Archive-name: japan/faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: October 3, 1996
URL: <http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~shimpei/scjfaq.txt>

------------------------------

Subject: (1.0) Table of Contents

   (1.0) Table of Contents
   (2.0) Copyright and Redistribution
   (2.1) Credits
   (2.2) Any mailing list for soc.culture.japan?
   (2.3) How to obtain the latest version of this FAQ
   (2.4) Format of this document
   (3.0) About soc.culture.japan
   (3.1) What topics are appropriate for discussion here?
   (3.1.1) Binary posts
   (3.1.2) Commercial posts
   (3.1.3) Spamming
   (3.2) What to do before posting
   (3.3) How to use kill files
   (3.4) Some frequently argued topics
   (3.4.1) Japan's involvement in World War II
   (3.4.2) Is "Gaijin" a derogatory term?
   (3.5) Why are there so few Japanese posters in SCJ?
   (4.0) Bibliography
   (5.0) Japanese culture and customs
   (5.1) Japanese Films and TV Programs
   (5.1.1) Japanese pop music
   (5.2) Language
   (5.3) Sumo
   (6.0) Traveling and living in Japan
   (6.1) Finding a job (for non-Japanese)
   (6.1.1) JET
   (6.1.2) Other English teaching jobs
   (6.2) Travel Info
   (6.3) Gifts to and from Japan
   (6.4) Taking electronics to Japan
   (6.5) Lodging
   (6.5.1) Home stays
   (6.6) Money
   (6.6.1) Bank accounts and services for foreigners
   (6.6.2) Credit cards for foreigners
   (6.6.3) Currency exchange; sending cash to/from Japan
   (6.7) What are the laws for Japanese citizenship at birth?
   (7.0) Japanese information processing
   (7.1) How to get Internet access in Japan
   (7.2) Finding an email address for XXX in Japan
   (7.3) How can I read or write Japanese on my computer?
   (7.3.1) Japanese on the Macintosh
   (7.3.2) Japanese on MS-DOS and Windows
   (7.3.3) Japanese on UNIX, X-Windows
   (7.4) Internet resources on Japan
   (7.4.1) FTP/gopher sites
   (7.4.2) WWW sites
   (7.4.3) Newsgroups
   (8.0) Japanese media
   (8.1) Japanese short-wave radio
   (8.2) Overseas subscriptions to Japan Times
   (99.0) Miscellaneous topics


[+] revised entry
[!] new entry

This list is maintained by
Shimpei Yamashita  <shimpei@leland.stanford.edu>

------------------------------

Subject: (2.0) Copyright and Redistribution

Last update: 4/96

This document copyright (c) 1996 by Shimpei Yamashita
<shimpei@leland.stanford.edu>. Portions copyright (c) 1987 through
1995 by Jerry Blanton, Norman Diamond, Mike Fester, KASEGAWA Masataka,
Satoru Miyazaki, Mike Rosenlof, and Michiaki Masuda. All rights
reserved.

This document may be quoted freely for non-commercial purposes; please
make appropriate acknowledgment when doing so. "From the soc.culture.
japan FAQ" will be sufficient.

This document may be freely redistributed by electronic or printed
means provided that no money is charged for its distribution and that
this copyright and redistribution notice remains attached. Any
modification to the original text must be explicitly documented.  This
document may not be redistributed commercially (e.g., on a CD-ROM)
without an explicit written permission from the copyright owner. Any
distributor that does obtain a permission will be required to keep
this entire document intact, and explicitly notify its customers that
the newest revisions of this document may be freely obtained from
other sources.

This document carries no guarantee of accuracy whatsoever.  No mention
of a product in this document constitutes a recommendation or an
endorsement for its use by the authors. Some efforts have been made to
provide varying degrees of accuracy of the information presented here,
but some estimates have not been verified or updated with time. Should
you find any mistakes, please contact the maintainer.

------------------------------

Subject: (2.1) Credits

Last update: <11/95

As the editor, I have attempted to credit original authors wherever
possible. Please inform me if you see any errors in the credits.

Also, most sections credited to an author have gone through editing
and additions as the maintainer(s) caught mistakes, out-of-date
materials, or just bad grammar. So be aware that the original authors
may not be the ones who wrote the particular text you're confused
about. :-)

------------------------------

Subject: (2.2) Is there any mailing list for soc.culture.japan?

Last update: <11/95

I get a fair number of emails asking me if there is any way to
"subscribe" to soc.culture.japan through a mailing list. To the best
of my knowledge, no such mailing list exists (the fact that the group
gets 200 posts a day doesn't really help). If there is one, I'd
love to hear about it.  Meanwhile, the only suggestion I can give to
these people is to get an account with an Internet provider that gives
access to Usenet. If you can telnet from another account, nyx.net will
give you a free account (albeit a severely limited one in terms of
resources and capability) that can be used to read news.

There is, however, an ftp archive of posts to scj maintained at
<ftp://kuso.shef.ac.uk/pub/News/soc/culture/japan/>
If you are looking for specific articles, though, it may be easier to
use the Usenet search engine at <http://www.dejanews.com/>, which
not only has a friendlier interface but also keeps articles far
longer than kuso.

------------------------------

Subject: (2.3) How to obtain the latest version of this FAQ

Last update: 11/95

This FAQ is posted on the 4th of every month to soc.culture.japan,
news.answers and soc.answers.It is available via anonymous FTP from

<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/soc.culture.japan/>

and via the World Wide Web from

<http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~shimpei/scjfaq.txt>

and

<http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/japan/faq/faq.html>

Those with access to AFS can also obtain it from

<file:///afs/ir.stanford.edu/users/s/h/shimpei/WWW/scjfaq.txt>

In addition, many Japanese-oriented Web pages have links to the
FAQ. The web page and the AFS link are maintained by me and will stay
current until at least June '96 (which is when I am slated to leave
Stanford).

For those who have already read the FAQ and just want to keep up
with the changes, there is a summary of changes to the FAQ posted
to soc.culture.japan along with the FAQ every month which you may
want to skim.
 
------------------------------

Subject: (2.4) Format of this document

Last update: <11/95

This document is typeset in minimal digest format for easy navigation
in newsreaders like trn. See
<ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/faqs/minimal-digest-format>
for specifications of this format.

------------------------------

Subject: (3.0) About soc.culture.japan

------------------------------

Subject: (3.1) What topics are appropriate for discussion here?

Last update: <11/95

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 the articles
between s.c.j and the mailing list were gated back and forth for quite
a while. The mailing list apparently no longer exists, and the audience
for s.c.j has grown much wider since.

At my site, s.c.j. is described as "Everything Japanese, except the
Japanese language." What is meant by "Everything Japanese" is not entirely
clear. Please use your judgment when posting.

Like most other big newsgroups, s.c.j. has its share of regular flame
fodders. These are discussed in more detail in section 3.4. If you would
like to voice your opinion on these subjects, you would do well to lurk
for a while to hear what others have to say about it. (This is a sound
advice for any topic in any newsgroup, but people tend to forget it.)

