Japanese students' homework is fun, says Chinese website

http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/5627070/

This is a thread from a Chinese message board that became news in Japan. I will not translate the Chinese user's handlenames, and the comments in parenthesis are from the article and not my own. 
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
● 　OP: Will＿Smith　
Japanese elementary school student's homework is relatively simple. At lower grade levels it can be finished in about 20 minutes. Furthermore, what they do for homework is fun. Tooth cleaning charts. Picture diaries. Star and insect observation notes and diaries. During long holidays they write response to reading or free study reports. The ability to learn is developed from the elementary level in Japanese children. They also learn manners and humility, to give warm greetings and thanks for food, and to greet their father when he comes home from work. 
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−
●　愛情的瘋子　　Chinese elementary school homework would be a good contender against Chinese high school homework（Chinese elementary school students get lots of homework every day）
●　我為人民幣服務　Japanese elementary school students are doing the same things as our university students
●　MakiのLove　
Our country's elementary school students in the cities are always learning one thing or another... English or Piano or Dance. I'm not commenting on it, it's just how it is. I dunno if Japan is the same or not (There are also many Japanese students who are busy every day with learning) 
●　海清香檳　Chinese students are fighting on a rail which doesn't allow failure (There is very tough competition in China)
●　xufeifly　I've seen a lot of elementary school students sent to cram schools by their parents. It doesn't bother me now, but if I have children, while they are still elementary school students I want to let them play as much as they like and study less. There are good and bad things to both sides.
●　q286031237　 I dunno about Japanese placement tests but, in China elementary, junior and senior high schools, the goal is always focused on one exam sheet. If you want to do something else, there's no place for you.
●　涙研　 My little brother is learning swimming, art, and music. He's at a middle level of sadness.
● 　帯我探迩　Looking to the future... if I have kids, I want to send them to Japanese school. If you ask me, children's happiness comes first. What happens in the future is up to the individual, and the path for your child is best left to them. I won't limit my child in the same way I was.
●　不猥瑣的暗夜男　I don't think the Japanese education system is so good. Ours is just terrible. (Is it really so bad?)
●　悪魔?棒棒糖　I feel bad for Chinese students.
●　逆天小虫　There's a never changing phenomenon in China, that while adults go on doing bad things, they teach the good things to the children.


... I think this kind of "news" is bullocks. Japan always wants to look better than China. We don't have to, China is still a developing country.
Anyway, I don't like this kind of xenophobia that says our Asian neighbours are all so terrible. Or the nationalist idea that says we are so great.

What do you think?

Let's learn Japanese!
くだらない　kudaranai
Stupid/Bullocks

Niflam! Niflam!

This is another non-news post: it's just for fun!

Today I will introduce a popular コピペ from the Japanese internet forum 2ch.
   
1 ：水先案名無い人 ：03/12/15 15:51 ID:Bbnd8HbS
Today I passed a group of elementary school students
and they said "Niflam! Niflam!" to me.
What could that mean?

2 ：水先案名無い人 ：03/12/15 15:51 ID:brneuIfZ
>>1
Niflam is a spell on Dragon Quest that makes the enemy disappear
So basically they were telling you to get lost

3 ：水先案名無い人 ：03/12/15 15:57 ID:HEyc+yJ2
>>1
What's more, you don't even get experience that way
So they were saying "We don't even want your exp!"
Why are you so hated OP?

5 ：水先案名無い人 ：03/12/15 16:13 ID:qTxYduG9
Furthermore, Niflam is especially effective against undead enemies
So you can think it also includes the hidden message
"You stink like rotten flesh" or "You're eyes are like a dead fish"

6 ：水先案名無い人 ：03/12/15 16:16 ID:64MMjBqO
Also, it only works on enemies whose lever is lower than your own

Let's learn Japanese!
コピペ kopipe
A commonly copy&pasted internet joke or story

Woman arrested for strangling her lover

男「家族を殺す・自殺する・俺を殺す、どれか選べ」 女「……」 男「俺を殺すしかないだろ！」→女逮捕

Man "If you had to choose to kill : your family, yourself, or me, which would you choose?" Woman " ... " Man "It would have to be me! Idiot!" 

