bokuwamo comments

Abe should stand with the people he represents and not the Olympic committee officials who have made demands for things from the start. The government should realize that they can not base budget forecasts based on tourism as a continuous revenue and charge people for leaving as well. China has been the biggest spenders for years and that has now disappeared. For that matter, so has Koike for the most part.

Reports for years have had the Chinese as the highest spenders visiting Japan, Americans are few and spend little compared to Asian tourist from other countries. As a American living in Japan and keeping up with local news for years, the expectations of creating a tourist wonderland that the government wants to bank on as a continuous source of revenue was never realistic. The disasters of 2001 and on, more earth quakes, big flooding, Fukushima radiation, etc... worry not only Japanese citizens, but the world also.

What is happening or not? Meant to be aware of possibilities. Are people going to big cities by their own thought process or are there events, news reports, etc..causing people to gather? What would be the purpose of having people gather in big cities? Since the big earth quake in Japan 2001 and after there have been events that have cleaned out convenience stores, grocery stores shelf's in hours, not days. Recently the toilet paper and cleaning/disinfection items gone in hours. Prices for restocked items go up for the very same items that were manufactured before event. Maybe in America as well as Japan peoples buying habits have become more of microwave, fast food, etc...and for people in rural areas there a few companies that have small delivery trucks selling staples in limited quantities that people line up for regularly. Big cities, motor scooters deliveries of food, trucks with orders items from telephone/internet, co-opt companies to your door. Companies selling survival food kits for 1 week or up to 1 year or more food supplies. Before the Corona virus, people here have become more and more like robots, their walking around with phones in their hands using them or not, bumping into whatever they walk into or they just walk without looking around themselves to anticipate a change in direction.I see videos on the internet of people holding their phones as if they are holding some type of protection against what they are filming, often hearing, I am filming you! I myself am not a out going person publicly, though I make efforts to greet people when walking who are looking at me as we get closer to one another. Not long ago I would often get a hello before saying one, not so much anymore. I now think I may have become what people would call a hermit or isolationist or I have become what this society today has become, expressionless both verbally, facially and without any recognition of another? With whatever amount of supplies one may have there will come the a time of running out sooner or later and that will be a time of what?

Places closing down, businesses gone, toilet paper sold out, cleaning products sold out and all this happens in less than 2 months. PM Abes speech that the government is here to help, do not worry. Now 2 stands of the virus are discovered and 1 mutates as it travels from 1 person to another. Oh, the schools closed have kids flocking to after school businesses that will try to take as many kids that they can, not a thing to worry about,all under control

.

The proof will be in the pudding.

For children under the age of 18, cartoons, computer games, movies with animation etc...are all good. Now days with people of all ages in Japan playing these games everywhere and not using good manners to do so is a big problem. Hope everyone finds their dream job.

Americans living/working in Japan are a special group of people. People with degrees working for less than 1/2 of what their degrees are worth in America, all in the name of Japan. Trump has been in the office 5 days and has many more to go to get the country back in order and getting rid of common cores is on the agenda, you people remember the program most of you were educated with, the one the Communist Progressive Liberals indoctrinate students with, for 25 years or so. Hoping to come soon also, stop paying for people to study in other countries with taxpayer dollars.

Please stop with the propaganda that American controlled media, the 6 of them, spread and Japan's media runs with. No news for what Japan does to protect their trade and boarders, labeled as isolationist. The simple points Trump has made are showing he is against the globe agenda and so are many of usA.

Hello writer,

You put in the headline civil leader attacked...you did this to serve your purpose.

He has not done much of anything for the people he is suppose to be serving, what Trump referred to in the Tweeter post. He is the epitome of why term limits should be put on congress.

People complaining about Trump, here in Japan are mostly younger than 50 years old, some exceptions and have been educated in America by a educational system that has for many years been broken. Teachers with agendas of the Communist Progressive Liberals program, using the Common Cores system. Trump speaks the way most Americans used to and hopefully will help to bring back clear, direct and to the point speaking and stop the evasive style used a lot today with words that say nothing and with a constant smile of assured smugness. Trump gave the greatest speech in history and should you not support him, that is okay. don' t become, physically confrontational with people who do or use violence to make your points. The American government has been corrupt far to long and Trump is giving government back to the people is the big message.

