DoctorLady comments

Press charges if the patient is harmed by the delay in treatment. Hold administration and doctors responsible. If a doctor goes to jail for refusing to treat a patient, then the shame and disgrace should convince others to do better.

In the US, it is illegal for a hospital emergency room to refuse care to a patient. The priority is on the most serious injuries. Minor things can have waits of several hours, but a serious issue is treated immediately no matter what. (Although there is plenty the US health care system could learn from Japan, too. No system is perfect.)

Hikkomori seem to be the Japanese equivalent of people with Social Anxiety Disorder and agoraphobia. They have a fear of going outside because they might do something embarrassing and others would think poorly of them (or their family/group). The fear of shame is crippling. Unfortunately, this is all too common in Japan. People seem to have a strong amount of anxiety about being embarrassed or looking bad.

Fortunately, it is easily treated with systematic desensitization. Break it down into baby steps. Practice how to handle the physical signs of panic and anxiety: biofeedback, meditation, or relaxation exercises. Once they learn to stop the panic attack and the physical signs of anxiety, then they can take the baby steps to doing what they are afraid of. It is completely cured in 8 to 12 weeks. No problem...if they get help.

A 55 year old man hit a 15 year old girl with a metal bat? It is called assault with a deadly weapon. I realize some posters here may be "joking" about the nature of the attack, but you shouldn't joke about adult on child violence. How mildly/seriously she was injured and how effective/ineffective his drunken attack, it does not mitigate the nature of the attack. A metal bat can cause permanent injuries like brain damage or even death.

We definitely need more details. If it was his son's ex-girlfriend, how did he find her at the carpark? Did he follow her there or wait by her car? Did he bring the bat from home (premeditation) or get it some other way? You don't just walk around Ube-shi with a bat at 8:30 p.m.

A few years ago, someone tried promoting a diet book based on different food for different blood types. It didn't work, either. Why do some people believe this, astrology, and other obviously false stuff? It seems people want a shortcut for judging other people without bothering to get the facts.

You guys are missing the point. No one said the kids were removed because of their names. There were other reasons that the state agency cannot say publicly because of privacy laws and the pending court case. If someone names their kids after Nazis who exterminated people, do you really think they practice good childrearing behavior? Their neighbors have told US newspapers a lot of things about how the parents were abusive or neglectful. Time will tell how much was true.

Japan's allies in whaling from the Scandinavian countries did their own studies of whale meat safety and found the mercury level to be astronomical. Dioxins were also a problem. Those who want to eat whale meat in Japan have the right to do so, but it is unfortunate that people are not aware of the risks and dangers of it. Luckily, most people (Japanese or other) don't eat that much whale. My Japanese friends warned us that pregnant women should avoid it or they would have babies with birth defects.

The article would be more helpful if it told us which tourists do this, from what country, and how often this happens. If they did block the street from tourists, then it would devestate the tourism industry in Kyoto. Many restaurants and performance venues would be even harder to get to. Every time I've been to Gion, the Japanese and foreign tourists lined the street taking photos of the geisha and maiko who walked through the intersection. No one spoke to them or came close to them. It was very respectful. Reckless cab drivers did their part to keep people out of the street.

Gen. Shinseki may not agree with the politicians (like Bush), but he did his duty and told the truth. It is good to see people being rewarded for "getting it right." This appointment shows that President Obama respects and appreciates the military more than President Bush ever did.

Gen. Shinseki is a highly intelligent and dedicated soldier. I had the honor of meeting him in Hawaii. He cares about the soldier on the ground who actually sees combat, the family left behind, and the principles and ideals of our Constitution. He will do his utmost to improve the VA. His sense of duty and honor was clearly demonstrated by how he kept quiet after President Bush forced him into retirement. He never gloated over being right, he never "got political." Gen. Shinseki put the welfare and readiness of the troops first. Sure, he isn't perfect, but Shinseki wanted to put the priority on capturing Osama bin Laden and finishing the fight in Afganistan.

She could be better in 8-12 weeksif only she had the right kind of psychologist. There is no reason she should suffer for years from something so easily treated.

If it is really an Adjustment Disorder, then she needs to find a qualified, competent psychologist who can provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This form of therapy is empirically supported and is the most successful form of therapy for most conditions. It is the only proven form of psychotherapy for treating and curing adjustment, anxiety, and mood disorders. CBT is based on the interaction of the person's thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and interpersonal relations. Medication can be used with this psychotherapy depending on the condition and the person. It also shows significant improvement in two to three months. I teach college psychology courses and have experience providing therapy so I know it works. People with far worse problems have been cured.