Customarily, posts to s.c.j. are in English. Many readers outside Japan
have trouble reading posts written in kana (in fact, some readers have
complained because their terminals go crazy when dealing with 8-bit 
characters), so it is advisable to post strictly with ASCII characters
if you want everyone to read what your wrote. Many Japanese-literate
posters circumvent this problem by writing in romaji when necessary.
If you do not understand Japanese and would like to know what a particular
post was saying, most posters would be happy to translate the passage for 
you if you email them and ask.

Lastly, remember that many of the posts to s.c.j. are written by people
who use English as their second language. As such, misunderstandings due
to language difficulties are very likely. If you feel compelled to fix
grammatical mistakes, please email the poster and save the rest of the
net the agony of reading cheap grammar flames.

------------------------------

Subject: (3.1.1) Binary posts

Last update: <11/95

In interest of people with small news spools, please refrain from posting
binaries to this group. If you feel you have binaries worth sharing with
us, please post them to alt.binaries.pictures.misc and post a pointer
to scj.

------------------------------

Subject: (3.1.2) Commercial posts

Last update: <11/95

Commercial posts are generally discouraged unless it has specifically to do
with Japan and there is no other newsgroup more appropriate for the subject.
Those posting about job opportunities in Japan are encouraged to add the
string "Jobs offered" in the title so that those who are not looking for
jobs can run kill files on them

------------------------------

Subject: (3.1.3) Spamming

Last update: <11/95

Two words: NO SPAMMING! (See the FAQ for alt.current-events.net-abuse for
the definition of spamming.) It is a highly disliked activity on the Usenet,
as well as an effective way to lose your account really fast.

------------------------------

Subject: (3.2) What to do before posting

Last update: <11/95

Read <news:news.announce.newusers>.

Read the rest of this FAQ.

Read up on Japan, and the issue you wish to discuss, before posting.
Nothing kills a good discussion faster than ignorant generalizations
by someone who has strong opinions about an issue with no facts behind
them. Keep an open mind when reading the sources. Do the same when
reading this newsgroup. The bibliography included in this FAQ should
get you started.

None of us like political correctness more than you do, but you should
nevertheless refrain from using derogatory terms. "Jap" is a very
strong derogatory term for "Japanese," and using "Gaijin" for "foreigner"
is offensive to many foreigners. I included a short discussion about
this in section 3.4.

Is soc.culture.japan the most appropriate group for posting? Below is a
list of other newsgroups that may better fit what you want to talk about:

   <news:soc.culture.asian.american>
   <news:soc.culture.korean>
   <news:soc.culture.china>
   <news:soc.culture.taiwan>
   <news:soc.culture.hongkong>
   <news:soc.culture.usa>
   <news:soc.culture.europe>
   ...
   <news:soc.history.world-war-ii>
   <news:sci.lang.japan>
   <news:rec.arts.manga>
   <news:rec.arts.anime>
   <news:comp.research.japan>
   <news:alt.japanese.text>


The fj hierarchy comes to some sites outside Japan, but you need to have
a Japanese-capable terminal to read it. See section 8 for details. An
exception is fj.life.in-japan, which is mainly in English.

Lastly, read section 3.1 one more time. This group represents a cross
section of many different cultures with different attitudes toward
Usenet. Remembering that not everyone is like you will go a long way
toward preventing unnecessary quibbles.

------------------------------

Subject: (3.3) Kill files

Last update: <11/95

Kill files are great for shutting out posts you do not wish to read in
a high-noise group like s.c.j. This instruction is for rn(1) and
trn(1) only. If you use another newsreader, check the manuals for
instructions.

    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 (note: that's control-SHIFT-k.)

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.

    /unwanted 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(1) or trn(1).

------------------------------

Subject: (3.4) Some frequently argued topics

Last update: <11/95

There is a document covering the Frequently Argued Topics (FAT)
currently in the works. Contact Mike Fester <mfester@wilbur.comp.pge.com>
for details.

------------------------------

Subject: (3.4.1) Japan's involvement in World War II

Last update: <11/95

This is a sticky issue that pops up periodically in this newsgroup and
inevitably causes considerable flamage. I have attempted several times to
write an objective overview of the issue, but it is simply too hard to 
write anything substantial on the issue without offending somebody. 
If you wish to discuss this topic, please make an effort to maintain
constructive discussions (as opposed to finger-pointing and blanket
accusations, which is prone to happen during heated debates). If you
want a more controlled atmosphere, you may also want to try 
<news:soc.history.world-war-ii>, a moderated newsgroup. 

------------------------------

Subject: (3.4.2) Is "Gaijin" a derogatory term?

Last update: <11/95

This issue crops up occasionally as a 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
currencies.

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: (3.5) Why are there so few Japanese posters in SCJ?

Last update: 11/95
From: Michiaki Masuda (masuda@ncifcrf.gov)

    Some netters visit SCJ expecting that they may be able to find a
number of Japanese netters to communicate with.  However, they
usually find that their expectation is rather betrayed.  It would be
safe to say that Japanese netters have never been a majority in this
group despite its name.  In 1991, when I started to read this group, there
were only a couple of Japanese netters who post articles once in a while.
Even though the number of Japanese SCJers has apparently increased since
then, their number would be still too small for the group to live up to some
netters' expectation.
 
   Since SCJ appears to have been initiated by some netters in the US as a
mailing list for them to exchange information on Japan, its existence might 
not be known to many Japanese at first.  However, this should no longer be
the case.  Today, a significantly large number of Japanese have USENET 
access, and quite a few of them are said to read SCJ.  A number of Japanese
are also actively communicating with each other in Japanese domestic
groups, such as those under the "fj" hierarchy.

    There are probably three major reasons why they are not interested in
actively speaking up in SCJ.
 
[1] English problem
    Most of Japanese netters, like other netters, are under the impression that
they have to use English in SCJ although there is no such restriction.  In
general, Japanese feel uncomfortable when they have to express themselves in
English whether their English skills are actually passable or not.

[2] Uninteresting topics
    Some of the topics often discussed in SCJ are not major interests or
concerns of the Japanese netters, especially those living in Japan.  They
can find somewhere else to go to (e.g., fj groups) to talk about current
issues more closely related to their life.  It seems also true that some 
netters use SCJ to deliver their anti-Japan(ense) sentiment in a rather
revealing manner.  Whether those pieces of message are to the point or not,
many Japanese may feel like staying away from them as a natural response.
  
[3] Different argument styles
    Due to the larger number of American or European netters, it appears
that the Western style of debate or argument is accepted as a general standard
in SCJ.  Although the Western style has its own virtue and merits, it may
come out as something too straightforward, too explicit, too aggressive, or
even too impolite to the eyes of Japanese netters.  Obvioulsy, not many
Japanese netters are willing to adapt themselves to a different standard.
 
   Since we cannot really hear from those Japanese netters who decide not to
speak up in SCJ, we can only speculate about the reasons.  However, those
listed above seem to give us the most plausible explanation.  Whether SCJ
should encourage more Japanese netters to participate or not may be a
controversial issue.  If it should, however, netters -- both Japanese and
non-Japanse -- may want to keep these factors in mind when they post an
article or respond to others.

------------------------------

Subject: (4.0) Bibliography

Last update: 7/96

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.
Note: for sake of consistency, all Japanese names in this FAQ are written
given names first.