1 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(dion軍)：2011/06/11(土) 20:31:29.52 ID:jS92yNq40 ?PLT
「俺を殺すしかないだろう」元交際の男性の首絞める　殺人未遂容疑で女逮捕　坂東

This is the story about a woman who was arrested for attempted homicide after strangler an ex-lover who asked her to.

According to the police, the two had been intimate until February of this year. The suspect Komagata was confronted by the man in her hotel room and asked "If you had to kill your family, yourself, or me, who would it be?", unable to answer the man responded "It would have to be me!", so she strangled him; according to her own testimony.

Afterwards the two went to the hospital together, and dialed the emergency number to report what had happened.  They then appeared together at the Toride Police Station. 

They cooperated freely in the district police and public prosecution's investigations.

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/region/news/110611/ibr11061120090007-n1.htm

Let's see the Japanese reaction!

7 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(宮城県)：2011/06/11(土) 20:32:29.43 ID:JW5eZCLL0
つまり･･･ So in other words ... 

10 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(チベット自治区)：2011/06/11(土) 20:32:33.44 ID:VG158o6k0
どういうことなの WTF? 

6 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(愛知県)：2011/06/11(土) 20:32:29.05 ID:H0j9kHN/0
誘導されて逮捕ワロタｗ Lol, this is entrapment

8 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(神奈川県)：2011/06/11(土) 20:32:31.81 ID:Sb74Y44J0
やだこの人かっこいい this guy's my hero

12 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(関西地方)：2011/06/11(土) 20:33:05.02 ID:GiR1fHyg0
どMなの  is he some kind of masochist?

20 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(関西地方)：2011/06/11(土) 20:34:02.89 ID:Gsm/T46i0
両方メンヘラだな  They're both mental

29 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(チベット自治区)：2011/06/11(土) 20:34:42.68 ID:1L9Lkf3U0
＞直後に２人で病院に行き、１１０番通報。 They then went to the hospital together, and dialed the emergency number to report what had happened.

ここが特に意味不明 
なに仲良く病院いって通報までしてんだよ  
This is the part that makes the least sense
Why are they going all chum-like to the hospital together?

34 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(兵庫県)：2011/06/11(土) 20:34:57.22 ID:Z1DHa5B10
催眠術かよｗｗｗ  What is this, some kind of hypnosis?

40 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(不明なsoftbank)：2011/06/11(土) 20:35:52.70 ID:CEEhBeNV0
そこ死にきれよｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗ  WHY WON'T YOU DIE lololol

42 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(東京都)：2011/06/11(土) 20:36:06.50 ID:wBFAAmKT0
このしょうもない3択なら「俺を殺す」が妥当だな If those are the three options then I guess he was right

48 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(石川県)：2011/06/11(土) 20:36:18.99 ID:VPqsdFNp0
何を試す試練ですかこれは  What is he trying to test here?

57 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(チベット自治区)：2011/06/11(土) 20:37:20.65 ID:R53JfxxR0
自分で死ねよ Die on your own!

58 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(内モンゴル自治区)：2011/06/11(土) 20:37:21.10 ID:nxQnnUef0
格好つけたいお年頃なのか He's just at that age where he wants to stand out

73 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(関東・甲信越)：2011/06/11(土) 20:38:30.81 ID:kOB76sEDO
どういう経緯でその三択に絞られたんだよ
結婚したいが女の家族が反対したとか？ 
How does it come to those three options in the first place?
He wanted to get married but her family opposed it, or something?

89 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(長屋)：2011/06/11(土) 20:39:45.63 ID:+TIzVCxK0
漫画の見すぎ  He's been reading too many comic books

So what are your opinions on this news story?


