* * * * * * * * * T E R R I E 'S T A K E * * * * * * *<br>A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd.<br>(<a href="http://www.terrie.com">http://www.terrie.com</a>)<br><br>General Edition Sunday, January 30, 2011, Issue No. 599<br>
<br>+++ INDEX<br><br>- What's New<br>- Short Takes<br>- News<br>- Candidate Roundup/Vacancies<br>- Upcoming Events<br>- Corrections/Feedback<br>- News Credits<br><br>SUBSCRIBE to, UNSUBSCRIBE from Terrie's Take at:<br>
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<a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/">http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/</a><br><br><br>---------- UPGRADE TODAY TO PBXL IP TELEPHONY ----------<br><br>PBXL has the solution for your office. PBXL will purchase<br>
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<br>----------- PBXL is BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS ------------<br><br><br>+++ WHAT'S NEW<br><br>Over the last couple of years, both the foreign and <br>Japanese press have been carrying stories about more and <br>more seniors being driven to shoplifting because of the <br>
economy and other factors. The situation seems to be <br>getting a lot worse, and the National Police Agency (NPA) <br>released a statement this week saying that a full 27,362 <br>people aged 65 or older were arrested for shoplifting last <br>
year. This rate of arrests has the oldsters level-pegging <br>with teenagers, the nation's traditional shoplifters.<br><br>This number is quite significant, in that not only has it <br>doubled in the last 10 years, but also because at 20% of <br>
the population, those aged 65 or older now comprise 26% of <br>the total number of shoplifters apprehended by police. This<br>is disproportionate, especially given that this is a <br>generation that learned respect and obedience the hard way. <br>
<br>Actually, you'd think that in a relatively tolerant society <br>like Japan that many of these aged petty offenders would <br>simply be let off with a warning and some sort of supervision, <br>and indeed that is happening. Most get a suspended <br>
sentence and are told not to come back. Unfortunately, <br>the number of recidivists is climbing, and now about 16% of <br>the prison population is 60 or older -- most being in there for <br>stealing.<br><br>So why are the elderly are turning to shoplifting? A 2009 <br>
Tokyo Metropolitan Police study of shoplifters found that <br>almost 24% of pensioner arrests said that loneliness drove <br>them to it. We're not sure exactly how loneliness drives <br>old people to shoplifting directly, surely stalking or<br>
running out of bars before paying the bill would be a more <br>likely crime. But we suppose that if being alone means no <br>emotional and financial support, then of course someone <br>without that support might resort to measures that make <br>
sense to them even as it wouldn't to friends and family <br>who would otherwise try to stop them.<br><br>[Continued below...]<br><br>-------------- Cut your communications costs --------------<br><br>How do you cut your communication bill while increasing its<br>
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TEL: 03-5225-7017<br><br>*Seminar is held in Japanese.*<br>------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>[...Article continues]<br><br>Certainly basic need is a big part of shoplifting for the<br>elderly. In the Tokyo Police study, 55.4% of aged<br>
shoplifters were single and 40% were living alone. <br>Apparently 80% of the items they stole were worth JPY1,000 <br>or less, and tended to be either food (80% of cases) or <br>clothing. Given that some of these elderly are trying to <br>
survive on a basic pension of around JPY80,000 a month <br>(what a divorced wife, widow, or long-term unemployed <br>person might be on if they had not contributed to the <br>pension system sufficiently to qualify for additional<br>
benefits), it's no wonder that some people might be <br>turning to other ways to support themselves.<br><br>We think another possible reason for the upsurge in elderly<br>arrests can be found in the statistics of those pensioners <br>
already in prison. According to a Japan Times article <br>published last month, over HALF of the inmates of the <br>geriatric wing of Hiroshima's Onomichi prison have some <br>kind of dementia. Living alone, there would be no <br>
one close by to recognize the symptoms of dementia<br>and get help. Instead, an aged, needy person could <br>repeatedly commit delinquent acts without remorse <br>or even recollection of having done so, until they get <br>