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.

The Book of Tea; Kakuzo (Tenshin) Okakura
    The book that made tea ceremony famous around the world. The book 
    itself is rather old, but it is an overview of the tea culture that 
    is insightful even to native Japanese. 


History:

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

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



Literature: 

Yasunari Kawabata
    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.

Soseki Natsume
    Botchan
    Kokoro
    Sorekara (published in English as _And Then_)
        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.

Yukio Mishima
    Temple of the Golden Pavillion
        Mishima is perhaps, as famous for his 1970 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.

Junichiro Tanizaki
    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.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa
    Rashomon
    The Hell Screen (Jigokuhen)
    Words of a Fool (Shuju no Kotoba)
        Akutagawa was active in the early 1900's. His short stories
        are often inspired by _Konjaku Monogatari_, a collection of
        stories from the Heian era. Akira Kurosawa's movie _Rashomon_
        was inspired by his short story of the same name. His stories
	are available in English in the collections "Kappa," "Tales
	Grotesque and Curious," and "Rashomon and other stories."

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.

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

Kenzaburo Oe
    Man-en Gannen no Futtoboru (English title: The Silent Cry)
    Kojinteki na Taiken (English title: A Personal Matter)
        Winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize in literature, Oe is said to 
        be heavily influenced by Western writings; his bold style contrasts
        with the sensitive style pursued by Kawabata and others.

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

Shuusaku Endo
    Silence
    The Sea and the Poison
        Endo passed away in 1996. A devout Roman Catholic, Endo explored
        the problem of morality (and lack thereof) in contemporary
        Japanese society. He was also an excellent humorist, although
        few--if any--of his humorous works have been translated into English.

The Showa Anthology;  Van C. Gessel * Tomone Matsumoto Ed.
        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;  Alfred Birnhaum, Ed.
        Also very recent. 11 short stories by authors including
        Murakami, Masahiko Shimada, and Amy Yamada.

Banana Yoshimoto
    Kitchen
        A popular female author.

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 recommended from several sources.

------------------------------

Subject: (5.0) Japanese culture and customs

------------------------------

Subject: (5.1) Japanese Films and TV Programs

Last update: <11/95

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

Kon Ichikawa has directed a few movies that have made it to the U.S. and
Juzo Itami 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: (5.1.1) Japanese pop music

Last update: <11/95

Try 
<ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/>
for graphics and other such stuff.

There are two mailing lists available for discussion of Japanese pop music.
1) send the command
   subscribe jpop
   to majordomo@tcp.com
2) send the command
   subscribe
   to jpop-request@ferkel.ucsb.edu

------------------------------

Subject: (5.2) Language

Last update: <11/95

Language issues come up regularly in this newsgroup. Even though 
language and culture are directly linked, the newsgroup sci.lang.japan
is preferred 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:
      Listserv@mitvma.mit.edu or
      Listserv@mitvma.bitnet
    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:
        Nihongo@mitvma.mit.edu or
        Nihongo@mitvma.bitnet 
      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:
      Listserv@mitvma.mit.edu or
      Listserv@mitvma.bitnet
    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 
<http://www.mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp/user/santos/FAQ/FAQSLJ.index.html> (Japan)
or
<http://131.188.190.131/~bdruemen/FAQSLJ.index.html>   (Europe)

------------------------------

Subject: (5.3) Sumo

Last update: <11/95

The following WWW site may be of interest to Sumo fans:
<http://akebono.stanford.edu/~jerry/sumo/>

[The sumo winning moves formerly included here has been deleted out of
space considerations, since there is a much better list on the akebono
site. The old list is available for the time being via WWW from
<http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~shimpei/sumomove.txt>]

------------------------------

Subject: (6.0) Traveling and living in Japan

------------------------------

Subject: (6.1) Finding a job (for non-Japanese)

Last update: <11/95
From: mfester@wilbur.comp.pge.com (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.
Kokusaiha No Tame No Shushoku Joho (International Recruit Magazine) is
published by:

International Career Information, Inc
111 Pavonia Ave.
Jersey City, NJ  07310  USA
(201) 216-0600

Tokyo Office
7-3-5 Ginza
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104  JAPAN
(03) 3575-6347

There is another magazine of the same sort called _Adapt_. [Editor: the 
old number given in the previous versions of the FAQ, 1-800-344-7241, is 
no longer functioning. I'd appreciate it if anyone can tell me what their
current number is.]

If you do not speak Japanese, it becomes more difficult, but not
impossible.  Get a hold 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 targeted 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 exceptions 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 (e.g., 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 apparently 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, e.g., 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: (6.1.1) JET

Last update: 10/96
From: jer@well.com (Jerry Blanton)

What is the JET Program?

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 (1995), participating countries are:  Australia, China (CIRs
Only), Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Republic of Korea
(CIRs Only), Russian Federation (CIRs only) UK and the US.

This year there are nearly 5,000 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. (Below is a list of
Japanese embassies in each of the participating countries)

What if I Don't Speak Japanese?

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. At the initial application stage you can request a
rural or urban posting as well as a High School or Junior High School
posting but there are no guarantees you will get what you ask for
(probably the vast majority of people are randomly assigned).

How Much Do I Get Paid?  (And Is it Enough?)

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$40,000 (@ the current
'endaka' rates of approx 85 yen to 1 US$) 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 your closest Japanese Embassy or consulate.  Following is a list
of Japanese embassies for the participating countries:

Australia
Embassy of Japan "JET Desk"
112 Empire Circuit, Yarralumla, Canberra ACT 2600
Tel (06) 273-2679 Fax (06) 273-1848

Canada
Embassy of Japan "JET Desk"
255 Sussex Dr.
Ottawa ONT K1N 9E6
Tel (613) 241-8541 Fax (613) 241-2232

China
Embassy of Japan "JET Desk"
7 Ri Tan Rd. Jiam Guo Men Wai, Beijing
Peoples Republic of China
Tel (01) 532-2361  Fax (01) 532-4625

France
Ambassade du Japon "La Division de JET"
7 Avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris
Tel:  (01) 4888-6200 Fax:  (01) 4227-5081

Germany
Japanishce Botschaft "JET Desk"
Dodesberger Alle 102-104, 53175 Bonn 2
Tel 0228-81910  Fax: 0228-379399

Republic of Ireland
Embassy of Japan "JET Desk"
Nutley Bldg., Merrion Centre, Nutley Lane
Dublin 4
Tel: (01) 269-4244 Fax:  (01) 283-8726

Republic of Korea
Embassy of Japan "JET Desk"
18-11 Choonghak-don, Chongro-ku, Seoul
Tel: (02) 733-5626, Fax: (02) 734-4528

New Zealand
Embassy of Japan "JET Desk"
GRE House, 113 Custom House Quay, Wellington 1
Tel: (04) 472-7807 Fax: (04) 472-3416

Russian Federation
Japan Information Service, Embassy of Japan
Dobryninskaya Ulitsa, Dom 7
Domeshshenie 12, Moscow Rusia
Tel (095) 238-9868

UK
Embassy of Japan "JET Desk"
101-104 Piccadilly, London W1V 9FN
Tel: (071) 465-6500 Fax: (071) 491-9347

US
Embassy of Japan, Office of JET Program
2520 Massachussetts Ave., N.W.
Washington D.C. 20028
Tel: (202) 939-6772 Fax: (202) 328-2187

You can also contact CLAIR (Council  of Local Authorities for
International Relations) @ Tel: +81-3-3265-1491 or Fax: +81-3-3265-1368
(Japan) for more information.