Let's Learn Japanese
未遂殺人 misuisatuzin
Attempted murder

Japanese Reporter Looks Foolish at Press Conference

◆谷垣禎一総裁 定例記者会見(2011.6.9)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb9Vaf__wTs#t=8m45s

At 8 minutes 50 seconds


Asahi News "According to some sources there is the possibility of a massive cartel, what is your opinion on that President Tanigaki?"
Pres. Tanigaki "A grand cartel? According to certain sources, you say, what news sources are reporting rubbish like that? I don't know anything about it!"

Asahi "It was in the weekly news ... the Asahi Weekly News"

Tanigaki "Oh... so you're the ones reporting on that rubbish" (strained smile)

Conference erupts into laughter
Pres. Tanigaki "Well, in regards to your well respected news agency, I shall refrain from any inflammatory comments"  

Let's see the Japanese response!

21 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(石川県)：2011/06/10(金) 08:06:17.89 ID:QhEJmiOa0
自信がないなら報道するなよ、一部報道とかで誤魔化すなよ 
If you don't have confidence in the information, don't report on it!
and don't try to play it off by saying "according to some sources"

29 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(チベット自治区)：2011/06/10(金) 08:06:59.00 ID:ZrxtLR310
自分たちで書いておいて「一部報道によると」かよ 
You're the ones writing it and yet you still say "according to certain sources"!?

30 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(東京都)：2011/06/10(金) 08:06:59.13 ID:ON695D/UP
この記者女かあ
アホなんだろうなあ 
Stupid bitch reporter

33 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(福岡県)：2011/06/10(金) 08:07:12.15 ID:/4YJHUr00
素直に大連立の可能性は？って聞けばいいのに 
Why didn't she just ask honestly "Is there a chance you're part of a massive cartel?"

34 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(福岡県)：2011/06/10(金) 08:07:12.98 ID:KuJ28F1D0
「アサヒる」という言葉の意味を、
改めて噛み締める 
This requires some reflection over the meaning of the slang "to asahi something"

37 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(チベット自治区)：2011/06/10(金) 08:07:21.54 ID:pHhcJrej0
うちの母ちゃんが言ってたレベル 
Sort of thing me mum would say

41 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(山口県)：2011/06/10(金) 08:07:39.24 ID:ZoBqTFOr0
ひでえカウンターパンチだな 
That's gotta hurt

39 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(チベット自治区)：2011/06/10(金) 08:07:30.17 ID:n+M5JpAK0
恥ずかしすぎるだろｗ 
Way too embarrassing

42 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(広西チワン族自治区)：2011/06/10(金) 08:07:39.83 ID:dEGX0Gg80
どんぐらい恥ずかしいことかガンダムで例えてくれ 
I don't understand how embarrassing it really is, somebody explain it in terms of Gundam

113 ：名無しさん＠涙目です。(長屋)：2011/06/10(金) 08:13:00.27 ID:WIv2bUy00
>>42
シャア「モビルスーツにやられました！」
アムロ「機種は？」
シャア「ジム・・・」
一同「（爆笑）」
Char "A mobile suit got me!"
Amuro "What model?"
Char "... GM"
Everyone (Bursts into laughter) 


So what are your opinions on this news story?


Let's learn Japanese!
一部報道によると itibuhoudou ni yoru to 
 According to certain sources

Do you know 演歌?

演歌 Enka is traditional Japanese music. The music is very sentimental with unique vocalisation.

This is one of my favourite pieces

But many Japanese do not listen to Enka music because the image is that it is for grandmothers.

Luckily one Japanese grandmother taught her American grandson about Enka music and he is bringing it back into popularity in Japan.

His name is Jerome but in Japan we call him Jero!

With this new interpretation of traditional Japanese music, and such young prodigies as Maya Sakura

Will Enka see a comeback in Japan?

... No. But I still like it.

Let's Learn Japanese! 
演歌 Enka
Traditional Japanese Music