Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Where does one go if you’re Japanese, out of a job in manufacturing but an expert? Yes, China. That’s where a lot of technical experts can go find a second career to hopefully work and teach the great skills that some Japanese possess. Of course that comes with issues. There are 2800 Japanese in manufacturing town of Dongguan alone. “”From Japan’s perspective, emerging countries are getting a free ride of the benefits we nurtured. So yes, it is a problem,” said Yasushi Ishizuka, director of the intellectual property policy office at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.” Yet, jobs are jobs, people will follow the money to survive. Some say that this manufacturing knowledge aren’t crucial secrets. It’s the world today and that’s how it is. (Reuters – Manufacturing China)
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Yes, you’ve had the fake. Admit it. Kobe Beef is only from Hyogo Prefecture where it’s trademarked and not exported (except Macau). Since the trademark isn’t applicable to the US according to the recent Forbes article, the beef you’ve been having here is not really Kobe beef. It’s as similar to the real Kobe beef as Kobe of the Lakers. (Forbes – Kobe Scam) Also see Larry Olmstead’s follow up on Wagyu Beef.
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In Wired, Keiji Inafune let’s it out in many ways. Here’s one. “I want to talk about Korean products too. Why are there no Korean products in Japan? Japanese people believe that Korean products are much worse than Japanese ones, that they’re very bad. But throughout the world, they’re more successful than Japanese products.” There are more from the creator of Megaman who’s now making games from his own studio. (Wired – Keiji Inafune)
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Strange Photograph. Amidst cherry blossoms the missiles await a North Korean rocket. (VOA – rocket)
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How much fun would this be? In these dramatic photos, it shows how the ghost ship from Japan was destroyed. The Coast Guard who had the task must have had fun shooting holes in the ship. This signals more debris coming soon. How many more ships are there?
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