Aaron Okoro comments

I was told before moving to Japan that you cannot really compare Japanese racism with that of Western Countries because of the lack of history of violence toward foreigners. This pretty much throws that out the window. What a terrible way to die.

I call bull.... I don't believe this story even in the slightest.

If you invite 40,000 people to anything you will have crime. Period! The crime rates of U.S service members are much less than that of general Japanese population.

YuriOtani, MP's never arrest people that break Japanese laws. Break Japanese law, and get arrested by Japanese Police. Period!! MP's only apprehend service-members off Bases for breaking military laws and regulation that most often then not have absolutely nothing to do with Civilian law whether it is in the U.S or on Okinawa. Curfew, AWOL, Missing a movement, or other Military related offenses. These sort of offense rarely have any applicability to any civilian jurisdiction.(regardless of the country or Jurisdiction) Asking Japanese Police to apprehend Military members for these sort of offenses would be like me asking you to put my kids in timeout for cursing at me just because I am visiting your house. You rarely make any sense when you attempt to apply your twisted logic to serious matters that affect peoples lives, and when you are confronted by people that actually challenge your BS you just lie or make stuff up not adding anything to real discourse.

The American MP's should not have law enforcement powers off post.

They do not have law enforcement authority off U.S military Bases. For example they can't write a speeding ticket, and or arrest a Japanese National. The only semblance of Law enforcement authority that they have is the ability to apprehend U.S military members and return them to a military installation. That's it. And you said it yourself. how can it be a violation of Sovereignty if it's in the SOFA? Which both countries continue to reaffirm. As usual your statements don't pass the common sense test.

Actually he is not unemployed but I digress. This guy is one of the preeminent experts on Japan Period. By expert I mean he has more knowledge of the workings and uperworkings of Japanese government and society then the vast majority of Japanese people do. And the itimiate knowledge that he has helped in avoiding a post-catastrophe catastrophe. If the U.S government would have pulled its troops out of Japan. Every single country in the world would have quickly followed by pulling there citizens out, and would have wrecked absolute Irreversible havoc on Japan's future ability to actual recover from that terrible event and its aftermath.

S&P had Lehman Bros and AIG at AAA ratings the week that they crashed and burned. I think people who know nothing about how the markets actually work are putting way to much emphasis on the U.S downgrade.

Best websites for buying used cars in Tokyo Metro Area??

Why all the hating on Paris?? She is immensely popular in Japan, and from the looks of things most empty headed Japanese girls aspire to be some sort of Paris Hilton. With all the materialistic and superficial garb that Japanese girls prance around in, and minus the billion dollar hotel fortunate in the back drop. She fits right into the pretentiousness that is Japan!

This article is a joke. You could write a similar article about any country. The article sounds like America is permanently dark, and the sun is no longer rising there. The reality is despite the problems America is going through right now it is still the economic, military, entertainment, higher education, etc.. gold standard of the world. Pakistan(insert Haiti) floods(earthquake) American military is first on the scene with aid, and America cutting the largest check for them. Trapped miners in Chile...Chilean government is bringing experts from NASA to coordinate the engineering portion of the rescue. That is just recent news. Although the Yank bashing may at times be justified it is for the most part usually pure rubbish. All these people that love to America bash act as if something further catastrophic were to happens to U.S there is some other nation out there ready to step in and take America's place. Is is the EU with all there economic problems, and millenniums old distrust of each other. Is is going to be Japan? A parasite economy that is completely dependent on the American markets buying power. China? and overpopulated communist country where 3/5 of the population are still living in dirt huts. Show me place 1/4 of the size of the U.S where things are better than in the U.S. I would love to be there.