caught. <br><br>Typically Japan's patient store owners will let an elderly <br>shoplifter off with a warning. But if the perpetrator is not <br>mentally competent, then with repeated visits to steal<br>something, sooner or later even the most patient store <br>
owner will get fed up and call the police. The fact that <br>so many elderly are getting caught seems to further <br>substantiate our theory that much of this stealing is not <br>the work of a competent mind.<br><br>So might Japan be suffering from a wave of shoplifters<br>
with mild dementia or Alzheimer's disease?<br><br>If the Japan Times number is correct, then it might be<br>asked why elderly people with dementia are being sent to <br>prison for such a petty crime as shoplifting when in fact<br>
the courts should instead be placing them with care homes <br>where they can get proper treatment and sympathy. But, as <br>the Japan Times article highlights, prison is a good<br>pragmatic second choice if society doesn't like the idea<br>
of letting you off the hook to a care home. <br><br>For those who are mentally competent, so long as you <br>can put up with a regimented life and not being allowed to<br>talk too often, prison is also a good second choice. As an <br>
elderly unemployed single person you get three square <br>meals a day, a community of friends, and things to do. <br>Apparently the prisons even supply incontinence diapers for<br>those who need them. The JT article quoted several <br>
prisoners who in their late 60's wanted to stay in prison <br>rather than try to fend for themselves, all alone, in open<br>society. Recidivism in such situations is not at all<br>irrational.<br><br>Life in Japan is not going to get any easier for the <br>
elderly, especially now that the nation's public finances <br>are under such pressure. And with consumption tax likely to<br>go to 15% in the next 5 years (our guess), even buying food<br>and paying rent will become difficult. Could you live on <br>
JPY15,000 a month? We certainly could not. Thus, we suspect<br>that the current trend of fitting out prisons with geriatric <br>wards is going to increase. Further, there needs to be a<br>proper study done on the mental competency of those elderly<br>
being sent to prison for petty offenses. It could well be that<br>they need doctors, not prison guards.<br><br><br>...The information janitors/<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>+++ SHORT TAKES<br>
<br>Some readers have asked why we are running these health <br>products messages. Just more ads? Well, no. Actully, we use<br>these products ourselves, to stay competitive working and <br>playing in Tokyo and know them to be effective. It's our <br>
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an antioxidant. If you're taking CoQ10, it's worth knowing<br>that Ubiquinol is a much more effective form. <br><br><a href="http://www.iherb.com/Healthy-Origins-Ubiquinol-100-mg-60-Softgels/12560?at=0">http://www.iherb.com/Healthy-Origins-Ubiquinol-100-mg-60-Softgels/12560?at=0</a><br>
<br>* <a href="http://iherb.com">iherb.com</a> referral code -- LOY499<br>* Pays us a small commission at no extra cost to you.<br><br>=> 2. Hotel stay for two at Hotel Avanshell Akasaka<br><br>This week's Metropolis Members Club prize is a free night's<br>
stay at the Hotel Avanshell Akasaka, courtesy of the Hotel<br>Avanshell.<br><br>Well, we said it would happen, and it did. The lucky person<br>to win two tickets to any United direct destination in the <br>USA or Asia, courtesy of United Airlines, was Seguel Kembo. <br>
More tickets coming up in coming months.<br><br>Becoming a Metropolis Member is as simple as going to the <br>website and signing up for the weekly newsletter. No other <br>obligations. <br><a href="http://blogs.metropolis.co.jp/club/">http://blogs.metropolis.co.jp/club/</a><br>
<br>* Many more prizes scheduled in coming weeks. <br>* No charge to enter.<br>* Simply receive the MMC newsletter to stay in the draw.<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>--------- BIOS - Bilingual IT Systems and Support ---------<br>
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<br>This innovative service is available for companies needing<br>to hire staff for Japanese customers, but who are unable<br>to commit to the expense and infrastructure of maintaining<br>an office in Japan. We take care of all aspects of the<br>
employment, contracting, and dispatch -- including <br>management of the employee.<br><br>For more information on this and other SI and IT services,<br>in English or Japanese:<br><br>Phone: (03) 4588-2220, Email: <a href="mailto:solutions@biosjp.com">solutions@biosjp.com</a><br>
Web: <a href="http://www.biosjp.com">www.biosjp.com</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>+++ NEWS<br><br>- Bird flu gets worse<br>- Household spending falls 3.3%<br>- Will Japan default on its debt?<br>
