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Housing in Japan includes modern and traditional styles. Two patterns of residences are predominant in contemporary Japan: the single-family detached house and the multiple-unit building, either owned by an individual or corporation and rented as apartments to tenants, or owned by occupants. Additional kinds of housing, especially for unmarried people, include boarding houses (which are popular among college students), dormitories (common in companies), and barracks (for members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, police and some other public employees).

An unusual feature of Japanese housing is that houses are presumed to have a limited lifespan, and are generally torn down and rebuilt after a few decades, generally twenty years for wooden buildings and thirty years for concrete buildings – see regulations for details. Refurbishing properties, rather than rebuilding them, is a relatively uncommon practice in Japan, though its prevalence is increasing, indicating that attitudes towards older houses may be changing.

Housing statistics
Figures from the 2012 Housing and Land Survey conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications indicate that Japan had 53,890,900 housing units at the time. Of these, 46,862,900 (86.9%) were occupied and 7,027,900 (13.0%) unoccupied. Of the occupied units, 28,665,900 (61.2%) were owned by the resident household. The average number of rooms per unit of housing was 4.77, the average total floor area was  and the average number of people per room was 0.56. 45,258,000 units (96.6%) were used exclusively for living and 1,605,000 units (3.4%) were used both for living and commercial purposes. Of the units used exclusively for living, 10,893,000 (24.1%) were equipped with an automatic smoke detector. As of 2003, 17,180,000 housing units (36.7%) are classified by the Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication as being located in urban areas while 27,553,000 housing units (58.8%) are located in rural areas.

As in America, most Japanese live in single-family housing.  During the postwar period, the number of multi-unit dwellings in Japan increased rapidly. In 1990, for instance, 60% of Japanese dwellings consisted of single-family homes, compared with 77% in 1958. Two years earlier, in 1988, 62.3% of the total housing units in Japan were single-family units and 37.7% were multiple-unit dwellings. That same year, a survey carried out by the Japanese economic planning agency showed that 62.3 per cent of the Japanese population owned a detached two-storeyed house.

In the 1980s, a new home in Japan cost 5-8 times the annual income of the average Japanese, and 2-3 times that of an average American. The typical loan term for Japanese homes was 20 years, with a 35% down payment, while in the United States it was 30 years and 25%, due to differing practices in their financial markets.

A survey conducted by the Management and Coordination Agency in 1983 found that there were 34.75 million occupied dwellings in Japan, of which 46.1% were built of timber, 31.3% of fireproof timber, and 22.6% of ferroconcrete or other nontimber materials. The same survey found that detached housing accounted for 64.3% off all housing in Japan, with the ratio falling in urban areas. In the 23 wards of Tokyo, for instance, multi-unit structures such as apartment houses accounted for 62.5% of all housing in those wards. In terms of tenure, 62.4% of housing in Japan consisted of owner-occupied dwellings, 24.3% of units leased by the private sector, 7.6% of units leased by the public sector, and 5.2% of housing for government workers and company employees.

According to a housing survey carried out in 1993, single-family homes accounted for 59.2% of all housing in Japan. In 1997, it was estimated that about 60% of Japanese lived in detached houses. In 1998, 52% of all dwellings in Japan were found to consist of detached houses owned by their residents, 36% were rented dwellings in apartment complexes, 8% were owned dwellings in apartments complexes, and 4% were rented detached houses. In 2008, it was estimated that six out of ten Japanese lived in single-family houses.

According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 2008, around 7.56 million houses were empty. It was later estimated in 2019 that approximately 13.6% of buildings in Japan were vacant, referred to in Japanese as Akiya (). Some of the properties are also referred to as jiko bukken (), and are difficult for realtors to sell or let due to being associated with traumatic events such as murder, suicide, fatal accidents or certain undesirable locations. To combat this, schemes have been put in place by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to promote the renovation and reoccupation of Akiya property, with estate agents maintaining special listings referred to as 'Akiya Bank' to facilitate the sales, renovation and renting of such property. While local Akiya Bank schemes have been in place since the 1990s, renewed interest in renovating property, as well as the advent of the internet, meant that a national scheme was put in place in the 2010s, which remains active to date.

Danchi

 is the Japanese word for a large cluster of apartment buildings of a particular style and design, typically built as public housing by a government authority.

The Japan Housing Corporation (JHC), now known as the Urban Renaissance Agency (UR), was founded in 1955. During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, the JHC built many danchi in suburban areas to offset the housing demand of the then-increasing Japanese population.

Interior design

Traditional homes

A traditional Japanese house does not have a designated use for each room aside from the entrance area (genkan, 玄関), kitchen, bathroom, and toilet. Any room can be a living room, dining room, study, or bedroom. This is possible because all the necessary furniture is portable, being stored in oshiire, a small section of the house (large closets) used for storage. It is important to note that in Japan, living room is expressed as ima, living "space". This is because the size of a room can be changed by altering the partitioning. Large traditional houses often have only one ima (living room/space) under the roof, while kitchen, bathroom, and toilet are attached on the side of the house as extensions.

Somewhat similar to modern offices, partitions within traditional Japanese houses are created by a variety of movable panels. One of the most common types is fusuma, sliding doors made from wood and paper, which are portable and easily removed. Fusuma seal each partition from top to bottom so it can create a mini room within the house. On the edge of a house are rōka, wooden floored passages, that are similar to hallways. Rōka and ima are partitioned by shōji, sliding and portable doors that are also made from paper and wood. Unlike fusuma, paper used for shōji is very thin so outside light can pass through into the house. This was before glass began to be used for sliding doors. Rōka and outside of the house are either partitioned by walls or portable wooden boards that are used to seal the house at night. Extended roofs protect the rōka from getting wet when it rains, except during typhoon season where the house gets sealed completely. Roofs of traditional houses in Japan are made of wood and clay, with tiles or thatched areas on top.

For large gatherings, these partitions are removed to create one large meeting room. During a normal day, partitions can create much smaller and more manageable living spaces. Therefore, kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and genkan with one multipurpose living space create one complete Japanese housing unit. However, the bathroom, toilet, and even kitchen can be communal. (See Sentō.) Therefore, the minimum Japanese housing arrangement, which is still possible to find if one is looking for the cheapest room to rent, consists of just genkan and one living room/space.

Modern homes
Housing is typically listed in real estate advertisements in the format of a number of rooms plus letter designators indicating the presence of common room areas, for example: 1R or 2LDK. R designating room, L for living room, D for dining room, and K for kitchen. In this format, the bathroom and toilet are not mentioned but are included with the exception of some very small 1R or 1Ks. L, D and K are not really separate and are part of or next to the kitchen. An LDK is bigger than a DK. The number before the letters indicates the number of additional multipurpose rooms. Often the rooms are separated by removable sliding doors, fusuma, so large single rooms can be created.

Additionally, advertisements quote the sizes of the rooms—most importantly, the living room—with measurements in tatami mats (jō (畳) in Japanese), traditional mats woven from rice straw that are standard sizes: 176 cm by 88 cm (69 inches by 35 inches) in the Tokyo region and 191 cm by 95.5 cm in western Japan. "2DK; one six-tatami Japanese-style room, one six-tatami Western-style room" is an example.

In Japan,  multiple-unit blocks are referred to as one of two types:
 Apaato (アパート) (or Apartment) for rented unit buildings, which are usually only a few stories in height, without a central secure entrance.
 Mansion (マンション) usually purchased type expensive buildings (but recently some have been rented due to large vacancies) with multiple floors, elevators, and a communal secure gate, with centralized postboxes; they are usually more sturdily built than apaato, normally of reinforced concrete (RC) construction.

Though commonly accepted standards for description exist, this is not a legal requirement; therefore, descriptions may not be entirely accurate.

Genkan

One characteristic of a Japanese home is the genkan, or entryway. It includes a small area, at the same level as the outside, where arriving people remove their shoes. As they take off their shoes, people step up onto a raised floor. They point the tips of their shoes to the outside. The rest of the residence is at the raised level of this floor. Adjacent to the lower floor is a shelf or cabinet called a getabako (geta box) in which people will place their shoes. Slippers for indoor use are usually placed there.

Kitchen

The modern Japanese kitchen features appliances such as a stove, a narrow fish grill (broiler), and an electric refrigerator. The stovetop may be built-in or may be a self-contained unit on a counter-top, and it is usually gas-burning, although recently induction heating (IH) stovetops have become popular. Common units of all types of stoves include two to four burners. Broilers designed for cooking fish are usually part of the stove and are located below, and unlike many Western-style grills, are not full width. Built-in ovens large enough to bake or roast are uncommon; in their place, table-top multifunction convection microwaves are used. Most kitchens have electric exhaust fans. Furnishings commonly include microwave ovens, hot water boilers, and electric toaster ovens. Built-in dishwashers are rare, although some kitchens may have small dishwashers or dishdryers. The kitchen includes running water, typically with hot and cold faucets/taps.

Bathroom

Japanese housing typically has multiple rooms for what in Western housing is the bathroom. Separate rooms for the Japanese toilet, sink, and ofuro (bathing room) are common.  Small apartments, however, frequently contain a tiny single bathroom called a unit bath that contains all three fixtures. A small sink may also be built into the top of the toilet tank – there is a tap, with the top of the tank forming the sink, and the water draining into the tank – which runs during the flush cycle; this is particularly common in mid-20th century buildings. The room with the sink, which is called a clothes changing room, usually includes a space for a clothes-washing machine. The room containing the bathtub is waterproof with a space for washing, and often for showering, adjacent to (rather than in) the tub. As a result, bathwater is neither soapy nor dirty, and can be reused. Many washing machines in Japan come with an extension pipe to draw water from the tub for the wash.