I am happy to answer general questions about the JET program vis a vis
my
own experience as both an ALT and a CIR.  However, please bear in mind
that I was a JET four years ago and my experiences come from when the
program was much much smaller.  Furthermore, I cannot help you with
application procedures for your own country or supply you with any more
information than the above as far as telephone numbers, addresses, etc.
is concerned.

Also, *please do NOT e-mail* me with requests about teaching
opportunities in Japan!  I have never taught English outside the JET
program and have no idea whatsoever about opportunities, contacts,
ways to get information, etc. about teaching in Japan.

[The toll-free information line for JET in the US is 1-800-INFO-JET. --ed.]

The following WWW pages contain information about JET:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/~eas/info/jet/
http://www.apic.or.jp/JapanInfo/
http://www2.gol.com/users/robu/
http://wacky.ccit.arizona.edu/%7Esusd/jet.html

------------------------------

Subject: (6.1.2) Other English teaching jobs

Last update: 4/96

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

editor@ohayosensei.com (Lynn Cullivan) writes a semi-weekly electronic
newsletter called O-hayo-Sensei dealing with English teaching jobs in
Japan. It includes job listings, guidelines on job applications and
resumes, and even cheapest airfare to Japan. You may want to go
through the newsgroup for the latest posting. The URL is
<http://www.ohayosensei.com/~ohayo/>

In addition, you may find the following pages useful:
 <http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~lpoza/Guide.html>
 <http://www.u-net.com/eflweb/japan0.htm>
 <http://www.infojapan.com/cgjsf/teaching.htm>

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: (6.2) Travel Info

Last update: <11/95

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
<ftp://neutrino.nuc.berkeley.edu//pub/Japanese/travel>

Another set of files from neutrino.nuc.berkeley.edu that may be of interest
is James Liu's Tokyo Off Time, a record of a postdoc's experience in and
out of Tokyo from a foreigner's point of view.

------------------------------

Subject: (6.3) Gifts to and from Japan

Last update: 1/96

To Japan: Don't expect to find anything that your recipient can't get in
Japan; these days you can get almost anything from any part of the world in
Japan, provided that you're willing to pay for it. Having said that, there
are still many items not commonly found in Japan that would make perfect
gifts:
      Calendars--"Cute" or "artsy" calendars are rare in Japan, where most
    households and businesses keep track of dates using boring, generic
    calendars with corporate logos imprinted, handed out by businesses for 
    promotions. My mother always used to ask for a Peter Rabbit calendar for
    Christmas. (And then she found a store that sold Peter Rabbit calendars
    in Tokyo. But let's not get into that.)
      Mugs and T-shirts--Creative patterns are not as common in Japan. For
    T-shirts, take into consideration that Japanese people do not wear
    T-shirts too often and, when they do, they generally like to avoid
    flashier-colored clothes.
      Alcohol--Up to 3 bottles of spirits are duty-free upon entering Japan.
    Just remember that, if you need to travel before meeting your recipient,
    you're going to lug 3 liters of water with you during those legs of your
    trip.
These are just a few examples. Email me if you have any other wildly
popular/successful ideas.


From Japan: The great thing about Japan is that practically every region
has some unique product to offer. Consult your travel guides for appropriate
gifts from wherever you traveled. In general, I find that room decorations,
accessories, etc., are more convenient for you (and more appreciated by
the recipient) than food. 

Michiaki Masuda <masuda@ncifcrf.gov> suggests the following items:

 1. Art prints - Inexpensive copies of traditional wood printings {Ukiyo-e}.

 2. Baseball caps (*) - Those of Japanese professional baseball teams.

 3. "Basukurin" - Scented powder for a hot bath tub. {You can reproduce
                  some of the famous Japanese hot springs at home.}

 4. Books (*) - Books on Japan written in English, "Manga" (comic book), 
                other magazines, and photo books showing scenaries in 
                Japan.
                (For those who are interested in Japanese language) Books 
                written in plain Japanese and books on "kanji." 

 5. Calligraphy set - "Fude" (brush), "sumi" (a block of ink) and "suzuri"
                      (ink plate) for "shodo" (Japanese calligraphy).

 6. Ceramics (*) - Tea set, "sake" set, etc.

 7. Chopsticks - A nice pair of lacquered chopsticks.

 8. Crafts (*) - Paper crafts made of "washi" (traditional Japanese paper).
                 Small ornaments that could be used for a Christmas tree.
                 Origami, kites, a little statue of Buddha etc. One netter 
                 has mentioned that a book titled "Gateway to Japan" by June
                 Kinoshita and Nicholas Palevsky (Kodan-sha) contains a good 
                 description of Japanese crafts.

 9. Dolls (*) - Kokeshi, Daruma, Hakata doll, etc.

10. Fake food (*) - Food samples made of plastic or wax that you can see
                    in front of restaurants. {Available at the pro shops
                    in Kappabashi, Tokyo.}

11. Footgear - "Zouri" (Japanese sandals), "tabi" (Japanese traditional
               socks), ets. {"Geta" might be good, too.}

12. "Go" (*) - Go stones in the bowl and the board.

13. "Hanko" - A sealing stamp (for Japanese-American friends). {If you can
              write other American's name in Kanji, it would be possible to
              order a custom made hanko, too.}

14. "Kabuki" program and other "kabuki" goods. 
              {kabuki = one of Japanese traditional theater plays.}
              
15. Liquors - Whisky and brandy of a Japanese maker in a miniature bottle.

16. Music - Japanese music CDs and cassettes.

17. "Noren" - A small curtain for an entrance of a restaurant or a doorway.

18. "Omamori" - A small lucky charm tag, especially the one for a car 
                {"Kou-tsuu Anzen" [Safe Driving]}. Available at shrines
                and temples.

19. "Sake" (*) - Preferably in a bottle of a "strange" shape (e.g., "Tokkuri",
                 bottle made of a dried squid, etc.) or traditionally wrapped.

20. Snacks (*) - Dried fish, rice crackers (e.g., senbei, kaki-no-tane), etc.

21. "Soroban" - Japanese traditional calculator. {It was probably invented
                in China, but the Japanese model seems to be different from
                the Chinese model.}

22. Stationaries (*) - Mechanical pencil + ball point pen (e.g., Sharbo),
                       stationaries with fancy patterns, etc.

23. Sweets (*) - Traditional "wagashi" (Japanese sweets), candies, cookies,
                 and other "okashi."

24. Toothpicks - Ones with unusual carvings.

25. Towels - Japanese "tenugui" towels with sumo wrestlers, "Kamikaze",
             "Ichi-ban," etc.

26. Toys (*) - Electronic toys and traditional Japanese toys (e.g., kendama,
               daruma-otoshi, etc.)

27. T-shirts (*) - Ones with a logo in "Japanglish." {Ones with "Ukiyo-e"
                   print might be fine, too.}

28. "Yukata" (*) - A casual "kimono" for summertime. Can be used as a bathrobe,
                   or a nightgown as well. 

