Aliasis comments

I like kawaii-culture just fine, but this actually disgusts me. Radiation is a serious problem that the government has been essentially covering up, people in these areas with kids need to MOVE. Do NOT risk your kid getting sick, and making a mockery of this by creating a stupid character.

Japanese food is NOT more healthy... well, it depends on what you eat. A couple fresh sushi rolls? Maybe not many calories. Veggies? Okay. But... Gyudon? Ramen? Curry? That's a 1000 calorie meal. Check next time you go to Matsuya... this whole "Japanese people eat better" is so false. Not even the portion sizes are that different. And nutrition... white rice is like eating empty calories. It depends on what you eat. Maybe Japanese food was healthier in the past but you don't need to be eating fast food here to be unhealthy. (And to be honest, I find lots of Japanese food bland... give me spices and flavor!)

That being said, I don't eat fast food often, but I like Subway's shrimp avocado sub. Shrimp and avocado is an excellent combination, always wondered why that wasn't a thing back in the States.

Bottled drinks? Come on. Of course they're okay, as long as it's not alcohol. I've been guilty occasionally of bringing a Starbucks on a not-busy train (something with a lid) but I've seen Japanese people do it, too.

I get that eating is bad class, but again, I've done little snacks. I'm all for keeping the place clean and so on, but I think a small snack is not a problem. Just don't eat a meal.

This is stupid and not comparable, when you claim "what if I say I vote for Mitt because he's white", etc.

The fact is, black people (and other minorities and women, etc.) don't have equal representation in the government, and they statistically don't have the same privileges that white men have. In fact, racism is alive and thriving in today's society, and black people and other minorities face the brunt of it. If a black person votes for a black candidate, of course there should be more reasons than skin color alone, but they are essentially voting on a social issue - their own representation and equality. We sorely need equal representation in our government.

I recently read an article that America has in fact gotten MORE racist in recent years. In fact, a small majority of (white) Americans were found to have racist thoughts, whether consciously or sub-consciously. That is a huge problem and white people trying to call black people racist for wanting to see themselves represented when they are hardly, doesn't help.

Of course it's scary to admit that your child has a 99.99999999999% chance of never waking up. But that's the reality with brain dead people - they are indeed essentially dead. It's sad and horrible, but the fact is that there are also tons of children out there who will die if they don't get organ transplants. I hope I'm never in the position to decide, but I respect the parents that are willing to let go and save another kid.

I want to see Princess Masako just flip out, tell those bullies who is the freaking princess here, and demand the throne for Aiko or she'll ruin the family's name. I believe in this lady, just one day..

Um, the claim that men and women can't be platonic friends is BS. Absolute rubbish. Of course men and women can be platonic friends, even assuming they are both straight and around the same age. When people claim they are incapable of being friends with someone without having sex with them, I kind of judge their social skills a little bit.

What is important for me now is to focus on the fact that I define who I am, and not let any culture or country define me.

I think that's a good sentiment. :)

I like living in Japan, but I'm kind of sick of Japanese food. I love good sushi, don't get me wrong, but I'm sick of the bland bread, white, nutritionless rice and expensive vegetables. Since I don't eat meat, only fish, sometimes it's very hard to find good, healthy food... I'm not sure what I'd eat if I was a pure vegetarian.

But yeah, I do love that the culture is usually honest and polite. There are exceptions - and I've dealt with them, mostly crap for being a foreigner like being kicked out of places, denied apartments, treated like an outsider, etc. - but I feel very safe living in Tokyo and the "lost wallet" is a great example and also true in my experience.

I don't think it's fair to villainize Japan or praise it as the best country in the world, either. I think it's a great place to live, not perfect at all, but there are definitely less pleasant places we could be.

Lol for the longest time, I was stumped as to why Japanese people keep bottles of water outside their places. I even thought maybe it was like... weird earthquake emergency water? When I found out it was to keep cats away I laughed myself to tears. Cats wouldn't even be able to recognize the reflection as an image of a cat because of distortion, if they can see it at all in a clear bottle. And generally, only kittens are wary when they see their reflections in a mirror, adult cats usually won't recognize the image as a "real cat" unless it startles them suddenly. If this method ever "works" it is definitely pure coincidence.

PS - TRAP NEUTER RELEASE! :)

Considering Romney wasn't even able to tell the truth... then again, that precedent was set before his campaign even started.

