Internet Info 1993/Internet Info CD-ROM (Walnut Creek) (1993).iso/answers/news/japan/references

Text File | 1994-04-13 | 54.7 KB | 1,461 lines

Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,news.answers
Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!hookup!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!nwnexus!neopath!mike
From: [e-mail] (Mike Rosenlof)
Subject: Soc.culture.japan references [Monthly Posting]
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Followup-To: soc.culture.japan
Summary: FAQ list
Keywords: FAQ
Sender: [e-mail]
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Mike Rosenlof)
Organization: NeoPath Inc. Bellevue Washington
Date: Tue, 12 Apr 1994 21:02:47 GMT
Approved: [e-mail]
Lines: 1444
Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu soc.culture.japan:35252 news.answers:17992

Archive-name: japan/references


Subject: (0.0) Administrivia

We're late this month due to a change of our news transport mechanism.
Keep those electronic cards and letters coming folks. I mostly just edit
you out there do the writing.

Subject: (1.0) Table of Contents


    (0.0) Administrivia
    (1.0) Table of Contents
    (2.0) Redistribution
    (3.0) About soc.culture.japan
    (3.1) What is soc.culture.japan about?
    (3.2) Reminders
    (3.3) Kill Files
    (3.3.1) rn/trn KILL files
    (4.0) Japanese Culture
    (4.1) Bibliography
    (4.2) Japanese Films and TV Programs
    (4.3) Is "Gaijin" a derogatory term?
    (4.4) Burakumin and Ainu
    (4.5) Language
    (4.5.1) Is "arigato" from Purtugese "obrigado"?
    (4.6) Sumo
    (5.0) Going to Japan
    (5.1) Travel Info
    (5.2) Finding a Job (for non-Japanese)
    (5.2.1) JET
    (5.2.2) Other English Teaching Jobs
    (5.3) Taking Electronics - video, computers
    (5.4) What are the laws for Japanese citizenship at birth?
    (5.5) Gifts
!   (5.6) Homestays
    (6.0) Japanese Information Processing
    (6.1) Internet Access
    (6.1.1) TWICS
    (6.2) Finding an E-mail address to XXX in Japan
    (6.3) How can I read or write Japanese on my computer
    (6.3.1) Japanese on the Macintosh
    (6.3.2) Japanese on MS-DOS and Windows
    (6.3.3) Japanese on Unix, X-windows
    (6.4) Character Encodings
    (99.0) Misc.
    (99.1) Overseas subscriptions to the Japan Times
    (99.2) How can I get copies of Japanese research papers?


[+] new stuff or corrections added
[!] new section

This list is maintained by

Mike rosenlof                   [phone]
[e-mail]     NeoPath, Bellevue Washington USA

----

Subject: (2.0) Redistribution

Copies may be freely distributed intact, and portions may be quoted
provided proper credit is given. "From the soc.culture.japan FAQ
article." would be sufficient credit. Please do not repost this
FAQ back to soc.culture.japan or to any mailing list or BBS that will
automatically find its way back to s.c.j.

As the editor, I have attempted to credit original authors as well as
I know them, and if they have wished to be credited.  If anybody sees
their writing here, and wishes something about it changed, please send
e-mail to the address above.

---

Subject: (3.0) About soc.culture.japan

----

Subject: (3.1) What is soc.culture.japan about?

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 articles
between s.c.j and the mailing list were gated back and forth for quite
a while.  The original mailing list aparently no longer exists, and
the audience for s.c.j has grown much wider in the years since those
early days.

The 'newsgroups' file at my site lists the purpose of s.c.j as

    Everything Japanese, except the Japanese language

so from the most basic sense, that's what this group is about.

Language discussions appear frequently, and so do many other topics.
The table of contents of this FAQ gives some clues as to what somebody
consideres frequently asked questions.

There are also Frequently Argued Topics in s.c.j. many of them relate
to many of the less than admirable aspects of Japanese history and
culture. Actions of the Japanese military during World War II, and
past and current attitudes toward Japan's asian neighbors are popular
FATs.

The newsgroup has readers from a number of countries, native cultures,
and native languages. With rare exceptions, all posts are in English,
which means if Japanese readers post, they are generally not using
their native language. Misunderstandings because of language
difficulties are very possible. This group is reported widely read in
Japan by Japanese, but the majority of posts _from_ Japan are North
American or European expatriates.