Hot water usually comes from a gas or kerosene heater. The heater is usually located outdoors (at least in warm climates). Its gas supply may be from a municipal utility or from LP (Liquid Petroleum) tanks on site. The typical Japanese water heater is tankless and heats water on demand. One heater may supply both bath and kitchen. However, many homes have two or more heaters. Recently, electric water heaters (eco-friendly ones) have been introduced for home owners. These eco-friendly electric water heaters heat the water in a tank during mid night hours (when electricity is cheapest) for use the following day.

Laundry

Modern homes in Japan will have a small washing machine, but most will not have a clothes dryer as most Japanese hang clothes out to dry on the balcony or in the bathroom, if it is heated. Laundromats are found throughout Japan. Many small apartments do not have room to place a washing machine and/or dryer. Likewise, even for homes with washing machines, only a small percentage have dryers. As such, during rainy season, or on days when it rains and they wash clothes, many people take their clothes to the laundromat to wash and/or dry their clothes.

Washitsu

Many homes include at least one traditional Japanese styled room, or washitsu. It features tatami flooring, shoji rather than draperies covering the window, fusuma (opaque sliding vertical partitions) separating it from the other rooms, an oshiire (closet) with two levels (for storing futons), and a wooden ceiling. It might be unfurnished, and function as a family room during the day and a bedroom at night. Many washitsu have sliding glass doors opening onto a deck or balcony.

Other bedrooms, as well as living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens, are in a Western style. They usually have modern synthetic floor coverings. Ceilings are typically also synthetic, and might be white or beige. Windows usually open by sliding laterally, although many kitchen windows open by tilting, with the bottom slanting outwards.

One-room mansion

A one-room mansion (wan rūmu manshon ワンルームマンション) is a Japanese apartment style in which there is only one small room ( in many cases) and usually a compact bathroom. It is the functional equivalent of the Western-style studio apartment. These units are most often rented by single individuals due to their extremely small size; it is difficult for more than one person to reside in them. Most of Japan's city apartment blocks have rooms such as these although family units (around  in size) are more common, especially in the suburbs.

Utilities

Heating

Space heating rather than central heating is normal in Japanese homes. Kerosene, gas, and electric units are common. Apartments are often rented without heating or cooling equipment but with empty duct space run, allowing the installation of heat pump units. Occupants purchase appliances and take them when they move.

Traditional Japanese buildings do not use insulation, and insulation may even be omitted in modern construction, especially in the low-end apartments; nor is insulated glazing traditionally used in windows, with these being generally single-pane. This is not the case in Hokkaido and the northern part of Honshū, due to the cold winters there. Insulated and centrally heated homes in the northern part of Japan are warmer than many homes in warmer parts of Japan and often use double-pane glass. This is not the case for the newer buildings as they are insulated and built with insulated glazing.

The simplest kerosene burner has a tank for fuel, a mantle, and a control dial. Battery-operated electric ignition is a popular step up. The next rank has an electric fan to circulate hot air through the room. Many such units feature computer control of temperature. The computer can also turn them on and off on schedule. Gas heaters are popular, and many homes have gas outlets in rooms to accommodate portable units. Windows in many homes have vents to open to protect the occupants from excessive exhaust gas. Kerosene and gas units have safety features to turn off the fire and cut off the fuel supply when the heater receives a shake, whether from an accident or earthquake. These units usually shut off automatically after two or three hours to prevent carbon monoxide fumes from building up while the resident is sleeping.

Another type of kerosene heater functions similar to a radiator and consists of two parts. Kerosene fuel is stored in a tank and burned outside the home, and the flame heats a fluid that is circulated into the second unit inside the house. In this unit, fans blow across the tubes carrying the heated fluid, and the room is warmed as a result. This type of heater is popular since it reduces the fumes significantly and virtually eliminates the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning as well as the chance of a small child or pet accidentally injuring themselves.

Electric heat is typically delivered through heat pump units mounted on the ceilings or the walls, such as above the doors to the deck or balcony, rather than through baseboards. These heaters often do double duty as air-conditioners and are accordingly called . Thermostatic control and timers are available in most lines. The manufacturers of electric and electronic appliances produce these heaters.

In northern Japan, underfloor heating  (literally, floor heater) is common, a type of radiating heater beneath the floor, where heated fluids are circulated to provide warmth. Underfloor heating is found in houses or condominiums in the warmer parts of Japan but not for apartments. The cost is expensive, so sometimes this type of heater is only installed in limited areas such as living room or "clothes changing room". Electric carpets have become popular in recent years.

Toilet seats are frequently warmed by electric heat.

Finally, a traditional type of heater known as a kotatsu is still widely used today. The kotatsu can come in multiple forms, but the more common is as an electric heating element attached to the underside of a low table: The table is typically surrounded by a light duvet-like cloth to keep the heat in. This type of table is common in the washitsu.

Electricity

Most Japanese dwellings are connected to the nation's power grid by using 3-wire system with standard phase-neutral voltage of 100 V. 100 V AC outlets are located throughout the home for general use. Few 200 V outlets may also exist for connecting induction heating stove or large air conditioner. The line frequency is 50 Hz in eastern Japan, and 60 Hz in the western part of the country. Circuit breakers of 30 to 60 amperes is typical for most electrical distribution boards.

Many domestic appliances operate properly at either frequency (auto-sensing). Outlets resemble those formerly used in the North America (see comparison), with two vertical slots. The older outlets are un-polarized and many sockets lack proper grounding. Outlets in the kitchen, toilet, and bathroom, as well as those supplied by the ceiling for air-conditioning units do usually have a third grounding terminal, either in the form of a 3-pin outlet or a covered bonding screw. Devices designed for use with water, such as clothes washers and heated toilet seats, often have a separate earth wire or earth ground pin. Cheater plug adapters are readily available to convert such 3-pin plugs and so allow their use in all types of 2-pin sockets.

Since 2005, new Japanese homes are required to have 3-pin earthed outlets for connecting domestic appliances. This rule does not apply for the outlets not intended to be used for domestic appliances, but it is strongly advised to have 3-pin outlets throughout the home.

Lighting
Lighting equipment, like heaters, is normally the provenance of the occupant. Many homes do not include built-in ceiling lights in the living, dining, and bedrooms. Instead, they have ceiling receptacles that provide both electrical connection and mechanical support for lighting equipment. There are four common types of ceiling connectors and these will generally also support the weight of the light fitting. Kitchens, bathrooms, corridors and genkan are likely to have built-in ceiling fixtures.

Lighting is generally by fluorescent lamps and LED lamps, and most frequently in living areas features a 4-way switch. The lamp has two separate circular fluorescent tubes, together with a nightlight (formally 常夜灯, informally a ナツメ球, natume-kyū, "jujube-bulb" (so-named for the shape)), and the switch cycles between "both bulbs on", "only one bulb on", "night light only" and "off". Replaceable glow starters (formally 点灯管, informally グロー球 gurō-kyū "glow bulb") are common in the older fixtures.

Automobiles
Outside of the downtown areas of large cities, many Japanese people park their cars at or near their homes. Some single-family houses have built-in garages; others have carports or unsheltered spaces on the grounds. Apartment and condominium buildings frequently have parking lots, some occupying (for example) the first floor (i.e. at ground level) of the building, others outdoors. Elevator parking allows double use of limited space: one car parks below ground level, with an elevator raising it when needed; the other parks at ground level. More elaborate elevator arrangements are also in use. Residents also lease parking spaces at vacant lots in the neighborhood, generally on a monthly basis, called .

Construction

Many single-family residences are constructed by nationwide manufacturers such as Matsushita (under the name PanaHome), Misawa Home, Mitsui, and Sumitomo Forestry. Some such companies maintain parks with model homes to show to prospective buyers. The builders of a condominium may open a unit to show prospective buyers; alternatively, they may construct a separate model room elsewhere. Makers of appliances similarly operate showrooms to display their products.

Construction materials

For freestanding houses, wood frames are popular. Two-by-four construction is an alternative to the native style. Houses may be clad in siding or faced with ceramic tile. Interiors often have drywall, painted or with a wall covering. Tile is a common roofing material; it may be fired clay or concrete. Clay tiles often bear a color and a glaze.

Large buildings are typically constructed of reinforced concrete. Roofs coverings include asphalt and synthetics.

Housing regulations

The usual maximum allowed height of a wooden building in Japan is two stories; however, using some new technology, some three story wooden buildings are currently allowed (if they meet the building codes). Some wooden houses may have lofts, but these may not be used as bedrooms, only for storage space. Steel and concrete buildings may have more stories, but usually they only have two. Basements are uncommon in private homes but common in high-rise buildings.

The footage which can be built-upon is regulated according to a system involving two figures:  and . Building coverage ratio is the ratio of the building footprint compared to the total area of the land. These two figures are often listed in advertisements for plots of land such as 70:400 (where 70 means the building coverage ratio is 70% and 400 is the floor area ratio or 400%). This would mean that a 4-story home could be built using 70% of the land.  Thus, for a maximum allowable coverage ratio of 50%, the greatest building footprint allowed for a lot of 100m2 would be 50m2. Floor area ratio is the total floor area of the house (excluding the roof and basement) as compared to the area of land the house is built upon; for a maximum FAR of 150%, the greatest possible total floor area for a house built on a 100m2 lot would be 150m2. Both maximum values vary according to the location of the land and width of facing roadway, with more built-up areas with wider roads generally allowing greater maximum floorspace, and building coverage dictated by factors such as frontage, nearby roads, and construction materials. Additionally, the number of floors in a structure may be restricted, in order to avoid excessive blockage of light to neighboring properties.