- Bahamas tax treaty signed<br>- Yamato to expand significantly<br><br><br>-> Bird flu gets worse<br><br>Playing a repeat of the bovine foot and mouth epidemic that<br>required the elimination of entire herds from Miyazaki in <br>
Kyushu last year, now the farmers of Miyazaki have been <br>stricken with bird flu amongst their poultry. The latest <br>epidemic appears to be spreading quickly and so far about <br>120,000 chickens have been culled. ***Ed: Perhaps worse <br>
than the outbreaks, though, is an admission by the Miyazaki <br>Prefectural government that it failed to inspect 75% of the<br>required quota of farms and birds because it doesn't have <br>enough staff to do the job. You'd think they would have <br>
learned from the bovine culls that they need to get on top <br>of their agricultural sanitation issues.** (Source: TT <br>commentary from <a href="http://japantimes.co.jp">japantimes.co.jp</a>, Jan 29, 2011)<br><br><a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110129a3.html">http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20110129a3.html</a><br>
<br>-> Household spending falls 3.3%<br><br>Deflation continues apace in Japan, aided by the fact that <br>consumers just don't have any confidence to spend. In <br>December 2010, the average household cut its spending by <br>
3.3% compared to December 2009. The average outgoings for a<br>household were JPY327,006, well below expectations. For the<br>whole year, spending was also down, by around 2.8% year on <br>year. By category, clothing was down the most, with an <br>
11.3% drop. ***Ed: Thus providing us with an explanation <br>for Fast Retailing's poor numbers this last quarter.** <br>(Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://tmcnet.com">tmcnet.com</a>, Jan 27, 2011)<br><br><a href="http://callcenterinfo.tmcnet.com/news/2011/01/27/5273098.htm">http://callcenterinfo.tmcnet.com/news/2011/01/27/5273098.htm</a><br>
<br>-> Will Japan default on its debt?<br><br>Probably the best summation we've seen of the Japanese <br>humongous public debt problem and whether or not the nation<br>will suffer a debt default similar to that in Greece, comes<br>
from an article written for Reuters and published last <br>Friday. In that analysis, the conclusions are that Japan <br>still has enough savings, foreign earnings, and foreign <br>securities that it can sustain the current deficit for some<br>
years to come -- despite the recent ratings downgrade by <br>S&P. ***Ed: Some really excellent numbers and other source <br>material in this article. We think it is compulsory reading<br>for everyone doing business with Japan. (Source: TT <br>
commentary from <a href="http://reuters.com">reuters.com</a>, Jan 28, 2011)<br><br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/4mln4hl">http://tinyurl.com/4mln4hl</a><br><br>-> Bahamas tax treaty signed<br><br>Following on from the US government's lead, the Japanese <br>
government has been signing contracts with potential tax <br>havens, to ensure that they can get access to information <br>pertaining to companies registered in those jurisdictions. <br>The first was with Bermuda, occurring last August, and the <br>
latest one was signed this last week with the Bahamas. <br>According to the treaty, the Japanese tax office can now <br>request all kinds of financial information about companies <br>registered there and transactions they are effecting that <br>
might concern Japan. (Source: TT commentary from <br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com">e.nikkei.com</a>, Jan 28, 2011)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20110128D28JF150.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20110128D28JF150.htm</a><br>
<br>-> Yamato to expand significantly<br><br>In an indication of how exports from Japan's <br>small-to-medium size companies and small-lot orders are <br>increasing, and due to the fact that the transport business<br>
in Japan is now at saturation, transport company Yamato <br>says that it is expanding its Asian delivery services <br>significantly. The company expects to double its shipments <br>over the next 9 years to 2bn parcels a year, with another <br>
8 countries joining its delivery network over that time. <br>Interestingly, the company is offering some domestic-only <br>services abroad, such as shipping refrigerated and frozen <br>packages, and choosing the date and time of delivery. <br>
(Source: TT commentary from <a href="http://e.nikkei.com">e.nikkei.com</a>, Jan 28, 2011)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20110127D27JFA10.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20110127D27JFA10.htm</a><br>
