Where is everybody?

I know this type of thing happens in the US congress a lot, talking to an empty room. I personally would take it as an insult though.

Nobody wants to PO China, as they have all the (economic) power now. Japan is the losing team, and must get it's $h!t together, now! Spouting nationalist BS, like Noda (and the LDP) is doing, will not bring any power back to Japan. But I suppose they could believe a little war would bump up the economy.

Priceless photo! The guy in the center third row seems to be slumped over in his chair asleep, one of the Japanese in the front is sleeping, the other looks like he's playing with his Nintendo DS, and a few others are reading or walking out of the room. You GO Noda!

If your economy declines, while China's is now #2 (poised to be no. 1), and if you have a feeble military not even capable of defending itself without the US, then the smaller rats will side with the stronger bully in the room. Build up the military or be gobbled up.

I feel bad for the guy. I would think that the UN members would more more respectful and attend the speech especially when he wanted to talk about peaceful resolutions.

That shows how much people care about those damn islands...

Pretty much sums up Japan's clout on the international scene!

Thomas Anderson: Exactly! Leave it to Japan to bring a bilateral issue to the world forum and expect an eager audience. I wonder if he followed this rant with the abduction issue? Anyway, not many people are going to show up to hear about a bilateral issue from a person on his way out the door.

The UN should be put to good use; and be converted into a hockey stadium.

Japan seems to be not much difference before and after the dispute and most countries would probably think territorial disputes can't be resolved peacefully.

...off doing something more important no doubt.....

I think this picture should be delivered to Ishihara as a reality check for him.

Show him just how unimportant the rest of the world considers this hasbeen of an archipelago.

HA ZU KA SHI !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow certainly sums things up...............

Japan and the USA pay most of the bills for the UN. The diplomats who walked out because some insignificant speaker from a pro-violence country spoke must apologize to Japan. The UN wastes millions of dollars every day on salaries for bureaucrats. The bureaucrats should have informed the diplomats who was speaking. Has any of them every heard of social media? Japan needs to make a statement by choosing to send less money to the UN. "You can't buy love" so cut the contribution to the UN and spend it in Japan. A large majority of people in the USA would agree with the idea if they only knew what the UN is or what it is supposed to do.

Thiis nothing unusual. I would not take it too personally.

Most diplomats are busy and doing other important diplomatic negotiations outside.

Pretty much sums up Japan's clout on the international scene!

Spot on. Being irrelevant is a status Japan will need to get more and more accustomed to. The "Japan Miracle" is just a distant memory now.

I know this type of thing happens in the US congress a lot, talking to an empty room. I personally would take it as an insult though.

That's why ordinary people don't make good politicians. You can't take things personally on the political stage, let alone on the global stage. How many people are in a given room is not much more than a measure of how high up on the priority list the subject is for the rest of the world. There are a bunch of silly comments here about how this is a reflection on Japan. It is no such thing. It is a reflection on the importance of the Senkaku island debate. Really, not very many people care about it. It's like a divorced husband and wife fighting over the car; no one cares and if it is brought to court, the judge will probably hand it over to arbitration because he has more important cases to deal with. However, chances are pretty good that the one who presents their case with little bluster, more decorum, and in keeping with the customs of the court, are going to receive greater favor than the one that demands recognition of their personal opinion as fact.

Japan has nothing to say that anyone really wants to hear.

Can't expect Noda's speech about peace to be as popular as Ahmadinejad's hate speech, lol.

I'm sure Noda is used to it - no one pays attention at the diet either. Koizumi years ago flipped out on them for using their phones while they should be work - tax dollars hard at work!

Noda is typical Japanese, focusing on detail and working hard. However his vision is not inclusive and don't have a chrisma to convince Japan neighbours.I really can not understand why asian leaders are fretting about the things the European think is worthless. That clearly tells that the European will still dominate the world for a very long time because of their wisdom and with much bigger vision than our Asian.

China: my island

Japan: my island

China: no my island!

Japan: no my island!

Rest of the world: Shut up and share.

Hardly anyone there to listen because Japan have nothing significant or influential to contribute in these UN forums.

No matter how loud Japan barks it is still just a lap dog of the American's. It doesn't have its own foreign policy.

so why bother.

Sure nobody wants to hear Mr Noda's speech, he is an outgoing PM !

Japan and the USA pay most of the bills for the UN. The diplomats who walked out because some insignificant speaker from a pro-violence country spoke must apologize to Japan. The UN wastes millions of dollars every day on salaries for bureaucrats.

