himeji, Hiroshima, Nara, Tokyo, and Kyoto. In Part 2 we return to Kyoto to visit two truly unique landscape gardens and then finish with the three most famous gardens in Japan.
Mountains cover around 70% of Japan and as hiking is a popular pastime in this country, its hiking trails are well-maintained, clearly sign-posted, and very easy to access. Even if you are based in one of Japan’s major metropolitan centers you are never more than a short train ride from a scenic mountain trek.
