Abe234 comments

So if the company can get the worker to do the same work, for the same money 4 days a week. The company is thinking….. hanging! The other twelve our are free gravy work/ profit.

anyone remember when computers were going to give us more free time, 4 days a week. lol then the companies realized. No,”we can fired people! (Corporate speak is downsizing) still get the same work done. And the staff still work five days a week and still save a time of cash. And which hospital is going to let a nurse work only four days a week with a shortage of nurses. This is only going to be for the googles of the world. Not Nitori. Otherwise…..your part…. With less benefits.

really need to stop posting about people committing suicide. It can only encourage copy cat attempts. But I guess you get clicks.

What benefits does a society get reading about people murdering their relatives?

himawari23Today  12:50 am JST

I disagree — I think reporting on these tragic topics is the only way for Japan to take mental health care more seriously. I would also hope that rather than inspiring copy-cats, those struggling would reflect on the reactions to said tragedies and about how what they’re considering can have even more tragic consequences. *

*in general and not limited to JT as most readers here are not Japanese

sadly the concrete evidence shows it does trigger copycat attempts. That is why popular areas, especially bridges, railways, do NOT report suicides there. There were some famous press photos of a photographer actually printing the actual momen they jumped off. And it triggered copy cat attempts.

there is a reason the cliff in Japan doesn’t report every jumper, or the bridges. Also reporting famous people can trigger other attempts.

you wish further evidence you can look up the wherther effect. Copycat suicide.

or suicide contagion.

I hope it might change your initial “thought”. Sadly when your in that late stage of a thought process, your not thinking logically or rationally. You can’t see a way out. As you and I chat about this”we are rational, but someone maybe beyond that.however I do recommend if anyone is interested in further reading type in some key words and it may or may not give you some deeper insight. But yes, suicide needs to be talked about but in terms of teaching, learning and getting help.

Well , atleast they “REMEMBERED IT”. lol

Thanks for those that posted in support. There is a reason the UN recommends the method, and place shouldn’t be reported on. I think JapanToday has an interest in these articles as it’s self fulfilling. Report on this get clicks. Report on this maybe get a copycat attempt.The fact we have read the article gives this more clickability. Have we noticed the press don’t report on the suicides with the gas canisters in groups anymore? There was a reason for that!

but these reports can nudge someone over the edge. We used to check patients for suicidal ideation and the general rule was have a feeling of wanting to die or kill yourself wouldnt raise an imminent alarm, but they would require observation. But a person who has that feeling and a specific plan, would certainly raise bigger red flags for intervention. This may put the idea into someone’s head. Especially as the volition increases.

If it wishes to report about suicide it might be better to report on treatment and care, not on the attempt and a victim after the fact. It seems like gore voyeurism/journalism. With just a footnote at the bottom. Although the footnote is appreciated it’s a shame the Japan times doesn’t do articles on postnatal depression, suicidal feelings, treatments. Services, charities etc etc.

Maybe it’s a sign of the internet times.

You really need to stop posting about people committing suicide. It can only encourage copy cat attempts. But I guess you get clicks.

*Moderator**: Thanks for your contribution. Your comment has been featured in the latest episode of Japan This Week. Tune in to hear it!*

If you want recruits, sell yourself. Advertise on TV. YouTube.etc etc. Offer the benefits, training while earning money. Instead of going to college and being poor until you graduate. Offer postings overseas, make links with Australia, Philippines, Vietnam, the US, Europe. And offer 2 year or three years postings there. Great experiences, friends for life., sport. Adventure training. Excellent free vocational training and qualifications. Something more than shooting, although some may relish that aspect. Point out long leave options.(if any). Offer peace keeping missions abroad. There has to be more than, typhoon, earthquake rescue.

Not sure anyone joins up for good living conditions, sleeping conditions or social media unless you’re soooo overbearing to be crushingly demoralizing. Sticking a poster up with some anime characters doesn’t cut it today.

Ok! So if this is a trend. Please provide facts figures and comparisons to previous years. Otherwise it’s just opinion and click bait.

as for the LGBTQ thing, it was going on for decades. The two ladies living down the road, or the two guys. Also I think you’re conflating cohabiting with friendship. People have been doing that for decades. We call it common law (wife/husband).oh yes the “friendship marriage “of a gay man and a gay women having kids, with or without technology. Again nothing new but a very nice euphemism.

KiplingToday  04:58 pm JST

Abe234.....

nothing wrong with fantasies.