---

Subject: (3.2) Reminders

Read news.announce.newusers.

Japan is certainly an interesting and important topic these days.
Soc.culture.japan CAN BE an important conduit for discussion, but
readers must keep in mind several things.

Consider for instance that learning about the culture thru say the
martial arts is a bit "insulting."  One might not know that
rec.martial-arts now exists, but one might commit a social faux pas as
they say. Similarly, one would not generalize Japanese business with
say The Book of Five Rings.  A bit of email research (asking your news
admin) can avoid this embarassment.

This newsgroup contains much useful information, but does have its
share of noise. In an effort to minimize the noise, this file begins
with a little polite reminder that...

1) Misunderstanding is EXTREMELY likely.  This is always the case on
usenet, but even more so in newsgroups read by and posted to be people
representing multiple cultures and native languages. To paraphrase H.
Spencer: an ounce of understanding beats a pound of flaming.

2) Read news.announce.newusers and comprehend BEFORE posting.

2a) Edit SUBJECT lines, MINIMIZE cross-posting, and use FOLLOW-UP
lines.

3) Read some books about Japan and the other countries whose relations
with Japan you wish to discuss. This will help eliminate the "gross
generalizations" contained in many posts. This will also minimize
cyclic discussion. Of course, no single book can convey all viewpoints
or perspectives. Read a couple with an open mind. A bibliography is
included in this post.

4) Avoid using inflamatory terms to refer to people of other races and
nationalities.  For example, it is very rude to refer to the Japanese
as Japs, and referring to non-Japanese as Gaijin is controversial at
best, offensive to some. There are such terms for all nationalities
and races. Strive to educate!

5) Be mindful of the fact that all of us have different values:
Americans, Europeans, Japanese, Asian Americans of all backgrounds

other news groups exist:
        soc.culture.asian.american
        soc.culture.korean
        soc.culture.china
        soc.culture.taiwan
        soc.culture.hongkong
        soc.culture.usa
        soc.culture.europe
        etc...
        comp.research.japan
        soc.penpals
        sci.lang.japan

The entire fj hierarchy comes to several sites in the U.S., but
articles are in Japanese, so reading them requires terminals with
Kanji support.

fj.life.in-japan may also be of interest. It's not widely available
in the U.S., but most articles are in English so don't require special
software.

6) Lastly, please remember that different cultures each approach mail
and news a little differently. Although not many people post to s.c.j
from Japan, many people in Japan do read it.  We are not going to
solve intercultural flame wars here, but it would help if we didn't
get involved and sought real solutions instead.

----

Subject: (3.3) Kill Files

Since soc.culture.japan covers a wide range of topics, its volume is
fairly high, count on over 100 articles every day. There is also a wide
range of interests and opinions expressed that are not going to be
of interest to all readers.

Several news reading programs support KILL files, which allow articles
to be discarded due to subject, author, or many other criterea.  This
section currently deals only with rn/trn. Others are urged to send
similar information for their favorite news reader.

---

Subject: (3.3.1) rn/trn KILL files

    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.

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.

    /unwatned 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 or trn.


----

Subject: (4.0) Japanese Culture

----

Subject: (4.1) Bibliography

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.


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.



History:

Japan; Edwin O. Reischaur
    A brief introduction to the long history of Japan. Not great, but
    widely available.

A History of Japan; Sir George B. Sansom
    A considerably more extensive history. 3 volumes.



Literature:

Kawabata Yasunari
    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.

Natsume Soseki
    Botchan
    Kokoro
    Sorekara
        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.

Mishima Yukio
    Temple of the Golden Pavillion
        Mishima is perhaps, as famous for his 1968 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.

Tanizaki Junichiro
    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.


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.

Abe Kobo
    The Woman of the Dunes
    Around the Curve (short stories)
        Abe is sometimes called the Edgar Allen Poe of Japan. Similar
        macabre or twisted type stories. Died in January 1993.

Murakami Haruki
    A Wild Sheep Chase
    The Hard Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World
        Murakami is a current best selling author in Japan. These
        two novels are (sometimes wild) fantasy adventures.

The Showa Anthology;  Van C. Gessel * Tomone Matsumoto Ed.
    vol 1 1929-1961
    vol 2 1961-1984
        Volume 1 especially 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; ??? Ed.
        Also very recent. Short story collection.



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.

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 recomended from several sources.


---

Subject: (4.2) Japanese Films and TV Programs


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.

