Designer comments

Noone really knows what the effects will be, all this is speculation. Sounds like the report suggested a variety of scenarios but with a whole load of caveats so what use was it except to line the pockets of the consultants or civil servants who wrote it? Look at the disastrous effect on the exchange rate of the British pound and the value of British stocks the day after the Brexit vote for a foreshadowing of what will happen to Britain if ever they go through with this madness. But the pro Brexit vote is not based on economics it is based on Nationalism and in some cases racism

But tensions have eased with North Korea agreeing to take part in the Winter Olympics in the South next month.

Really?????

Strangerland, I don't believe the East Germans were building nuclear arms and threatening to nuke parts of the World before the wall came down......

Just exactly how does a "unified" Korea look. who runs the country, the North Koreans? This all seems a little unrealistically romanticized....

Okinawa was occupied by the United States after the war, reverting to Japanese control in May 1972. Resentment still runs deep over the continuing burden on the prefecture from hosting the bulk of U.S. military forces in Japan.

Would it be preferable for the Americans to withdraw their "burden" and allow Japan to become a colony of North Korea?

And we still think nuclear power is a good idea?..............

What a load of nenesense. It is unnatural to restrict people from having normal human relationsips with contract terms. Live and let live

What a tragedy, the poor mother will never recover from this

Nothing like half a story to leave you wondering......

Ottawa, Canada, north from NYC is the coldest capital in the World at the moment, with teperatures this week already in the -25 to -30 degrees centrigrade before even factoring in the wind. Strange that this article doesn't even mention this, the statistics are much more startling than the US statistics. Then again Canada is not the centre of the Universe.......

Cut grass along the streets

Just exactly how does that "decontaminate" the area?

not likely to be operational until 2023 at the earliest

hope this is not after the event........

Two days after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered to begin direct talks with North Korea without pre-conditions.

The White House said Wednesday that no negotiations could be held with North Korea until it improves its behavior.

Aren't these two statements directly contradictory or am I missing the point? Hasn't NK already demonstrated that it has no intention of complying with anything from the UN and stated that denuclearization is not an option.......

And the jolly old Brexiters will miss out on the benefits. Smart move Britain

Where are the photos of the design? All i see is 4 girls on a flat paved area!

Isn't this like stating the obvious?

simply shameful, no other way to put it.

Why avoid the olympics?

What a tragedy. There is clearly a building code issue that needs to be addressed if it hasn't already been changed. Where we live the building code prescribes that the maximum opening in a balcony guard is 100mm (to prevent passage through but also to prevent childrens' heads getting stuck) and the design must not "promote climbing" ie effectively there can be no horizontal members. It scares me greatly how many parts of the World allow horizontal members, we recently worked on a brand new apartment building in Malta which was many many stories tall and effectively had balcony guards which were like ladders......and accident waiting to happen. The parents will never recover from this, as a father of a young child my heart bleeds for them whatever the circumstances.

No need to inflame an already delicate situation with such talk and pretty irresponsible reporting to make this the day's headline...................

Sure get them to leave and leave Japan to become an annex of North Korea. Perhaps that will. Make some people happier?

What an utter nonesense article, if there is a serious event happening this should take precedence over nearly everything including TV!

But because of its popularity, the city has struggled with insufficient lodgings, crowded public transportation and traffic jams.

What nonesense, this is a cash grab. In English we call the "biting the hand that feeds you". Kyoto benefits from all the revenue that tourists bring so why deter them.

"Smoking would be allowed if all employees agree with such policy" really means agree with the smoking owner or loose your job

About time Japan stepped into the 90s and caught up with the rest of the developed World. And agree with the above comment, forget about exemptions.

Is this just conjecture, a discussion of opinions or what?

There is too little information in the article (this is not a criticism) for anyone to be drawing finger pointing conclusions here, it always amazaes me how quickly some JT coomentators are to draw conclusions based on next to nothing and no personal involvement. From where i stand (I am a North American construction professional who frequently visits Japan) Japanese safety standards are far higher than those in North America and certainly infinitely greater than those in any ither Asian countries I've visited (for example Indonesia where wearing flip flop sandles, no goggles and no helmet whilst working floors up on bamboo scaffolding appears to be quite normal). Construction is an inherently risky business and unfortunately accidents will continue to happen however much precaution is taken. RIP these workers and condolences to the families. Hope that they receive sufficient financial assistance from the government and the contractor's insurance

If a missile is shot down does that create a nuclear explosion at the point where it is hit? What is the success rate of these devices?

The comments here seem pretty unanimous that this is just a cash grab. Pretty immoral to tax more the very people who are bringing money into Kyoto!

"Kyoto is facing swelling costs in tackling such issues as crowded hotels"

this statement makes no sense, isn't Japan trying to encourage tourism, and how will taxes be used to alleviate "crowded hotels"? Hotel operators want occupancy do they not?