KiplingToday  04:58 pm JST

Well, if your fantasies are about sex with 12 year olds as some of these dolls replicate, then you may wish to rethink that idea.

I think you’re conflating two different things.

some people, as mentioned above may have autism, some may have a phobia, and some may even be physical and mentally disabled. and they are (whether you agree or not) are entitled to a sex life. I think you’re confusing adults consenting to play in the bedroom with something totally illegal. We used to call certain adults disgusting, deviants, Perverts and creeps, and that conflated the same point you’re intimating that made gay men and women hide in the closet decades and decades ago. Conflating an unhealthy interest in children has nothing to do with someone’s fantasy between two consenting adult. (Or in this case an adult and a doll)Teacher and student has been a popular roll play for forever. Men have often encouraged their partner to (how shall we say so the mods accept this) shave! Absolutely nothing to do with being disgusting or a creep or a pervert. And I don’t think you’d tell those women or men to “rethink their ideas) I hope you understand it is possible to discuss things objectively.

falseflagsteveToday  10:33 am JST

Good! What kind of dysfunctional creep would want something like this?

a person who doesn’t want to hurt someone.

a person who may have Asperger’s and can’t communicate well.

a person who has a phobia called anthropophobia.

but then again what kind of adult watches adult films on the internet with consensual adults. Probably the very same people.

Mr KiplingToday  09:04 am JST

Seems harmless enough until you find out that the most popular doll resembled a 12 year old.

Probably no different than a wife popping on a school uniform or the husband pretending to be policeman.Or watching an adult video of a women “pretending” to be a high school girl.

nothing wrong with fantasies.

Poor road design is also partly responsible here. Crash barriers could have prevented this by separating traffic and pedestrian. It is easy to blame everything on the driver. Yes, he is responsible, but just like people riding bikes on the road, Wearing dark clothing, no lights, against oncoming traffic, so they are not 100% to blame. (maybe they are under japanese law), but Being a truck driver it makes me cringe seeing people on the road, when they shouldn't be. and not to mention no sidewalks, no lights, and no crash barriers, LOW position, no lights on a wheel chair, to seperate traffic and pedestrians. We can see the road and pedestrian area in the photo. The holes all lined up in this tragic accident.And I'm sure if the city, police looked at this objectively, they could improve safety everywhere.

https://news.nifty.com/article/domestic/society/12198-3319621/

Pukey2Today  09:07 am JST

So what does the backpacker being a non-Japanese have anything to do with this? You could sort of feel they wanted to half blame the gaijin.

I kinda get your point on it. Cause it is totally irrelevant to anything. They could have just said "passenger".

I beleive in the decades to come the word "foreigner" will have negative connotations. Very similar to how decades ago in UK nobody batted an eye lid at the the word foreigners, but now, it is used in the pejorative in the west.( it insinuates a sense of "otherness" directly and indirectly)

TokyoLivingToday  07:42 am JST

Their country, their rules.. 

GO JAPAN !!..

Up to a certain point. I wonder if you would say the same to the pumping of more CO2, in relation to climate change. While we cut CO2, its ok for say XXXX country to pump even more CO2.

How about the overfishing of Tuna stocks? It maybe their country and their rules, but rules can change, people change,the diet, the economy,society, conventions, technology, and science changes, but the sea, and planet belongs to us all. I think the I'm alright jack perspective is..................!!!!!

GBR48Aug. 19  07:50 am JST

I think most people will need at least one 'side hustle' in the future, on top of more regular employment.

They are NOT SIDE HUSTLES. It's a part time job. Since when did we start calling jobs, part time "WORK" side hassles. Working on the SIDE, meant you were working to hide money from the tax man. cash in hand.

A side job, was a small part time job, but a side "hustle" implied that it is "illicit" "dodgy", "cash in hand", or it was YOUTUBER, Craft maker, trying to make some Extra cash on the side from their hobby. If its a company, part time of full its a job. Not a side hustle. Maybe a carpenter, or a bricky does a side hustle, for cash in hand.

This is all GIG speak.Youtube speak. If it's a job, paid by a company, into your bank. ITS A JOB.

Only in the eyes of a corporation and investors who

A) don't want to pay a decent pay.

B) don't want full time staff

C Don't want to pay a bonus

D) Don't want to pay for travel expenses.

E)Don't want to contribute to staff pension

F) only if they want to cancel maternity leave. and paternity leave

G) Only if they want to stop other perks like health insurance

H) And if you have any accidents, injuries they can say..BUT YOUR SELF EMPLOYED.