------------------------------

Subject: (6.4) Taking electronics to Japan

Last update: <11/95

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 compatible 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. Apparently, Tokyo and Osaka, being
the first cities in Japan to electrify, 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: (6.5) Lodging

------------------------------

Subject: (6.5.1) Home stays

Last update: 7/96

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. Some reportedly charges astronomical
amounts for their services, so caveat emptor.

Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles
350 South Grand Avenue, Suite 1700
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Telephone (213) 617-6700 
<http://www.psig.com/consllos/>

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
	(the phone number formerly listed here was invalid)

2)	LEX America
	68 Leonard Street
	Belmont, MA 02178
	(617) 489-5800

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


You may want to try the following URLs as well:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan Home Page
http://infomofa.nttls.co.jp/infomofa/
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan Home Page (mirror - Calif, USA)
http://www2.nttca.com:8010/infomofa/


------------------------------

Subject: (6.6) Money

------------------------------

Subject: (6.6.1) Bank accounts and services for foreigners

Last update: <11/95

Citibank is the only foreign bank known to do *consumer* banking in
Japan.  (There are a number of foreign banks that do commercial
banking. Email the FAQ moderator if you know of another foreign bank
that handles personal accounts.) A branch manager for a major Japanese
bank told me that they need to check personal identification for
foreigners because of money laundering problems; however, he added
that passports should suffice as an ID for most foreigners. This, of
course, does not guarantee anything for *your* case, and there have
been complaints against Japanese banks not servicing foreigners.

------------------------------

Subject: (6.6.2) Credit cards for foreigners

Last update: <11/95

Credit cards are not nearly as popular in Japan as they are in some
other developed countries. Most stores that handle large transactions
(like, say, electronics outlets) will accept credit cards, but don't
expect to pay for your lunch at the ramen joint with a credit
card. Note: personal checks are practically unheard of in Japan.

Nevertheless, credit cards are very convenient to have. Citibank
reportedly offers them to foreigners; there have not been any reports
about Japanese providers, but many credit card vendors in other
countries do limit/deny cards to foreigners, so it may also be the
case in Japan.

VISA is probably the most popular credit card. AmEx is also frequently
seen, and Diner's Club is more common in Japan than in, say,
US. Strangely, MasterCard is not seen often in Japan. A
similar-looking card called Million Card is not compatible with
MasterCard to the best of my knowledge.

------------------------------

Subject: (6.6.3) Currency exchange; sending cash to/from Japan

Last update: <11/95
by Norman Diamond

In buying and selling US$, if M is the market fixing (at around 10:00 a.m.),
then banks and large department stores and some hotels set the rates as:
  cash buying                  US$1 = M - 3 yen
  traveller's cheque buying    US$1 = M - ??? yen (around 1.7; I don't recall)
  telegraphic transfer buying  US$1 = M - 1 yen (maybe minus some fee?)
  telegraphic transfer selling US$1 = M + 1 yen (plus 4,500 yen plus *)
  traveller's cheque selling   US$1 = (M + 1 yen) x 1.01
  cash selling                 US$1 = M + 3 yen

  postal money order           US$1 = prior day's M + 1 (plus 500 to 2,500 yen)

* U.S. banks charge about US$10 to receive a telegraphic transfer in US$.

In buying and selling German marks, the rates differ from the market fixings
by about the same amounts as for US$.  In buying and selling other major
currencies, telegraphic transfers still differ from market fixings by about
1 or 2 yen (or maybe 3 yen for British pounds, just guessing), and rates for
traveller's cheques are almost reasonable, but rates for cash get really bad.
For example, the buying and selling rates for Canadian cash differ by about
20%, and the buying and selling rates for Hong Kong cash differ by about 30%.
For minor currencies, it is even worse.

Postal money orders to other countries also use the prior day's bank selling
rate.  The fee is usually 1,000 to 3,000 yen (500 yen higher than for US$) but
the post office sends the money orders themselves through some system, instead
of making (or letting) the buyer send or carry the money orders as to the US.

Postal money orders to some countries can be sent by telegraphic transfer
(giro) instead of the post office's paper money order system.  The cost is
intermediate between ordinary money orders and Japanese bank telegraphic 
transfers.  But some Japanese postal employees don't understand the word
"giro" even when it's painted on the signboard in front of them.

Some Japanese banks will also sell demand drafts for a rate equivalent to
telegraphic transfer with a fee of 2,500 yen instead of 4,500.  But the buyer
has to return the next day to pick up the draft and still has to send or carry
it to the destination country.

If you are sending a telegraphic transfer from another country, you might find
it cheaper to send the transfer in yen, so that you pay the conversion rate
set by your bank instead of the Japanese bank.  But again, I don't know if a
Japanese bank might charge a fee to receive a telegraphic transfer even in yen.

Do not send or bring a bank draft payable in yen, from another country.  Even
if the draft is payable by a Japanese bank, and even if the recipient (or your
own bank, after you open an account) understands the draft, they will charge
very high fees.  Also do not send or bring a bank draft payable in any other
currency; the fees are even higher.  Only traveller's cheques have reasonable
fees, along with telegraphic transfers and US$ cash.

------------------------------

Subject: (6.7) What are the laws for Japanese citizenship at birth?

Last update: 4/96
From: Mike Fester (mfester@wilbur.comp.pge.com)

[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.

Note: For a child born overseas, the child MUST be entered in the family
registry of the Japanese parent, technically withing 30 days of the child's
birth. This can be done at the nearest Japanese embassy.

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) detesmine 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 reality, be stateless.

Such a case was tested, and last year (1995) the final verdict rendered; the
child in question was granted Japanese citizenship, over the objections of the
Japanese government. The court cited the intention of the law, which is to
specifically PREVENT children born in Japan from being stateless. The
government had argued that the mother was "probably" a Filippina, and lower
courts had alternately accepted and rejected the government's argument. The
US-born missionary championing the child's case pursued the matter all the
way to the Japanese Supreme Court, where the above-mentioned verdict was
rendered.

------------------------------

Subject: (7.0) Japanese Information Processing

Last update: <11/95

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: (7.1) How to get Internet access in Japan

Last update: <11/95

Because the status of Internet service providers (ISP) change quite 
rapidly, I will not attempt to maintain a list as I have done in the 
past. These two URLs do maintain current listings of ISPs in Japan:

<http://nobunaga.unm.edu/internet.html>
  Japanese Internet Providers FAQ, maintained by Jesse Casman
  (jcasman@unm.edu or jcasman@rt66.com)

<http://www.panix.com/~tn/ispj.html>
  ISP providers in Japan list, by Taki Naruto (tn@panix.com).
  Includes links to many other sources.

<http://www.csv.warwick.ac.uk/~ecpbn>
  Another ISP list, maintained by Bon-Chan (ecpbn@csv.warwick.ac.uk).