<br><br>NOTE: Broken links<br>Many online news sources remove their articles after just a<br>few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we<br>apologize for the inconvenience.<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
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<br>+++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP/VACANCIES<br><br>=> BiOS, a Division of the LINC Media group, is actively <br>marketing the following positions for customers setting up <br>or expanding in Japan, as well as other employers of <br>
bilinguals.<br><br>** HIGHLIGHTED POSITION<br><br>BiOS is Urgently seeking a Network Architect to join a <br>global information media company in Tokyo. The company is <br>currently expanding their services to both existing and new<br>
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<br>- Service Delivery Project Manager, Market Data, JPY9m–12m<br>- Desktop Engineer, Global IT co JPY3m – JPY4m<br>- Wintel Integration Engineer, BiOS JPY6.5m – JPY8m<br>- Public Relations Specialist, Global Health co JPY6m–8m<br>
- Account Manager (IT Sales Team), BiOS JPY3m – JPY4.5m<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:kenji.sakota@biosjp.com">kenji.sakota@biosjp.com</a><br><br>** BiOS Job Mail<br><br>Every 2 weeks BiOS sends out a regular communication to its<br>
job seeking candidates, called BiOS Job Mail. Every edition<br>carries a list of BiOS's current and most up-to-date<br>vacancies, with each entry featuring a short job<br>description and a direct link to the main entry on the BiOS<br>
home page. Regardless of whether you are unemployed and<br>searching, thinking about a career change, or just curious<br>to know if there is something out there that might suit you<br>better, the BiOS Job Mail newsletter is an easy and<br>
convenient way for you to stay informed. If you would like<br>to register for the BiOS Job Mail, or to find out more,<br>please email <a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a>.<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br>
<a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br><br>+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS<br>
<br>--------------- Start a Company in Japan ------------------<br><br>Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 19th of February, 2011<br><br>If you have been considering setting up your own company,<br>find out what it takes to make it successful. Terrie Lloyd,<br>
founder of over 13 start-up companies in Japan, will be <br>giving an English-language seminar and Q&A on starting up <br>a company in Japan at The Executive Centre (Tokyo Bankers <br>Club).<br><br>This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,<br>
and to ask specific questions that are not normally <br>answered in business books. All materials are in English <br>and are Japan-focused.<br><br>Date: Feb 19th, 2011 (SAT)<br>Location: The Executive Centre (Tokyo Bankers Club)<br>
<br>For more details:<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar">http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar</a><br><br>Our special thanks for the venue go to The Executive <br>Centre, Mr. Paul Taylor<br>
TEL: 090-9363-9605/email: Paul_Taylor@ExecutiveCentre.com<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>+++ CORRECTIONS/FEEDBACK<br>
<br>In this section we run comments and corrections submitted<br>by readers. We encourage you to spot our mistakes and<br>amplify our points, by email, to <a href="mailto:editors@terrie.com">editors@terrie.com</a>.<br><br>
*** No feedback this week.<br><br>***********************************************************<br>END<br><br>SUBSCRIBERS: 8,743 members as of January 30, 2010<br>(We purge our list regularly.)<br><br>+++ ABOUT US<br><br>STAFF<br>
Written by: Terrie Lloyd (<a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>)<br><br>HELP: E-mail <a href="mailto:Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com">Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com</a><br>with the word 'help' in the subject or body (don't include<br>
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<br>Copyright 2011 Japan Inc. Communications Inc.<br><br>----------------- Japan Inc opens up Japan ----------------<br><br>J@pan Inc is Japan's leadng independently published <br>English-language business website. Authoritatively <br>
chronicling business trends in Japan, each posting brings <br>you in-depth analysis of business, people and technology in<br>the world's second largest economy. <br><br>Visit <a href="http://www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a> for the best business insight on<br>
Japan available.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br><br>