It would be easy to say, if you work more than 30 hours a week, for 6 months, then your a permanent memeber of staff, contracted to work 30 hours, and have some income stability. Nobody can get a car loan , credit card, or mortgage working on a zero hour contract. (not to mention if you upset the boss who might be doing something dodgy, your not getting any mor work). No protection to blow the whisle on anything then.

Oh noooo! That’s all I need….. more English harassment. Speak Japanese, and if the customer can’t speak Japanese then revert to another language but the whole point of coming and visiting another country is, hopefully, maybe, trying to speak Japanese. And for what it’s worth , if you see someone with a different skin color, will they assume that customer isn’t Japanese or can’t speak Japanese.

I don’t think you need special badges, a bit of common culture sense goes a long way. If someone is struggling in Japanese and you can help in the others language go for it. So long as you’re not doing あのー、えーと、英語で何というの。and to be honest I get really annoyed when someone tries to speak English when I only want to speak English. Wait until the customer speaks their mother tongue and don’t assume they can’t or don’t want to speak Japanese. After all, this is Japan.tourist. Yes! People who live hear…. Maybe you’re not really helping them in the looooooong run by doing everything in their native language.(hard stuff) I get it!

Choose life, choose Trainspotting. LoL.

once our glorious leader is chosen the election will be held asap. They will be the main party so will go into coalition with komeito. They will win ( as old fold have voted for them for decades) and young people can’t be bothered to vote.

then the glorious leader in a few polls will become unpopular, if still unpopular before the next election , they will step down, and the new leader put in place.

At least the model maker understands you can’t just keep printing money. I wonder why the party aren’t so keen on him?

She should take his jibes and run with them. If climate change is here, turn him into the joke. Eg. I guess he “can’t take the heat”. As for the oceans rising “we want all boats to rise in an economy for all” and while the polar caps are melting, and we need to do something, trump is having a met down. As for red meat, lean in, and say something like….. “ want more meat on policy, instead of being a chicken”. Then it’s shows how weird the man is. Don’t debate the man. Then talk about energy help, supporting high end jobs in the transition. Omg….. did I just say …..TRANS.

Abe234

Today 12:03 am JST

If the girls were wearing seatbelts as the person said, then something wasn't right. Were they on properly? Were kids seats used? If not, they should be by law.

AntiquesavingToday  12:13 am JST

See my previous posts.

Japan has laws and at least the 5 year old by law should have been in a child seat .

The problem in Japan is enforcement.

And I have watched countless times police go by and do nothing.

The same with people using their smartphones while driving.

If the police actually enforced the rules and started handing out tickets at every single occasions, people will eventually get the message.

I agree totally. Kids dropped of at kindergarten and NO SEATBELT, NO CHILD SEAT. The police IMHO should sit at kindergartens and fine these parents, grandparents. The law is only as good as the enforcement. If only they'd spend more time stopping parents with kids in cars, instead of a gaijin on a bike.( but thats important too).

@Abe234

If the girls were wearing seatbelts as the person said, then something wasn't right. Were they on properly?

> Samit BasuToday  02:33 am

Seat belt won't do it for young children under than 9. Car seats are a must for children under 9.

Agree. But I'll take something over nothing.

I wonder if it is possible to add airbags on the rear of the front seat headrests if that "may" help, ( it may be more dangerous) but the Japanese cops have some responsibility here, as do the politicians, for not having robust enough laws.

I still get the chills when I remember some kid sticking their head up out of the car and hitting the top of a railway bridge or something a few years ago.

As for smartphones. I've been guilty of that. The weak point here is the human factor.

If the girls were wearing seatbelts as the person said, then something wasn't right. Were they on properly? Were kids seats used? If not, they should be by law.

How many police offiicers, doctors, nurses, fire crew, victims have to suffer because of a loop hole in the law, or the politicians don't mandate it. or the police can't enforce it because there is no FINE.

I don't know, but more needs to be done. I gotta feel bad not just for mum, dad and the grand parents but the bus driver must be questioning his own mind. What if i did this? did i miss something? could i have done more?

He/she is going to have to carry that guilt for the rest of their puff.

If you can, please watch because I think parents, kids and passengers in a car need to understand what happens if you don't wear a seat belt.

