Some languages also consider different numbers in different way. I have one ball, two balls, and zero balls. Zero might not be plural like in English. Also, some language have a dual distinction that changes thing when there are two of something (not just singular and plural, but singular, dual, and plural).
It's... fine, I guess. I've had several non-Apple smartwatches over time. So far, it's OK. I had a Garmin Vivoactive 3 before this, but it finally died after several years. I don't know that I'd buy another one, but I'm also not actively looking at alternatives.
I just happen to live in Japan, but you can reverse the countries in my example if it helps. If I were a Japanese citizen living in the US almost 10 years and wanting to just buy a home for my family, I think it's unreasonable to have to give up Japanese citizenship just to get a house in the US. Using my example, I would not give up JP citizenship because I have aging family I need to have unlimited access to in Japan.
Fear of damaging the tomb, as mentioned near the end (archaeology is a destructive process in many cases, and there's always new technology coming that could have told us more if we hadn't disturbed something) is definitely a thing. I also think there's a worry that it's not what they think it is and there will be great disappointment. It's not thought to have been looted in antiquity, but that also doesn't mean it wasn't.
As a US citizen living in another country and trying to buy a house, you want me to have to change my citizenship to do this? 0.o I've lived in Japan for the better part of a decade and am trying to buy a property where, hopefully, my wife and I can live for the rest of our lives. Having to become a citizen in Japan (which does not allow other citizenships except in some very specific cases) is a non-starter for me. I need to be able to freely enter and leave the US in case my family have any issues. Why should I be fucked like this?
Some companies are still like that. Moreover, some people are just like that... and that's the crux of the issue. Social pressure is huge in Japan, so it's hard for people who want no part in that to stop when others keep doing it (even if no one orders or even expects them to).
I live and work in Japan, but I'm still in this picture and I hate it... Though my work-life balance has progressively gotten better. I don't, however, let my subordinates do that; I want them to have real time off. If they answer a slack or something, it's helpful, but I'd rather they didn't think about work in their off time. I try to be the leader I wished for.
The ToS and privacy policy will give you an actual answer. Generally, you are having all of your purchases and stuff tied to your name, age, gender, address (approximate or specific maybe), and other demographic data. This data is then used for a variety of purposes running from actual research on trends and such to targeted ads, to who-knows-what. Basically you and your data are the product and you get points for being so.
Grocery store cards were one of the early adopters of this sort of thing, IIRC.
It's only a problem in the near term as those of us in middle age are going to face increasing taxes and cuts of social programs to support the older folks. I plan on retiring here (Japan). I agree we're way over-populated here for the resources we have and think it should decline, but it's going to be rough.
I think more remote work or companies moving out of Tokyo could help things as it would make getting into daycare and such easier for families with kids, but I don't see that happening.
Sure, as long as you're straight, male, and Japanese. To a lesser extent if you are straight, female, and Japanese (but don't dare expect the same salary, high-level positions, or being treated like anything other than someone who will quit to be a stay-at-home-mom at the vast majority of companies). Everything else is going to have a very different experience in terms of equality in society.
Edit: also bullying issues, including still some people whom even have ancestors of a certain group/caste (burakkumin, for one), homeless issues, mental health care not being covered by insurance, and still more.
I was actually in Higashimurayama yesterday because they have a lot of motorcycle shops and I needed to buy a few things. It was absolutely miserable on my bike and even still quite warm in the shops WITH air on. The brief times of 30-40 kph were somewhat helpful, but still a lot of sitting in the sun with little to no wind and not moving. I checked my heartrate when I got back home and it was almost 160 and all I was doing was sitting on a bike in my gear for about 35 minutes riding back home.
My in-laws in northern Japan don't run their AC at night. I don't know the exact reason, but it's not uncommon. They have no screens in some windows, so we couldn't just open the windows either. It was unusually hot and I felt like I was going to die (I woke up feeling like I couldn't breathe and there was no air movement). The screens are necessary unless we want a house full of roaches, mice, lizards, flies, mosquitoes, etc.
Last letter of definite article endings deR diE daS diE etc.