[cloudmountain]

Japan, unfortunately, went so far into technology that they neglected the trades and other occupations.
Consequently, becoming a carpenter or electrician is basically considered having failed your family. So, many people who are not cut out for tech or business won’t consider anything else and aren’t really equipped to earn an income that would support a family, so many of the males have chosen to withdraw from society and the women aren’t prepared to date unviable men.

Haven't the Japanese learned that a plumber is PROBABLY one of the most IMPORTANT men in the world?!

Gee, I wonder WHY women have snapped up all those jobs from the men? Why aren't there 50% women plumbers, carpenters, ditch diggers, gardeners, mechanics (car or motorcycle), fire fighters, cops-on-the-beat, horse-patrol-cops, petroleum workers/rough necks, miners, RedAdair-type-fire fighters (putting out fires in oil wells), highway patrol officers on motorcycles, etc.?

My gender, female that is, seems to want jobs that are SAFE, CLEAN and CLOSE TO HOME. Hmmmm, am I exaggerating? I don't think so.

[The Antiyuppie]

“Haven’t the Japanese learned that a plumber is PROBABLY one of the most IMPORTANT men in the world?! “

I like to point out to people that our entire civilization would not have been possible/would collapse within days into a nightmare without plumbing, plumbers, and public sanitation. So, who is really more important? The geek or the sanitation engineer?