BrightEyes comments

Gotta love the Japanese entertainment industry. Non-stop innovation and creativity.

Um, "poor countries" like Oman?

Something about this smells fishy.

Sumo is one step away from professional wrestling now.

No one in the real world takes it seriously.

About average. And the bar is low.

Japan is a faithless, inconstant and unreliable ally. It's time to end the alliance. It no longer serves American interests to defend a wealthy technologically advanced and populous country.

Is it finally going to come clean on its history to pacify the Chinese, Koreans, etc., to reduce tensions?

Not likely.

And until they do, they will continue to complain about the military that has protected them for 65 years and allowed them to grow soft.

At least unless the US finally wises up and realizes that if we don't need to defend Japan from its own diplomatic autism, we don't really need those bases after all.

I was in the Kobe quake. I was in Suma ward, not the worst hit area, but it was pretty bad. I never once feared my fellow man in the ordeal that followed. I heard no reports of looting at all. There are a lot of bad things one can say about Japan (including the government's inept response to the quake) but it has to be admitted that (at least back in '95) people didn't loot and there wasn't a lot of crime.

Yes, a protester with a hat, sunglasses and mask. Boy, now THERE'S a courageous fellow.

This kind of thing is outrageous. I applaud the author for his efforts and urge him to continue with them. If for no other reason, then at least when his daughter becomes an adult and her mother can no longer interfere, he will have ample evidence that he was not indifferent to her.

By and large Japanese with their food are like that guy everybody knows. You know, the one who's forever bragging about how smokin' hot his girlfriend is, and she's just the most beautiful thing that ever walked on two legs and if Paris himself were forced to include her in the judgment, well, the Iliad would have been, at minimum, three times as long, etc., etc., etc. Then you meet her and you're thinking "She's all right. Definitely a solid 7, but that's as far as I go." You know that guy?

That's what I think of every time Japanese people tell me how amazing their food is -- that guy. Japanese talking about their food are like that guy.

And their food?

It's a solid 7.

While affirming the importance of Washington’s ties with Tokyo

Why are these ties important? What has Japan done for the US lately?

The Japan-US relationship is basically a free ride for Japan with no corresponding advantage to the US.

I really wish the diplomats would grow a pair and demand that Japan either make itself useful or go its own way.

@Mark_McKraken

I'm so looking forward to hearing Obama supporters' reaction to this.

Well, I'm an Obama supporter and I couldn't be happier.

I decided to go with Obama the moment he said he wouldn't hesitate to go into Pakistan if he had actionable intelligence and the Pakistani government couldn't do the job.

Everyone, and I do mean everyone criticized him for that. Hillary, McCain, everyone. "Oh, he's going to bomb our ALLY!" they sad. But he stood his ground.

I was impressed. I backed Obama and I'm very happy he has been as good as his word. Sure, there are many who backed him who thought he was just talking, but I didn't think so. That's why I backed him.

I realize that you might be happier thinking that everyone who backs Obama is a bleeding-heart pacifist. But I have news for you. He has a number of supporters who support him precisely BECAUSE we thought he could handle the job that Bush bungled for more than seven years.

By the way, just out of curiosity, what do you think Obama should do in Afghanistan?

Enough of this crap. Time for the US to pick up and go. Relocate everything to the Marianas, abrogate the security pact and let Japan provide for its own defense.

My God! Somebody help that woman! She's being attacked by tribbles!

He throws like a girl.

The problem with Japan is that its people (men and women) are socialized for a society in which they no longer live. For years social contacts were determined by external factors rather than internal drive. Japanese didn't have friends so much as associates. There was a group that would be together for a long time and they would adjust to one another over time. They were never good at approaching strangers and making friends. That wasn't such a big problem when they didn't have to deal with them so much. They would be in the same little village or company or neighborhood or group of mothers for most of their lives and their relationships would develop satisfactorily if slowly.

Japanese society no longer works that way. Groups are as ephemeral as jobs and domeciles. People don't have enough time to develop relationships as they used to. Now they are constantly moving from place to place. Before they can make friends, its on to the next thing. They feel lonely and frustrated and they withdraw.

As, it would seem, are bananas in the hammock.

There seems to be an extreme emphasis on being tan and having no fat at all. Bulk, it would appear, is optional.

Time for the US to pull out. Japan needs to man up a bit. It has been relying on US protection for too long and doesn't have the guts to do what it needs to do to defend itself. The US should pull out while Japan will still be upset about that. No need to wait around for a few more decades while the country slowly makes its peace with its former victims and then pretends that the US presence has long been some sort of imperialist venture. Leave now. They'll positively freak out. Then they'll miss us. Then they'll deal with it. Then they'll thank us.

Of course, we could always stay around a little longer if they begged.

Funny. You've got one woman who worked as a sex-industry reporter and somehow these candidates represent the nexus of politics and porn. Meanwhile the LDP bigwigs are frequenting the Soaps and we're to believe that they're somehow very serious.

Item 1:

Sales of the iPhone are not included in the survey.

Item 2:

overall sales of portable music players are on the decline in Japan

Gee. I wonder if there's a connection between these statements.

I find it amusing how many people think that China could actually stand a chance against Japan in a conventional war. The Chinese can't even take Matsu and Quemoy from the Taiwanese. The Japanese MSDF is way stronger than the Taiwanese navy. The Chinese could as soon invade the moon as they could Japan. The only real threat the Chinese represent is the nuclear one, but if they won't use it against Taiwan, there's little reason for Japan to fear that they would use it against them.

Japan needs the US alliance for one reason and one reason only: It's politicians haven't got the guts to use the power they have. Japan doesn't lack arms. It lacks guts.

My God!

I agree with Nigelboy too.

What is the world coming to?

No.

Any city that elects Ishihara as its governor does not deserve to host any international event. Period.

These boycotts are going to result in more people playing this game than if they had ignored it. There were like 2 copies at Amazon. Now the thing is going to be on the torrent sites and will be a cult hit with thousands of man-boys with low self-esteem getting their jollies fantasizing about raping women who in real life could probably kick their asses.

The hilarious thing about all of this is that the only matter of importance in blood types when dealing with relationships is the rh factor. If an rh positive man has a baby with an rh negative woman and that baby is also positive, then the woman can develop antibodies which will create problems for later children who are also rh positive. This can now be handled medically without too much difficulty, but it is something that people planning to have children should know.

Nevertheless, many Japanese who are obsessed with their ABO types don't have any idea about the one protein in their blood which actually could have a bearing on their relationships.

I always thought she was a sweetheart. The world is a sadder place without her in it.

In her too-short life she brought more happiness and pleasure into the world than all the mouth-breathing puritanical hypocrites and posturing closeted perverts in the world.

American needs Japan, but not nearly as desperately as Japan needs America. Without American diplomatic, strategic and military patronage, Japan would be at the mercy of North Korea.

Without Japan, America would be further in debt to Saudi Arabia and China.

To posit equivalency is simply absurd.

Funny how after eight years of Bush so many of the reason-challenged here think they can already fault Obama for the mess the country is in.

Pathetic.

It's a great day to be an American. Congratulation President-elect Obama.