------------------------------

Subject: (7.2) E-Mail address for xxx in Japan

Last update: <11/95

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

         loginname@akita-u.ac.jp

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
  
         loginname@cs.akita-u.ac.jp
 
A list of active domains is also available for anonymous FTP from
<ftp://cs.arizona.edu/japan/email.domains>. THIS CAN
BE VERY USEFUL if you're trying to guess at an address.

Another service you may want to try out is Netfind. Netfind tries to
locate a host and login name based on the name and the location of the
person. Telnet to bruno.cs.colorado.edu, login as netfind, and follow
the directions.

While there aren't all that many posters from Japan, if you find a poster
at a probable site, you may want to email the person and ask for help. Of
course, this may or may not bring about anything.

If all else fails, sending a query to the loginname "postmaster" at
that site will usually elicit a response. Do not abuse this option,
as postmasters tend to be very overworked sysadmins.

------------------------------

Subject: (7.3) How can I read or write Japanese on my computer?

Last update: <11/95

Note: This FAQ is not meant to be an exhaustive guide.  For more
comprehensive treatments of this topic, see
<http://www.uwtc.washington.edu/Computing/Japanese/>
and
<http://www.mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp/user/santos/FAQ/FAQSLJ.index.html>

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

North America

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

    <ftp://mindseye.berkeley.edu/pub/kanji/>
    A few MS-DOS utilities
    
Japan

    <ftp://azabu.tkl.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/>
    Japanese related programs for PCs
    
    <ftp://utsun.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/>
    jTeX
    
    <ftp://scslwide.sony.co.jp/>
    a few MS-DOS utilities
    
    <ftp://ftp.cs.titech.ac.jp/>

    <ftp://ftp.tohoku.ac.jp/>
    lots of good stuff
    
Australia

    <ftp://ftp.cc.monash.edu.au/pub/nihongo/>
    A few MS-DOS and Mac utilities
    many language references including kanjidic and edict 
    dictionary files

Europe

    <ftp://kuso.shef.ac.uk/pub/japanese/>
    <ftp://kuso.shef.ac.uk/pub/news/fj/>
    Mirrors: ftp.cc.monash.edu.au as well as other things

    <ftp://nic.funet.fi/pub/cluture/japan/>
    lots of stuff

------------------------------

Subject: (7.3.1) Japanese on the Macintosh

Last update: <11/95

Parts due to Ken Matsuda (matsuda@mtholyoke.edu)

Apple sells the "Japanese Language Kit" to run on system 7.1 and 7.5.
It has true type Kanji fonts, an input conversion system and
dictionary. It also costs a bunch of money. It lists for something
like US$250, and is reportedly available from some of the discount
software places for about US$190.00. Those at academic institutions
may find it for as low as US$150.00.

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 menu or control panel choice. 

JLK 1.2, which promises full compatibility with System 7.5 and
QuickDraw GX, was released recently. Meanwhile, JLK 1.1 is not
compatible with 7.5 out of the box; you need to use the updater to JLK
1.1.1, available at ftp.support.apple.com. JLK 1.1 and 1.1.1 also
reportedly have problems with QuickDraw GX, which are reportedly fixed
in 1.2.

Apple also recently announced that KanjiTalk 7.5 is available in
North America. While JLK allows use of Japanese in documents while
running a primarily English system, KanjiTalk is in Japanese from
the ground up. It is also more expensive, listing for $350, comes
with more fonts, and takes more RAM (reportedly; I never confirmed
it). I also have no reports as to its actual availability.

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, or any support. 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 disappointed. You can use the following:

[terminal emulators]
-ASLEdit     an english/kanji text editor, simple terminal emulator
-NinjaTerm   terminal emulator
-ActiveTalk  cheap(3800 yen) commercial terminal emulator
-NCSA Telnet-J Japanese-compatible port of the freeware Telnet client
-MacBlue Telnet  Chinese, Korean and Japanese-capable telnet client
                 (allegedly operates without JLK, but I have not found
                 the right supporting files to make Japanese work--ed.)
                 Absolutely hideous user interface.

[web browsers]
-Netscape    claims to support Japanese as of 1.1N release.
-MacWeb      the author has no experience with MacWeb's Japanese capability.
             Claims full support as of 1.00Alpha3.2.

[newsreaders]
-NewsWatcher-J  Japanese localization of John Norstad's NewsWatcher.

[Integrated application]
-Clarisworks 4.0: Contains a word processor, spreadsheet, database,
   paint, draw, and terminal. In addition to general feature improvements,
   promises full compatibility with WorldScript. Currently
   (as of 6/3/95) vaporware--but should hit the shelves soon. Note that
   earlier versions of ClarisWorks are NOT compatible with WorldScript.

[wordprocessing and text editing]
-Nisus Writer: This is a neat program. Its interface is unique, and 
   some people may find it awkward at first. Nonetheless, it
   is a well-thought-out program. One problem that I heard is
   that it slows down when you work on large documents. This may
   have to do with the fact that Nisus saves documents in text
   files, and all formatting information is stored in the resource
   fork. Current version: 4.07.
-WordPerfect 3.1: It works very well with Japanese. 3.0 had some
   bugs: Japanese subtitles and footnotes were problematic. However,
   these problems are fixed in the current version: 3.1.
-Edit 7: The author of the freeware claims that he is attempting to
   create a multi-lingual text editor. This software is not complete
   yet, but you can select a text string, and drag & drop it for 
   pasting and deleting. I find this feature useful. 

[spreadsheet]
-Lotus 1-2-3: You can paste Japanese characters in the cells. Someone
   told me that you can do the same thing with MS Excel, but I don't
   know for sure. In any case, since Excel is the only commercial spreadsheet
   still under development for the Mac, you may have to settle for buying
   the Japanese version of Excel, which can be expensive.
-ClarisWorks: Claims to support WorldScript as of 4.0.

[database]
-4th Dimension: I heard that the international edition of 4th Dimension
   is WorldScript-savvy. I have not seen this myself. Unfortunately,
   FileMaker Pro does not work with Japanese Language Kit.

[presentation]
-Astound: Astound accepts Japanese characters without much trouble.
   Persuasion does not.

[graphics]
-MacFlow: This is a chart drawing tool, and it accepts Japanese characters
   without much trouble. DeltaGraph3 does not.

[others]
-StorySpace: This hypertext tool accepts Japanese characters without
   much trouble.
-FullContact 2.0: This contact manager does accept Japanese characters
   in some fields, but I have not used the product extensively, and
   I cannot say much about this.

Microsoft 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 U.S. 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: (7.3.2) Japanese on MS-DOS and Windows

Last update: <11/95

(Note: this portion is rather outdated. If you do Japanese on a PC
and would like to write up an up-to-date treatment, I'd appreciate
it. Meanwhile, check out the Washington site mentioned in 7.3 or
alt.japanese.text FAQ at <http://cswww2.essex.ac.uk/users/whean/japanese/>.)

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. Read 7.3.3
for more details.

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: 212-832-5300      (Yuki Maruyama)
Fax: 212-832-6677
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: (7.3.3) Japanese on Unix, X-windows

Last update: <11/95
   by Masataka KASEGAWA (kagesawa@wing2.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp)

[General] You can not usually display kanji on the console of an UNIX
machine. So when you need to read or write Japanese on an UNIX machine,
you usually get into the environment of X-window system.

