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Steve Jobs in Kyoto

www3.nhk.or.jp

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Re: Steve Jobs in Kyoto

#121

Post by timr »

flycaliguy wrote: post #108
timr wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That article is a bit silly. While I'm sure it's nice, this is not one of the high-end ryokans in Kyoto, and by no means is it "the best hotel in Japan" (I lived in Kyoto, and have been there many times). Reading the reviews, it mainly sounds small and difficult to book, and it has a cult reputation. I was actually a little surprised Jobs stayed there, given that there are really high-end places where dignitaries and…

I’m sure Steve Jobs stayed at the highest end spots elsewhere on the planet. It mentions in the article that this place is right near his favourite soba.

The soba place is good.

Re: Steve Jobs in Kyoto

#122

Post by bredren »

Marciplan wrote: post #75
timr wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That article is a bit silly. While I'm sure it's nice, this is not one of the high-end ryokans in Kyoto, and by no means is it "the best hotel in Japan" (I lived in Kyoto, and have been there many times). Reading the reviews, it mainly sounds small and difficult to book, and it has a cult reputation. I was actually a little surprised Jobs stayed there, given that there are really high-end places where dignitaries and…

What makes you think SJ would appreciate what the ultra-billionaire appreciates, though? :)

Indeed, not all billionaires appreciate the same things.

Re: Steve Jobs in Kyoto

#123

Post by soperj »

etempleton wrote: post #118
soperj wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He set back wages for techies for years, and was a prick to his family & friends (disavowing his daughter, screwing Woz out of money). I don't care if he was the brightest guy on earth, or what "value" he bestowed on the world. He wasn't a good human being. Same goes for Gates.

You have to take the good with the bad. Steve and Bill were able to accomplish what they did because of their unique personality quirks. Those same quirks make them not always compassionate or empathetic people. No one is perfect. Steve was who he was. A lot of people who were closest to him seemed very sad that he passed. He must have made a positive impression on them.

Sorry, but disavowing your daughter to not pay child support, or trying to recoup someones shares because they have cancer isn't a personality quirk.

Re: Steve Jobs in Kyoto

#124

Post by prakashdanish »

Interesting, I was just finishing his biography and it was repeatedly mentioned how he was inspired by his trips to Kyoto and the Japanese Zen mindset in general. Also, his daughter and his son also wanted to visit Kyoto when Jobs asked them to pick a location upon graduation for the very same reasons.

Personally, I loved Kyoto when I was in Japan for a week. It carries in itself an air of calm and serenity wherever you go. I remember I was walking around the homes and alleys outside of Fushimi Inari and it was as magical as the shrine itself.

Re: Steve Jobs in Kyoto

#125

Post by csomar »

johnwheeler wrote: post #69
bcantrill wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Appreciate your frustration, but you should appreciate something else in turn: Steve Jobs was an asshole to many, many people for many, many years -- and "Steve stories" abound among the veterans in our industry. Speaking personally, my own introduction to Jobs was being at a friend's house as a kid, and overhearing her father being absolutely screamed at by someone on a speaker phone in his office. I looked at her,…

I know I’ll get downvoted, but who cares. I know that’s callous but people have too much an aversion of getting yelled at by their bosses nowadays. That’s ego and vanity.

If you are constantly yelling, you are either under too much stress or have unresolved psychological issues that requires medical assistance. Jobs probably had both but people did tolerate him because of the business/execution/ideas he had.

Either way, if you yell frequently, you need some assistance.

Re: Steve Jobs in Kyoto

#126

Post by blihp »

blimplab wrote: post #77
sneak wrote: post #64

> "I told him it would be impossible to enter but he said he might have a way," says Oshima. "He called his secretary in the US and ten minutes later, I got a call from the Nomura headquarters saying that we had a reservation for a personal viewing the following day." My favorite casual Apple flex like this is the aerial screensaver on the Apple TV that was very obviously shot in 120fps in 4 or 8K (the published vide…

I'm having a difficulty fathoming (or believing) how this anecdote would be possible. When Steve Jobs' secretary picked up the phone, was it working hours? Brushing that aside, how could the secretary have called Nomura headquarters, reach the person who can grant access to the site, then have that person call the chauffeur within 10 minutes?