The taxable value of a house is controlled by its building material. Wooden houses are considered to have a lifespan of twenty years, and concrete ones to have a lifespan of thirty years, and the assessed price depreciates each year contrary to housing markets in other nations. Most real estate agents also use this pricing policy as a rough guide.  Although there are still some wooden homes almost 100 years old with thatched roofs and concrete buildings well over the 30 year depreciation price, taxing is based upon the above method.

Earthquake-proof construction
Japanese architects have developed technology that would reduce the damage of earthquakes, a natural disaster that occurs frequently in Japan. To reduce the shaking of buildings, architects would isolate the foundation of buildings from the ground. Construction workers would often install flexible pads under buildings to support them when an earthquake happens, or create a space under the foundation so it is not directly connected to the ground. This is also a reason Japanese houses use wood frames, since wood is a material that reduces earthquake shake.

Living patterns

Many young Japanese adults choose to live with their parents, rather than seeking a separate residence, a phenomenon known as parasite singles (パラサイトシングル). A 1998 survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare indicated that about 60% of single Japanese men and 80% of single women between the ages of 20 and 34 lived with their parents.

After marriage, the young couple often live in the same house as their parents. A desire for some separation between the generations has led to the phenomenon of , literally "two generation housing", a single house which contains two complete separate living areas, one for the parents and one for the younger generation.

Conversely, in large metropolitan areas of Japan, it is no longer uncommon for young couples to co-habit in an apartment before they marry.

Traditionally, the elderly also continue to live with their children rather than being put into homes for the elderly. The responsibility for the parent usually falls onto the oldest male child or . The number of elderly people living at home has led to a great demand for care products for home use, and also the so-called "barrier-free" housing, which contains fewer steps and obstacles for the elderly.

Apartment sharing between strangers is rare in Japan, most single people preferring to live in small sized individual apartments.  However, in recent years, as Japan is undergoing demographic and socioeconomic change, it is becoming more common for young people to share apartments. Apartment designs are many and varied. An older pattern for single occupancy is a long thin, shoe-box shaped apartment, with a kitchen area and bathroom located often near the genkan and a living space/bedroom at the opposite end where a small balcony may be located.

Japanese companies and organizations often send their male employees to various locations throughout Japan. It is not always possible or desirable for the entire family unit to move near the employee's new job site. In this case, small apartments are rented by married men who then travel to the family home either every weekend, once every two weeks or once a month depending on the distance and the company policy.

Home ownership
Because of the high cost of housing in major Japanese cities, many urban families and individuals rent apartments rather than owning their own home.  In 2003, less than half of the living units in Tokyo were owned by the resident.  On the other hand, rural areas tend to have much higher ownership rates.  The highest rate in the country is Toyama Prefecture, with around 80% of all living units being owned by the resident.

The living space of houses and condominiums is larger than apartments.  The average size of an owned residence in Japan is .  This varies wildly between major urban areas (Tokyo: ) and rural areas (Toyama Prefecture: ).  The area of homes that are advertised for sale or rental is commonly listed in the Japanese unit tsubo (坪), which is approximately the area of two tatami mats (3.3 m2 or 36 sq ft).  On diagrams of the house, individual room sizes are usually measured in tatami, as described above in the interior design section.

In recent years, condos/mansions have become more and more popular.  Compared to 1983, when 64% of owned homes were single-family dwellings, and only 27% were condos, more recent statistics show that the latter make up around 40% of the category now.

As houses age, owners replace them. A common pattern is to rebuild on the same site. To accomplish this, the occupants move to a temporary residence. A contractor demolishes the old structure and builds a new one on the grounds. The residents can then return to the location. Not having moved, they enjoy the convenience of keeping the same address, telephone number, and utility accounts, as well as avoid the cost of purchasing new land. Because of the wooden construction and relatively short lifespan of Japanese houses, this is often considered cheaper than maintaining the old structure. As residential building regulations change, particularly in terms of setback requirements and coverage ratios, rebuilding on the same site can potentially result in a house significantly smaller than the original. To get around this, homeowners will sometimes demolish all but the minimum required by law to qualify as a "renovation" rather than a "rebuilding". This has been the source of some debate.

Home and apartment rental

To rent an apartment in Japan, would-be tenants visit real estate agents located in every neighborhood and browse through copies of apartments for rent. These usually have the layout of the apartment for rent and the costs to rent this apartment. If a would-be tenant is interested in a particular apartment, the agent contacts the landlord to see if the apartment is still available and whether a visit could be arranged. Typically, a renter cannot rent an apartment on her or his own, but is required to have a guarantor who promises to pay the rent if problems arise.

Traditionally, Japanese landlords collect both a damage deposit and "key money" before the renter takes occupancy, and the real estate agent is also paid a month's rent for services provided.  Key money is a non-refundable payment to the landlord.  In major cities like Tokyo and Osaka, key money is often a major investment in itself: up to six months' rent in many cases. In recent years many landlords have begun demanding smaller amounts of key money, equal to two or three months' rent or none at all. An industry of no-deposit apartments, called monthly mansion and weekly mansion, has also sprouted up in major cities: these generally charge higher rents than traditional leases, and may offer some hotel-style amenities such as linen service.

In Tokyo, a typical rental agreement is for two years for an ordinary tenancy agreement. At the end of the contract period, this agreement is re-negotiated, and the renter typically pays an additional month's rent as a fee. In many other cities, however, the two-year agreement is regarded simply as a minimum length of stay, and the rent does not normally change over the years. However, as buildings get older and more repairs are required, or as government tax rates go up, a rent increase does occasionally occur.

Guest houses
Foreigners in Japan renting apartments on their own often face discrimination from real estate agents or landlords who refuse to rent to foreigners. Some agents will explain to foreigners directly that it is difficult to rent to them. Finding a guarantor is also difficult for many foreigners. Living in a Guest House is one way to circumvent these problems. Sometimes referred to as "Gaijin Houses" (meaning foreign persons' house), Guest Houses come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are designed to provide short-term accommodation at reasonable prices with a minimum of hassle. Usually aimed at foreign visitors, they are becoming increasingly popular with young Japanese seeking to break with the tradition of living with parents until, and sometimes after, marriage. While deposits are payable, in most cases they tend to be low and key money is not charged for these properties. A guest house will provide one room for sleeping, a shared kitchen and shared bathroom. Facilities like washing machines are usually coin-operated, but due to intense competition many landlords are seeking to provide as many free utilities as they can; free Internet is currently very common in Tokyo. Typically, foreigners and Japanese are finding it harder to find Guest Houses and have been opting for small "apaatos" instead.

Company housing

Many Japanese companies also maintain their own apartment buildings (called shataku) where young employees live when they first start working.  Sometimes, the shataku is located near the company's office building.  In other cases, the company may not own its own apartment complex, but hold an exclusive lease over one or more independent apartment buildings.  In 2003, there were nearly 1.5 million shataku units in Japan.

Depending on the company policy, some shataku are one-room and only available to single people while other companies offer larger multi-room complexes available to married couples as well.  Likewise, there may or may not be a maximum duration which you can lease the shataku, but that too is up to company policy.  Some offer the room until the employee marries, others will only offer it for the first 3, 4, 5 or more years of employment.  It varies from company to company.

Traditional housing

Historically, commoners typically lived either in free-standing houses, now known as minka, or, predominantly in cities, in machiya (町屋) or row-houses called nagaya (長屋). Examples are still visible in Kyoto. Additional dwelling patterns included the samurai residence, the homes of wealthy farmers (such as the village headmen), and the residences of Buddhist temples.

Wood was the material of choice for structures, while roofs could be thatch, cypress bark, tile, or bare wood. Raised floors were of wood, and might be covered with straw mats in places. Kitchens usually had dirt floors.

Homelessness

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported in 2003 that Japan had 25,296 homeless people. Osaka, Tokyo, and Aichi were the prefectures with the highest homeless populations, while the city of Osaka, the 23 special wards of Tokyo, and the city of Nagoya had 1750 or more (no other city had 850). The ministry found that about 41% lived in urban parks and 23% along river banks; streets and railway stations also had significant numbers.

