Bazza comments

Good to see the government testing for radiation.

Good to see the government testing for radiation.

Very good.

Love the plastic sensei although I'm sure it will make uncomfortable reading for some.

Raymond Chuang

I would disagree.

Many PV panels now can operate at very low irradiance levels and I think the "glare" conditions of the rainy season wouldn't be a problem. In fact the cool, sunny winter conditions in Japan are almost perfect for PV.

PV panels need photons of light to operate, which doesn't necessarily equate with strong direct sunlight- in fact high summer temperatures are more likely to be an impediment. Some Japanese manufacturers make panels that become quite efficient at very low light levels.

Don't know about the wave power, Frungy. There is undoubtedly a lot of energy potential in the sea to harvest, but it requires huge amounts of structural steel and engineering to do so (at the moment).

wtfjapan

I don't think solar has ever been expected to provide base load (it can't as it goes off at night)- it's just one of a range of renewable energy sources that can gradually eat into the nuclear/fossil share as time passes.

I'd keep some of the safest nuke plants going to provide the base load. Let's hope a few safety lessons have been taken on board from Fukushima though.

What the article describes is not a failure- PV is merely taking longer to establish than expected, which is not surprising as it's a newish and developing technology.

PV arrays were found in one UK study to contribute an average of 51% of building requirements- they are good for keeping the fridge/washing machine/AC going in daylight hours. Efficiency drops of when storage batteries or transmission are included.

Surely solar water heaters would be a safe bet in Japan- all that sun and a high requirement for domestic hot water for baths, washing etc. They'd save a lot of LPG and are a simpler to use technology with few conversion losses.

What about testing fish?

Bad as it was, the consensus on the allied side was that the A bombs were far less costly in lives lost- both Japanese and allied- than if a land invasion had taken place.

After the blood bath of Okinawa, the mainland invasion was expected to claim millions of lives,

Double standards aside, every young lad's dream, I'm sure.

Unless some form of coercion is involved- I doubt very much he will be emotionally damaged and may be grateful to her for assisting him through an important part of growing up.

In the reverse situation- old bloke with young girl, the bloke would be looking at a hefty and unpleasant jail sentence. Hypocritical indeed, but that's the way the world is.

Is that the Tokyo University that came 30th in the world rankings?

I always prefer the Tokyo Inst. of Technology or TIT, myself.

Could have got a decent woman at that price.

kozaki9210MAR. 29, 2013 - 08:25AM JST Such bad behaviers are common inJapan. Are there any issues like this in US or Europe?

Trains in the UK/Ireland- some people seem to have real problems flushing a toilet- the number of times I've walked into the bog to find a richard floating there is unreal. Some people are really dirty too- leaving crisp packets, crisps, drink bottles, hair and those little carrier bags everywhere.

Then there's the mobile phone ring tones and conversations..oh and don't forget the loonies.

Japan is good, believe me (vomit aside).

Yes- the one at the front has a massive chopper.

I was surprised Mitt could even find his way into the building, to be honest.

Never.

The muslim world spouts a daily torrent of abuse against non-islamic countries/religions- in addition to persecution of non-muslims and church-burning, for example.

This amateur video is peanuts by comparison.

A brave decision and a daunting but doable task. On a national level, that will entail the following:

A substantial reduction in power demand- this will mean introducing passive building design standards for all sectors, standards that will need to reflect hot summers and climate variation from north to south. Further adjustment to the transport mix (fewer trucks/gasoline cars, more rail), and widespread adaption of passive cooling techniques- to name a few. Optimisation of renewable energy sources: there is massive scope for expanding photovoltaic electricity generation from all those overheating Tokyo roofs. More CHP.

It's basically a matter of reducing demand then using renewables to fulfil as much of remaining demand as possible. It might be worth hanging on to some of the safest and best nuclear reactors- it is "free" energy providing you don't kill everybody in the process. Don't forget uranium is not that plentiful and is expected to run out in 70 years at current extraction rates.

A useful distraction for the governments of both countries.

In Japan this focuses attention away from the ham-fisted or non existent attempts to deal with radiation from Fukushima; in China this may distract people from poor government in general.

They've certainly got people going.

The fans look ecstatic to be there.

During my 13 years in Japanese high schools, the norm was for Japanese teachers to ignore bullying even if it was happening right in front of them. Is it a cultural thing? Also, am I right that one reason this case has become such big news is that the school is largely ethnically Korean and the dead boy was Japanese?

No matter. This happens everywhere in Japan, and needs to be tackled on a fundamental level. A start would be to actually punish bullies- forget the apologies and usual arse-covering hot air. Another idea would be to aggressively attack bullying at all levels- not just some silly poster campaign- head teachers, staff and students all jump on it the moment it appears, with harsh punishments- create a climate in which bullying cannot exist.

It was recently my pleasure to work in a very large secondary school in Ireland, and I was moved to remark on the lack of obvious problems (fights, bullying, general nastiness). I was told it all came down to the Head, who brooks no shit of any kind and has the perpetrators in his office immediately...and this in the presently PC climate in Europe. Impressive!

The truck example is possibly not a good one due to the small vehicle numbers involved.

More worthy of mention would be the excellent Combined Heat and Power (CHP) schemes in Copenhagen, whereby entire districts are heated from one source- such as a rubbish incineration plant or biomass boiler. This means huge savings in cost and energy as opposed to the standard model of independent heat sources in individual homes (air-con units in Japan). Not to mention the brilliant public transport and suburban rail network.

Urban/rural living is purely a matter of choice, but many people who opt for rural just end up driving 20 miles to the supermarket to stock up on tinned goods. Having a vegetable garden produce a continual supply of fresh veg throughout the year is an art that was mainly lost a couple of generations ago.

I was once married to a woman 3 yrs older, and the sex was abysmal.

Around 40ish, some women may be intent on making the best of their disappearing youth, and may make great bed-mates for a while. For anybody tempted (or persuaded) to take things further, just remember child-bearing can be a big problem, and that menopause is just around the corner. "Cougar" or not, the menopause years will be very, very different.

Could have made a lovely haggis with the sack.

I really feel for the mother.

Anybody with a toddler knows they are exhausting and can disappear in seconds.

Not one decent chippie in either city.

I don't share his confidence, somehow.

Becky- I love you more than ever.

I did once try applying the term "gaijin" in an inoffensive and non-aggressive voice to a few random Japanese tourists walking around Oxford.

The looks of shock and perplexity were something to behold; obviously the term is not as neutral as many would like to think.

Nissan get unrestricted access to the UK market, so they do alright.

I used to like JC until I heard he phoned Rupert Murdoch at midnight on New Year's Eve to wish him a happy new year. I believe he also said the Mitsubishi I was a "washing machine with doors on".

It isn't a closely guarded secret about the dangers of Caesium 137 , it's well-known.

Is it seriously only just coming into the public domain over there?

Oh dear oh dear. What kind of people are running the nuclear industry in Japan?

The strong yen is as much of a detterent to visiting Japan as anything else.

It may also help if the situation with radioactivity was not so confused. Where is the reliable data? What are the governments, local and national, doing over there?