CherryBlossomAngel comments

@PhillyStreetz

If Japan is ready to dissolve partnership, it's time to bring troops home and let Japan be fully responsible for it's own security. Who cares what it's Asian neighbors think other than our partners in Philippines & Australia

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So what exactly are your implying? The Senkaku Islands fall under Japanese administration, the U.S. would thus be treaty-bound to fight beside Japan should those islands face attack. What you are taking about is breaking our treaty agreement. That is and will never happen unless you would prefer an every more emboldened China.

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You seem to forget that the US-Japan treaty is what brought an end to WWII. It is the single most important agreement Japan-US have period.

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It is also the single most important agreement China is trying to drive a wedge between. Noting would make China happier then to see a US-Japan departure. It would give China free reign and would put Japan in a very bad position.

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Furthermore breaking any agreement would be a disaster for both the US & Japanese economies. Japan is the second largest holder of US debut. It would be financial suicide if either Japan or US were to break all ties. Our economies are more intertwined then most people realize. Furthermore it would create an Asian arms race.

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This is not in either or our countries interests. As much as I want to see US leave Japan. God only knows how much trust me. I am not so short sighed to see that this is going to take time.

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I get a feeling that Abe is getting a bit to bold for his own good. I am proud of my Japanese heritage but I am not a fool. I don't hate the US like many of my right wing nationalistic friends. They keep telling me how they want revenge.

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They have no idea what my grandfather went through. He knows all to well what the US is capable of. He told me that Japan's survival depends on it's ability to remain a strong but peaceful nation.

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That war will be our destruction and ultimate demise. The US is much better served as a friend of Japan not an enemy. I hope my government is wise enough to see that.

It's just better to be dumb, naive and stupid then to make the effort. I have a friend that is a astrophysicist that works for NASA. I used to wonder why would anyone bother spending half their lifetime looking at a bunch of stars searching for the origins of the universe lol. I can think of a lot better things how one can be spending their time doing. Yet I wonder how many people have actually talked to one. My friend put it to me this way.

Who has not felt a sense of awe while looking deep into the sky, lit with countless stars on a clear night? Who has not asked themselves if ours is the only planet that supports life? Who has not pondered the nature of the planets, stars, galaxies, and the Universe itself? I seek to to explain through Science everything that we observe in the Universe, from the comets and planets in our own solar system to distant galaxies which are far beyond what anyone can imagine. By studying the cosmos beyond our own planet, I can try to understand where we came from, where we are going, and how physics works under conditions which are impossible to recreate on Earth. In astronomy, the Universe is our laboratory! That is why I am a astrophysicist.

OK, that was a bit more of an answer then I was looking for but I had it coming lol. I could tell this is what he lived & breathed for and I respect that. In retrospect I didn't learn Japanese or continue to learn with the assumption of ever becoming a master of the language. I did it to challenge myself and try to push beyond my limitations of what I thought was possible. It helped me to become a better more attentive listener. In addition to being more discipline in my daily life as well.

So that sure doesn't sound like a waste of time to me! Learning Japanese while extremely difficult is not unattainable as is climbing Mount Everest. You believe in something enough and are willing to make the sacrifices. As well as put forth the effort one needs to get there it's possible. In closing I grew up as a stutterer and dyslexic to boot. English was a nightmare for me and yet I prevailed. Japanese in contrast is just like me reliving my childhood all over again. Actually I am kinda ok with that! :)

What the heck is that supped to mean Jaymann? Just as someone else might write about Jazz music or Rock and Roll as music is subjective is it not. Good post Reiki as some people just feel the need to be Jholes on JT. Utada record sales alone in Japan speak volumes to her success as an artist here. So people who criticize her really just need to get lost. Furthermore what is even more embarrassing is that so many here seem to associate all J-Pop with AKB48 lol. Throwing everyone else into the mix as though they all fit that demographic. That is insulting and clearly not representative of all the other great artists Japan has to offer. If you can't find any you clearly aren't looking very hard or you are racist whichever comes first. Many artists of which have reached the top of their field look for new challenges. So the fact Utada put so much importance on US is not all that surprising. She is American after all so isn't it normal she would want to have success there.

There is only so far the Japanese music industry will take you and as Reiki and other have said. Being an artist in Japan has it's disadvantages when you factor in record labels which are only focused on Japan. Even if some show the desire to expand outside that confined space. Some artists like Ayumi Hamasaki have a little more control as she has a large commercial aspect to her image. This means major endorsements for products of which anything she is associated with usually sells out in quick order. So the label usually gives her what she wants. Yet that is more the exception then the rule. I also have a serious problem when people tell artists they should just sing in one language or the other. As though they know what's best for them and their future. Since she is Japanese she should sing in Japanese! So I guess that goes for everyone else as well right?

People need to keep race & politics out of music as we already have enough propaganda to fuel people's already xenophobic tendencies. The fact she is Japanese should have nothing to do with what language she sings in. Just like saying anyone other then someone born in Japan has no talent. Do we really want to get into this conversation as it doesn't accomplish anything. With that said clearly some people in here are bios towards their own music which is fine. Yet how many pop artists do you know actually write & compose their own music? The fact she didn't make it in the US doesn't make her a failure either. There are plenty of crappy US artists which are far less talented which gets contracts all the time. In addition to some Japanese ones which I need not mention again. In closing Utada is an amazing talent and I just hope she doesn't give up on singing. The world is changing and the acceptance of Asian artists is only going to be a matter of time. We need more like her not less. :)