See also
Housing in China
Housing in New Zealand

Notes

Further reading
 Edward S. Morse (1838–1925): Japanese homes and their surroundings, published by Charles E. Tuttle company,
 Sven Ingmar Thies: Japanese Rooms  —  Intimate interiors of Japanese living in Tokyo, Berlin, New York, Shanghai and Vienna, Berlin: Schwarzerfreitag (publ.) 2007,
 Ann Waswo: Housing in Postwar Japan: A Social History. London: Routledge, 2002,
 Koji Yagi (text), Ryo Hata (photos): A Japanese Touch For Your Home. Kodansha International, Tokyo, New York, London 1999 (Pbck.),

External links

 Housing Construction Statistics—Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, updated November 10, 2005.
 Japan (See the 'Settlements' section)
 The Japanese Nationality Room—Minka (Traditional Japanese housing)
 JAANUS Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
  Landlord-Tenant Relations and Law
 Japanese house maker ranking
 Nihon Minka-en in Kawasaki, Kanagawa is a collection of traditional Japanese minka.
 "The recent controversial rough sleepers provisions in Japan" Information on homelessness in Japan (pdf)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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They have now lost their last three after falling to Ottawa 23 last week as 3-point road underdogs.No Obligation.At the moment, it appears as though his Pirates ' debut come Colorado on Monday, since the club is listing , and Musgrove as the pitchers this weekend.Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 151st the country.
Next: UFC 227 on Aug.Became the 14th player franchise history to be named to the All-Rookie team, and the 10th earning first-team honors …Big left arrow icon Big right arrow icon Close icon Three dots icon Down arrow icon Email icon Exit Fullscreen icon External link icon Facebook logo Instagram logo Snapchat logo YouTube logo Grid icon Key icon Left arrow icon Link icon Location icon Mail icon Menu icon Open icon Phone icon Play icon Radio icon Rewind icon Right arrow icon Search icon Select icon Selected icon TV icon Twitter logo Up arrow icon User icon Audio icon Tickets iconAdd to calendar icon.The Rangers have a total of 65 points on the .Pittsburgh shows up with a record of including at home this .
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Humphrey, File AP Three years is good; $5 million annually is a little off-putting, but look a little deeper.
Trailing 2 from the first leg, Dnipro's hopes of turning the tie round looked to have disappeared when substitute Nikola Kalinic was sent off the 63rd minute – just 10 minutes after climbing off the bench.I wouldn't have fouled out.The Marlins hold a .426 team slugging percentage and on-base percentage of .326, which is good for 15th baseball.
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Goldschmidt is hitting .292 and he has on-base percentage of .409.That ranked them 29th the NFL punting average.


Plans to introduce a £2 tourist tax in Edinburgh have won strong support in a public consultation.
Some Scottish councils, led by Edinburgh, have called for powers to set levies on tourist accommodation.
Figures show 85% of respondents to a City of Edinburgh Council survey backed the move, including more than half of accommodation providers.
The eight-week City of Edinburgh Council poll received more than 2,500 responses into the proposed Transient Visitor Levy (TVL) of either 2% or £2 per room per night.
It is estimated that this model could raise between £11.6 million and £14.6 million a year.
The majority of respondents (72%) agree that the tax should be set at a rate of around £2 a night or 2% of the cost of accommodation, while 19% felt this was too low.
Most respondents (47%) prefer the option of a flat 'pound per night, per room' rate but a high number (38%) would rather see a charge introduced which is based on the percentage of the room fee.
A total of 81% of respondents want to see at least a seven-day cap on charges to help protect Edinburgh Festival performers and other non-leisure visitors.
Council leader Adam McVey, said: "Once again, we are finding that there is a huge swell of support for a tourist tax in Edinburgh with residents and all types of business backing a scheme that is fair, sustainable and one which would be reinvested into the ongoing success of our tourism and hospitality industry and the services which matter most to local people.
"Edinburgh welcomes over four and a half million visitors annually, spending over £1.8 billion. Our tourist economy is extremely strong and expected to continue to grow.
"A majority of businesses agree the vibrancy of our industry wouldn't be threatened by a small levy but would benefit from the additional investment.
"Interestingly, this includes more than half of accommodation providers, dispelling fears in certain quarters that the industry wouldn't support a TVL.
"As a council, we have a strong track record of investing in and supporting our cultural offering and heritage – but as the demands on our city increase, we will need a secure additional source of funding to sustainably invest in and manage the impact of this growth.
John Donnelly, chief executive of Marketing Edinburgh, added: "Combined with Marketing Edinburgh's own independent research – which found that 88% of summer visitors would still come to Edinburgh if a £2 per room, per night charge were in place and that 59% of residents are in favour – the results are conclusive.
"A transient visitor levy is a widely supported means of keeping the city at its best for residents, visitors and businesses alike.
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Costa Concordia has completed its final journey to the port where it will be dismantled and recycled, two-and-a-half years after it hit rocks and sank.
The 115,000-tonne wreckage travelled over 300-kilometres at a speed of two knots per hour from the Tuscan island Giglio to northern Italy's Genoa. The trip took over four days to complete, as a convoy of 10 ships monitored the hull for any oil leakage.
Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi flew to the scrapyard to watch as the ship was fixed into place just outside Genoa's main harbour.
"This isn't a day for showing off or creating a spectacle, but it's a mark of gratitude from the prime minister for getting something done which everyone said would be impossible," the Buenos Aires Herald reported him as saying to journalists.
Italy's environmental minister Gian Luca Galletti praised the ship's owners, Costa Cruises, for completing the salvage operations with technical success.
"Costa Cruises has done their work and they've done it very seriously as it was their responsibility to do because they were responsible for the disaster," he explained.
See the ship arrive in Genoa in the video below.
What's next for the Concordia?
Now that the wreckage is in Genoa, it will begin the two-year scrapping process.
Passenger luggage and personal items still on board will be removed before labourers dismantle the ship.
According to news site 13Fox, 80 percent of the Concordia will be recycled or reused. These include repairable items such as plumbing pipes, kitchens, plastic room fittings and copper wiring.
The 50,000-tonnes of steel will be melted down and sold to companies that will use it to make cars, beams and maybe other ships.
The total salvage operation is said to have cost up to $1.5 billion euros. Dismantling and repairing damage to Giglio Island will cost the line $100,000 euros alone.
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text:
LAW OF THE AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC
of October 28, 1999 No. 728-IQ
About operational search activities
This Law governs the legal relations connected with implementation of operational search activities and determines system of legal guarantees in application of operational search measures.
Chapter I. General provisions
Article 1. Concept, purposes and tasks of operational search activities
I. Operational search activities are implementation by the relevant state bodies by public and secret methods of the measures established by this Law.
II. Operational search activities are performed for the purpose of protection of life, health, human rights and freedoms, legitimate interests of legal entities, the state secret, and also homeland security against criminal encroachments.
III. Treat tasks of operational search activities:
1) suppression of the preparing and made crimes;
2) identification and disclosure of the committed crimes;
3) establishment of the persons who are preparing, committing or committed crimes;
4) search of persons disappearing from the judicial, investigating authorities and bodies of inquiry evading from serving sentence or missing persons;
5) identification of unknown corpses.
Article 2. Legislation on operational search activities
I. The legislation on operational search activities consists of the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic, this Law, other regulatory legal acts of the Azerbaijan Republic, and also international treaties supported by the Azerbaijan Republic.
II. The bodies performing operational search activities (further - subjects of operational search activities), within the powers according to the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic adopt the regulatory legal acts regulating the organization and tactics of operational search measures.
Article 3. Principles of operational search activities
I. Operational search activities are based on the principles of legality, humanity, respect of human rights and freedoms, conspiracy, combinations of public and secret methods of work.
II. Nationality of this or that person, his nationality, floor, residence, social and property status, official position, belonging to public associations, the relation to religion and political views cannot interfere with implementation of operational search measures if the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic does not provide other case.
Article 4. Guarantees of rights and freedoms of man and citizen
I. Due to the implementation of operational search activities:
1) prosecution is more whole or accomplishment of tasks, not the stipulated in Article 1 this Law;
2) distribution without the consent of this or that person of data concerning immunity of his life, including the mystery of private and family life, and also his honor and advantage, is forbidden.
II. Violation during operational search activities of the rights and freedoms of man and citizen provided by the Constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic, legitimate interests of legal entities is forbidden. The temporary restriction of rights and freedoms of man and citizen in connection with application of operational search measures can be allowed only in the procedure established by this Law in case of control of offenses, their disclosure, search of persons disappearing from the judicial, investigating authorities or bodies of inquiry evading from serving sentence, missing persons.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
Hot Dog är en låt av Led Zeppelin på albumet In Through the Out Door från 1979. Låten är skriven av Robert Plant och Jimmy Page. Det är den enda låten på skivan som har Page/Plant som låtskrivare.

Låten spelades live av gruppen i Knebworth och på Europaturnén 1980.

Låtar av Led Zeppelin
Sånger 1979


Mindfulness and mindful meditation have become very fashionable recently, but don't let that put you off. It is simple, and often a very effective way of keeping your stress levels down.
You don't need any particular religious or spiritual beliefs to practice mindfulness. In fact, you can be a complete cynic and still benefit! And you can do it anywhere, so it's very convenient.
Most people experience an array of emotions through the course of a day, and in many cases, they are able to express those feelings in an appropriate way. However, there are some that find it difficult to do this, especially with anger. They may think that it's not acceptable to feel anger at all, and try to hide it or 'bottle it up', or they may lack the skills to express it in a way that's socially acceptable.
If you put me into a trance can I get stuck?
The short answer to this is no, but I do understand why many of my clients want this question answered, as the prospect of going into trance, or hypnosis, can feel so different from everyday life that it can be a bit scary.
Read more: Can I get stuck in trance?
OCD is not just about hand washing, despite the picture. It's defined as an anxiety disorder and around 2-3% of the population suffer from some kind of OCD behaviour. OCD is normally thought of as an adult condition, but it can affect children as well. So can hypnotherapy help?


