Akkio comments

Whether its killing whales or killing insects, it's all the same damn thing. And the SS continue to be hypocrites. "No, don't kill the whales!" Why don't you go to a slaughter house and tell them to stop killing animals for food? Go on, TRY to turn the whole world vegetarian. Or maybe try to save insects? "Nah, they aren't beautiful and they're troublesome and they aren't endangered or anything like that." is most likely gonna be their answer. I'm not saying the Japanese whalers are right, I'm not saying they're wrong either. However, the SS are really just made up of stupid children. I say stupid children because actual children would probably be smarter than those guys.

Do things legally. Be patient you idiots. Don't do harm to others just because you don't like what they're doing, especially if you're all hypocrites who don't care about 99.9% of all the other animals on this planet.

China's government is full of hypocrites~ Since China is playing the idiot, Japan needs to play the straight man. Using a fictional story to justify their means is...laughable. And they can make a better example of Voldemort...using their own country.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Monday that Abe was “not welcome” by the Chinese people

I get the feeling MOST of the older population of China DON'T WELCOME JAPANESE PEOPLE at all. Not much of a change if you're just gonna block out one more person.

“Our two countries have a common responsibility to work with the international community to oppose and condemn any words or actions aimed at invalidating the peaceful post-war consensus and challenging international order,” he added.

Then shouldn't we be turning our attention to China...? I mean, Japan doesn't even have an official military, just a defence force. Frankly, only the U.S., China, Russia and Britain and probably North Korea have enough power that will "invalidate the peaceful post-war consensus and challenge international order". Japan will only be getting enough to defend itself, not to waste on some war with China.

I agree with JaneM

And what would be a "sincere apology"? Tell them, and I'm sure the Japanese government would be willing to do it. However, compare it to a real-life situation. Let's say you (Japan) made a mistake in the past and people (China and Korea) keep shoving it in your face. You apologize and it isn't accepted. And then they keep shoving it in your face and asking for an apology which they don't accept. And then one day you see the person harassing you make a mistake as well. You don't care and they'll keep harassing you. If anything, that would be annoying as hell.

So I think any apologies Japan makes from now don't need to be at all sincere if countries don't want to accept it in the first place.

That being said, the Chinese government are full of small people who most likely don't give a rat's ass about WWII and can't even treat their own people right and they're wasting their time quarrelling with Japan's government on a topic from WWII about the treatment of China back then? They are in absolutely NO position to make remarks. (Korea in this case probably has a right to complain but there are no merits in complaining whatsoever besides some sense of satisfaction maybe???) C'mon! Even Japanese citizens know what's wrong but at least they aren't being brainwashed/fooled by propaganda (Unlike a CERTAIN populace (China although it isn't all that bad this time around)) China's govt. should do something useful and they have one of two options:

Set their government straight and move on to bigger issues.

Kill every corrupt politician in their government and move on to bigger issues.

But that's probably not gonna happen because China's govt. is fill with corrupt idiots...

So it's just: Abe made a stupid or calculating move depending on what he's trying to achieve. The chinese government is full of stupid corrupt people trying to mock Japan with whatever they can find. And don't try to deny it. Alot of my friends are Chinese and their families don't exactly like the government. Plus Chinese people are really stubborn about WWII even if it didn't happen directly to them. (Most chinese people, the older generations anyway) and then blaming citizens who weren't involved in the way. Okay, leaving that there, if korea and china weren't willing to hold talks with Japan, the Shinzo really had nothing to lose visiting the shrine though he didn't exactly gain anything either...It's like he's standing on one spot and turning a little towards the wrong direction... Plus I'm sure your everyday Japanese people don't want to go to war in the first place or become what they once were so stop being so paranoid.

Class A’ war criminals. These people are fascists, the Nazis of Asia Okay, tell me how dead people are going to do anything anytime soon? The visit infuriated China and South Korea, both of which were occupied by Japanese forces until the end of the war Get over it, this happened so freaking long ago and no one really wants to remember it so stop bringing it up. Japan's been punished enough. Neither the citizens or government of Japan of the 21st century have anything to do with it. Of course the Chinese people don’t welcome such a Japanese leader, and Chinese leaders will not meet him No, that's not the point. Alot of chinese people won't accept Japanese in general because they're stubborn on the topic of WWII and the chinese government keeps bringing up crappy propaganda. I'm 100% sure the Chinese govt. doesn't actually give a damn about the issue of WWII. "Oh look, Abe gave us an excuse to jump on Japan. Let's do it! And while we're at it, let's try to distract the Chinese populace from the shit we've put them through."

