champon comments

Sad isn't it - a man owns 3,000 pairs of knickers that aren't his. I - a mere woman - own about 7 somewhat holey, tattered pairs of same...

The Vintner's Luck is one of the best books I have ever read, I re-read it about once a year and it never fails to move me. I look forward to seeing the film.

Sourpuss - in the book the angel's wings are an integral part of the story, so they have to be there.

My husband and I have a joint Postal Savings Account - but they are unable to use both names on the account details, so it is my husband's name only and I cease to exist - I just get an extra card, but only in his name. Bit like the health care card system.

Mikanojo, you have just proved to me once and for all that the Japanese also do not have a sense of irony!

Eyeblack - the first sensible comment!

FAR too many people on this earth - no need to encourage more breeding atall!!

Patrick Smash - Boo hoo, you chooses yer bed of roses...

As for my mum? a dose of brandy kept me in the land of nod - and all those around me.

Did me no harm.

Ono: "...it might be like we’re all going to live as long as we want to. And also John might come back."

Fruitcake.

Ever worn a suit?

Only once – at my wedding.

That's what I like to hear! At last an interesting and inspirational person is profiled.

As my father used to say: "The world is full of damn foreigners".

I don't know if Terri Lloyd talked to anyone before writing his piece, but from my experience, most Japanese want to get the hell out of here and are desperate to find work abroad.

But there is a huge difference between wanting to leave and choosing where to emigrate, and being posted somewhere when you don't want to leave your family.

100% of the Japanese I have met abroad, who have voluntarily left Japan, said they would never return (gimu/giri being the main factor).

'Mayonaka no Yaji san Kita san' if its pop culture you're after.

'Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence' if you think there's ever a hope in hell of understanding the Japanese mind.

'trapped' by the gates - they are made of flexible bamboo. A needless death by someone who probably never 'crossed a line' in her life.

Autumn

Well we will always have the wonders of nature to marvel at - far more amazing than anything man can dream up.

I couldn't have put it better myself, sk4ek. And at the other end of the scale we have the bitter older guys who couldn't get into the police force and will become, as title says, 'Vigilante' bully boys.

But then the Japanese police are pretty good at being bully boys anyway, legally hamstrung or not.

there are many good stylish pieces of footwear out there. A good pair of well made leather brogues are very confortable and much better for your feet than plastic moulded crap. As for 'fashion' shoes, if you mean high-heels, the less said the better.

Good point Sourpuss! And the list goes on; Birkenstock, Trippen, Rocket Dog...

alladin, exactly - well said!

But let's remember that in Japan it seems to be the norm to drag one's feet when walking, or at least making the act of walking look like the most extreme effort.

And as I expected - another nasty cheap looking piece of footwear has hit the shelves. Minimal drag, minimal style & elegance.

“We were a couple in name only,” is what Ms A told Furuuchi. “I never got a word out of him.”

That would be a run-of-the mill Japanese marriage then.

"The train continued to approach the boy for 30 meters after the driver activated the emergency break", and the boy continued to play on the console while waitingt to be rescued.

Not an unlikely scenario in modern Japan.

'...flew into a rage...'

Flew into a fit of pique more like.

Children in charge of children.

And lets not forget those great Japanese pop bands:

Glay

Bump Chicken

Mr.Children

to mention but a few

And the apartment building near me called "Gland"

"I am the running horse, light in the thinking in which it scampers"

How I wish I'd bought THAT T-shirt when I saw it.

And WHAT WAS the original before translation??!!

Another case of 'grow-up Japan'. This is a menu for dummies. Are people so stupid as to need such huge pictures to help them choose. Obviously yes.

Menu too big, and I hazard a guess that the lights are too bright, the music too loud... altogether an unpleasant experience - apart from the food.

"I don't think I write very good"

Enough said. Publishers don't tolerate poor grammar very WELL.

100 yen shop is as far as I can walk in this heat, so doing pretty well this month.

Daisy is upstaging the bride big time!

You don't need a brick to drop on these vile vehicles. May I suggest a plastic carrier bag filled with water - it's very effective - or so I've heard...

All my favourite ingredients in one - Itoen make good drinks

...the ordinance ultimately might see Japan’s widening gap in income disparities soon extend even to those on society’s bottom rung, as people with IDs, cell phones and access to information will further distance themselves from their peers who do not.

My husband lost his job, without a mobile he couldn't register or apply for for temporary day-work. Without my help he couldn't keep his phone. In Japan no mobile phone = no chance of work.