Kurosawa Akira and Mizugochi Kenji 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 Ozu Yasujiro's "Tokyo
Story" have at times appeared on the Sight and Sound magazine's once
every ten years poll of film critics.

Ichikawa Kon has directed a few movies that have made it to the U.S. and
Itami Juzo 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: (4.3) Is "Gaijin" a derogatory term?

This issue crops up occasionally as a usually 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 <noun> from another country.
Gaisha for foreign cars, gaijin for foreign people, gaika for foreign
goods.

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: (4.4) Burakumin and Ainu


---

Subject: (4.5) Language

Language issues come up regularly in this newsgroup. Even though
language and culture are directly linked, the newsgroup sci.lang.japan
is prefered 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:
      [e-mail] or
      [e-mail]
    with no subject and the line
      SUB Nihongo <your REAL name>
    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:
        [e-mail] or
        [e-mail]
      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:
      [e-mail] or
      [e-mail]
    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 ftp.uwtc.washington.edu, in
/pub/Japanese/FAQ.sci.lang.japan.v4.93. Presumably, the 'v4.93' part
of the filename will change.

----

Subject: (4.5.1) Is "arigato" from Purtugese "obrigado"?

The Portugese were the first Europeans to have a lot of contact with
Japan, mostly in the 16th century.  Japanese took many words from the
Portugese language, "pan" and "tabako" for bread and tobacco are two
easy examples.  Despite the similary of meaning and sound, the
linguistic sources agree that "arigatou" is pure Japanese, unrelated
to "obrigado".


----

Subject: (4.6) Sumo

from [e-mail]


Sumo Winning Techniques:

The English descriptions below are not overly descriptive, and if you
haven't seen the technique used, you may not know how it works.  Well,
being the resident expert (NOT), I am just passing along the info that
I could find.  I didn't want to take up too much bandwidth with more
detailed explanations, either.  If anyone has a better way to express
a technique in English, please feel free to send it to me by e-mail,
and I'll amend the list and send it out later.  Enjoy!

 1) Abisetaoshi:  backward force-down
 2) Amiuchi:  net-casting twist-down
 3) Ashitori:  two-handed leg tip-over
 4) Chongake:  heel-brace force-down
 5) Gasshohineri:  clasped-hands twist throw
 6) Harimanage:  rear-belt throw
 7) Hatakikomi:  slap-down
 8) Hikiotoshi:  hand pull-down
 9) Hikkake:  arm-grabbing force-out
10) Ippon-Zeoi:  over-the-shoulder throw
11) Izori:  submarine scoop reverse dump
12) Kainahineri:  two-handed arm twist-down
13) Kakenage:  arm-leg combination throw
14) Kakezori:  leg-kick sacrifice throw
15) Katasukashi:  under-shoulder swing-down
16) Kawazugake: backward lift counter trip
17) Kekaeshi:  footsweep
18) Ketaguri: inside-ankle-kick pull-down
19) Kimedashi:  elbow-clamp force-out
20) Kimetaoshi:  elbow-clamp force-down
21) Kirikaeshi:  twisting backward knee trip
22) Komatasukui:  over-thigh scoop dump
23) Koshinage:  hip-lift throw
24) Kotenage:  arm-lock throw
25) Kubihineri:  twisting head throw
26) Kubinage:  head-lock throw
27) Makiotoshi:  sideways twist-throw
28) Mitokorozeme: triple attack force-out
29) Nichonage: leg-sweep throw
30) Nimaigeri:  ankle-kick twist-down
31) Okuridashi:  rear push-out
32) Okuritaoshi:  rear pull-down
33) Omata: open-stance thigh-grabbing dump
34) Oshidashi:  frontal push-out
35) Oshitaoshi: frontal push-down
36) Sabaori:  forward force-down
37) Sakatottari:  arm-bar throw counter
38) Shitatedashinage:  pulling under-arm throw
39) Shitatehineri:  twisting under-arm throw
40) Shitatenage:  under-arm throw
41) Shumokuzori:  bell-hammer shoulder throw
42) Sotogake:  outside leg trip
43) Sotokomata:  under-thigh scoop dump
44) Sotomuso:  outer-thigh-grabbing twist-down
45) Soto-Tasukizori:  cat-fooling throw
46) Sukuinage:  beltless arm-throw
47) Susoharai:  backward footsweep
48) Susotori: ankle-grabbing backward dump
49) Tasukizori:  shoulder sacrifice throw
50) Tottari:  arm-bar throw
51) Tsukaminage:  lift throw
52) Tsukidashi:  thrust out
53) Tsukiotoshi:  twist-down
54: Tsukitaoshi:  thrust-down
55) Tsumatori:  leg-lift dump
56) Tsuridashi:  lift out
57) Tsuriotoshi:  lift dump
58) Uchigake:  inside leg trip
59) Uchimuso:  inner-thigh-grabbing twist-down
60) Utchari:  backward pivot throw
61) Uwatedashinage:  pulling over-arm throw
62) Uwatehineri:  twisting over-arm throw
63) Uwatenage:  over-arm throw
64) Waridashi:  upper-arm force-out
65) Watashikomi:  thigh-grabbing push-down
66) Yaguranage:  pendulum throw
67) Yobimodoshi:  backward push-down
68) Yorikiri:  frontal force-out
69) Yoritaoshi:  frontal crush-out
70) Zubineri:  elbow-twist throw