Nice 5+ acre lot. Lot is directly across from Highland Lake Access. Lot would be great for Family camping area or come and Build a seasonal or year round home . Great privacy Possible MTN Views. Do not use GPS.
Sold by Bhg Masiello Peterborough.
Courtesy of Brian Michaud of Dow Hill Realty.
© Copyright 2019 New England Real Estate Network, Inc. All rights reserved. This information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. The data relating to real estate displayed on this Site comes in part from the IDX Program of NEREN. The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Data last updated 2019-04-24T22:05:46.883.


text:
Q: $A$-points of a fiber of a morphism of schemes over $k$ Suppose $f:X\to Y$ is a morphism of schemes over a field $k$.  For any point $y\in Y$, we have the fiber of $f$ over $y$ defined as the fiber product $X_y=X\times_Y\mathrm{Spec }\;k(y)$, where $k(y)\cong \mathcal{O}_y/\mathfrak{m}_y$ is the residue field of $y$.
If $A$ is a commutative $k(y)$-algebra, I'd like to describe the $A$-points of $X_y$, which means I'm interested in maps of schemes $\mathrm{Spec}\;A\to X_y$.  Using the universal property of the fiber product, is this equivalent to the $A$-points of $X$ where $A$ is a commutative $k$-algebra via $k\hookrightarrow k(y)$?
My intuition for algebraic geometry is horrible.  I'd certainly appreciate any illuminating description of how to view the $A$-points of the fiber $X_y$.  Thank you.

A: $\newcommand{\spec}[1]{\mathrm{Spec}\,(#1)}$
I'm new at this, so it is more thoughts put into words than an answer.

By definition of a fiber product (in any locally small category for that matter), we have :
$$ X_y(-) = X(-) \times_{Y(-)} \spec{k(y)}(-)$$
(where $Z(-)$ is the functor of points $\hom_{k-\mathbf{Sch}}(-,Z)$ of the $k$-scheme $Z$).
Explicitely, for a $k$-scheme $Z$, $X_y(Z) = \{ (\varphi,\psi) \in X(Z) \times \spec{k(y)}(Z) : f \circ \varphi = i_y \circ \psi \}$ where $i_y$ is the (inclusion) morphism $\spec{k(y)} \to Y$. But then, the functor of points of $\spec{k(y)}$ admits a nice description : any morphism $Z \to \spec {k(y)}$ is topologically the constant map to the single point of $\spec {k(y)}$, and the map of structuring sheaves is just a morphism $k(y) \to \mathcal O_Z(Z)$ of $k$-algebra.
Now take $Z$ to be $\spec A$ for a $k$-algebra $A$, we have :
$$ \spec{k(y)} (A) \cong \hom_{k}(k(y), A). $$
So an element of $X_y(A)$ is the data of a morphism $\spec A \to X$ and a structure of $k(y)$-algebra on $A$ extending the structure of $k$-algebra, such that

*

*topologically, $\spec A$ factors through $f^{-1}(\{y\})$,

*for every $x \in f^{-1}(\{y\})$, the structure of $k(y)$-algebra of $A$ factors through the residue field $k(x)$ of $x$.

If now $A$ is a $k(y)$-algebra and you're interesting in the $A$-points of $X_y$ as $k(y)$-schemes$^{(1)}$, then the structure of $k(y)$-algebra is imposed but the conditions remain. So I would say that your assumption

Using the universal property of the fiber product, is this equivalent to the $A$-points of $X$ where $A$ is a commutative $k$-algebra via $k \hookrightarrow k(y)$?

was not restrictive enough.

(1) This is not clear in the OP what kind of $A$-points you are looking for.

