Gorkhali World News

At some point in life,  someone is going to ask you a question that makes you feel uncomfortable . How much money do you make? How many people have you slept with? Just what  did  happen to all of your political rivals from the junior high student body president election? Quite often, though, you can get out of answering by asking in return “Why do you want to know?” As a matter of fact,  the question “Why?” is so disarming it can even prevent armed robbery, as one foreigner working in Tokyo just found out . Up until just a few years ago it was extremely uncommon to see  non-Japanese clerks working in convenience stores . Over the last few years, though, there’s been a gradual change, and some shops, especially those in neighborhoods with large expat populations, have hired foreign workers, like one unnamed convenience store near  Tokyo’s Ikebukuro Station . Early in the morning on September 10,  a 20-year-old Nepalese man was working the register . So...

There are a lot of awesome things in Japan as well as a lot of retarded things. Here are a couple examples of the retarded. The light is facing a two-laned, one way street where the only way you can go is straight. The two lanes on the left merge into this street. You can only go straight so why is there both a red light and a green arrow? Are you intentionally sending mixed signals? Are you playing coy? Are you experiencing some moral-related cognitive dissonance on whether to allow me to get what I want? Cause I’m taking it now you impudent huss. This one speaks for itself. ---If you enjoyed this post, hook a brother up by clicking on the ‘share’ icon below and choosing Facebook or Twitter etc., and by checking out American MaleWhore in Tokyo via the ‘Storefront’ tab at the top of the page-

Surely you have heard about the incredible capsule hotel, where you basically do not have more space than your private bed, sleeping with a dozen other guests in a honey-comb similar constructed hotel. You might even want to try it out once you come to Japan or once you miss your last train home. Why not, it is definitely an exciting experience! But be warned, it is not for those who suffer from claustrophobia. As it is always in Japan, there are certain rules and things done differently from other places, so if you want to be prepared, make sure to check out our tips on how to use a capsule hotel properly. Shoes explorejapan.jp/ Similar to Japanese houses, the first rule to remember, is to take off your shoes. No shoes are allowed past the front desk. Make use of the shoe locker usually located nearby. Check in shinchan01.files.wordpress.com/ Once you check in, you will receive a key, which is often attached to a wristband, similar to hot spas. The key is not a room key, it is the key...

Man dead after setting himself on fire in bullet train; woman passenger also dies A man set himself on fire on a high-speed bullet train on Tuesday, killing himself and another passenger as the coach filled with smoke, a fire official said. At least 26 other people were injured, three seriously, mostly from smoke inhalation, Odawara Fire Department official Ikutaro Torii said. The man’s motive wasn’t clear. Police identified him from a copy of his driver’s license as a 71-year-old resident of Tokyo.  The passenger poured an oil-like substance over his head before setting himself on fire at around 11:30 a.m., authorities said. Kyodo News service reported that he used a lighter. Officials said the fire was at the front of the first car in the train, which was in between Shin-Yokohama and Odawawa stations heading from Tokyo to Osaka. “I said to myself, ‘This is bad!’” said Takeo Inariyama, a 54-year-old businessman traveling in the second car. “I saw everyone running toward me and smo...

Right now, I am visiting New York. There are not many vending machines here, like there are in Osaka, where I live. Surely, there must be a good reason for Japan having all those vending machines. Turns out, there are several. The Wild and Wonderful World of Japanese Vending M Read more Stroll through the cities. Stroll through the countryside. You'll see 'em. Known as "jidouhanbaiki" (自動販売機) or by the shorter "jihanki" (自販機), the machines are a feature of the landscape wherever you go in Japan. The country has the highest ratio of vending machines to landmass in the entire world. As the country's official tourist organization points out, Japan is currently home to 5.52 million vending machines. That's a lot. From bread in a can to crepes, the country is home to an array of unusual vending machines. Vending machines have been used to sell questionable items, like hallucinogens and piracy devices. (Though, the infamous panty vending machines are more ...

Japan is actually surprisingly easy to get around with just the few basic phrases in your travel guide or textbook, and, like in any country, Japanese people will appreciate a bit of effort to meet them halfway rather than you shouting “WHERE IS THE STATION. YOU KNOW, TRAINS, CHOO, AGATHA CHRISTIE, LIKE JE SUIS ZE DETECTIVE POIROT?!”  But getting past the basics can be a challenge that many of us (ahem…me) struggle with.  Japanese is hard. And it can be pretty awkward communicating with only the vocabulary of a very well-trained cat. So, after 2 years of language exposure and not enough studying, here are my 5 top phrases to help you sound fluent in Japanese so you can at least pretend to understand what’s going on around you until that elusive day when you finally do (one day guys, one day…). *Disclaimer: These phrases are powerful tools of fluency deception, so use at your own risk of ending up in a binding contract that may involve wearing strange underwear in public. だいじょう...

The last week has been horrible. I haven't been myself. I have felt horrible, I've had no motivation, I've been sad and really depressed. I don't know what to do. I really don't know if I should stay of if I should go. I have 18 days to decide. Right now I am not happy here. I don't actually know if I would be happy anywhere though. That is the problem. I trying to decided if it is Japan that is making me unhappy or if it's me. I have done a lot of thinking lately, about my life and about my future. I am going to have a rant to see if it makes me feel better. Hopefully it does. 1.  No one speaks English (not that they should). When JTE’s don’t speak English it is very frustrating. How can this country become better at English when the JTE DOESN’T SPEAK ENGLISH? 2.  People that spark up random conversations in the bus stop etc. This doesn’t happen back home – If would be rude and not done. These are the same people that ask “Can I practice my English on you?”...

Maybe you, a foreign national, like Japan so much that you want to keep on living in Japan permanently. To do this, you will need a Permanent Resident visa. This visa allows unlimited duration for your stay, meaning you don't have to keep on renewing your visa (however, you have to renew your resident cardevery 7 years). Also, you may work in any job. If you have lived in Japan for 10 years or more, you can apply for a Permanent Resident visa.  If you were approved as a Highly Skilled Foreign Professional (HSPF), you may apply for Permanent Residency after 4 years and 6 monthsfrom the date you were approved as a HSPF. The duration you lived in Japan before getting the status of HSPF is not counted in this case. For example, if you were approved as a HSPF after living in Japan for 3 years, the 3 years would not be included in the 4 years and 6 months.  If you are the spouse of a Japanese national, an approval can be made after 3 years. However, if you have not paid tax (not onl...