ArmandV comments

The reputation that Japan is "pricey" is more fiction than actual. I have been to Japan seven times and it is no more expensive than the U.S. Sure, you have expensive restaurants in Japan. But you also can eat cheaply there too.

A lot of it, in my view, comes from people not knowing how the yen translates into dollars when making purchases.

Japan, up until a few years ago, was lax in promoting itself. We now see the results of its promotional efforts with record-breaking foreign tourist numbers.

There are plenty of guidebooks available in many languages. Just go to your hotel lobby and there will be a rack with dozens of them. I can't speak or read Japanese, but I have never had a problem with getting around and there are plenty of tourist information centers available and plenty of people to help.

Homicide through negligence is not the same as willful homicide. Seems too harsh.

Would China and South Korea feel better if the shrine's references to Class A war criminals are removed?

Good article. But it also brings to mind a problem with Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. version of the Godzilla character. He has been rendered "an allegory of what?"

I blogged about it here:http://armandsrancho.blogspot.com/2014/06/godzilla-still-relevant-after-60-years.html

I inherited a very early edition of the book from my grandmother. An excellent read!