@ noriyosan73: You are absolutely correct! The US provides about 22% of the UN budget and Japan about 16% of the UN budget. The UN is the biggest fraud and waste that is out there. Billions are spent for programs to help poor people around the world through their charities, and most of it is squandered by those same third world dictators and corrupt bureaucrats from the UN and the money and supplies are not getting delivered to those who really need it. All they are concerned with is getting a great place to live in NY and how much they can profit for themselves.

As others have posted, I do think this should also be a wake up call to Japan to realize that the world isn't concerned with what goes on here, since Japan doesn't seem to be active in global issues by speaking out against other things and other issues. I know they do, but you never see it. Japan has taken the road of trying to be "friends" with everyone, with the result that no one takes them serious on some issues.

perhaps enjoying the money japan gives to most countries ,to give their vote for hunting whales!

wing night in the cafeteria

canadaje,

yes while its because of the topic, Senkaku's it IS ALSO because Japan's influence is seriously waining & YES Japan has wasted a tremendous amount of its wealth trying to BUY respect, etc & guess what, never worked.

From now on Japan shud worry more about its own & seriously cut out trying to buy favours & respect because Japan hasnt been able to afford that waste since the late 80s & it has never worked.

Hey its ok Japan you dont have to BS around anymore, by all means participate but keep it reasonable, the taxpayers of Japan have no more $$ for its govt to waste abroad or at home for that matter!

@gogogoSep. 27, 2012 - 12:51PM JST

China: my island

Japan: my island

China: no my island!

Japan: no my island!

Rest of the world: Shut up and share."

Sovereignty aside, China has always been ready to share. I don't think I have heard anything similar from Japan. Not on Diaoyu/Senkaku or any other territorial disputes.

A few days ago, Hashimoto brought up the possibility to share adminstrative rights of Dokdo/Takeshima with Korea. Have you noticed the response he got?

Japan was a money machine in1980s. Where ever Japan go, Japan saw many smiles, hand shake and friendly faces. Japan had a lot of the fair weather friends back then. They sucked Japan money likes vacuum cleaner. Those good old days are gone now. Japan has to rip off that old opportunistic nations as friends. Japan has no friend among neighbors let alone in UN. In the reality, North Korea and Taiwan are genuine friends. No nations are better friends besides that two neighbors. Japan is becoming lonely nation in Asia. It is time for change!

@tangula51Sep. 27, 2012 - 12:31PM JST

Noda is typical Japanese, focusing on detail and working hard. However his vision is not inclusive and don't have a chrisma to convince Japan neighbours.I really can not understand why asian leaders are fretting about the things the European think is worthless. That clearly tells that the European will still dominate the world for a very long time because of their wisdom and with much bigger vision than our Asian."

It is curious that Noda's attention to detail does not include fact-checking. China bases its claim on ownership of the islands prior to 1895. If their evidence doesn't hold up, case closed. Otherwise, it is time to acknowledge at least there is a dispute. A dispute that was put aside 40 years ago for very good reason and should have been kept that way indefinitely, if only to showcase his brain larger than that of a working bee.

Instead, all one hears is repetition of the same old lines plus beefing up the coast guard and SDF, while dueling with China on self-restraint in face-to-face situations around the islands.

Are Asians alone in pettiness? Europe is not going anywhere if its people, other than Germans and etc, keep the same work ethics. A different North-South divide, but I am not sure it is any easier to overcome.

Poor Noda san, my guess he just does not have that passionate charisma like back when Hugo Chavez and this Iranian dude with the way too long name to remember goes on ranting about them evil Zionists with a fake country. Yup, seeing the sparks fly between Jews and Iranians may be a little bit more exciting than Noda san who chose not to mention the SENKAKU and TAKESHIMA islands out of respect?? To China and South Korea.

Hopefully this Island dispute gets settled soon, I'm tired of hearing about it!

Noda is typical Japanese, focusing on detail and working hard.

Thanks for the laugh.

Doesn't the US owe a HUGE chunk of change the UN and has missed paying for years - or am I thinking of NATO?

stop crying and return back what japan stole by force.

Where is everybody indeed. The think about this pick is it captures Japan's problem:

no one cares what Japan has to say.

For a while there, Japan's economic might look like it might make up for Art. 9. But it didn't.

The common sense tells me that the best solution is to set aside the sovereignty claims aside and share the resources , but hey, the common sense is not so common these days

<<>

if Japan is willing to do it on Senkaku/ Diaoyu., and set a precedent ,then korea may follow suit on Dokdo/Takeshima some day, in the name of the late Rodney King – can we all get along?

He should have spoken last week on Sept. 21st. That day was the International Day of Peace.