AyameM comments

Too early, too young. My husband attended the race together with our lil man - his very first F1 race. Fortunately, they were far away from the scene of the accident and didn't have to witness it. RIP, Jules!

This made me sob so badly. It reminded me of my own childhood - sitting in my seat with my Papa digging for the toys I dropped when we stopped a a red light, the games we played on long drives to the coast or to the mountains and the fights we had when I was a stubborn teenager. Well-done, Toyota, you left me in a teary-eyed mess.

Such an incredibly elegant sport and the picture captures it perfectly.

Recent polls in USA among groups of Muslims would prefer sharia law here in USA. No doubt similar results in Europe.

You're right. There was even a radical Muslim group near my hometown in Germany that set up a 'Shariah Police' which patroled the streets at night trying to keep young Muslim women from going to bars and clubs. Fortunately, the real police as well as authorities acted swiftly.

http://www.thelocal.de/20140905/ruhr-police-throw-book-at-shariah-vigilantes

Congrats again, Japan! I love the way these ladies play football, they are so well-organized and disciplined, have control over the ball possession and their tiki taka has proven most efficient even against physically dominant teams like the Aussies. The heat must have been brutal in the stadium so extra thumbs up for both teams' performances.

That brand is pretty well-known for their fun events. I once went to a fashion trade show and they did not only have a DJ at their booth but served cocktails and fruit salad - the male staff was shirtless and the female staff in bikini tops and hot pants. Party on!

Germany vs France or Willpower vs Beauty... what a game! I was biting my nails during the penalty shootout but in the end we could rely on Germany always winning the penalties. Even through the most rose-tinted patriotic glasses I couldn't wholeheartedly admit that we actually deserved to win.

Anyways it was thrilling and one step further to my dream final. See you in Montreal, Japan!

So she was faithful and loyal to him all the time. She went through the ordeal of cancer treatment with him - an incredible emotional burden that only people understand who have been in that terrible situation - and cared for him after surgery and that guy lounges around, watches her empty his bedpan and casually remarks how he used to have a mistress and 'damn, we used to travel, all fun and good times' and goes into detail about the whole affair and then wonders why the little lady snaps? I don't. Not saying it was right but pretty understandable.

Congrats to all the happy couples! And as a gay friend of mine said: 'High time homosexual people have the same right to kill a happy relationship by the misery of matrimony as heterosexual ones'.

You'd think after March people would reconsider their travel plans.

Thank you, I thought I was the only one who thought this. There's a pretty good reason a vacation in countries like Egypt and Tunisia is cheap at the moment and that's running the risk of having your beloved ones slaughtered while playiing on the beach of visiting museums. I can't believe people don't simply boycot these countries.

And I can already hear the 'wawawaaaa but these countries make a substantial income from tourism and without it the poverty level would grow and people would radicalize even further' whining but seriously... whether rich or poor, these people will radicalize even further anyways so stop shoving money down their throats.

37 killed and 20 injured in Tunisia, one man decapitated in France, 25 killed and more than 200 injured in an atack on a mosque in Kuwait. All in one day. All in the name of that religion that stands for nothing but peace, huh? I can see that.

Congrats, ladies! One step closer to my Germany:Japan dream final.

My grandma got to come to my graduation,” Kayla Kaihara said, “and I told her, ‘Now, I get to come to yours.’

That made me choke, what a wonderful family. Congrats to the couple! I hope they have many years more to enjoy their diplomas.

When in Rome do as the Romans do. My Japanese husband has half his body covered in ink and while no one cares about them when we're in Germany, he has been refused access to onsens and gyms in Japan many times. He finally found a good gym where his tattoos don't bother anyone. But he never complained about getting denied access. Because he respects the rules in his home country.

I'm blonde and blue-eyed and there's surely no way to mistake me for a member of the yakuza but yes, I have also been denied access to an onsen because of a tiny tattoo above my ankle. So what? Shut up and swallow and move on. If you whine and complain, you're no better than those people who flash their naked boobs on a beach in Dubai or visit a church in Southern Italy with an itty bitty top only.

Welcome to Germany, Miyaichi-san.

Would an exhibit on IJA atrocities be shown in Japan? Probably not.

Would an exhibit of the atrocities the US Army committed in Vietnam be shown in the US? Probably not. Is that the pot calling the kettle black again?