A: $\newcommand{\spec}{\operatorname{Spec}}$I just want to expand on Pece's answer a bit to try to make it more explicit. Consider some affine open subset $U = \operatorname{Spec} B \subseteq X$ intersecting the fiber $X_y$ nontrivially and some affine open $V = \operatorname{Spec} R \subseteq Y$ containing $y$. By possibly shrinking $\operatorname{Spec} B$ we can assume that the morphism $f$ sends $U$ to $V$. Finally, suppose that $y$ corresponds to the prime ideal $\mathfrak{p}$.
Then the inclusion $y \hookrightarrow Y$ corresponds to the composition $R \to R_{\mathfrak{p}} \to R_{\mathfrak{p}}/\mathfrak{p}R_{\mathfrak{p}}$. Similarly, the morphism $f: U \to V$ corresponds to a ring homomorphism $R \to B$ making $B$ an $R$ algebra. Then the fiber product $U_y$ corresponds to the tensor product of rings, i.e., the pushout diagram
$$
\require{AMScd}
\begin{CD}
B_{\mathfrak{p}}/\mathfrak{p}B_{\mathfrak{p}} @<<<  R_\mathfrak{p}/\mathfrak{p}R_\mathfrak{p}; \\
@AAA @AAA \\
B @<<< R
\end{CD}
$$
The nice thing here is that we can usually compute this ring to get an explicit handle of the fiber. Then an $A$-valued point of the fiber $U_y$ is explicitly a ring homomorphism $B \to A$ that factors as $B \to B_{\mathfrak{p}}/\mathfrak{p}B_{\mathfrak{p}} \to A$ and is compatible with the diagram above. Stated differently, it is just an $R$-algebra morphism $B_{\mathfrak{p}}/\mathfrak{p}B_{\mathfrak{p}} \to A$.
For the general case, we just find affine $U_i = \operatorname{Spec} B_i$ in $X$ whose union contains $X_y$ and whose image under $f$ is contained in $\operatorname{Spec} R$. The above argument goes through for each $U_i$ so that
$$
(U_i)_y = \operatorname{Spec} {B_i}_{\mathfrak{p}}/\mathfrak{p}{B_i}_{\mathfrak{p}} \enspace \enspace \text{and} \enspace \enspace X_y = \bigcup_i (U_i)_y.
$$
Then an $A$ valued point of $X_y$ is just a map of schemes $g: \spec A \to X$ such that $g^{-1}(U_i)$ cover $\spec A$ and for each affine $\spec A' \subset g^{-1}(U_i)$, the induced ring homomorphism $B_i \to A'$ lifts to an $R-$algebra homomorphism ${B_i}_{\mathfrak{p}}/\mathfrak{p}{B_i}_{\mathfrak{p}} \to A'$.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Mortimer Mitchell's Neighbor Vine Allen Tolson --Part Three
If you missed Parts One and Two, here are the links:
Mortimer Mitchell's Neighbor Vine Allen Tolson --Part One
Mortimer Mitchell's Neighbor Vine Allen Tolson --Part Two
Yeah, It's been like a month since I posted Part Two. I apologize for the delay. June quickly spun by. I had knee surgery at the beginning of the month which brought with it followup doctor's appointments and physical therapy. My kids finished school for the year and then we were quickly off to Cape Cod for a week of rest and relaxation. Then, I made a wonderful cousin connection thanks to the wonders of DNA. Next, the 4th of July was upon us.We had a little barbecue in our backyard. I've yet to post pictures from the day (Coming soon!) Lastly, I've spent a good chunk of time this month being Taxi Mom, shuttling my son to soccer camp and my daughter to gymnastics practice. Whoo! I'm pooped. No time for rest though. There's genealogy to do!
In Part Two, I shared a newspaper article that mentioned how my 3rd great grandfather's neighbor, Vine Allen Tolson, was not able to make payment on money owed to Alexander Mitchell, a wealthy Craven County, NC landowner. My 3rd great grandfather was Mortimer Mitchell and I suspect that he may have once been owned by this Alexander Mitchell. I haven't come across any direct evidence yet that Mortimer was a slave of Alexander's. I thought that if I explored the relationship Vine Allen Tolson had with Alexander Mitchell, I might reveal more evidence to prove my case.
Vine's son James Henry Tolson swooped in and saved the farm for his papa in 1869. When the it went up for public auction, James was the highest bidder and established a new agreement between the Mitchells and the Tolsons.
Image courtesy of Craven County Register of Deeds.
This indenture made on the fifth day of February A.D. one thousand eight hundred and sixty nine between Thomas J Mitchell of the City of Newbern and State of North Carolina on the one part and James Henry Tolson of the County of Craven and State of North Carolina on the other part witnesseth: That whereras by virtue of a certain deed of trust made by one Vine Allen Tolson to the said Thomas J. Mitchell on the 15th day of May 1868, to secure the payment of one thousand and thirty dollars and sixty-seven cents and interest due to one Alexander Mitchell as will freely appear on reference being had to said deed, the conditions of which not being complied with the said Thomas J. Mitchell did according to said conditions, expose to public sale the property therein mentioned and thereby conveyed that is to say one plantation hereinafter particularly described and the said James Henry Tolson being the last and highest bidder at the price of Eight hundred dollars, became the lawful purchaser. Now therefore this indenture witnesseth, that the said Thomas J. Mitchell for and in consideration of the said sum of eight hundred dollars to him in hand paid by the said James Henry Tolson the receipt whereof is hereby fully acknowledged hath given, granted, bargained and sold and by these presents doth give, grant, bargain and sell unto the aforesaid James Henry Tolson all the said tract of land or plantation lying and being and in the same county of Craven on the south side of the Neuse river at and near Croatan station on the Atlantic and North Carolina Rail Road, eleven miles from New Bern aforesaid recently occupied, owned and cultivated by the said Vine Allen Tolson containing about seven hundred and fifteen acres of land bounded as follows (viz:) on the by land of John C. Washington and others, on the North by land of heirs of Stephen Hardison, on the West by land B. T. Williams and John F. Williams, John C. Washington, and others. To have and to hold said plantation or tract of land, together with all and singular the woods, ways,waters, mines, minerals, improvements, privileges, and appurtenances us thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining to him the said James Henry Tolson his heirs and assigns absolutely in fee simple forever free and discharged of and from any and all encumbrance or encumbrances, whatsoever; and all the estate, right, title and interest hereby conveyed, or intended to be conveyed, the said Thomas J. Mitchell doth covenant and agree to and with the said James Henry Tolson his heirs and assigns to warrant and defend forever so far forth as he has power and lawful authority to convey and assure the same by virtue of his office as trustee and no further. In testimony whereof the said Thomas J Mitchell doth hereunto set his hand and seal the date first above written.
Signed, Sealed & delivered }
in presence of } Thos. J. Mitchell (Seal)
Jno. Hughes. } Probate Court, Craven Co. N.C.
New Bern, Feb. 5th 1869.
There was the due & legal execution of the foregoing Deed proven before me by Thos. J. Mitchell, the grantor named therein, who acknowledged the within signature to be his voluntary act and deed. --Therefore let said Deed with this certificate, be registered.
J. E. West
Judge of Probate for Craven Co., N.C.
Registered Feby. 6th 1869.
This wasn't the end of this land matter. Eight hundred dollars was not enough in the eyes of Alexander Mitchell to pay off the debt of Vine Allen Tolson. The following agreement appeared directly after the one I featured above in the deed book.
This Indenture made on the fifth day of February one thousand eight hundred and sixty nine between James Henry Tolson of the County of Craven and State of North Carolina of the one part and Thomas J. Mitchell of the City of Newbern and State aforesaid of the other part witnesseth whereas the said James Henry Tolson is justly indebted to the said Thomas J Mitchell in the sum of twelve hundred and seventeen 44/100 dollars, as on reference to four certain notes bearing date the first day of February inst. will move fully and at large appear said notes being for the sums and payable at the times following (viz:) Note for ten dollars payable in two months after the date, Note for three hundred eighty 02/100 dollars payable one year after date. Note for four hundred and two 47/100 dollars payable two years after date and note for four hundred and twenty four 92/100 dollars payable three years after date, and whereas the said James Henry Tolson is honestly desirous to secure the payment of said debt: Now therefore this indenture witnesseth that for and in consideration of the promises together for the further consideration of the sum of one dollar to the said James Henry Tolson hath granted, bargained and sold and by these presents doth grant bargain and sell unto the said Thomas J Mitchell, a certain tract of land lying and being in the County of Craven aforesaid on the South side of Neuse River at and near Croatan Station on the Atlantic and North Carolina Rail Road eleven miles from Newbern aforesaid, recently occupied, owned and cultivated by one Vine Allen Tolson, containing about seven hundred and fifteen acres, as follows -(viz:)- on the by land of John C. Washington and others on the South East by the land of Bell and others on the north side by land of heirs of Stephen Hardison, on the west by land of Ives heirs, and land of B. T. Williams, and John F. Williams, John C. Washington and others to have and to hold the said tract of land and premises and all and singular the tenements, hereditaments, woods, ways, waters, anines
versions, privileges, and appurtenances, whatsoever thereunto, belonging or in anywise appertaining to him the said Thomas J. Mitchell his heirs executors and administrators in fee simple forever free and discharged of any and all encumbrances,whatsoever. In Special trust and confidence nevertheless, said Thomas J. Mitchell shall and will hold, keep, use and apply the same to the uses and intents following and no other: that is to say if the aforesaid debt and every part thereof shall not be paid in the manner and at the time above specified and set forth, or if any one of the said notes shall not be paid at the time when the same becomes due and payable, then the said Thomas J. Mitchell shall give notice in writing to the said James Henry Tolson that the same is due and unpaid and that the payment of the same is demanded, and if the same shall not be paid in sixty days from the date of said notice the whole sum hereby intended to be secured or so much thereof as shall then remain unpaid shall become at once due and payable without reference to the time of payment prescribed in said notes, and in that case it shall be lawful and at the option of the said Thomas J. Mitchell, after he shall have advertised the same at the Court House in the said City of Newbern and three other public places within the said County of Craven for the space of twenty days to proceed to sell the said land and premises at public auction to the highest bidder for ready money, and convey the same by proper and sufficient assurances to the purchaser and out of the proceeds of money arising from said sale to retain all the necessary expenses of this trust and then pay off and discharge the said debt and interest or such part thereof as shall remain unpaid at the time of sale; and the overplus (if any) he shall truly and faithfully return to the said James Henry Tolson his executors and administrators.
And it is further covenanted and agreed by and between the parties hereto that in the meantime, that is to say from the date hereof until the payment of said notes or until the day of sale, the said James Henry Tolson shall be privileged and entitled to live on the said lands and premises and take use and apply the rents issues and profits and every part thereof to his own use. And if at any time before the sale of the property the said James Henry Tolson shall pay off and discharge the aforesaid debt and interest together with all the necessary expenses hereby incurred there and in that case this indenture and part thereof shall be utterly void and of no effect otherwise to remain in full force.
In testimony whereof the said parties have hereto set their hands and seals the day and year first above written Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of } J. Henry Tolson (Seal)
Jno. Hughes } Thos. J. Mitchell (Seal)
Probate Court Craven Co., N.C.
New Bern, Feb 5th 1869.
Then was the due & legal execution of the foregoing Deed acknowledged before me by J. Henry Tolson & Thos. J. Mitchell the grantor therein. Therefore let said Deed & this certificate be registered.
Judge of Probate for C, Co.
Presented for registration at 3 P.M., February 5th 1869, and registered the following day. Jas. G. Harrison
Register of Deeds.
Some helpful information gained from going through these records are the names of landowners who had land directly adjacent to Vine Allen Tolson's land. Perhaps those neighbors did business with Alexander Mitchell as well. I will have to look into this. In any event, while researching deeds for Vine Allen Tolson, I came across a particularly interesting one between Vine and his half sister Elizabeth Tolson Williams. That I will feature in an upcoming post.
Anyway, it is 2:45 am and my eyelids are drooping. Time for some sleep.
Alexander Mitchell Craven County Mitchell Family Tolson
Something About Me Saturday: Fourth Of July 2017
Mortimer Mitchell's Neighbor Vine Allen Tolson --P...
Cape Cod 2017


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Peter Jeffrey (18 April 1929 – 25 December 1999) was an English character actor. Starting his performing career on stage, he would later have many roles in television and film.

Early life
Jeffrey was born in Bristol, the son of Florence Alice (née Weight) and Arthur Winfred Gilbert Jeffrey. He was educated at Harrow School and Pembroke College, Cambridge, but had no formal training as an actor.

Career

Theatre
Jeffrey spent many years on stage with the Bristol Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company. From 25 May 1966 he appeared in Tango, a play by Sławomir Mrożek at the Aldwych Theatre alongside Patience Collier, Mike Pratt, Ursula Mohan and Dudley Sutton, under director Trevor Nunn.

Television
Numerous television roles include two guest appearances in Doctor Who: as the Colony Pilot in The Macra Terror (1967) and as Count Grendel in The Androids of Tara (1978). In Granada Television's daytime legal drama series Crown Court, Jeffrey played Barrister Peter Edgar QC having made a previous appearance as William Askwith Vennings in the case involving Regina v Vennings & Vennings.

He played King Philip II of Spain in the BBC serial Elizabeth R (1971) and Oliver Cromwell in By the Sword Divided (1985). He also appeared in Special Branch (1973), Thriller (1974), Porridge (1975), Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1975), Quiller (1975), Rising Damp (1978), Minder (1980), Nanny (1981), Juliet Bravo (1982), Yes Minister (1984), and Dennis Potter's Lipstick on Your Collar (1993). He played the villainous Sultan in the fantasy epic The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) and appeared as Police Commissioner Blamire in Our Friends in the North (1996).

He made three appearances in The Avengers; the episodes were "Room Without A View" (1966), "The Joker" (1967) and "The Game" (1968). He featured in The New Avengers episode "House of Cards" (1976)

Movies
He played the role of Headmaster in If...., the memorable 1968 film by Lindsay Anderson. In 1971, he played Inspector Trout in The Abominable Dr. Phibes, a role he would reprise in 1972, in Dr. Phibes Rises Again.

Death
Jeffrey died on 25 December 1999 from prostate cancer.