I agree with disillusioned. Wearing a helmet is common sense. I agree with Crazedinjapan. Sometimes the drivers are careless but people should also take into account the possibility of the pedestrians being careless as well. It feels like the pattern of "whoever receives more damage is the victim." is at play. If the driver had swerved, crashing into a building or something and dying, the kid would probably be being criticized right now. There are a few things I dislike about Japan and this is one of them. The laws are sometimes really stupid. Though they should have slow down signs or something of the like around places with no traffic lights or at least the drivers should slow down at corners and intersections a little and check. Not saying they're in the wrong but one side being careful is better than neither since many accidents can be avoided if people do so. The same with the cyclists/pedestrians who should slow down and check at crossings

@ Asian 2013 - The past is the past, deal with it. It happened. Sorry to say, but reality isn't all let's-hold-hands-and-be-friends because political leaders are stupid 99% of the time and the masses that blindly follow them are stupid 100% of the time. And did those "Horrible things" happen to you? Are you going to bitch around and then shove the blame on the Japanese people who were never involved in the war? There are other countries you can bitch about as well so why don't you research some history? Oh wait, you won't bitch about it because it doesn't concern you and your biased ideals. BTW, Singapore had very good relations with Japan the last time I checked or at least Singapore's connection to Japan's sub-culture is fairly strong. And you're whining about a past WAR. WAR is a despicable and atrocious act in and of itself. Anything "Atrocious" that goes on in war is just part of it.

Question; Why exactly does Japan have to even CARE what happened in WWII? Why do people that WEREN'T EVEN RESPONSIBLE have to care? Most if not all the soldiers are gone, the war criminals are dead and screw it if they are enshrined.

Nice excuse, "Oh, we're worried Japan might try to screw over Asia again". Guess what? It most likely won't. And BOO-FRIGGIN-HOO about intimidation on Japan's part. Like China hasn't done that enough. Don't do something like that IF YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE DOES SOMETHING LIKE THAT. Damn hypocrites. THIS is the problem with politicians. They'll find every single little friggin excuse they can find, and blow it up bigger than the damn media can if they want something. It's offensive? Are you friggin serious? And then there are the extremely stupid people who follow their political leaders without thinking for themselves. Most of the people getting negative votes on this page are completely right.

War is war. 68 years ago is different from now. It may have been a relatively short time but I don't think ANYONE besides the paranoid hypocritical China and Korea think that Japan will revert to its past self. And if Japan DOES go to war, I think we all know who started it. The politicians of course.

There is only one answer to this problem. GENDER EQUALITY! And then everything is fine.

Wow, women are scary. And it's not like they can't defend themselves but there's this very annoying thin line between defence and excessive self-defence when dealing with women and usually the men get screwed for doing anything. I know because once I tried to defend myself from a girl and then everyone turned on me.

Well let them believe what they want to as long as they don't try to force it on others. Plus in the commandments, it never once said that other gods were fake. It said to believe in said Christian god. In other words, all other gods and religions are supposedly "real". However gods and religion were created by human fear and belief. In other words, human beings are greater than gods for being able to create such deities.

@Serrano - Oh? And the U.S. government wouldn't do anything to you if you got in their way either? @Anbinh - Like I said, if they didn't do the wrong things in the first place, they wouldn't be in this situation. People can only reveal your secrets if you have secrets to be revealed. And no-one is going to be on your side if you have a secret that might make them turn on you. In this case its a violation of privacy among other things.

I think Snowden is doing the right thing. You know, laws are only there for those who made them first and foremost before protecting "the people" of the country. When you reveal the truth such as what Snowden had done, even if it breaks the law, it is still commendable. Treason or not, doing what he did needs a lot of courage. Risking yourself to let people know about the government's secrets is a respectable act. And just so you know, the American govt. wouldn't be facing such a problem IF IT DIDN'T DO SUCH THINGS IN THE FIRST PLACE. So serves them right.

I never said anything about selfishness being bad? But you shouldn't use a term if you don't know how to use it properly.

Society fail. They protest against whale-hunting but they don't do crap if an insect was stepped on. The SS are hypocrites through and through. And what's with this "Hero" crap? SS heroes? Don't joke. If they're willing to fire they should just take whatever comes at them. Whether it is a war or this kind of battle, the side that lasts the longest wins. Heroes? There are none. Good or bad? Face reality, "there is no good or bad, but thinking makes it so." @igloobuyer - Just a quick question, would you sacrifice one person if it meant saving the world? Just because people makes changes, it doesn't mean there are no sacrifices. Because of this future built on sacrifices, humanity is amazing as much as it is worthless. And radical selfless people? Grow up. This is in their own selfish interest. "I don't WANT whales to be killed", "I WANT to stop the Japanese whalers from doing so". Where is the selflessness? Choose your words before you use them.

@ Mirai - Am I high? Let me think - No. What does it matter to me what the world thinks? There are better stories out there than those produced by Studio Ghibli. Personally I just don't find it interesting. Frankly, I don't understand why people find it great either. I find it on the same level as something Disney makes.

I'm for Japan bolstering its defences. It should at least be able to fight and push any forces threatening it back. History is history, people shouldn't be so damn paranoid about Japan having a military. I'm sure most civilians don't even want to have a war but hey, politicians are idiots. Just enough of a military defence to drive off the enemy is fine. I'm sure there won't be a war though since whoever fires first is just begging to be attacked by other countries who "fight in the name of assisting a fellow ally".