The standard X-windows distribution, Release 4? or later, contains kanji
fonts, but some PC-based packages do not include them or include bogus
one because their size is large and they are rarely used. It is
explained later how to check whether your machine has Japanese fonts
or not.

But if you use an UNIX machine as a 'Japanese server', which means that
the machine just serves japanese utilities mentioned below, then you
don't need the X-window system. Instead, you must connect to an UNIX
machine from your Japanese terminal (PC or Mac) with a modem or direct
connection via serial port.

You don't have to get Japanese locale on your UNIX OS. In fact,
many administrators of SunOS 4.x machines in Japan hate JLE
(Japanese Language Environment? Extension?) kit, which presents
your machine Japanese locale, so they won't install JLE.

(The followings are just for users who are interested in locale)
It is recommended that X is compiled with option -DX_LOCALE
if you need Japanese localization on X. Remark that you can read and
write Japanese on X which is compiled without this option. This option
overload setlocale() function.


[PC-UNIX] In recent years, many commercial or free UNIX like OSs on PC
are available. One of the most popular OS is Linux. In Slackware, there
is a package named JE (Japanese Extension) which include almost all
Japanese softwares that you usually need.

Others, especially those who like BSD UNIX, prefer NetBSD, FreeBSD or
BSD/OS. There is no package like JE, but still some useful packages
like mule and wnn are available, (at least on FreeBSD). Under the port
directory of FreeBSD-current there is the directory named japanese
in which you can find many sources of Japanese utilities for FreeBSD.
Japanese version of BSD/OS offers Japanese environment but I don't
know how to get it from outside of Japan.

[How to Read and/or Write Japanese texts on UNIX machines]
There is two methods in order to read and/or write Japanese on UNIX
machines. One is to create whole Japanese environment  on an UNIX
machine, and the other is to access UNIX machines from a Japanese
terminal.

The difference between the methods are just whether you need Japanese
input system on UNIX or not. It is usually very complicated 'server'
program (see below) so you might hesitate to install it on the
machines if you are not root.

Anyway, if you like to use Japanese input system on PC or Mac to write
Japanese on UNIX, then you can use your PC or Mac just as a Japanese
terminal for UNIX machines. You don't need any Japanese input system
on UNIX machines. Of course you need programs which understand Japanese
such as NEmacs, mule, jvi on the UNIX machines. 
See also [Connection to UNIX from PC or Mac].

[Japanese Fonts on X window system] You need at least one Japanese
font to read or write Japanese on X. You can check with xlsfonts
command whether your X server has Japanese fonts or not:
% xlsfonts | grep jisx0208

If you get some output like
-jis-fixed-medium-r-normal--0-0-75-75-c-0-jisx0208.1983-0
-jis-fixed-medium-r-normal--16-110-100-100-c-160-jisx0208.1983-0,
then your machine does have Japanese fonts (The name of fonts,
especially 0208, might be changed in future release).

If you can not have any output, then it means that either your system
does not have any Japanese fonts or your font-path is wrong. Consult
an expert of X window system at hand.

[Japanese Terminal on X window system]
Look in the contrib area of your copy of X-window system. You can see 
kterm or mterm(terminal program). Kterm is the most popular terminal
program in Japan. Don't forget to install application default
(resource) file named KTerm.ad or your kterm will behave the same as
xterm.

[Japanese input system on UNIX]
The most common Japanese input system in UNIX is probably Wnn. Its
latest version is 4.2 and it is the final version as freeware. Wnn
consortium is going to be dissolved in 1995. Wnn 6 and later become
commercial products. There already exists not only sample version of
Wnn6, which is a freeware, but also the product for solaris 2.x.
In order to compile Wnn 4.2, you need X window system environment.
Moreover, you need the source tree of X if you are under X11R5. If you
are under X11R6, you don't need the source tree.

Another common Japanese input system is Canna. Canna 3.2 is included
in contrib of X11R6 but you need a patch in order to compile it under
X11R6 (but don't need under X11R5). In order to compile Canna, you
Need imake of X11R5 or later, but don't need any library of X.

In any case, Japanese input system is designed as server-client
system, which means that many people can access via LAN, so it is
recommended for you to be able to become root. But, if you can not
become root, don't worry. The whole input system works just for you :-)
and will work fine except that any other user can not use the system.

[Front End for Japanese input system]
Japanese input system usually offers a very primitive front end such
as uum, canuum. So I think that few Japanese people use it. Many
Japanese people prefer Nemacs and/or Mule, which are extension of GNU
Emacs. The final version of Nemacs is 3.3.2, which is based on Emacs
18.55. Yes, Nemacs is not supported any more. Mule, whose latest
version is 2.2.2, is based on Emacs 19.28 (the announcement of new
Mule version is going to be posted to soc.culture.japan). Mule is very
huge program but its compilation is easier than that of nemacs, I think.
Make sure that japanese server is running before you start Nemacs or Mule.

Some people like kinput2, which is a front end under X window system.
In paticular, if you prefer vi rather than emacs, then you should use
kinput2. Kterm supports kinput2 protocol, so you can input Japanese
on command line of kterm with kinput2. Kinput2 is also in contrib of
X11R[56]. There are some Japanese vi-clones: jstevie, jelvis, jvim
and so on. That is, you can edit Japanese articles with the
combination of X+kterm+jvi+kinput2+(japanese input system).
Kinput2 is used for some drawing tools (idraw, tgif) to make them
input Japanese on I18N X-window system.

Some editors (not only mule, emacs but also some vi-clone) support
Japanese input system with Wnn or Canna. If you use only such editor,
then you don't need kinput2. But kinput2 is very convinient under
X, so I recommend to install it.

Remark that you must have at least one kind of Japanese input system
before the compilation of a front end program.

[Easy Japanese input system on mule or NEmacs]
In spite of the description above, there is a Japanese input system
named SKK, which doesn't need any server. SKK is available only on
NEmacs, Mule, Demacs. It will be enough for those who like to input
Japanese kanji one by one. Its latest version is 8.6 (as of May 29, 1995).

You can get information about SKK on WWW:
<http://www.riec.tohoku.ac.jp/skk/index-e.html>

When you archie SKK, try with the keyword 'skk' (skk/8.6 might hit).


[Japanese Editors and Viewers]
As mentioned previous paragraph, there are many Japanese editors on
UNIX. I'm not sure but almost all editors on UNIX has Japanese
localization. The following list shows only some of them.

vi-like editors (jvi): jstevie, jelvis, jvim
emacs-like editors:
  (Extension of Emacs)   Mule, NEmacs
  (Restriction of Emacs) ng, kemacs, micro-emacs

The viewer 'less' has also Japanese localization whose latest version
is 2.3.7. It is offered as a patch for original less and its name is
less-237-iso2022-patch* or so.

[Kanji code] In UNIX machines, there are three major kinds of kanji
code: JIS, SJIS, EUC. JIS coding system, whose formal name is
iso-2022-jp, use only 7 bits so it is used for Internet news and mail
while SJIS (MS Kanji) is standard for PC and Mac. But it seems that
the standard of UNIX in Japan is EUC.