Filmography

 Never Look Back (1952) – Court reporter (uncredited)
 Becket (1964) – Baron
 The Early Bird (1965) – Fire Chief
 That Riviera Touch (1966) – Mauron
 A Choice of Kings (1966) – Bishop Odo
 The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966) – Sergeant
 The Fixer (1968) – Berezhinsky
 If.... (1968) – Headmaster: Staff
 Ring of Bright Water (1969) – Colin Wilcox
 The Best House in London (1969) – Sherlock Holmes (uncredited)
 Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) – Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
 Goodbye Gemini (1970) – Detective Inspector Kingsley
 The Main Chance – "First you Eat, Later we Ruin you" (1970) – Kenneth Manmer
 Countess Dracula (1971) – Captain Balogh – Chief Bailiff
 The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) – Inspector Trout
 The Horsemen (1971) – Hayatal
 Kidnapped (1973) – Riach
 What Became of Jack and Jill? (1972) – Dr. Graham
 Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) – Inspecter Trout
 O Lucky Man! (1973) – Factory chairman / Prison Governor
 The Odessa File (1974) – David Porath
 Deadly Strangers (1975) – Belle's Uncle
 The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) – General Wadafi
 Midnight Express (1978) – Ahmet
 Doctor Who The Androids of Tara Count Grendel (1978)
 The Quiz Kid (1979) – Rigby
 Britannia Hospital (1982) – Sir Geoffrey
 Yes Minister - episode "Party Games" (1984) - Eric Jeffries
 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) – Sultan
 Hands of a Murderer (1990) – Mycroft Holmes
 A Village Affair (1995) - Peter Morris
 The Prince and the Pauper (1996) - The Duke of Norfolk
 The Tale of Sweeney Todd (1997) - Dr. Maxwell

References

External links

 Obituary in The Independent

1929 births
1999 deaths
20th-century English male actors
Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge
Deaths from prostate cancer
English male film actors
English male Shakespearean actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
People educated at Harrow School
Male actors from Bristol


CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. / Sept. 19, 2017 – Randy Worcester, the broker/owner of Weichert, Realtors® – Home Pros, has been selected as the 2018 Division 2 Vice President (Middle Grand Division) of Tennessee REALTORS®. Worcester was elected and installed at the state association's annual convention, which was held Sept. 13-16 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Worcester's term as vice president will run for two years, during which time he will serve as part of the statewide association's 10-member Executive Committee.
Worcester has been a licensed Tennessee REALTOR for more than 12 years. He is a member of the Clarksville Association of REALTORS (CAR), where he has served as president, president-elect and director, as well as chair of multiple committees. Worcester was named CAR's 2011 REALTOR of the Year.
At the state level, Worcester was a member of the Tennessee REALTORS board of directors for four years. He served as president of the of the Tennessee state organization for the Council of Residential Specialists (CRS) in 2016. Prior to that leadership position, Worcester was named the Tennessee CRS of the Year in 2014 and is a graduate of the Tennessee Association of REALTORS 2012 Leadership Class.
Worcester has also been actively involved with various civic organizations locally. He has served as president of the Clarksville Sunrise Rotary Club, where he is a Paul Harris Fellow, and as a leader with the Middle Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts.
His wife, Peggy, the co-owner of their Clarksville-based Weichert® affiliated agency, is also a successful REALTOR. She was recently inducted into the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council's "Hall of Fame." Their two sons are also involved in their real estate brokerage.
Tennessee REALTORS serves as the voice for real estate in Tennessee to more than 24,000 members across 21 local REALTOR associations.
Weichert, Realtors® – Home Pros is an independently owned and operated Weichert affiliate. The office serves the greater Clarksville area.
For more information about Weichert, Realtors® – Home Pros, located at 2680 Trenton Road in Clarksville, contact Randy Worcester at 931-552-1415 or visit www.clarksvilletnrealestateonline.com.


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Storm Drain Dumping
Report Storm Drain Dumping
If you have witnessed anything other than rainwater entering a storm drain:
Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (510) 494-4570
After hours (510) 477-7500, #1
Report Online Get FremontApp.com for your phone
The information that you provide will help us to maintain the health of our creeks and Bay.
What is the Storm Drain System?
The storm drain system, also known as a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System or MS4, prevents flooding when it rains. This system moves water away from an area to a local water body, such as a creek or channel. The storm drain system includes the inlets (storm drains) and gutters on your street as well as pipes and outfalls, where the stormwater enters the water body.
What is Stormwater Pollution?
Stormwater is the polluted runoff gathered from rain and severe thunderstorms from roads, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces, where runoff collects pollutants and carries them downstream, ultimately into the San Francisco Bay. When it rains, stormwater picks up whatever is in the street: trash, oil, waste, fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals, pet waste, and sediment.
That polluted runoff flows down storm drains, through stormwater pipes, to places where the pipes empty directly, without filtration or cleaning, into our creeks, channels, and the Bay.
Polluted runoff makes our waterways unsafe for swimming, threatens seafood, and causes localized flooding and property damage. These pollutants then contaminate not only our watersheds, but also our drinking water sources. Polluted runoff causes beach closures and water contact and seafood consumption advisories. In fact, scientists are now discovering intersex fish as a result of the chemicals in the increased polluted runoff into local waterways.
What is Non-Stormwater Pollution?
Any polluted runoff caused by humans is referred to as non-stormwater pollution and is a violation of the Fremont Municipal Code and the Federal Clean Water Act. Examples of non-stormwater pollution are:
concrete wash water
dumping of oil in street or storm drains
power washing runoff
cigarette butts, littering
Because water enters Fremont's storm drain system flows directly into the nearest water bodies and ultimately to the Bay without treatment, it is critical to keep it pollutant free.
Prevent Illegal Dumping


