Southampton remembers the Titanic

A southern port city in Britain has commemorated those who died in the sinking of the Titanic with a series of events. The events were held in Southampton on Tuesday, the 100th anniversary of the ship's departure from the city for New York. About 500 children took part. The luxury liner sank in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg. More than 1,500 people died. Southampton was home to most of the ship's crew. Children paraded through the city center carrying placards bearing the names and images of the deceased.

Fortunetelling addiction spreads among the insecure

Chiyoko Osaki married a man after a fortuneteller said he was a good match. The marriage soon fell apart. She initially turned to her parents and friends for advice on building a solid future and career, but she soon found herself returning to the soothsayer. Although counselling is available from both public and private organizations, many people in these unpredictable economic times are looking to divination for solutions to their problems, as well as specific advice for marriage, work and future plans. As could be expected, the number of problems concerning fortunetelling has also risen Many people become addicted to fortunetelling because they have been exposed to it through TV shows and magazines since they were very young, said Hiroshi Watanabe, a lawyer. He has handled cases involving fortunetelling and fraudulent sales of goods or services claimed to bring supernatural benefits to the purchaser. Fortune tellers have long been working on the streets of Japan. But with the nation’s economy still sputtering along, the Internet has become inundated with sites providing fortunetelling services over the phone or through e-mail.

Maid cafe waitresses show off their scientific know-how

Girls dressed in French maid outfits running craft classes on soldering, of all things, might seem like something out of Japanese anime. But this is Akihabara, Tokyo's "Electric Town," and home to all things anime and "otaku," meaning geeks. The workshops are the brainchild of electronics parts retailer Wakamatsu Tsusho Co. Akihabara has long been home to many electronics parts shops. But nowadays, it also serves as "ground zero" for otaku culture and attracts thousands of enthusiasts of anime, videogames, cosplay and other pop culture trends. Wakamatsu came up with the idea of craft classes run by waitresses in maid costumes to revive interest in the science behind electronic gadgets. The company, established 36 years ago, hosted a free craft session in March at Akihabara Network & Embedded Technology Center, Akiba NET-kan, in the Sotokanda area of Chiyoda Ward. In addition to Wakamatsu Tsusho workers and specialists close to Japan's leading semiconductor manufacturer, Renesas Electronics Corp., it included Erika Kurosaki and Shion Arimura from Togenkyo maid cafe as instructors to offer tips on soldering. Twelve people, ranging from a 6-year-old girl, who is set to attend elementary school this spring, to a 62-year-old man, joined the session. After they were given basic tips on soldering, they worked on a heart-shaped circuit board to complete an LED flasher that plays music.

Scam websites on the rise across Japan

Online scams in which victims are deceived into taking part in long friendly e-mail conversations that eventually cause them to lose money are increasing rapidly across Japan. The websites, many of which are paid online dating or job-hunting sites that are based on e-mail exchanges, have been collectively labeled "sakura (decoy) websites" due to the means their operators use to scam their victims. When people register to one of these websites, they are later approached by a "user" of the website, who is actually a decoy. In a series of e-mails, the victims are tricked into endless "friendly" talks. The victims are not aware at the time that the more e-mails they exchange with the decoy, the more money they are later demanded to pay for using the websites. Among common deception techniques "sakura websites" use is making people believe that those they exchange e-mail with wish to befriend them or that they have enough money to invest in their businesses or projects if they become acquainted. That tricks them into sending as many e-mails as possible, which the operators of the scam websites make money from.

TOEIC's popularity on the rise

The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is becoming popular as English is an essential skill for employees as companies expand overseas. The number of applicants in Japan for the TOEIC test, which measures English language skills necessary for international business, in fiscal 2011 increased by about 30 percent to 2.27 million from the previous fiscal year. The figure is close to the 2.3 million who applied to take the Test in Practical English Proficiency (Eiken) in fiscal 2011. Eiken is the most popular English proficiency test in Japan, and its Japanese name literally translates to "English skill test." It is possible that TOEIC will replace Eiken as Japan's most popular English language test. TOEIC has become popular partly because companies have increased their international activities and students face difficult job markets.

Sky Tree to offer world's highest bungee jump

Tokyo's newest and biggest visitor attraction, the 634-meter-high Tokyo Sky Tree in Sumida Ward, will open to the public on May 22. And if 11th-hour contract negotiations bear fruit, visitors to the Sky Tree may soon have the opportunity to plummet 430 meters (over 1,400 feet) toward terra firma, in what is claimed to be the world's highest commercial bungee jump. The new service, it was learned, has been quietly undergoing safety tests late at night. If arrangements can be finalized within this month, the first customers may be able to take death-defying dives from the Sky Tree from around mid-June. Because the project is still tentative, it has been kept under heavy wraps. To maintain secrecy while the negotiations are underway, test jumps have been conducted in the small hours of the morning, starting in January.

