bontakun comments

Why can't they just go by SNSD everywhere??

Yes, it's all terrible and tragic that people were killed and injured, but 7 hours of sleep? Sounds like plenty to me on any given day, and this just sounds like an unfortunate accident.

This is just wrong. No reason why these people shouldn't have decent accommodations.

Yes! I knew all these extra languages would pay off. Dialects probably don't matter unless they're really different from one another.

Well, I'm a fan of Yoshiki's music, but... yeah, maybe he should just stick to music...

What... is that. Seriously.

Stupid girl. Disgusting pervert.

DADT works on the level that it is supposed to--equal volunteerism and treatment--but it is also carries the sting of intolerance. Mullen has the right track here, when someone is willing to put their life on the line for you and the rest of their country, does it matter whether they go home to a man or a woman at the end of the day?

Repealing this standard does not mean suddenly every gay man and woman in the military is going to be open about their sexuality, only that, should they choose, they can be honest about their personal preferences without the danger of official action being taken against them. It's a part of one's personal life. Straight or gay you can share it with others if you want.

As for the issue of potential sexual harassment, women are already in the military. Should we kick out all the men who leer at a pretty girl? An unfair comparison perhaps, but so is worrying that a gay man (or woman) might check you out just because you're male (or female). They might, but there's no law against looking, is there? Nor should there be.

Japan wins the global award for most meaningless awards.

This is ridiculous. Americans dying for no reason while trying to help. OUT. NOW.

Dear god, seriously--bringing "katsu made" into it? Win what? Aish... And nice going parents, send your kids out there, but don't let anyone know you did it of course!

sheesh... when my dad was in Okinawa, it was almost 300 to a dollar...

And American culture makes another foray into Japan... just the kind I wanted (/sarcasm)

Taguchi just came back this year, too, resigned to Orix Buffaloes.

I used to think Japanese schools were soooo much more accomplished too, but their system has it's own issues. The education Japanese students receive in the classroom isn't enough--most have to find further instruction outside of school, too, or fail. (hello, juku? rōnin?)

American schools have the wrong focus and ambition--they're all about standardized test scores and making themselves look good; never mind what their average grade point is the rest of the year.

Also, STEM education isn't a panacea. There are different quarters of intelligence. It's ignorant and old-fashioned (and insulting) to suggest the only worthwhile knowledge and success comes out of the math and science areas.

@Klein2 "You could have taken care of your kids better by staying married."

Untrue. Although my parents are divorced, I feel like the quality of my childhood was much better than it ever could have been if they had remained married. What kind of environment do you think the children of a married couple that no longer loves each other lives in? Sometimes, although marriage should (and still is by many) be viewed as a lasting commitment, two people just cannot solve their differences for whatever reason. It's better for children to grow up with separated parents that love them than to have to fight for their parents attention because they're too busy arguing with each other.

Also, regardless of the circumstances of Chris Savoie, his situation is not the only issue. This is about all the children. I don't necessarily think all the children that have now grown up in Japan should be forced to live in the US (or wherever) instead, but the non-abusive parents should at least be allowed to SEE their children without risking legal actions against them. Children need more than just their mother.

And I really doubt Japan is making any truly sincere efforts since their own embassies in the US have even faked passports to let Japanese wives and their children out of the country.

Regardless, this is just another sign that we are still too immature as human beings. One day I hope we will have a true global society, preserving the cultures of the world but working towards the betterment of all people without worrying about where we come from.

Behavior on both sides is simply unacceptable. Ahmadinajad's comments are infuriating, of course, but the US representatives' reaction is just as immature. They're there to find solutions and agreements. Can't do that from outside!

Paris understands and respects the rules and laws of the immigration authorities in Japan

Haha, what about the controlled substance laws in America, hmm? THANK YOU, JAPAN.

Sounds awesome! Gotta see it one day.

James Madison did indeed say it best. Wonder how many "noble politicians" know?

Totally unsurprised. Of course, a guilty verdict and sentence are still up in the air. Now all they need to do is scour the rest of Japan...

I wonder how many Japanese fans (or American, for that matter) know "Inception" was partly inspired by the anime film "Paprika"? (good movie).

That aside, Leo's movie looks pretty awesome. Cage's looks...mildly entertaining. If only that supporting actor (I don't even know his name...) could do something about his voice.

@TokyoRoughGuy: Do you say that because you think Japan will ignore the issue under the guise that they feel they are being dictated to, or because you personally feel the US is dictating to Japan and/or you support the Japanese position?

As has already been quite intelligently stated, this isn't just a simple issue of the US trying to bully Japan into doing what the US gov't wants. Japan is literally IGNORING the laws of pretty much every other country on the planet for the benefit of it's own citizens, who are obviously not ALL fleeing abuse--this is kidnapping, people.

Speaking as an adult who grew up under divorced joint-custody from age 7 on, I can say that my life has been infinitely better with contact to both of my parents. Although my dad was military and moved around a lot, (I'm not Japanese, that wasn't an issue here) I spent entire summers with him, and later (when we all lived in the same state) lived with him and visited my mom on weekends. I'll admit that the back and forth can be trying on a child depending on the relationship of the divorced parents, but what Japan is doing/allowing is wrong. They are maintaining a policy under which the children will grow up taught that what happened to their foreign parent was okay, possibly based on lies of abuse. What kind of country, especially a country in a position of world leadership, openly supports the disregard of international laws within their own jurisdiction? If this were to exist on a global scale, it would be tantamount to anarchy. (Please do not just quote me on anarchy and argue about its political, social, economic pros/cons--that's not what this is about.)

Bottom line, if Japan is ill-equipped to realize that they are members of a global community in which their laws cannot be blindly exercised over all others, perhaps they should reinstate their isolationist policies and save the rest of the world the trouble of dealing with a brick wall. (Again, please do not just quote this and yell about the economic ramifications of Japan isolating itself; I'm simply stating that is what their actions seems to suggest they really want: no foreigners within, no foreign ties without.) But if the Japanese gov't and Japanese citizens are going to interact with the rest of the world, then they need to get it through their heads that once they leave Japan's borders, THEY LEAVE JAPAN'S BORDERS.

I have little knowledge of Japan's internal statutes, but if their laws concerning child custody are really so archaic as I've read here, then yes, there needs to be a change--not for the purpose of conforming to international treaties, but for the purpose of showing each other a certain level of human civility. Foreigners living (or visiting) Japan are not just bodies (which brings up the whole other issue of the rights of non-Japanese in Japan). Concerning Japanese court involving foreigners, their voices deserve to be heard equally as human beings, and considered objectively. When there has been no foul play (and they should really require evidence for such claims) it is a clear demonstration of failure within the Japanese court system when the Japanese parent is granted sole custody on the thinly-veiled basis (or not at all) that they are Japanese. Citizenship shouldn't matter, especially when it comes to the safety and health of children.