Japan Today

aomorisamurai comments

Posted in: Considering climate change, wars, food security, price hikes, the pandemic, migration, racial and political divisions -- what do you think the world be like in 10 years? See in context

This is my off-the-cuff observation:

We're (humanity) on our way to having 8 billion people on this rock.

Fresh water, food, shelter, there's going to be quite the demand for the basic essentials.

Prices don't look like they're going anywhere but up. The things going down will be quality and quantity.

For all the tough talk, no one is really doing anything about the climate crisis. The people who seem like they could do something are either bought and paid for or legitimately don't care. They won't be here for the show.

The ones that do care and want to do something will just get sidelined.

The rich and wealthy will absolutely not tolerate a drop in their standard of living.

They'll also continue to use their power, influence and media to keep us at each other's throats.

COVID looks like it is here to stay.

So, in my humble opinion, barring some MAJOR SYSTEMWIDE changes, we're coasting down the hill.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Posted in: Tokyo police admit to losing 38 citizens’ personal data…that was stored on floppy disks See in context

@Toshihiro

"I wonder what other obsolete tech are still being used in Japan?"

Well, you should've seen the struggle for Japan to move away from Windows XP. I'd dare say there are plenty of systems out there still running that, and Windows 7.

Fax machines.

About 8 years ago, I had to help a coworker solve a compatibility problem with a particular program. The format of the screen looked familiar, and old. It was written for Windows 3.1.

"It hasn’t been publicly specified whether the disks were of the 5¼ or 3½-inch size"

I have no words.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Posted in: Prosecutors decide not to indict Abe over dinner spending scandal See in context

"Prosecutors decide not to indict Abe over dinner spending scandal"

Color me shocked.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Posted in: No trips for Afghan women unless escorted by male relative: Taliban See in context

"pledging a softer rule"

Translates as "We'll take our time going back to the way things were instead of bringing the hammer down all at once."

This should not surprise anyone. We know what they stand for.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: U.S. serviceman arrested in Okinawa for riding minibike while under influence of alcohol See in context

@Fighto!

"Jail time and then deportation from Japan will happen, along with being kicked out of the military."

That's not going to happen. But he's not going to walk away scot-free. Here's what he's potentially looking at:

Loss of one or both of his stripes.

Restriction to base (count on it).

Additional duties (believe me, they can get creative).

He may lose his driving privileges for the rest of his stay.

Forfeiture of pay (can't drink when you're broke).

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Posted in: Ghosn calls Japan's prosecution system discriminatory See in context

I really wonder how much experience these "come back and face the music"-type posters have with the Japanese justice system.

Why on earth would he come back? So he can be rearrested and pulled off the plane? Put back in a small cell with no chance of bail now that they know he's a runner? Perpetually getting rearrested every 3 weeks? Sitting there day in and day out waiting for the Japanese justice system to think of something that will actually stick because they know he's not going to admit guilt? He was in a box for over 100 days the first time; why on earth would he willingly come back to that?

I get it; I doubt the guy squeaks when he walks. But after his initial treatment and watching Saikawa get off completely scot-free for doing essentially the same thing? I don't blame him taking a hard pass.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Posted in: U.S. Navy says personnel who refuse vaccine will be expelled See in context

"general honorable discharge"

There is an Honorable discharge. And then there is a General discharge. Which is it?

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_discharge#Administrative_discharges

I wouldn't worry about losing too many people, they talk a big game until that paycheck looks like it's going to disappear.

-1 ( +24 / -25 )

Posted in: Has Delta killed the herd immunity dream? See in context

"Has Delta killed the herd immunity dream?"

No, people who can't be bothered to mask/distance or get the vaccine have killed the herd immunity dream.

5 ( +18 / -13 )

Posted in: 19-year-old mother charged with murder of newborn son See in context

"According to police, the suspect, who cannot be named because she is a minor, works at a restaurant and lives in Maebashi,"

We can't name her, despite killing a baby, she's a minor!

"The suspect and her boyfriend, Omito Seki, who works at a bar, were arrested on April 2 on suspicion of abandoning the baby’s body in a plastic bag."

"on suspicion"

Had no problem spilling the b/f's name...

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Posted in: 60% dissatisfied with Japan's COVID vaccine rollout; 44% approval rating for Suga cabinet: poll See in context

@Michael Machida

Trusting but verifying, you got any literature we can read?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: 5 students arrested after putting glue on playground equipment See in context

"The boys told police they did it because they thought it would be fun."

That's fine. Teach them how to clean glue from things and have them clean up their mess. And while they're at it, they can work to pay back the costs of all that stolen glue.

A little bit of community service sounds exactly like what these kids need.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: It's extremely regrettable, and I urge businesses to stop these inexcusable acts. See in context

It'd be mighty regrettable for the businesses when they end up in court on fraud charges.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Putin signs law allowing him 2 more terms as Russia's leader See in context

@PTownsend

"It seems the majority of Russian people prefer to be governed by an authoritarian regime."

I'm sure if they're vocal enough about not preferring it, Putin's boys will be most helpful in finding them a window they can fall out of.