Until all of Japan and all Japanese look at Okinawa for what it is. Not what it was 250 years ago. A prefecture of Japan with Japanese citizens living in it. Will progress move forward. All prefectures like to promote their own styles and traditions in different ways. People should stop referring to Okinawa as if it is something other than what it is.

A world epidemic has been predicted for many many years by scientists and this could be the one to spread, in one form or another. Staying alert and self preparedness is something everyone can do. To disregard the story as meaningless is a mistake. Also it is one of the few stories I read on JapanToday that has substance and news worthy.

Having gone to drive-in's to see Bond movies as a kid. I can say that I have seen most James Bond movies on the Big screen. As it used to be called, not long ago. The excitement of hearing about a new Bond movie and reading about it builds the excitement. When the movie hits the big screen, wow. The last 3 movies with Daniel Craig were pretty good and worthy of the Bond saga. If the story line is good and well written, I don't think who is the director is all that important. Of course actors are doing different roles in between movies that have a series to them. Otherwise they wouldn't be a very good actor, playing only one role.

Japan's economy has been for a very long time, not good. Abe received the votes to make changes, the voters wanted to see take place. Many before him have tried to use different ideas and approaches to resolve the problems. Reading and hearing all the things that are wrong with Abe's proposals and ideas, what is not going to work and are bad ideas. Where are the policies and ideas that will make positive economic recovery possible? What are they? Who has the better plan for Japan's economy? And why wasn't this person, who has the better ideas, elected to office?

andrewfx51FEB. 24, 2013 - 09:46PM JST @bokuwamo Tu quoque.

Most posters would acknowledge the economic problems in their respective countries, but directing attention towards the US or Europe doesn't make Abe's economic policies any more credible. Nor is it the topic of this article.

I will wait to see how long it is before this gets deleted. "Nor is it the topic of this article"

Really, your a moderate as well as poster? The subject is economics Isn't it? Japan economy is not allowed to be compared to other countries in relationship in the subject matter of the article?

Can't help but to comment on this vandalism. Not that long ago this would be unheard of in Japan. When you are over 60, the statement of "not long ago" holds a different meaning than someone in their 30's. There are always comments made about how Japan doesn't change this or that. Seeing these type of stories in the news more and more, along with serious violence stories. I would say that it can't be said, that Japan does not change.

The guy, Abe is trying to do something to improve things. There is a lot that has been done before him that makes his ideas harder to get in motion. He got voted in because most of the voters thought he has the right ideas to effect a positive change to the economy, in general. Comments on how he is doing being made by foreigners points of view, is the essences of this webpage. Are the economies of your own countries doing all the terrific? Reading and hearing about the worlds largest economes, it seems as if all countries have serious problems and have yet to have the answers to their problems. Is Abe suppose to be some type of messiah and do something that a lot of other countries can't seem to do?

Riding trains in Japan is pretty much the same as riding trains in New York or Chicago, have lived in both also. You can use manners and be polite. You can be rude and pushy. I have found that most people respond better to being treated nicely. When I first started riding trains in Japan, talking was considered rude by most older Japanese. That being over 20 years ago and times have changed to what it is today. Meeting or seeing strange behavior is not unusual on the trains today, everyone has stories about the most strangest thing they have seen. Ignoring most of it, when possible and confronting some of it when appropriate, has been my strategy. Getting use to it all, in whatever place you are using a train. Is something some people are able to do and others not. The "not's" should reconsider their options.

Laptops stop a lot of people from carrying them around with them. Tablets cause people to poke you and elbow you as they are using it publicly. My vote is for more laptops or people who can use tablets with more consideration for people close by.

I think that it is the one that Japan uses and I use it everyday without any problems. There are a lot of tings that could be better in the world. When moving to Japan, I never gave a thought to what should be changed and I still don't. Enjoy living here and if a time comes that I don't enjoy it, I will leave. Many things have been changed in America and not all have been good. Banks have always handled the winning hand and continue to.

