31 Worthwhile Japan Links From the Past Two Weeks - July 3 | Surviving in Japan: (without much Japanese)

What's happenin' crane?

Hello again, friends! Another gathering of links for your perusal. Not as much commentary from me this week, though. We're in the midst of moving and I've got quite a few deadlines. But no worries, lots of great content headed your way! Enjoy!

Living in Japan

The curious case of the eroding eikaiwa salary (Japan Times) - If you work for an eikaiwa here in Japan, have you found this to be true as well?

How to Make a Natural Hot Spring in the Comfort of Your Own Home (RocketNews24) - Onsen water, to go?

Ministry mulls tax on overseas Net content (Japan Times) - I'm not thrilled at all about this one.

More Japanese motorists killed on expressways after exiting vehicles (The Japan Daily Press) - So be careful kids, when exiting a vehicle if you get into an accident.

Japan Ticket Association Offers Western Union Money Transfer Service (Japan Today)

New Japanese law could lead to jail time for illegal downloads (The Japan Daily Press)

Eco

Drink machine cold at night, off in day (Japan Times) - Sounds weird at first, I know, but it's not as bad as it sounds. Really.

Saitama Prefecture Introduces First "Green Roof" Convenience Store Project (Japan for Sustainability)

Tokyo Suburb Starts Car & Bike Sharing Program (Japan for Sustainability)

Getting Involved

Local orphanages may be best bet for volunteers (Japan Times) - Interested in volunteering at a children's home? Here are some things you should know.

Cat Café & Foster Home “Ekoneko” Perfect if You Want to Relax With Cats or Rescue Them (RocketNews24) - Sounds Purrfect to me. :)

In shift, public increasingly wants larger role for dads in child-rearing (Japan Times)

Japan’s Human Trafficking Problems Not Resolved: US State Department (Japan Subculture Research Center)

Tech

KDDI’s Subsidiary Wire And Wireless To Offer Free WiFi At Starbucks (Asiajin) - And it's not just for folks using their services already, it's free for everyone. Hopefully coming to a Starbucks near you! Or me.

Amazon Japan Preannounces Kindle Coming “Soon” (Asiajin)

Rakuten e-reader due next month (Japan Times) - Well, this month, now.

Food

Pufferfish a hit in Japan, despite the risks (Japan Today) - Dangerous living. Er, eating.

Tebasaki Recipe – Japanese Fried Chicken (No Recipes) - I hadn't even heard of this type of chicken until I read this post.

Beef Teriyaki Recipe (No Recipes) - Um, yum!

There's no excuse not to perfect your dashi (Japan Times) - Not as hard as it sounds.

[All About] Seaweed Salt (Japan Times)

Travel and Recreation

Tour prices halved by low-cost carriers (Japan Times) - Good news for us poor folk.

Buses to Narita get cheaper (Japan Times) - And more good news.

Fireworks Festivals in Japan and How to Find Them (The Japan Daily Press) - I made a nice long list of the bigger events around Japan. Did I forget to include your favorite?

Japan Airlines, ANA to begin offering Wi-Fi on international flights (The Japan Daily Press) - Shouldn't all airlines be offering this now, in this day and age? Good news, though, again.

Survey on how people in Japan plan to travel this summer (The Japan Daily Press) - I look at how Japanese people plan to spend their summer vacation. Some answers weren't surprising at all, but some actually did come unexpected. Can you guess what the number one activity is that Japanese people like to do when they travel? (According to the survey)

Huge model train museum unveiled in Yokohama (Japan Times)

What Was It Like Traveling To Japan 100 Years Ago? (Tofugu) - In case you wanted to do time traveling.