PS - it should read "Who performed better?" - best implies three or more participants to compare and can't be used for "A or B" situations.

Gasp.

Japan sees over 30,000 suicides a year. That's over 90 per day, and train jumping is one of the most popular methods. The state of suicide in Japan is news, but not this, this is a daily occurrence. How about we talk about how to prevent train suicides, or suicides in general?

But Chuo suicides happen all the time, too. That's why the line earned the nickname "Chuicide"... why is JT acting like this is breaking news?

How did Mitt "clearly win"? What I heard the whole time was him saying a lot of words that didn't have a lot of meaning. He sounded more or less refined, true, but to any rational person actually sorting out what he said, it didn't amount to much. Then again, Obama was not at his fiercest either..

Obama should have been a lot harsher in calling Romney on his BS. I don't know if he was just trying to be "the bigger man" or something, but argh, I was cringing through most of Romney's lines.

Wait, how is this a story? Train suicides happen every day, in bulk. Is it just really rare at Shinjuku station or something? Just last week I saw a drunk guy jump/fall on the tracks at Shinjuku, luckily there was no train and the staff got him up right away, but considering the millions of people that go through that station daily it can't be that rare.

Hang on, did Arty Farty's in Ni-chome ban dancing? omg, it's a dance club, that cannot be true!

The death penalty is gross. Not only is it lowering the government to the level of killers, it's proven to NOT be a deterrent to crime, AND with the prevalence of innocent people being put to death it should be abolished immediately.

Additionally, I'm not sure about in Japan, but in America, the death penalty actually is more expensive than life imprisonment.

Considering the superficial and impossible image of girls that are seen as "the most desirable" - tiny waist, big boobs, big eyes, perfect skin, etc., this "ikemen" description is pretty tame. Still, though, I think the values of being in reasonably good shape, having reasonable conversation skills and reasonable fashion sense/body hygiene are not crazy, in the case of either men or women. On the other hand, it seems expectations become more and more unrealistic, and I think it's important to be grounded in reality when you're judging your preferred sex.

At the same time, women flashing men are just as disrespectful. Even if men might superficially like it at the time, it is nonetheless upsetting our equilibrium, and putting us in a frame of mind we don't want to be in. Women say, don't blame the victim. But men have sexual drives, and although usually these desires are in neutral, if given the right fuel, that drive kicks in. Whether we want it or not. And our sex drives are fueled visually (among other ways). It's easy to say that flashing does not invite action, but flashing does provoke a reaction.

Don't make excuses and blame sexual harassment on your "sex drive." That's a pathetic argument. Are you a wild animal? No? Are you a civilized human being? Stop acting like being a decent person who doesn't harass women is out of your control. It's not.

Maybe Japan should do something about it's culture that not only allows upskirting photos, but considers them practically acceptable and normal.

Not great marriage advice at all.

I'd hate to be with someone that treated their mother badly. Of course someone's mother should naturally be one of the most important people in his/her life.

Ugh. I'm not sure what's more disgusting, if it is true or if it isn't. If it is true, it just shows what a gross invasion of privacy the media has, how obsessed they are with sexualizing strong, mature women. If it's false, it says the same, except that they're willing to lie to get what they want.

Seriously disgusted, and not at Kate.

deliberately trashy film, which includes pornographically-shot nudity and lesbian frolicking

Lesbianism is trashy? Wow, that's unbelievably offensive. JapanToday, is that a new low for you?

Sounds like a bad case of Post Partum Depression. It can affect many women, after they give birth they get extremely depressed and unstable. The woman called the police right away and confessed, I think it's safe to say that's what it was.

White rice has zero nutritional value, it's empty calories. Eat brown rice instead, it tastes better and is better for you.

“You have to make a film like ‘The Avengers’ to get recognition,” he told a select group of reporters on the sidelines of the world’s oldest film festival. My ‘Outrage Beyond’ is as close as you can get to an ‘Avengers’ kind of movie, so I am hoping to get a big audience with this one, as big as possible!”

You wish, you gross, sad old man.

Why are people voting down comments saying that the little boy is cute (he is) and happy birthday to him? Man. Don't blame him for being born into old fashioned politics as a misogynist political tool. He's just a little kid! I'm still pro Aiko, but let the little guy enjoy his birthday.

Oh my god, Hisahito is the cutest!!