Japan and Japanese

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Japanese majority still prefer cash to digital currency because it is easy to control overspending though I do not know how it is in the other countries.

Self cash checkout
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Several places here in California have gone "cashless", accepting only debit/credit cards.

As a result, I quit patronizing those establishments.

I prefer to pay cash because it's more manageable and prevents me from fraudulent issues, which has happened far too many times in the past.

Also, regarding "self checkout", many stores like Wal-Mart are discontinuing them due to excessive theft.

I admire Japan for it's disciplined and responsible culture - here in the U.S., people post videoes on how they were able to steal large amounts of items from Wal-Mart and were very proud of their accomplishment.

It's shameful. :(
 
How to use Apple Pay.
This shows how Japanese people are unfamiliar with this kind of payment.
Cash is enough even for younger guys.

How_to_Apple_pay.jpg


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwFDfBIwttI
 
Nikolai Nozdrev, Russia's newly appointed ambassador to Japan, presents his credentials to His Majesty the Emperor on May 23.

He took more than two months to do this since he arrived in Japan on March 4.
This looks too long as usually it is a month or so.
Nikolay_Nozdrev_May_23_2024.jpg


 
Momotaro(Peach boy) is a famous Japanese old story .

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and his wife. Every day, the old man would go to the mountain to
gather firewood, and the old woman would go to the river to wash clothes.

When the old woman was washing clothes in the river one day, a huge peach came floating down the river,
bobbing up and down. The old woman picked the peach out of the river and took it home. When she cut the peach
to eat it, however, out sprang a bouncing baby boy! The couple was delighted, because they had no children.

They named the baby Momotaro and raised him with great care. Momotaro grew into a healthy, strong lad. One day, Momotaro told the couple that he was going to Onigashima Island to fight the bad demons. He had the old woman make him millet dumplings and left for Onigashima.

On his way, Momotaro came across a dog. "Momotaro-san, where are you heading to?" the dog asked. "I'm heading to Onigashima Island, to fight the demons," replied Momotaro. "If you give me one of those millet dumplings you have
in your bag, I will join you." The dog received a dumpling from Momotaro and joined him in his trek to Onigashima.

Next, Momotaro came across a monkey, who asked the same question as the dog. Again, when Momotaro replied
that he was going to Onigashima to fight the demons, the monkey offered to join him if he also could have a
millet dumpling. So, Momotaro gave him a dumpling.

Proceeding along, Momotaro next came across a pheasant, who also joined him after receiving a millet dumpling.
Thus accompanied by a dog, monkey and pheasant, Momotaro reached Onigashima.

On the island, the demons were having a drinking fest, buried in various treasure and food they had stolen from
a nearby village. The dog bit their behinds, the monkey scratched at their backs, the pheasant pecked at their
eyes, and Momotaro fought valiantly, brandishing his sword.

Soon, the head demon went down on his knees and apologized, saying "We give up! Please spare us."
And so, Momotaro seized the demons' treasure and headed back home.

The old man and his wife rejoiced at Momotaro's safe return, and owing to the treasure Momotaro brought home, they all lived happily ever after.
Medetashi, medetashi(happy ending).

Original text : https://www.jitco.or.jp/webtomo/pdf/oldstory_momotaro_en.pdf

Modern interpretation

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmv0S3DxMEM
 
Kaguya-hime (Princess Kaguya)

Once upon a time there was an old man and his wife. The old man harvested bamboo from a grove and wove baskets and strainers from it to make a living.

One day when the old man went to the bamboo grove, he found a stalk of bamboo that was glowing at its base. Puzzled, he cut the stalk, and was astonished to discover a tiny girl inside. The old man and his wife, who had no children, were overjoyed. They named the child Kaguyahime—meaning "Princess Kaguya" —and raised her as their pride and joy.

Strange things started to happen from the day after the girl came to the bamboo-cutter's house. Every time the old man would go to cut bamboo, he would find nuggets of gold inside the bamboo stalks. The old man and his family quickly became rich.
As Princess Kaguya grew up, she became dazzlingly beautiful. When she came of age, many young men came to propose marriage. Five of her suitors were particularly enthusiastic. Princess Kaguya told them: "I will marry the one who brings me the gift for which I ask." She then gave each suitor an impossible task: one she asked to retrieve a bowl used by the Buddha; another for a branch from a tree with roots of silver, a trunk of gold, and fruits that were pearls; and other items just as unattainable in this world.

The five suitors hastened to carry out their impossible tasks, but they all ultimately failed. Finally, the Emperor of Japan himself declared that he wished to marry Princess Kaguya. Hearing this, the old man and his wife rejoiced. However, Princess Kaguya had no intention of marrying the Emperor. The Emperor would not take no for an answer, however, no matter how many times she refused his proposal.

Princess Kaguya began to gaze sadly up at the moon and cry every night. This worried the old man and his wife, so one day they asked her what was wrong. Princess Kaguya replied: "The moon is my true home. During the next full moon emissaries will come for me, and I will have to return home." When they heard this, the old man and his wife were surprised and dismayed. They went to the Emperor and asked him to chase the moon's emissaries away.

During the next full moon, the Emperor sent thousands of soldiers to surround Princess Kaguya's house and protect her. At the stroke of midnight, however, the soldiers all suddenly fell asleep as if they were under a magic spell. And so the emissaries came, and Princess Kaguya said thank you and bowed good-bye to the old couple, and returned with the emissaries to the moon.

Original text: The Tale of Princess Kaguya | September 2014 | Highlighting Japan

Mysterious visitors in the ancient times seem to have related to people from the continent IMO.

Kaguya-hime

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC1PTv3TfNA
 

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