Say, is that the escape hatch?
When the current Recession started, I mused to my wife that an extended visit with my Filipino relatives might be in order. Not the ones in California (although that’s long overdue, as well) - but the ones on the other side of the planet.
At first the suggestion was just kind of a joke, but as [...]
Gonzo downsizing
Anime Studio Gonzo is handing out pink slips this week, part of a layoff plan involving Gonzo’s parent company GDH/Gonzo. Gonzo is known for producing a number of well-regarded anime series including Samurai 7, Burst Angel, Full Metal Panic!, and Last Exile.
On Friday, November 28, GDH announced that it was asking 50 employees of the [...]
Rough economy shutters mom n’ pop Japanese outlet
This is not exactly world-shaking news: the preciptious downturn in the U.S. economy claims yet another small business. But I suspect the business in question, a Japanese import outlet called ‘Made in Japan‘, is just one of many such closures in the otaku-friendly market in the near future.
“It’s a very tough time for small businesses [...]
Experts expect finance-related suicides to rise in Japan
It should hardly be news that in a country as suicide-prone as Japan that the global economic meltdown is expected to result in a higher-than-normal suicide rate, but I’m still a little stunned by the numbers. Normal levels of suicides in Japan number 30,000 per year - the last financial crisis caused a 34-percent jump [...]
What’s the price of gas in Japan?
Hoo-boy. Went to fill up the van the other day and shelled out sixty-bucks. And of course, there are a lot of drivers paying a lot more than that to fill up - but, I am constantly reminded, at least we’re not paying what they pay overseas…
Usually these comments refer to Europe, which has always [...]