I know mum may have said she used a seat belt, but it is so rare for the driver to walk away, and other passengers to get killed, if they are wearing a seat belt. Something isn't right.

https://youtu.be/JEtDbnnPnj8?si=GGRKEim5bzwLQ5ua

I wish Japan would put these on TV.

https://youtu.be/mKHY69AFstE?si=kteX0dn7Lkm8xzHD

Clunk Click Every trip. Stuck in my mind.( Pardon the man who made that CM).

Good. Now deport them. insurance or No insurance. The commited a crime, in a country they are invited to stay and work in. Now, if you abuse your landlord, they have every right to kick you out. I might let one stay if he rats on the others, pays the owners back,when he get out of jail, and does some volunteer work, to show hes's really sorry.If not, bye bye.

sakurasukiToday  07:24 am JST

Will Japan really change after election?

Weeeeeeell. No! aparentely they only change leaders.....JUST BEFORE the election.Especially if the PM tanks in the polls.

CephusToday  10:58 am JST

LDP have steered Japan with a steady hand for long. And changes just for the sake of change is not good. Japan still need that steady hand of LDP leadership.

Oh totally. Ignored a demographic time bomb. Since the 70s, Ignored its has the world's largest debt. Decades of deflation, stagnation, and poor job security for many. I think you confuse a steady hand with an electorate that is OLD, and doesn't vote for change. and an opposition that can't get it's act together as each political talento ( not the ironY, set up his own little party. You could probably say the same thing for the CCP. But thats a different political beast. LOL

dbsaiyaToday  08:14 am JST

Nope, won't change. Frosting will change, but the cake is still bad.

Exactly!

The next policy is to print more money and pour more concrete. or B) print more money and send it to a certain group of people.

burgers and beersToday  10:19 am JST

Depend on result. If LDP loose, expect shortage of energy, fishery overrun by Chinese fleet, factories closing and new ones can't be built and tourism 100% kaput.

Yep, the world will end and Japan sink without LDP

We know the result. LDP and Komeito will go into coalition.

If i could only bet 100,000 yen on it.

DanteKHToday  11:07 am JST

So where is the Economic growth, when India is going to overtake Japan for the 4th place by the end of the year??

Thats just population numbers and development. Just as eventually China will eventually overtake the US.

Japan has already developed, so population has a part to play now. Indias population is larger and younger but they too eventually will fall victim to a falling population. and its birth rate is already collapsing due to education, health care, and higher wealth. We will just have to sell/export things to Indias massive population.

London. I wouldn't/ couldn't leave my wallet/smart phone/bag on a table in McDonald's in london. Sadly!Anywhere. I believe you build a society where values, between the home, and school, have amassive impact when kids become adults, and the service it attrocious.

But schools think, If it happens outside the gate, ITS NOT MY PROBLEM. Japans got a lot wrong with its system, but its also got a lot right. When you cut the police so much ( austerity) your signalling to a certain group, Sorry! we can't afford to deal with your crime. Indirectly!

It's interesting that people think that just because the PM quits, somehow the government or policies are going to change. They change PMs more often than I change shoes. Since Koizumi, the only steady PM we had was Abe who stayed a while.

But we had Fukuda,Aso,Hatoyama,Kan,Noda,Suga, and Kishida, so it really has been, apart from Abe, musical PMs.

And did we think Abe improved things?

I still think the opposition can't work together, and the new leader will be chosen and the public will choose the very same party to remain in power. New leader, same party! The proof will be in the pudding. Or the voting.LOL

The facts and history show that they resign, bow, choose a new leader, then go to the country and get re-elected. I think the opposition has been in power once since the end of WW2. Not much difference then from the CCP that has been in power since WW2. And a healthy democracy needs a change of government now and then.

The opposition has more parties than we have festivals. from the NHK party to the Children's party, and other fringe parties that take votes away from the main opposition, and by default allow the same party to remain in power. and I think the math shows that here. Total up the opposition votes v the LDP and Komeito and you will see, that the opposition is too fragmented.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Japan#Political_parties_and_elections

Well since we are in japan it must be the senpai... so thats the oldest one there. LOL The youngster havent got a chance.

It doesn’t really matter. Cause my guess is the opposition can’t get their act together or work together. So the public will resort to the default and vote for the same party for the last 60 odd years.

Ah yes! I think I have said this here before. become prime minister. Tank in the polls, resign just before the election. Then choose a new leader.then go to the polls.Then the public vote for the same party (again). Stay in power until you tank in the polls, then rinse and repeat. Oh I forgot to mention take a deep bow.

Great to watch.Especially the skateboarding. Pitty I missed the dancing on horses, dancing in water, and break dancing. Those sports are so different.