The following non-techniques are how one loses all by oneself:

Koshikudake:  inadvertent hip collapse
Isamiashi:  inadvertent step-out


---

Subject: (5.0) Going to Japan

---

Subject: (5.1) Travel info

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.

A rather lengthy file of general travel hints gets posted to s.c.j
from time to time. It is not included in this FAQ list due to its
size. It is available by anonymous FTP from neutrino.nuc.berkeley.edu
(128.32.142.191) in the directory pub/Japanese/travel.


---

Subject: (5.2) Getting a Job in Japan (for non-Japanese)
From: [e-mail] (Mike Fester)

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.

If you cannot get Shuushoku Jouhou easily, you can write the
publisher/distrib- tor directly.  It's published by Recruit
U.S.A./International Career Information Inc., 1055 W. Seventh St.,
Suite 2680, Los Angeles, CA 90017, Tel [phone].

There is another magazine of the same sort called _Adapt_.  If you
want to subscribe to it, you can call 1-800-344-7241 (from U.S. and
Canada).

If you do not speak Japanese, it becomes more difficult, but not
impossible.  Get ahold 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 targetted 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 excep- tions 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 (eg, 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 aparently 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?

Some countries, eg, Great Britain, have reciprocity agreements with
Japan, allowing people to 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. It IS possible to get a
part-time teaching job or two, and some translation jobs if you
hustle. 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: (5.2.1) JET
From: [e-mail] (Jerry Blanton)

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 (1994), participating countries are:  USA, Canada, UK, Germany,
France, Australia and New Zealand.  This year there are over 3,000
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.

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.

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$30,000.  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 you closest Japanese Embassy or consulate.

You can also e-mail me, Jerry Blanton ([e-mail]) for general questions,
however, I left the JET program three years ago so I cannot answer
questions about specific matters.


----

Subject: (5.2.2) Other English Teaching Jobs

[look back at the main section 5.2 - it's got a little on this]

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: (5.3) Taking Electronics - video, computers

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 compatable 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. Aparently, Tokyo and Osaka, being
the first cities in Japan to elictrify, 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: (5.4) What are the laws for Japanese citizenship at birth?

[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.

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 reaality, be stateless.

----

Subject: (5.5) Gifts

[working on it]

----

Subject: (5.6) Homestays

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.

Consulate General of Japan
250 East First Street, Suite 1507
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Telephone [phone]

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
    [phone]

2)    LEX America
    68 Leonard Street
    Belmont, MA 02178
    [phone]

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


----

Subject: (6.0) Japanese Information Processing

Look back to the bibliography section of this file, and note a book by
Ken Lunde. It's a good start to answering many questions in this area.
The sci.lang.japan FAQ file is also a good reference.

---

Subject: (6.1) How to get internet access in Japan

There used to be information in this section that was old and out
of date.  The following is all the recent information I have now.

---

Subject: (6.1.1) TWICS

TWICS offers E-mail, netnews, telnet, FTP, gopher, and other
services. The following is from their introduction

HOW TO GET STARTED

Joining TWICS is easy!  Just set your modem and communication software to use 8
data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit, then dial [phone].  After your
modem connects, press RETURN. You will see

    Connected to Twics (Tokyo)

    Username:

Enter GUEST, press RETURN, and you will see a menu of options that allow you to
browse information about TWICS services, as well as to fill out an online
application.  Your account should be ready by the next business day.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

        TWICS
        International Education Center Building
        1-21 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku
        Tokyo 160 Japan

        Telephone:  [phone]
        Facsimile:  [phone]
        Modem:      [phone]
        E-mail:     [e-mail]


---

Subject: (6.2) E-Mail adress to xxx in Japan


One of the most frequent asked questions (faq) in this group has been:
"Does anybody know the e-mail address to xxx in Japan?"

