From my experience, while feature films in theaters are often subtitled (and when dubbed, are shown either subbed or dubbed on alternate screenings), most everything broadcast on Japanese TV has been dubbed into Japanese. Granted, anything that has been dubbed is almost always broadcast with both audio streams present. However, the default is always Japanese audio, so there would have to be a conscious effort to watch a show in English. I believe between the high cost of movies in Japan and the almost universal OTA TV penetration that most foreign content in Japan is consumed dubbed, as opposed to subtitled. Please correct me if I am wrong.

and Japanese isn't similar to English.

Japanese people don't want to make mistake in front of people. That's why we are not good at English.

I recently saw a TV show with the ambassador of Japan and he apologized at the end of the show for the possible mistakes he might have made since he didn't speak in his native language.

Don't you think the whole "lose face" part of the japanese culture is a run down model? With all the mistakes made in the Fukushima plant pre and post incident due to not wanting to lose face (or not controlling enough so that the other party doesn't lose face), it's hard to overlook all the bad things that this concept brings...

Or to ask differently: what do you think is good about the concept?

It does bring bad thing like you pointed out. Sometimes people try too much to keep their faces. However, it does bring good thing like they are a few or no looting in this disaster. I do believe the concept has strong influence on that matter.

But this doesn't relate anything on why Japanse suck at English despite of all hard work on school.

It's a shame from where I see but it's ok cuz most people don't speak English.

Starting today, elementary schools has started to teach English to 5th(10 to 11 years old)graders. So that's 2 more years to learn English which adds up 8 years all together.

We'll have to wait and see our score improve. I doubt it.

The old nuclear plant was hit with both an earthquake and a tsunami over the design limits. It seems to have gone well, considering...

Disclaimer first: I'm absolutely no expert, by very far, on Japan or Japanese culture. I am writing this mostly to get answers from those who know better.

>>Don't you think the whole "lose face" part of the japanese culture is a run down model?

I don't know if I believe the face thing is the bad part.

I admire the hard work and dedication of the Japanese worker.

I'd guess (see disclaimer!) that the present problems rest with the higher levels of organisation in their society. A lack of accountability, from top to bottom.

Japan has, simplified, had a recession for close to two decades. I really don't want to know how a Western society would look in similar circumstances.