Working hours wouldn't matter. Steve was a very well connected CEO and probably better connected than most re: Japan. Canon was a significant partner with and investor in NeXT, for example. So it's not a stretch to imagine he knew connected people over there. All his secretaries probably needed to do was get in touch with the staff (more likely, the personal secretaries) of no more than a few of his contacts within a couple of degrees of someone high up at Nomura and say 'Steve needs a favor'. Someone knew someone and so on... and it's done.

Re: Steve Jobs in Kyoto

#127

Post by 93po »

maddyboo wrote: post #116
WoodenChair wrote: post #82

If you go through the entire article, you'll find a link to a documentary that just came out about SJ's love of Japanese art. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/special/episode/202101020...

Here’s a YouTube link: https://youtu.be/1HUUTzGDGVA

It's funny to see this. In the past year or so I became very familiar with Hasui's works and now have more than a dozen prints of prints of his work on my walls. Several ones the same as what Jobs chose though perhaps that part is uninteresting since there's only about 100 to begin with I think. When I saw the scene of Bill's mother's house, two of the three she had on her wall were on my wall and visible as I watched this.

Would love to get real prints one day but I'm happy with my replicas too. I suspect I'll never afford the real things. I've been somewhat tempted to learn a little about woodblock carving myself and perhaps make something more fun and modern with it.

Re: Steve Jobs in Kyoto

#128

Post by MathYouF »

timr wrote: post #25
neom wrote: post #3

The Ryokan that they mention he always stayed at is apparently very good: https://www.annees-de-pelerinage.com/tawaraya-ryokan-review-... "Concierge service at the breakfast table is good, but the story goes on. On my way out one of the porters silently approached me and said: “Schwarze-sama, we checked the weather forecast and there will be rain this evening. So here is an umbrella to take along. Also, we took the l…

That article is a bit silly. While I'm sure it's nice, this is not one of the high-end ryokans in Kyoto, and by no means is it "the best hotel in Japan" (I lived in Kyoto, and have been there many times). Reading the reviews, it mainly sounds small and difficult to book, and it has a cult reputation. I was actually a little surprised Jobs stayed there, given that there are really high-end places where dignitaries and…

Having lived in Japan for a year and reading the review of the service, it reminds me how funny it is to read foreigners reviews of Japanese customer service describing it as miraculous when Japanese would consider it standard and adequate. Truly a special culture and country, the rest of humanity could learn a lot about humility and service from Japan.

Re: Steve Jobs in Kyoto

#130

Post by timr »

MathYouF wrote: post #128
timr wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That article is a bit silly. While I'm sure it's nice, this is not one of the high-end ryokans in Kyoto, and by no means is it "the best hotel in Japan" (I lived in Kyoto, and have been there many times). Reading the reviews, it mainly sounds small and difficult to book, and it has a cult reputation. I was actually a little surprised Jobs stayed there, given that there are really high-end places where dignitaries and…

Having lived in Japan for a year and reading the review of the service, it reminds me how funny it is to read foreigners reviews of Japanese customer service describing it as miraculous when Japanese would consider it standard and adequate. Truly a special culture and country, the rest of humanity could learn a lot about humility and service from Japan.

Yes, definitely. Travel blogs about Japan (travel blogs in general?) are usually pretty cringey for exactly that reason. It takes some time and experience to know what is unique about a culture, and what is simply the normal service/tourist mode of interaction.

I try not to judge, since I'm sure that I had the same experience the first time, and it's part of what makes it fun to travel there. But I'm also not really reacting to the sincerity of the authors' amazement, as much as their lack of self-awareness when writing things like "this is the best hotel in Japan", when their sample size is clearly pretty small.

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