14 ( +18 / -4 )

Posted in: Restaurants, hotels in Osaka, Hyogo and Miyagi prefectures disappointed at stricter COVID-19 steps See in context

@RealCDN

"Einstein said something alomg the lines of it being jnsanity to do something the same way and expect different results."

If everyone was doing what they're supposed to be doing (hand washing, distancing, proper masks), I would say this has some merit. But we have a great many people who are convinced this is a hoax/conspiracy/isn't as bad as the media claims. Then add in all the people who think wearing a mask infringes on their freedom or makes them a sheep...

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Posted in: Biden administration welcomes talks on readmitting U.S. to Iran nuke deal See in context

Wasn't it internationally confirmed that Iran was actually behaving itself and Trump pulled out of the agreement anyway? Yet another Orange Mess left for Team Biden to clean up...

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Posted in: Gov't opts not to resume Go To Travel program until at least June See in context

How about putting the kibosh to the program and sending the citizens of Japan more stimulus?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Posted in: White House: North Korea fired short-range missiles last weekend See in context

"White House: North Korea fired short-range missiles last weekend"

North Korea doing North Korea things. yawn

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Posted in: What are some of your favorite cherry blossom-viewing spots in Japan? See in context

@Henry Montag

If you can actually pull that off...nice.

Mine is Hirosaki Castle, Get up at the crack of dawn take a stroll down on down there, you're pretty much by yourself.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Knife-wielding man shot dead by police officer in Toyama See in context

@Albert

"Is there no rule?"

You correctly identify your target, aim for center mass and make damn sure you know what's behind your target.

19 ( +25 / -6 )

Posted in: Japan's bid to raise ratio of female election candidates to 35% hard to achieve See in context

@Kumagaijin

Never understood this one. If I'm the one making the money, I'll be deciding what goes where, and when. I would never be relegated to a stipend.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Japan to set up panel on imperial succession as family shrinks See in context

How to cause an political uproar in Japan 101 (taking a page out of your book, @Aly Rustom):

"**However, conservatives in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are reluctant to make significant changes to the imperial succession, with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga saying in January, "Under current circumstances, male-only succession should be given priority.**"

It only takes one person, just stand up after he uttered this and ask the forbidden, golden question: "Why?"

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Posted in: Senior bureaucrat close to Suga resigns amid hospitality scandal See in context

The upper crust wining and dining each other? I'll bet money this doesn't even scratch the surface.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Posted in: The big problem for the Japanese is that they're simply outnumbered and outgunned. See in context

In Japan's defense (no pun intended):

They haven't been aggressively spinning up their JMSDF or Coast Guard. Some other large, increasingly belligerent country has been, though.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Posted in: Biden's deal with Seoul points to a swift shift on alliances See in context

@Reckless

"And Russia showed great restraint with no military bases in Western Europe or Japan."

Western Europe: Post war? Europe and Russia were probably too spent from the fighting and focused on rebuilding instead of establishing bases. As for modern times, Crimea notwithstanding, it's called NATO.

Japan: Russia's refusal to return the Kurils? I'm sure Japan would love to talk about that...

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Grief hasn't subsided for some survivors of tsunami See in context

@MilesTeg

"The idea that people need to move on is incredibly cold and callous."

Spot on.

"Didn't you get like 300 million yen?" the man asked. - An attempt to boil all of this down to a cash grab. Disgusting.

""Actually no, we didn't," Sato answered calmly, before the man cut her off." - Doesn't even want to hear her side of it.

""We all suffered and it's time to move on," he mumbled before walking away." - That's right, jiji. No further questions, no more analysis. Just shut it all further conversation and walk away.

One does not lose a small child and simply "deal with it".

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Posted in: How to make money from an unwanted inheritance See in context

@zichi

"Cost more than ¥1 million to knock it down and then we would have to pay local taxes on the land. While the house remains empty we pay no taxes. We would willingly give it away to someone to build a new house."

I think the J-gov't could really step in and help out with this. Create a program where people in these situations can turn to the government, give up their unwanted property and be duly compensated and relieved of any tax burden. The stress is off the shoulders owners and the government gets to reclaim land to use/sell as they see fit.

There are eyesores all over the Tohoku region that could benefit from this.

(This is all off the cuff, I'm not a public administrator)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan to allow use of insulin syringes for COVID-19 vaccines See in context

@rdemers

"The U.S. has thrown out tens of thousands of viles with another shot in them because the FDA does not allow using the last shot due to possible corruption of the remaining vaccine."

Got a source you can cite?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Man gets 17 years in prison for killing ex-girlfriend See in context

@baroque1888

I get what you're saying. But from what I've heard and read, it's not going to be an easy 17 years.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Posted in: After record COVID-19 deaths, Bolsonaro tells Brazilians to stop 'whining' See in context

@Toasted

"The pampered bigot got the best treatment available, something millions of ordinary Brazilians don't have access to."

Sounds just like someone else I know of a little further north...

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Posted in: Discovered remains identified as those of woman killed in 2011 tsunami See in context

"her son said in a statement released through the local police."

It's sad that this is how it ended for his mother, but at least there is closure.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

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