Can Japan Firms Woo Foreigners?

Japanese companies, increasingly shifting overseas to offset a shrinking domestic market, are taking the first steps to hire foreigners after long resisting even modest changes to their uniform workplace culture. But they are now confronting the question about just how drastic that change should be. Many Japanese companies say they want foreign workers, but few so far have been willing to overhaul the system - with unequal pay and few opportunities for promotions - that once dissuaded foreigners from joining in the first place. A poll last year conducted by a Tokyo-based staffing agency suggested more than 80 percent of Japanese companies want more foreigners. But only 10 percent of them said they were willing to hire foreigners without Japanese language ability.

Toshiba exits mobile phone business

Toshiba Corp. has pulled out of the mobile phone business by selling its 19.9 percent stake in Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications Ltd. to Fujitsu Ltd., the two companies said Monday. The company, which sells and markets mobile handsets, was originally set up in October 2010 by taking over Toshiba's mobile phone operations. It has since been renamed Fujitsu Mobile Communications Ltd. and is now under the full control of Fujitsu. The Regza Phone and some other Smartphone under the Toshiba brand will continue to be sold by Fujitsu Mobile for the time being, they said. Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120403a8.html

Japanese computer programming language Ruby approved as global standard

The computer programming language Ruby, invented by a Japanese, has been approved by the International Organization for Standardization as a global standard, the government's Information-technology Promotion Agency said Monday. Ruby, conceived by software engineer Yukihiro Matsumoto in 1993, is a scripting language that executes tasks for software and runs on Unix, Dos, Windows and Mac operating systems. Matsumoto, a fellow at Network Applied Communication Laboratory Ltd., said he welcomes the decision and hopes for the further spread of the programming language.                                      Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120403p2g00m0dm049000c.html

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 11

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Clothes ·         How important are clothes and fashion to you? Why? Why not? ·         What kind of clothes do you dislike? Why? ·         How different are the clothes you wear now from those you wore 10 years ago? ·         What do you think the clothes we wear say about us?

Japan wages rise 1st time in 9 mths, overtime pay up

Wages in Japan rose in February from a year earlier for the first time in nine months, while overtime pay climbed for the fifth straight month, partly helped by more working days in the month than last year, government data showed on Tuesday. Overtime pay, a barometer of strength in corporate activity, climbed 3.4 percent in February from a year earlier, the fastest pace of growth since the same month last year, the Labour Ministry said. Average cash earnings stood at 265,497 yen ($3,200) in February, up 0.7 percent from a year earlier, following a revised 0.9 percent fall in January. Total working hours rose 3.0 percent from a year earlier, the highest increase since March 2010. Declines in wages after last year's earthquake have been gradually stabilising and analysts expect the economy will recover this year, helped by reconstruction demand and receding concerns over the global economy. (Reuters, Apr 03)

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 10

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Clothes ·         How important are clothes and fashion to you? Why? Why not? ·         What kind of clothes do you dislike? Why? ·         How different are the clothes you wear now from those you wore 10 years ago? ·         What do you think the clothes we wear say about us?

Toshiba exits mobile phone business

Toshiba Corp. has pulled out of the mobile phone business by selling its 19.9 percent stake in Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications Ltd. to Fujitsu Ltd., the two companies said Monday. The company, which sells and markets mobile handsets, was originally set up in October 2010 by taking over Toshiba's mobile phone operations. It has since been renamed Fujitsu Mobile Communications Ltd. and is now under the full control of Fujitsu. The Regza Phone and some other Smartphone under the Toshiba brand will continue to be sold by Fujitsu Mobile for the time being, they said. Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120403a8.html

Strong storm wreaks chaos nationwide

At least one elderly man was killed and several other people were injured as strong winds swept across the nation Tuesday, and the Meteorological Agency called for continued vigilance in northern regions Wednesday. Although details were not immediately available, more injuries were reported mainly from western prefectures. The Meteorological Agency warned people in other regions, including commuters in Tokyo, to brace for gusts and possible disruptions of public transportation. The winds disrupted operations of airplanes and trains, including shinkansen, mainly in western Japan in the morning. The Meteorological Agency said an active low pressure system and fronts were likely to bring strong winds to northern and north-eastern Japan from later Tuesday to Wednesday.

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 9

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Entertainment ·         Do you prefer relaxing at home or going out in the evening? Why? ·         When you go out in the evening, what do you like to do? ·         How popular is this with other people in your country? ·         Is there any kind of entertainment you do not like? Why? Why not?