Well, it seems that people are complaining that the tax is making stays in Kyoto too expensive. If the tax rate is 1%, the stay has to be very expensive on its own already for the additional tax to even reach the maximum of 10,000 yen. If you’re able to afford that kind of hotel, tax or not, I’d consider you rich and wouldn’t like to hear you complain.

I don’t know if the tax is high or not though, that’s what I’m trying to find out because it’s a lot more meaningful than just the maximum amount.

I’m missing the exact tax rate. A maximum doesn’t really mean much, does it? If the tax rate is, I don’t know, 1% of the price for one night (it’s probably more, I’ll assume, but let’s say for argument’s sake) and you reach that maximum of 10,000 yen, I’m not sure I have a lot of sympathy with your rich ass.

I’m talking specifically about the translation. Are you saying the German and other versions are meant for a US audience?

If you’re implying I should read the article: I have.

I don’t get it. The kid called the wrong number - and that’s why that tracking thing exists. Huh?

What exactly are they “tracking” anyway?

Edit: in case you decide to continue reading this trainwreck, I only ask this one courtesy of you: be aware that my issue is with the translation and nothing else, least of all the tracker itself. Cheers.

Personal gripe: Looking at the actual tracker page noradsanta.org, I thought it was a funny idea to translate this very USian thing into other languages without, apparently, accounting for local traditions. It says, for example, that in most countries Santa Claus only comes when children sleep, between 9pm and midnight on 24th Dec. That’s not true for German traditions: we get our presents in the evening on Christmas Eve. He also doesn’t come down any chimneys. (In some places there isn’t even a “Santa Claus” who brings the presents but a kind of angel child figure vaguely associated with Jesus.)

Yes, it says “most countries” but the cynic in me can only see this as a kind of cultural imperialism where the US/Anglosphere tradition is given priority over any local one. I don’t even celebrate and I’m still annoyed…

(The translation is wonky in places too (“Jetzt kannst du mit dem Verfolgen des Weihnachtsmannes beginnen”), even ignoring the content not being localised, but oh well.)