Japan is the only country I know that has to order patriotism from its people.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that pupils who refuse to mutter 'I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America' during the morning ritual will not be frowned upon?

The most terrible TV moments for me surely were 9/11, 3/11 and the broadcast about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 - knowing there were kindergarten children involved broke my heart and made me sob for hours.

The Heysel Stadium disaster was another TV moment I'll never forget and the memories come back whenever I hear 'You'll never walk alone'.

But also my best TV moments involve football - the Football World Cup finals in 1990 and 2014 as well as my football club winning the European Cup in 1997.

Japan has some excellent players now. If they manage to actually play as a team (which they failed at during the last World Cup), they should be a force to reckon with in 3 years. We currently have 12 Japanese playing in the German Bundesliga and players like Kagawa and Uchida are not only recognized for their skills but also loved for their personalities. You go, Japan!

Guess USA men got lucky.

It wasn't luck but perfect timing. While the players of the US team are in perfect shape in preparation of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the German Bundesliga had just ended and most players interrupted their vacation to join the friendly game.

As a supporter of Schalke 04 all I can say is that Uchida is dearly missed. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he'll soon be back 'home'.

@pointofview

Were due again next month.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an easy delivery. I hope everything goes smoothly and mommy and baby will be fine.

We had the choice between having our son born in Germany or in Japan as we constantly switch residence between the two. As the medical standards were equally high, we finally opted for Germany simply because most of our friends and family live there and the delivery was due in July - too hot in Japan.

In Germany, you stay 3-4 days in hospital after a regular delivery and up to 7 days after a C-section. Depending on the mom's condition, she can stay much longer and everything's paid by your standard health insurance. The only extra costs (€ 50 a day) you have to pay incur when you choose the 'daddy-in' option, which means the father can stay the whole time and gets his own bed, food, etc. We did that cause my husband was scared someone would 'steal his boy' while I was sleeping.

Even though I had a C-section, I was allowed to go home after two days cause a) I felt good and b) they knew that both my husband and my mom would be around 24-7 as well as my brother-in-law who is a doctor. If I hadn't had the support of my family, I would have stayed the full week. It's comforting for a new mom to know there are people who look after their lil one when she is tired, who help with diapers and preparing food, etc.

In 1947,women in Japan were having 4.7 kids each,so women didn't have time to lay around in the hospital,because new kids would be coming in quickly.But with today's anemic birthrate,hospitals are glad to have you stay 5-7 days under the guise of why you should.But it all comes back to money and business.

I rather stay and pay than run the risk of seeing a child mortality rate as it was back in 1947.

Save your self the time, effort and emotional stress and find a nice women half your age from the Phillipines or Thailand for example.

Sure, because there are not enough dirty, ugly old men out there who simply go and buy young women from the Philippines or Thailand who would otherwise see no chance to leave poverty. Bravo, Sir, your opinion is a shiny example for a lot of things wrong in this world.

Congrats, ladies, well-done. I'm hoping for a final between Japan and Germany.

Ouch, that was like shooting fish in a barrel. But congrats to the goalkeeper of Ivory Coast as she was still the best player of her team.

The first thing I noticed when I came to japan was how smart people were dressed even in the hottest weather. Men in nice suits with polished shoes, pretty ties and perfect haircuts at every corner. Women with those beautiful masses of long black hair and their pale faces - dressed in perfect business attire. It was such a refreshing break from the naked calves of men wearing cargo shirts and tank tops in the offices back home. Or women in skimpy ruffled mini skirts.

Looking at most Western nations my summary would be: some stunners, some ugly ones and a whole bunch of meh. In Japan you have a whole lot of beautiful people and some ugly ones. And I'm not saying that because I'm married to an almost painfully beautiful Japanese man.

Chin up, Japanese people, you are beautiful!

Congrats to Canada and the Netherlands. And so excited for the first game of the Nadeshiko. Good luck, ladies!

To each their own. If people want to cosplay, I don't find it any more stupid than sitting in a football stadium and watching people kick a ball or beat it with a metal club. If it makes you happy, go for it.

Plus I have seen a lot of cosplayers fully dressed up and was amazed by their love for the tiny details. Can't wait to see the fake blood put to good use on instagram. You go, kids!