Tuesday, October 23, 2018

this and that

They've been planning to raise our sales tax to 10% but postponed it and it looks like it will finally happen next October...they also plan to keep the tax for essentials at 8% (what the sales tax is now).

Can you believe that tap water will be 10% but that bottled mineral water will be 8%?

If you eat-in at the convenience store your tax would be 10% but if you take out the tax would be 8%.

I think their logic as to what qualifies for 10% and for 8% is backwards.

Especially since with all the take out containers, trash amounts will increase...

Anyway, I hope the government will reconsider and think things through instead of trying to rush to get this thing passed...

On a side note, I was impressed with the butcher in one of the many shops near JR Kamata.

They do not use styrofoam trays.

Instead, you talk to the person behind the counter and they put the meat you purchase into a plastic bag and wrap it with butcher paper. (photo above)

Semi-old school but not totally ecological (I think old school would be for us to bring our own container for them to put what we purchase into) and I like that their prices are comparable with the big supermarkets....

I've also noticed that Minoo restricted the amount of trash we could put out each week (10 liters per person two times a week), where Tokyo doesn't really (45 liters per bag, up to 3 bags, two times a week).

Changing the subject, most of our roadways near our apartment are straight, so from our lanai we can see straight down for miles.

I try to use Google Street View before going on walks, so I can see what the area looks like beforehand, so I won't get too lost. (love technology!)

The other day, I walked down one of the many roadways until it ended and landed near the edge of the Tama River and what they call the Gas Bridge.

If you cross the river, you will be in Kanagawa prefecture.

We've been in Tokyo for almost 6 months, still lots to explore and new things to learn.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was trying to understand this tax thing when I read about it...so confusing. I also saw that China started refusing recycled plastic from Japan and somewhere else. Things are looking bad!

When our Japan family friends come over, my sister invites them for dinner and couple of times, we had a roast or some chunk of meat. They say they cannot make this in Tokyo because they cannot find large cuts of meat, only small pieces for individual servings. This is probably why most people in Japan are so slim. If we only ate small servings of meat instead of huge slabs...not to mention seconds or even thirds! oink oink
v

Rowena said...

that tax thing does sound backward 🤔....we are at 22% on everything, totally beyond reason at this point!

K and S said...

Yeah V, no real large size portions, like no 5 pound box of chicken. I have not been to the Japan Costco recently, but imagine you could get big portions there.

I'm all for raising the tax to something higher Rowena, IF they will actually use the monies for services for us, like medical stuffs, but more times than not they only put the monies into their pockets... :(

Take care you two.
Kat

KirkK said...

That tax does sound kinda backwards Kat. You can really make a lot of trash in Tokyo is seems! ;o)

K and S said...

lots and lots Kirk :)

Take care.
Kat