This could be an interesting topic of debate among freethinkers. Please share your views.
Are you for caste based reservation?
It is after all a place where government meets religion. If religion and government should be kept separate, is caste based reservation justified? Why?
(15-Jun-2010, 11:00 AM)donatello Wrote: Are you for caste based reservation?
No. All it has lead to is to keep the caste system alive by constantly reminding people that they belong to a particular category (OC,BC,OBC,SC,ST,whatever). It has also become a potent weapon for politicians to keep the populace divided and ensure a secure vote bank.
A much better option would have been to help under-privileged people financially for a limited period of time (say till a person completes college) so that they have some incentive to make full use of it. The current system just encourages complacency.
(15-Jun-2010, 11:00 AM)donatello Wrote: This could be an interesting topic of debate among freethinkers. Please share your views.
Quote: It is after all a place where government meets religion. If religion and government should be kept separate, is caste based reservation justified? Why?
I'm sorry but this sounds like sophistry. The separation of church and state was related to rulers controlling the religious sphere in Europe in the past. How does the reservation interfere with religious life of the castes?
(15-Jun-2010, 10:00 PM)Lije Wrote: All it has lead to is to keep the caste system alive by constantly reminding people that they belong to a particular category (OC,BC,OBC,SC,ST,whatever).
At one point of time I thought the above argument was highly hypocritical since fundamental reason for the existence and sustenance of the caste system was the caste specific marriages. Therefore, all the mass protests against the reservation system should have started with demand for legal ban on the caste specific marriages. On achieving that they should have opposed the reservation system.
Anyway, I no longer hold the view as I understand the impossibility of such a move. But still I don't think argument that reservation gives the caste consciousness is valid.
Quote: It has also become a potent weapon for politicians to keep the populace divided and ensure a secure vote bank.
Only for the numerically strong castes. However, every person's realization of his/her caste identity and of their position in the social and political life can undermine this in longer run. But that requires highly publicized statistical studies of the castes. As I know there are hundreds of castes which are basically minorities in true sense. They have neither numerical power nor have traditional social standing but are generally endogamous.
Anyway, vote bank is a tricky thing. At least it can bring together Dalits and Brahmins.
At present, I see the biggest drawback of the reservation system is the lack of measure of its success or failure. We need a success metric for the removal of the system if the system is successful.
We need to view the system at community level and not at an individual level. I have seen people viewing it at individual level and stereotyping the whole communities.
(16-Jun-2010, 11:53 PM)manju Wrote: But still I don't think argument that reservation gives the caste consciousness is valid.
That was the case for me and some of my friends when we were in school. We used to gripe on how hard we had to work to get into a good college compared to people who can get reserved seats. The only reason that I was a casteist back then was because of the reservation system. I did not know about jati dharma or the other arguments given by hindu apologists.
(17-Jun-2010, 12:59 AM)Lije Wrote: That was the case for me and some of my friends when we were in school. We used to gripe on how hard we had to work to get into a good college compared to people who can get reserved seats. The only reason that I was a casteist back then was because of the reservation system. I did not know about jati dharma or the other arguments given by hindu apologists.
My understanding of the caste system was primitive while I was still a student. So, now I don't give much importance to my views about it at that time. I had this view that marrying within the caste was something very natural and marrying outside the caste was exotic but acceptable. But now I have changed my views to such an extent that marrying within one's caste is barbaric and in some cases with nasty degrading undertones. When I said reservation giving rise to caste consciousness I was talking within this context.
In those days I hardly thought about the 'cultural capital'. Cultural capital, I would define as, ideas, imitating opportunities that one would get because of his/her birth within certain endogamous unit. Here I should make it clear that I'm talking from the point of view of an average person.
In college the caste system was not supported with some absurd Hindu propaganda. It had move to genetic or racial levels. The reservation system is irrelevant for this ideology. These people are castiests at a different level (even if that is considered pseudo-scientific). So, there will always be a possibility of latent caste prejudice by the people who subscribe to those racist views.
Honestly, I'm against college level reservation of any kind. Like all poorly thought out attempts at social justice in our country, reservation is open to abuse and has no mechanisms to actually check how effective is. The longevity of reservations that were supposed to last only 10 years after independence shows not only the level to which the idea has been abused for populist politics, but also it's inherent failure to produce any tangible macro-level results beyond stuffing the ranks of civil services with low performing representatives from the low caste creamy layer (those who have already broken out of the cycle). This is not to say that it doesn't help any people at all, or that it hasn't managed to bring up certain caste groups from their earlier positions, but I think (And this is obviously a layman's perspective, depending on anecdotal evidence, so correct me if i'm wrong) if you took a cost/benefit analysis of the reservation system, it'd be obvious that it has done more harm than good, and is ineffective and a campaigning tool at best.
The irony of 50% reservations when your school system at both the primary and secondary level is in ruins, is something that is lost on most people. It's obvious, to me at least, that any effort at helping the less fortunate should focus on the school system, so that we have the opportunity to produce students who are already well grounded in the basics of science as well as the arts. These students can take full advantage of the opportunities provided to them in college and beyond instead of depending on the results of caste politics and their last name to improve their lot. Some finance-based reservations, or financial help to the underprivileged (not on the basis of caste, but money) should be the only help they need after that point. Getting children into schools, keeping them in schools, and providing them with good quality education at that level (not just basic literacy and math to shore up the literacy numbers) is what will make any actual tangible difference. Also, the whole education system needs to be reformed and made more holistic, but that's another discussion altogether.
Till we can help the underprivileged get proper schooling and an education that is comparable with the better off in society, reservations will always remain a sad political joke.
The longevity of reservations that were supposed to last only 10 years after independence shows not only the level to which the idea has been abused for populist politics, but also it's inherent failure to produce any tangible macro-level results beyond stuffing the ranks of civil services with low performing representatives from the low caste creamy layer (those who have already broken out of the cycle).
Ten years? Really? Caste based discrimination has been rife in the Indian subcontinent for last two thousand years, probably more. Surely, it is enormously preposterous to think that 10 years of reservation will fix a consistently malevolent practice that is ages old? Though it is true that civil services is suffering under incompetence, I would argue that the problem is not reservation here. The problem is that a mechanism to assess performance of government employees is virtually non-existent. It is obvious from the mentality of government 'servants': "every few years we'll get a promotion, better pay, a better house, the power to refuse transfers, etc. It's the best job in the world!".
This is of course in severe contrast to the private sector where often performance is the key to holding the job and getting better compensation. Though there are Indian private companies that recruit with caste prejudices, even they are under pressure to change and focus on performance because other companies, notably MNCs, are trumping them!
Quote: This is not to say that it doesn't help any people at all, or that it hasn't managed to bring up certain caste groups from their earlier positions, but I think (And this is obviously a layman's perspective, depending on anecdotal evidence, so correct me if i'm wrong) if you took a cost/benefit analysis of the reservation system, it'd be obvious that it has done more harm than good, and is ineffective and a campaigning tool at best.
Cost/benefit analysis of the current system cannot be done accurately at this time. The data is quite poor. The various commissions (National Sample Survey, the Mandal commissions) disagree rather wildly on the OBC counts. Thus, the pressure to include caste in the current census.
Perhaps when that is done, a more accurate picture will emerge of the need and effectiveness of reservation.
Quote: The irony of 50% reservations when your school system at both the primary and secondary level is in ruins, is something that is lost on most people. It's obvious, to me at least, that any effort at helping the less fortunate should focus on the school system, so that we have the opportunity to produce students who are already well grounded in the basics of science as well as the arts. These students can take full advantage of the opportunities provided to them in college and beyond instead of depending on the results of caste politics and their last name to improve their lot.
There are a large number of first generation learners whose parents have simply no understanding of science. Even if the children are taught well in school, I cannot see how they will get into colleges, considering their poverty as well as the immensely opportune students from upper echelons of the caste system that they have to compete with. They are unlikely to make it to college. Their school education has not really saved them from their situation which arose because of the caste system. If they don't make it to college, they become peons, clerks or labourers if they are lucky. Others, especially women, are trafficked or suffer in some other way, often going back to the profession of their caste, like manual scavenging.
Quote: Some finance-based reservations, or financial help to the underprivileged (not on the basis of caste, but money) should be the only help they need after that point. Getting children into schools, keeping them in schools, and providing them with good quality education at that level (not just basic literacy and math to shore up the literacy numbers) is what will make any actual tangible difference. Also, the whole education system needs to be reformed and made more holistic, but that's another discussion altogether.
Finance based reservation would be a failure of moral standards IMO. Caste is not money based. It has lasted for over a 2000 years. You can understand how deeply ingrained it is in people's thoughts and lives by observing people. Many expletives in local languages (and they do appear in films) are caste coloured (chamar, bhangi, dharidram, etc). We need a consciousness movement for India to make people aware of the terms they use. Reservation must be caste based!
Quote: Till we can help the underprivileged get proper schooling and an education that is comparable with the better off in society, reservations will always remain a sad political joke.
It is a sad political joke because there is no complementary movement to wean people away from casteist parochial thinking. It is a sad joke because politicians are misinforming and exploiting the public.
donatello, really well-informed and well said above.
By coincidence, I was watching this today, "India Untouched - The Movie".
It's heart-breaking to watch the children. I find the persons spouting the the rebirth, karma so stupid and selfish. On the other hand, there's fire and angst in the voices of the bard and the men forced to work as scavengers.
The latter half of the video clip features protests against affirmative action. Do they understand or even care? As Manju said there could be latent racial prejudice and we find this in people from India regardless of which religion they affiliate themselves to.
Where has meritocracy led us?
ROSS DOUTHAT: "...This is the perverse logic of meritocracy. Once a system grows sufficiently complex, it doesn't matter how badly our best and brightest foul things up. Every crisis increases their authority, because they seem to be the only ones who understand the system well enough to fix it.
But their fixes tend to make the system even more complex and centralized, and more vulnerable to the next national-security surprise, the next natural disaster, the next economic crisis. Which is why, despite all the populist backlash and all the promises from Washington, this isn't the end of the "too big to fail" era. It's the beginning..."
Hi, is it healthy to have caste and religion based quota system in education, jobs & govt. subsidies?
Please post your views on this issue!
Contentious issue. There will be varying opinions on this page, and the best we can do is to understand each other.
I oppose quotas based on religion, although castes within different religions can be made eligible for quotas (provided the creamy layers can be identified and removed from the group). I support quotas for groups that have been systemically marginalied due to social systems. Unfortunately, the only practical groupings made in this regard in India is by the caste.
I have personally seen how Dalits in rural India cannot get a proper job even if they are qualified for the same, and cannot enroll their children in schools, even if they can afford it. The way caste is played out in the cities differs how it is played out in rural India. I met this Dalit once who had an MA, but was working in the NREGA for a paltry sum of money. He said that he didn't get jobs in any firm, warehouse or shop in the district because his coworkers refused to work with a "neech jaat" (Dalit)! Such is the reality of rural India.
However, I think there should be reforms in the system. Proper identification of socially oppressed groups is needed. Removing those individuals who don't need it is necessary. And a objectives based time line needs to be in place.
Studies do show that Affirmative Action programmes (such as quotas) help in improving the socio-economic conditions of the targeted groups. Quotas aren't futile, and they do work (in spite what some people want you to believe on the basis of some half baked logic).
On the face of it, quotas seem like a terribly inefficient way to reduce glaring inequalities. That might be true, but there is no other viable medium-run mechanism that accomplishes the same. In economics, we call this the "Second Best Policy Option". The best thing to do would be to help all socially marginalised individuals, but that would impractical and inefficient.
When an overwhelming majority of the ads in the Matrimonial sections of urban and rural newspapers begin saying "caste no bar", I think the day would have come for us to scrap the quota system. Right now, we need the strengthening and refinement of it.
What is your opinion, and why do you hold it?
I have personally seen a Brahmin boy from a poor uneducated family, in our town, could not get a seat in top notch colleges, although he had a decent score. At the same time, I have seen people from wealthy background from city, using the quota system to get into reputed institutes. I remember how educated well settled people in my neighborhood were striving to get an OBC certificate when govt. announced 27% reservation. This happens not only for education but for govt. jobs as well.
I'm still not sure if to blame people for misusing quota, you know, how competitive our lives in this country is. Other than IITs, IISc I couldn't think of any better institute for a good masters program in Engineering. This is too much for a populated country and this automatically makes people to somehow get into that elite bunch. (Anyway, I'm not aware of the other fields) Luck seems to play an important role in the highly competitive entrance exams for these institutes. This factor of uncertainty, I think, makes people to seek all kinds of loopholes for a safe and comfy life. Hope I'm not going off the topic here.
I feel that quota should be modified and more carefully designed. More importance should be given for rural people. Next can come the caste system. I don't see any caste discrimination in cities these days, at least not in Bangalore. But nearby my hometown, I have seen in few of the villages, where people don't even talk to lower caste counterparts.
To conclude primary branches of quota should be based on region. Further branches should be based on caste. I'm really not sure of the difficulties involved in my suggestions.
Quote: Anyway, I disagree with religion based quota too. I have "heard" of people converting to other religions just to make use of quota. I don't know if this is true, but it is quite possible.
You are right that it is possible that religion based quotas can foster conversions.
However, I strongly believe that what is there at present is a religion based quota because it only recognizes backward castes/groups with the fold on Hinduism. The backward groups and castes (yes, even Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity in India are caste ridden) of all other religions are being ignored.
So if properly designed (as it has been in the case of Andhra to the best of my limited knowledge), only a few communities within the fold of Islam will have quotas. Not all muslims benefit. So a simple conversion to Islam will not make one eligible for quotas. And it isn't possible to convert to specific castes within religions.
Quote: I feel that quota should be modified and more carefully designed. More importance should be given for rural people. Next can come the caste system. I don't see any caste discrimination in cities these days, at least not in Bangalore. But nearby my hometown, I have seen in few of the villages, where people don't even talk to lower caste counterparts.
I agree with you more or less. A few difficulties could arise in implementation. However, the government should take up the challenge to reform the quota system to make it well structured and such that well off people can't benefit. Quotas should be such that only people who have been systemically subjugated in the society benefit.