One of the questions I often get asked concerns how to contact
specific sites or people in Japan by email.  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

         [e-mail]

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

         [e-mail]

If all else fails, sending a query to the loginname "postmaster" at
that site will usually elicit a response.

A list of active domains is also available for anonymous FTP from
cs.arizona.edu [192.12.69.5] as file "japan/email.domains. THIS CAN
BE VERY USEFUL if you're trying to guess at an address.


---

Subject: (6.3) How can I read or write Japanese on my computer?

This question is broken down into three subsections, Macintosh, IBM
(PC and compatables), 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 cary Japanese related software. Try
one near you first before trying one on the other side of an ocean.

North America

    ftp.uwtc.washington.edu
    /pub/Japanese
    Lots of stuff for all platforms

    mindseye.berkeley.edu
    [128.32.232.19]
    /pub/kanji
    A few MS-DOS utilities

Japan

    azabu.tkl.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp
    [130.69.16.7]
    Japanese related programs for PCs

    utsun.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
    [133.11.7.250]
    jTeX

    scslwide.sony.co.jp
    [133.138.199.1]
    a few MS-DOS utilities

    ftp.cs.titech.ac.jp
    [131.112.16.39]

    ftp.tohoku.ac.jp
    lots of good stuff

Australia

    monu6.cc.monash.edu.au
    pub/nihongo
    A few MS-Dos and Mac utilities
    many language references including kanjidic and edict
    dictionary files

Europe

    kuso.shef.ac.uk
    pub/japanese, pub/news/fj
    Mirrors monu6.cc.monash.edu.au as well as other things

    nic.funet.fi
    pub/cluture/japan
    lots of stuff

---

Subject: (6.3.1) Japanese on the Macintosh

Apple sells the "Japanese Language Kit" to run on system 7.1. It has
true type Kanji fonts, an input conversion system and dictionary. It
also costs a bunch of money. It lists for something like $250, and is
reportedly available from some of the discount software places for
about $190.00

Version 7.1 and later of the macintosh operating system is called
"World Script Ready". Different modules for different languages
can be installed and input methods switched from language to language
with a manu or control panel choice.

Earlier versions of KanjiTalk may or may not be available from APDA
(Apple Programmer's and Developers Association, 800-282-2732, or
408-562-3910).  This is a kanji version of the Macintosh System and
Finder, system 6 for about $65.

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. 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 disapointed. You can use the following:

free/shareware
    ASLEdit     an english/kanji text editor, simple terminal emulator
    NinjaTerm   terminal emulator
commercial
    Hypercard
    Nisus       High end word processor. Japanese version available in U.S.

Microsoft and Claris, 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.

Many programs that won't work correctly for creating text do fine when
reading only. Most 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: (6.3.2) Japanese on MS-DOS and Windows


The optimal solution to Japanese processing on a PC is to: Install
Linux/X11R5 (get the relevant HOWTO file from comp.os.linux.announce).

This not only gives you Kanji fonts, but also Chinese, Hangul, Hebrew,
etc. etc. All this is free with X11R5. Of course, by installing Linux
you get fullblown UNIX, UNIX networking, etc. as well.



DOS/V is the Japanese version of MS-DOS for PC ATs. It was released in
Japan in 1991, now it's in version 5.0. There are already many
commercial programs for this OS, including text editors. The V of
DOS/V is from VGA (It only works on VGA), and it is fully compatible
with MS-DOS for IBM-PCs. Actually it's the MS-DOS with some device
drivers for processing fonts and input. It also has commands to switch
quickly between Japanese and English. As an example of commercial text
editor, there is a DOS/V version of Ichitaro the best-selling editor
in Japan.  The Dash version which has less functions than the complete
one costs about US$200.  There are also many Japanese version of
English programs for PCs such as Windows 3.0, Lotus 1-2-3, MS-Works,
etc.

Moke 1.1 is a shareware text editor runs on more basic systems than jwp
or njstar.

