Ayesha comments

The most common way for these guys to make money is to convert money ro pay local salaries and local bills at the blackmarket rate instead of the official rate.

Sell all tickets (including personal resales of tickets) by internet auction. This should remove the scalper margin, and ensure that performers are paid their full value.

This small military transaction between Japan and Korea also probably contains a subtle message to China as well.

Underline this.

The answer is: Japan side changed the status quo.

fw360

How has the status quo changed?

Japanese view: Originally Japanese sovereignty with private title, then changed to Japanese sovereignty with government title

Chinese view: Originally "Chinese sovereignty, therefore Japanese title irrelevant." Then changed to "Chinese sovereignty, any Japanese title irrelevant."

What has changed?????

Obvious to the world, Japan started the current cycle of heighten tension

The owners of the islands wanted to sell. Right winger Ishihara then suggested that Tokyo Metropolis buy the islends and fortify them, after the Chinese skipper repeatedly rammed the coastguard cutter. To avoid the right wing arguments, the left of center DPJ had the government buy out the islands from the private owners. This was to avoid problems with China and any right wing suggestion of fortifying them. In what way did Japan "start the current cycle of heightened tension/" ???

Can Chinese domestic opinion now accept a policy of reducing tension in the region?

Japan should call China's bluff and issue the same requirements for its zone - all aircraft entering need to notify Japan in advance. See what the paper tiger Chinese do then.

More trade and lower barriers make everyone better off.

In 1858 Japan opened up to foreign trade and greatly developed as a result.

In the 1960s the trade opening achieved by the Kennedy Round negotiations made possible Japan's subesequent rapid growth and exports to marlets around the world.

1980s beef negotiations greatly improved Japanese consumers' access to cheap beef.

1990s large scale retail law reforms allowed exciting huge shopping complexes to be built throughout Japan including rural areas.

Of couse some people might think in 2013 Japan should sit on the sidelines of the TPP, not participate, and watch trade and cheap products thrive everywhere else with Japan unable to compete...

1) Admiral Togo raising the "Z" flag and sinking the Russian fleet in 1905

2) Hirohito's surrender speech in August 1945

3) (future event) Japan and China reaching a final peaceful resolution on the Diayutai/Senkaku Islands

Do the airlines obey their government or does safety override all else?

I think airlines need to follow their own government's instructions. Otherwise the government can withdraw the airline's registration etc.

Allowiing freedom of discussion iof all subjects in all media in China will help overcome the problem

To me an interisting issue is the court's recognition of loss of tertiary educational opportunity due to a different family upbringing. The education system needs to do more to ensure equality of opportunity, especially in a family where the father dies at an early age..

a Corolla hatchback under the Matrix name, and ...cars that are nearly identical to the Corolla

A bit difficult to claim that these are Corollas, I think. Maybe Toyota should rename to Corolla Matrx, etc.

Chan said his manager thought the role would be good but told him the amount of dialogue was too tough.

Says it all.

Great idea! This on its own will encourage people to visit Korea.

Like many times in China's history before, Chinese officials have decided on a policy, based purely on domestic circumstances, for which there is no plausible end scenario,

For any discount restaurant thst does not make declaration one way or the other about using Fukushima produce, the assumptions have to be that they are, and they are not willing to provide a quality assurance like Yoshinoya has..

Good move by inovative company Yoshinoya which leads the way in providing consumers with very low priced, appetizing food. They will make sure there is no harmful radiation. And they will pass onto consumers the cost savings enabled by irrational boycotts of Fukushima produce that is tested and known to be safe.

The World War II connection is interesting and needs to be highlighted. Her father fought the Japanese, suffered a permanent back injury, and lost some of his crew. But Japan and the US are now the best of allies, and Caroline will be contributing to that relationship.

Great Australian model. Good that she is also being received well in Japan.

Balefire's got it right.

Satire is fine for highlighting incompetence. But it's not appropriate for making fun of sad situations largely brought about by a natural disaster.

If it's mirrorless why does it have an old fashioned reflex hump in the middle?

Scrappiest election campaign I can recall, no big picture policies, no recognition of Australia's economic strengths. Hard to think who is worse, self-centred Rudd as PM or Joe Hockey as Treasurer. What we now have to live with will be slow Internet and contributing to regional international instability through drastically cutting aid.

Pretty hopeless in Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and maybe Libya too.

Hanaya Yohei invented nigiri sushi around the time Perry visited Japan, and it has been updated regularly ever since. One of my favorites is California-maki. The new technologies have their advantages, but may not appeal to everyone.

This needs to wait until it is seen who decides to front up at Yasukuni on August 15.

Personally I don't understand the logic behind why the Koreans are complaining about Yasukuni. They were part of Japan during the war and many are enshrined there as well..

I am reliably told that on the first couple of days after the Japanese surrender in August 1945 all over Seoul you could see little plumes of smoke as the torii and jinja buildings were burned.

I still do not understand why this becomes a big deal.

Many Japanese think this way.

Without saying who's right and who's wrong here - we don't really have enought info to make a judgment - married parties need to respect each other's space. If they are unable to do this, the marriage can't last.

The dead kid may have said something like "I got into a good senior high and will go to college. You guys are now just in vocational school and you''re going to be car mechanics for the rest your life. Ha Ha!"