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Japanese Customer News
Wednesday 11th, April 2012
Book: Japanese Buddhism
Description
"Buddhism was founded in India more than two thousand years ago, but the Japanese molded it to suit their culture, and it became one of the most enduring and far-reaching cultural and intellectual forces in Japan's history."
1. Japanese government funds new study abroad programs for Japanese students
“To combat the decline in Japanese students studying abroad… Special five-year grants of ¥100 million to ¥200 million will be offered to 40 universities for study abroad programs… The number of Japanese college students studying abroad declined by 28 percent, from 82,000 in 2004 to 59,000 in 2009.”
Source: Japan Times
2. Recent survey revealed that one in four of Japanese consider themselves to be an Otaku – one with obsessive interests
“According to Sankei, a recent study by Yano Research Institute showed that one in four Japanese identified themselves as otaku.”
(Otaku as defined by Wikipedia is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests particularly anime, manga or video games.)
Source: Japan Pulse by Felicity Hughes
3. What do foreigners in Tokyo think about Japanese people?
“They are a "thinking" people. They are incredibly cautious and don't take chances. Everything is meticulously considered from start to finish. They don't like to leave any room for error.”
Source : Japan Times
4. Japanese Buddhism – Jodo Shinshu
“In Jodo Shinshu, this is focusing on the nenbutsu….Nenbutsu, in a nutshell, is the joy of realising that you don’t have to spend your time hitting your head against a brick wall. You cannot change it. If you let it go, then you can refocus on what you can do.”
Source: Japan Today
5. Japan mortgage rates compared to the USA
“The average 35-year fixed-rate mortgage was 1.36 percent for the March 27 sale in Japan, according to the agency. That compares with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage of 3.99 percent as of March 29 in the U.S., according to a Freddie Mac index.”
Source: Bloomberg
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