Moke 2.0 is a commercial product and is available from
J.J. Edwards, KiCompware, 1812 N. Erb St., Appleton, WI 54911, or
Mark Edwards, #405 Konya manshon 4-12-6 Gono kami,
Hamura-cho, Nishitamagun, Tokyo, Japan 190


Hterm - A communication program for MS-DOS which will display ASCII,
JASCII, JIS1, and JIS2.  From most of the FTP sites mentioned.


KD (Kanji Driver) by Izumi Ohzawa
Kanji viewer/ front-end-processor for Kermit.
FTP from mindseye at berkeley. Mr. Ohzawa recommends hterm.


There is also a high-end word processor called EW+ (about like WordPerfect?)
for the IBM PC available from:
Information Technology Laboratory
415 Madison Ave.
19th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel: [phone]      (Yuki Maruyama)
Fax: [phone]
Price: $850.00   ($499.00 for Universities).


There is also a lower-end word-processor called JWP which has gotten a
lot of usenet notice lately. from several FTP sites. Definitely at
ftp.uwtc.washington.edu.

Something called njstar exists also...


YKH is a freeware Japanese terminal emulator for MS-DOS computers with VGA.
It has the following features:
o  VT320 terminal emulation
o  ASCII, JIS, NEW-JIS, SHIFT-JIS, EUC formats
o  even when "stripped" by newsreaders, Japanese displayed correctly
o  com1 and com2 to 9600 baud
o  DECNET LAT, DECNET CTERM network terminal protocols
o  roumaji-kana translation
from wuarchive.wustl.edu in mirrors/msdos/modem/ykh.zip

---

Subject: (6.3.3) Japanese on Unix, X-windows

The standard X-windows distribution contains kanji fonts, Look in the
contrib area of your copy of X-windows.  Kinput, kterm (terminal
program) etc.

Nemacs is a version of Gnu emacs modified to handle double byte characters.
It interfaces to a kanji conversion server that's distributed as part of
the Wnn package.

Get Nemacs and Wnn from ftp.uwtc.washington.edu

The full nemacs distribution is available at crl.nmsu.edu in
pub/misc/nemacs-3.3.2.tar.Z

Nemacs is not supported any more, the new program is MULE, Multilingual
Enhancement to GNU Emacs, currently version 0.9.7.1. Available at least
on etlport.etl.go.jp  or sh.wide.ad.jp (faster), and ftp.funet.fi. MULE
is larger and more complex than nemacs, if you only want Japanese, no
other languages, you still may be happier with nemacs.


---

Subject: (99.0) Misc.

----

Subject: (99.1) Overseas subscriptions to the Japan Times
From: Ray Tang via Mike Fester

[this info is from approximately April of 1993]

The Japan Times is a daily newspaper, published in English.

Japan Times Daily order Info

Monthly Subscription Rates

Overseas (airmail rates)
[various countries in Europe and South East Asia but not Canada]
USA(Washington D.C., Illinois, Washington, california) 11,380 yen
All other areas in USA                                 12,480 yen

For overseas subscription and inquiries contact:
Oversea Courier Service Co., Ltd. (Subscription Dept.)
9 Shibaura 2-chome,
Minato-ku
Tokyo 108
Tel [phone]
or
Circulation Dept., The Japan Times, Ltd.

Monthly Bound Volume:
Japan                                                  6,180 yen
(Consumption tax included) overseas rates available upon request

Canadian Orders:
Oversea Courier Service (Canada) Ltd.
Toronto Office
480 Carlingview Drive
Rexdale, Ontario
M9W-6M8
Tel [phone]
          675-9067
Fax: [phone]
Telex: 6989593 (SHIBUN TOR)
Manager: Mr. J. Colton

----

Subject: (99.2) How can I get copies of Japanese research papers?

[ this information may be out of date -ed ]

Free japanese tech searches: An American researcher can request a search
by calling the NACSIS (Japan's National Center for Science Information
Systems) operator between 1:00 and 4:00 PM EDT at [phone] or
sending an electronic mail message to [e-mail] (internet) or
nacsis@NSF (bitnet).  Searches can also be requested by writing to
NACSIS Operator, National Science Foundation, Room 416A, 1800 G Street
N.W., Washington, DC 20550.

The 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.

--
mike rosenlof                   [phone]
[e-mail]      NeoPath, Bellevue Washington USA