Quote Originally Posted by Shiro
In which class is that "what to think of foreigners" taught?
Where is it written in what textbook?
Tell me if you can find anything applies to it in this education guidelines.
http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/01_c.htm As I said it before, what NPA released is the crime stats of VISITORS. Permanent residents are not counted in them. So, as for Koreans, you have to subtract 489,900 (tokubetsu eijuusha) from 625,422 (tourokusha) for estimating the rate at first. Calculate it once more.
http://www.moj.go.jp/PRESS/030530-1/030530-1.html
Didn't you say that it was for visitors AND residents ? How could they separate crime statistics based on whether the people are residents or not ? If they really do separate, where are the statistics for residents ? I am sure that the 1,800,000 residents (mostly Korean and Chinese) do commit at least some kind of crimes or offences.

"having unique four seasons" and "being unique for having four seasons" are completely different matters.
Exactly. No Japanese I met seemed to emphaise the fact that Japan had more distinct seasons when they asked me "does you country have 4 seasons ?". Anyway, European countries often have even more distinct seasons that Japan. In Tokyo and most of southern Japan, there is almost no winter. It snows just a few days a year, doesn't freexe (there are always flowers blossoming troughout winter). This winter, the ginko (銀杏) were still full of yellow leaves on New Year's Day, and the plum trees were already blossoming mid-February. Where is winter ?

Another seasonal change that lacks in Japan compared to Europe is major change in daylight between summer and winter. I was used to see the sun rise at 8-9am in winter (and set at 3-4pm), while it rises around 4-5am in summer and sets around 10-11pm. This is not even for Scandinavia or Scotland where the differences are even more marked.

Most Japanese do know 旧正月 and what it means.
Alright, then tell me when was the traditional New Year in today's calendar.

Quote Originally Posted by Shiro
Quote Originally Posted by Maciamo
Japanese teachers misinform their students by telling them that all Westerners speak English.
This is plain lie.
Oh yes ? Maybe in your experience, but many of the Japanese I know (including my wife) told me that. There has been a lot of discussion about this on this forum. For example, one Japanese member explained this earlier in this thread (see post #100 by Epigene)