For me the obvious is a movie based on facts has a lot of lead way, it's a movie for selling tickets. Documentaries are suppose to be facts presented in a movie form. I don't think there ever was a movie made that said based on real facts and didn't change things to attract a larger audience.

bass4funkFEB. 23, 2013 - 08:23AM JST @yuri And Japan has always gotten away with this and the world DEMANDS that Japan catches up to the rest of the modern world and does the right thing.

Sounds like you had a custody case past or present. If you think that the Hague act will do anything that is going to start bringing kids back from Japan, I feel sad for you.

Read the act and all of the things it does not do and the things that it says it will do are mostly with the cooperation of the other country. In simple terms, it is not giving any one country the right to go into another country and enforce their laws. It makes requests that go through a long process before they are considered for action.

It is not a concern of mine about the relationship that Japan and North Korea have. My concern is that they are doing things with nuclear testing that have a purpose for them. What that purpose is, unknown. The tightening of access to the financial world and much harder trading restrictions should be done, regardless of the Japan North Korea relationship and O-bum-a is not the person to trust to keep the job done.

tmarieFEB. 22, 2013 - 10:39PM JST Reformed, glad you can admit they're not perfect. That's all you needed to do.

Been out, gave come back. Leaving and seeing the better places out and "having" to come back... I know I'm making fair comparisons. Others who've not lived anywhere besides home and Japan can't in my opinion.

Don't understand what you are trying to say here? I will assume you are not Japanese from your postings, if you do not like a country, why stay? Comparing countries is good. Moving there and expecting the country to change because your living there now, well come on. You seem intelligent, this is realistic thinking?

Any country has the right to have things their own way in their country. North Korea has shown that they want to be stupid with their shelling a couple of years ago, crazy stuff. Their launching of missiles and nuclear testing carelessly done. Than it become a world problem that should start with very strong moves to limit their financial resources and trading abilities. To have them realize they are effecting the rest of the world, not just their country.

A very very very old subject that has caused many a argument. Up or down? I don't think this topic will ever be resolved to the liking of everyone. So the very very old adage still applies, You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all the people all the time.

The problems on the trains in Japan. Of course everyone can have opinions about anything in Japan. But seeing the same user names here on Japantoday complain about Japan's customs and traditions, I don't understand it at all. Not being all that old, in my mind anyway. Used to be when going to a foreign country people showed respect for that country's ways of doing things. Todays world seems to go in the opposite direction. Let's go there and change it to our liking. Are the constant complainers trapped in Japan? Are there reasons you can't leave and not be upset with living in a foreign country? If you have such strong opinions and want a country, Japan, to change. Become a citizen get the right to vote and cast your ballot for change.

Where is the thought process of people who marry a foreigner in a foreign country? My first big question. You are married in a foreign country, than go back to your country for whatever reason. File for divorce and custody. Than you want that country to follow your countries laws. Abducting or taking kids to your home country is usually not the right thing to do. There are but's to this, real abuse, drug use and other issues. Each case having their own unique problems. Come on folks, most people don't live in la la land. Where they never have to think of possible future events in a international marriage. I say most.

There are so many things that have to change in both Japan and America to make custody cases equal to both sides. Which, I don't think is going to happen any time soon. My case ex-wife Japanese had illegal custody of kids. American court said kids should be returned to America. When she did not. The American court issued an arrest warrant. The ex-wife worked on a US military base. Asked how come she was not arrested. 2 reasons; Japan does not due a criminal back ground check in America for Japanese citizens and a arrest warrant issued in America is not valid for Japanese police to use in Japan. Only a small piece of a very big puzzel. Getting Japan to honor American laws with all the different state laws attached and getting America to honor Japan's laws, don't think it will happen. Being a Roman Catholic myself, I had my mariage annulled and divorced, somethings are possible.

I have been through the entire divorce proceedings in Japan and had been involved with a custody case in America. Both have problems with enforcing court orders by local law enforcement. Until there is a way to have all the laws, in all the countries enforced first. There is not going to be any true international custody case with justice being serve properly. To assume that all foreign spouses of a Japanese marriage are somehow entitled to have custody in any form is not being opened minded to the realities of any custody dispute.