It’s mostly supply and demand. In Tokyo and Osaka / satellite cities, prices are going up, everywhere else they are dirt cheap.

However, in urban areas prices still aren’t as crazy unaffordable as you may think, because Japan has a very narrow wage gap (everyone in Japan thinks they are middle class, and their not wrong compared to other countries).

Another thing that makes Japan different to other housing markets, and is affected by the laws, is earthquake concerns. What other countries would call ‘established’ dwellings, they call ‘second hand’. Laws are updated every ten years or so that mean newer dwellings are much safer than older ones. Knockdown/rebuild is so common that there is competitive prices, as there’s plenty of builders to choose from. The builders are also very efficient, and apart from safety law, regulations are low (you can build whatever you like, so long as it’s robust), so labour costs are much lower compared to other countries.

If you go on Suumo.jp you’ll find plenty of very affordable houses, even in good areas/good rail links, but it’s because they don’t expect anyone will live in the house as-is - the buyer will most likely “reform” it (massive rennovation) or replace.

The state of the Japanese housing market is due mostly to cultural/economic/low immigration. If you want a policy solution other high-income countries can use to solve housing issues, the state-capitalism solution of the Singapore HDB is the best model I’ve come across. Second would probably be Vienna’s focus on social housing.

We dont know how much power they have, it’s illegal to know:

| Due to secrecy laws, it is extremely hard to find documentary evidence of the queen’s exercise of influence. In the United Kingdom, government documents that “relate to” communications with the sovereign or the next two persons in line to the throne, as well as palace officials acting on their behalf, are subject to an absolute exemption from release under freedom of information or by government archives.

• “relate to” is so broad and it means we have no idea what is going on.

| But The Guardian has managed to expose a chink in this armour of secrecy. In the UK’s National Archives, it discovered documents from 1973 showing the queen’s personal solicitor lobbied public servants to change a proposed law so that it would not allow companies, or the public, to learn of the queen’s shareholdings in Britain. The gambit succeeded, and the draft bill was changed to suit the queen’s wishes. Perhaps these documents escaped the secrecy embargo because they involved communications with a private solicitor, rather than palace officials

https://theconversation.com/the-queens-gambit-new-evidence-shows-how-her-majesty-wields-influence-on-legislation-154818

• unless you live in Australia. We had to censor Peppa Pig for spreading this pro-spider propaganda. That said, there hasn’t been spider or snake deaths in years, due to antivenom. Will still hurt like hell though.

Geri is my favourite Indonesian crackers, but not so much the chocolate ones…

a bit pricey

Look on the map for Bónus supermarkets, I found them to be the best value but with a good range of stuff to try. I thought the rye bread (Rúgbrauð) and skyr were particularly delicious in Iceland.

Australia already spends time and money maintaining the English monarch as the head of state. And it’s not a ceremonial position; the governor-general has reserve powers, such as the ability to remove office holders, like in 1975. It is only convention, not law that appoints and makes the GG act on the PMs ‘recommendations’ rather than the Monarch; the description of the office has not been rewritten. We can’t rely on convention to govern a country and need to have explicit laws that match our ideals of how a democracy should behave. It’s unexploded ordinance that should be cleaned up… let’s do that rather than spending our time and money changing all the pictures on the money, and the pronouns on all the legal documents each time a monarch croaks.

Cadbury’s Marvellous Creations range has been doing it for about 10 years, but I’ve only seen them in Australia and SE Asia (assumigly sold in UK, too).

Good use of Keanu meme, as he recently fell for and is promoting a conspiracy theory (ancient civilizations).

If you find this kind of humour humourous, look for “Look around you”. It’s around on YouTube so go take a look!

Heh, we do the same. I appreciate that Changi airport has bottle-filling fountains at every gate.

I really appreciate Haneda airport for having bottle scanners, so you can just bring your filled bottles through security. Saw this at an airport in Europe, too, but can’t remember where (domestic Athens maybe?).

Yeah, this kind of thing. We have pocari sweat powder.

As a frequent flier I’d say the most important thing is what you do before and after your flight, not during. Go in well hydrated (get those electrolytes!) and well rested. If you’re flying far east/west, adjust your eating and sleeping ahead of going, to make sure the adjustment is not so hard on arrival. If you’re arriving in the morning, try to sleep on the plane… if you’re arriving in the evening, don’t sleep on the plane. Additionally, when you arrive, wait until the appropriate time to sleep/eat as not to prolong jet lag.

I’ve had it farm fresh in Bali and at a swanky cafe in Penang. The shared characteristic was how smooth it is. Tastes different, not necessarily better or worse. Depends on what you’re after in your beverage.

In Penang, we had it with a normal espresso to compare. After drinking the Luwak coffee, the espresso lost all it’s flavour… It did something to our sense of taste!

Going through a factory you can tell there’s no chance the poop makes it to the final product. In fact, none of the cherry meat is used, only the bean, so I question what effect the digestive process has. Maybe the preparation method is different? I haven’t been to a normal coffee factory to compare.

The conditions the Luwak are kept in vary wildly, apparently the worst practices are in Vietnam. The Luwak are super cute , amazing fur, ones kept as pets were fun to interact with. The size of two house cats. Nocturnal, so I’ve only seen them active once.

I liked the coffee but not so much that I want to support demand for it. The Luwak is a totally unnecessary step in making what is already a great beverage regardless.

You don’t see many cats out and about in Bucharest. Best move to Greece (or Turkey, I hear). In Athens the city microchips and makes sure “stray” cats and dogs get veterinary care. Public parks are filled with cats so you can’t eat your lunch without making a few friends, and you can’t park a motorcycle without a cat parking itself on the seat. Even the hill the Acropolis is on is covered in cats.

You’ve triggered my working with GameCube/Wii through Cygwin PTSD.

🧑‍🚒

her status and authority, unfortunately, make her an acceptable target

Agreed, but It’s really more that she’s a complete arsehole. As a nimby mining magnate, she is a sponsor of organised climate denialism and vocal about it herself, a race she clearly has a horse in. She’s also an active libertarian who wants to further dismantle the welfare system, and reduce taxation, and wants Australian workers to be cool like Africans and work for $2 a day. And a vocal Trump supporter.

It’s not the painting that makes her ugly, it’s her behaviour and ideology.

Sunt iarăși eu, Picasso!^Oh!

As the oldest Millennial (just scrape in), I insist they peaked at Dragon Ball. A half beaten to death pre-teen launching himself through the bad guy to defeat him? Epic stuff.

(Married at 22. You can marry young and be in your 40’s discussing Dragon Ball with internet strangers!)

Yes, very sure! It's probably because I'm not Dutch that I even considered it. Turned out really well, had to use lower heat then you would for frying regular bread as not to burn.