No, Studio Ghibli anime aren't all that great in the first place...Though yes, there are two things that ruin an anime:

Foreign Dub (Unless it's English Dubbed Final Fantasy games, 99.9% of the time Foreign dub is crap) Live action adaptations (MOST of the time. I can't say for sure) And anime itself can ruin the original work if it isn't an original anime.

Source: Me <Enjoys good stories

@ Mari - I'm Australian and frankly don't even care all that much about this issue. I'm against SS and their actions. Please don't assume all Australians are in favour of SS. Query: Would heroes really use such stupid methods such as ramming boats just to get what they want? And what is your understanding of the word "invasion"? If anything it's just trespassing and if it's in international waters then it's not even trespassing any more. So as long as it's international waters everything's fine~

＠Clinton - If it's international waters and they have permission, isn't it legal...? Apart from that, animals can't argue unless they're human which is a human's good and bad point. Sure the Japanese might be hiding behind the law but the SS are trying to hide behind their own justice as well. I'm sure they have all the time on their hands to talk to the ICJ instead of pulling these pointless stunts. And it's not like all the whalers are bad. A job is a job. And don't say they can just find another one. Finding a job in Japan is hell. And then the SS just go and decide to even injure the crew without a second thought. They should think a little more before deciding to do things like that. It's like throwing a tantrum just because you can't get what you want. Settle it like adults. Words don't always work on the first go but pushing your cause means nothing if you don't even have the will to try again and even go as far as underhanded methods.

I feel fairly neutral on this. I mean, the Japanese have permission to hunt whales so it's not illegal. But then again it is fairly cruel in society's eyes but then people don't hesitate to kill insects or kill animals for food. Being hypocritical by the standards of society is...kinda stupid. And I've heard alot of bad things about SS so I don't really support them. If you're gonna do something, do it legally but then again the law is created to benefit the maker and society in general so too bad if it isn't always fair. However I'm against the SS on this topic. Resorting to force is their definition of "Justice". If so, they should prepare to be fired back at. Japan should just fire a harpoon at a boat in self-defence. or throw a large net on them. A large net might be more interesting though.

English doesn't demand perfect pronunciation though. You only need know the grammar. Japanese however does demand perfect pronunciation most of the time. Plus they're in a foreign country and they aren't constantly exposed to English either; that and some people aren't all that interested or motivated. Frankly, if I were given an English test, I'd score pretty low despite being raised speaking English since most people learn languages via exposure/immersion rather than studying the grammar. The whole idea of languages is to get your point of view across, not to use it perfectly. A mistake here and there is fine as long as it's understandable. Just like how people learn Japanese because they want to, it should be the same for English. Therefore, English shouldn't be a compulsory subject unless you're in an English-speaking country. I'm more worried about geography in the educational system of some countries.

@Pointofview - So what exactly is the problem with Katakana? Even if someone speaks English using Katakana I'd still be able to understand them. It's not like they aren't making sense. I don't see a need to target the usage of Katakana. If it's a matter of pronunciation, it's the same if you reverse the positions. Foreigners and mainly westerners tend to suck at speaking asian languages. The pronunciation is poor as hell. Being able to be understood is more important than being 100% perfect plus languages are constantly changing. Be it English or Japanese the rules change all the time, new words are introduced etc. Sure if they aren't using English properly then correct it but if students don't have the will to memorize English then it's a waste of time. Studying for tests is one thing. Memorizing is a different matter entirely. Plus if you're a foreigner coming to Japan; Actually any country for that matter, LEARN THE DAMN LANGUAGE INSTEAD OF EXPECTING THE NATIVES TO UNDERSTAND. It can't just be one side doing all the work. Sure, basic communication skills, I don't see why not. Near-fluent english? Pointless if they don't want to memorize. So as for your argument, if the language demands perfect pronunciation to be understood, DO IT. If it doesn't need perfect pronunciation to be understood (English) THEN SUCK IT UP.

@80393 - Oi oi oi, don't diss Katakana. It's used in literary works as well as a stylistic device and even onomatopoeia need them. And some words are already set in stone so even if you get rid of Katakana, it retains the same Japanese meaning rather than the English meaning. If you're going to be picky about a country's alphabet system, then go target every other country's alphabet system as well.

Yeah, not a big fan of bullying either. And because of being bullied I am now a sadist and I do love verbally and sometimes physically abusing bullies. Revenge is sweet~ And before people say "Oh, you're no better" I have to say "Those who shoot must prepare to be shot". Reporting is good IF something can be done. And I'm sure most teachers don't give a damn and let the idiots off with a warning which is why the teachers sometimes have to be cough convinced. And fighting back whether standing up for yourself or reporting the bullies isn't always a good and safe option and that's when even the police should get involved (and they don't always get involved... -.-') Well at least the little that can actually be done is being done. Too many idiotic pieces of human trash in this world. And those with the authority should do what they can in order to keep the bullying victims safe and the human trash punished. They usually tell the bully who reported them -.- damn teachers are so useless sometimes.