(In JIS coding system, there are some special escape sequences which
distinguish US-ASCII environment and that of kanji)

There are some kinds of kanji-code-converters, one of which is nkf
(Network Kanji Filter). Since Mule and NEmacs convert kanji-code of
input files to suitable one, so you don't care about kanji code if
you use only Mule and/or NEmacs (with correct settings).

[Japanese Mail and News on UNIX]
The easiest way is to install mule and use RMAIL and GNUS on mule for
Mail and News respectively. For settings, read Mule.FAQ, which is
distributed with mule.

If you like to read Japanese on mail and news with the same tool as
you are using now, such as MH, tin, rn or so, then you must get
Japanese localization of the tool and install it because original
tools can not understand escape sequences for JIS kanji-code, which is
used on Internet. The names of Japanese localization for MH and tin
are mh-6.8.3-JP* (mh_version-patch_level-JP) and ktin1.5-1.22*
(ktin-ktin_version-tin_version) respectively.

**Complement(Dirty trick)**
The above method is complete one to read mail and news. But there are
some 'incomplete' methods to read news:

1) For trn, try option '-j'.
2) For tin, use a Japanese viewer or editor as a filter. Just 'more'
   might be work.

In both cases, you might be in trouble that your console become
confused on command line(all characters, including prompt, become
kanji). The solutions are as follows:

a) If you are on kterm, then press [ctrl]+[middle mouse bottom]
   to pop up the menu of vt options and select 'Do full reset'.
b) If you are on Japanese terminal, try (in blind) 'reset [ctrl]+j'.
c) (All mighty) Try "echo '\033(B'", where 'echo' must understand
   the notations such as '\033'. 'echo' in System V machines will
   work in general (In SunOS 4.x, use /usr/5bin/echo while in
   Solaris 2.x, /usr/bin/echo works). Anyway, your terminal will
   be recovered if you send 3 charactors '033'(in octal; escape),'('
   and 'B' in this order.


[Japanese WWW browser on UNIX]
Mosaic has cjk (chinese-japanese-korean) localization whose archive
names are Mosaic-2.4-l10n-* or so. It is true that there are the
localization of Mosaic 2.[56], but I'm afraid that they are distributed
only in source codes. As you know, you need Motif in order to compile
Mosaic.

On Emacs, there is a WWW client named w3, which is available also on
Mule (and NEmacs) and can display Japanese texts.

Netscape does not support Japanese as of 1.1N. They claim to be
working on it.

[Connection to UNIX from PC or Mac] You need a Japanese terminal
emulation program on PC or Mac, which is mentioned in (7.3.1) and
(7.3.2).

The points of setting up are as follows:

1. Check the setting of both your modem and the modem of a connecting
   UNIX machine. The parameters character size, parity, stop bit are
   important to communicate in Japanese kanji (2byte chars.), and
   the following setting is recommended:
   non parity, character size=8 and do not strip 8th bit.
   (In the words of UNIX stty: np, ms=cs8, -istrip)

2. If you have direct connection with a serial port, then just check 
   the setting of the serial port.

3. Check the setting of your terminal program.

4. If Character size is 7 and the setting can not be changed, then you
   can use only JIS kanji-code for communication between the machines.
   Make sure that your terminal program can handle JIS code.

5. If the setting recommended 1 is realized, then you can (and must)
   select suitable kanji-code among JIS, SJIS and EUC. Make sure which
   kanji-code your terminal program can handle.

------------------------------

Subject: (7.4) Internet resources on Japan

------------------------------

Subject: (7.4.1) FTP/gopher sites

Last update: <11/95

soc.culture.japan FAQ, along with the FAQ of many other newsgroups, is 
available via anonymous ftp at rtfm.mit.edu in /pub/usenet directory.
Other ftp sites that have Japan-related materials are

<ftp://ftp.uwtc.washington.edu/pub/Japanese/>
>ftp://ftp.cc.monash.edu.au/pub/nihongo/>
<ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/culture/japan/info/>
<ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/>                (mirrors other sites, too)
<ftp://kuso.shef.ac.uk/pub/>

------------------------------

Subject: (7.4.2) WWW sites

Last update: <11/95

(I will not discuss what WWW is here because of space considerations. See the 
FAQ for comp.infosystems.www.users for details.)

<http://fuji.stanford.edu/>
    Home of US-Japan Technology Management Center, this is one of the largest
WWW sites on Japan that I know of. Features a "Guide to Japan Information
Resources", and other technologically-related sources that makes this site
a good place to start your information hunt.

<http://www.ntt.jp/>
    A comprehensive site operated by Nippon Telephone and Telegraph. Contains
links to just about any Japanese WWW site imaginable.
	
<http://www.its.newnham.utas.edu.au/bonsai/>
      The site contains links to many sites in Japan, Japan(ese) related sites
in the US and elsewhere, and mirrors James Liu's Tokyo Off Time Server.  It
also contains information on Japanese Pop music, links to Anime sites, and
links to FTP servers where Japanese related programs such as Edict etc are
stored.  
       Contact: Byron Kidd <mailto:Byron.Kidd@its.utas.edu.au>

<http://www.omron.co.jp/cgi-bin/j-e>
      An online Japanese-English dictionary. Contact Jeffrey Friedl
<mailto:jfriedl@omron.co.jp>.

<http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~december/japan.html>
      A new site that is trying to put together links about Japan.

<http://www.mickey.ai.kyutech.ac.jp/user/santos/FAQ/FAQSLJ.index.html>
      The sci.lang.japan FAQ site.

<http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/>
<http://www.mainichi.co.jp/>
<http://www.asahi.com/>
      Web sites of major Japanese newspapers

------------------------------

Subject: (7.4.3) Newsgroups

Last update: <11/95

kuso.shef.ac.uk archives the fj.* hierarchy of newsgroups (discussions are
in Japanese).

------------------------------

Subject: (8.0) Japanese Media

------------------------------

Subject: (8.1) Japanese short-wave radio

Last update: 4/96
         by Satoru Miyazaki, Michigan State Univesity
         <mailto:miyazaki@pilot.msu.edu> 

Radio Japan has its own Web site now.  Information on the current frequency 
schedules and the programs is available from:
<http://www.nhk.or.jp/rjnet/>
They also have some other interesting features both in English and Japanese.

------------------------------

Subject: (8.2) Overseas subscriptions to the Japan Times

Last update: ~4/93
From: Ray Tang via Mike Fester

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 (03) 5476-8131
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 (416) 675-9066
          675-9067
Fax: (41) 675-6897
Telex: 6989593 (SHIBUN TOR)
Manager: Mr. J. Colton

------------------------------

Subject: (99.0) Misc.

------------------------------

Subject: (99.1) How can I get copies of Japanese research papers?

Last Update: ~1990
info from:  Lawrence Garfield  gwjapan@hamlet.umd.edu   lg76@umail.umd.edu

An academic or non-profit researcher can obtain internet access to
NACSIS (Japan's National Center for Science Information Systems) by
contacting:

User Support Section II
User Support Division
Administrative Department
National Center for Science Information Systems
3-29-1, Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112 Japan
fax: +81-3-3942-6797

Their 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.


