DoLittleBeLate comments

Prosecutors are disgracing Japanese sense of justice in the international forum. They are nothing but a bad joke. Just disgusting.

Oh my. What a shock news. The weekly murdering parent. Same weaknesses, same "couldn't happen to me" arrogance, same excuses. Same result - child viciously murdered by a parent. Animal kingdom...

Neversubmit has a scary point. In the land of the amakudari there needs to be several independent decision makers instead of one.

Japan also argues that whaling is part of its tradition and accuses Western nations of cultural insensitivity.

I was kind of holding my breath for the next occurrence of the culture card.

I used to think it had some actual meaning, but it turned out to be nothing but a punchline.

I hope the Japanese people will get the most heaviest compensation from the clearly criminal acts of Tepco and J-gov.

The rest are waiting for the real damage to sink in before suing them, I presume? Japan's nuclear tragedy has just begun and the price will be astronomical. J-gov should be forced to finally act on it's own rules and regulations, at the very least. No government that does this to its own people should claim sovereignty.

Let Japan try to tackle China aggressively.

Let them do it alone.

Drat, Disillusioned beat me to it!

I always knew that Noda would pull through! I had JPY2000 on him staying at least 10 months as a prime minister of Japan. This must be some sort of record!! Proud day for Japan! He might even make a full year!! Just think about it!

Spudman, a little mean to compare J-gov with Titanic. Titanic at least had a captain who could say the final word. Titanic also had a direction.

Another "Tale of Japanese Corruption" told by a westerner. I sense... a pattern.

What would nuclear attack on Iran accomplish? A few hours of TV entame for some types, and... exactly where does Japan get the badly needed oil, hmm? Japan is not buying Iran's oil for humanitarian reasons, but because it is cheapest there.

Happy TV entame, Japanese car owners! That's the only entame you can afford after getting your tank full - if you can find that much.

ministers, who are seen as under-performing

... because they voiced their opposition to the tax hike?

Japanese gentlemen's agreement above everything... Even Inazo Nitobe would gladly abandon this Japan filled with noodle men.

in a cancer treatment ward, we'll all be supporting their medical costs through our tax payments

Mikemiro, don't kid yourself. When they will be diagnosed with cancer, they will not receive treatment. Instead, they will be told "shouganai!" and encouraged to die someplace else, so that their fate will never be able to be linked with Tepco's and J-gov's incompetence.

Zichi is correct. Separating power generating companies from distributors would create healthy capitalist competition and would lower consumer prices. It has been done in many countries with exactly those results, there is no doubt that it works just that way.

Could that be the reason why Japan won't do it? Because somebody else thought it first?

Paid and bought, just like the rest of that scum. He folded, so he will fold again. And again. And again.

central government’s assurance that safety standards have been met

Assurances? We had those pre-311 already, they weren't worth anything back then either.

Why can't they spend more time improving the poor service they offer now?

You won't be complaining their bad service when it's the only service.

Planning for the worst, preparing... I wish Tepco would have done the same. At least Softbank won't be caught with their pants down.

Franchesca, that sounds about right.

If she lives, she will live as a murderer mommy for the rest of her life. Is she dies, she dies as murderer mommy. A few pity slashes (no matter how serious they turned out to be) aren't going to change that.

She lost all right for pity and help when she decided to take an innocent life. Now she's nothing but a murderer.

either America supports Japan or it does not

You can be confident in knowing that nobody on this globe will support Japan to start yet another war.

Just the same scare-mongering as the street signs "look out for chikans!" or the "suspicious luggage" and "heightened alert" messages on the station in oh-so-safe Japan.

Scared Japanese forks out the dough, it's good for business.

He can be the prime minister. They never last long. J-gov never does.

But if he's planning to tackle Japan's moldy never-change-anything bureaucracy, he's doomed. Totally.

Frungy, you're saying that more radioactive contamination the better? The "domestic" matter of radioactive contamination is better spread to other countires? So, no longer domestic?

For a nation who swims in ideological propaganda every single day, you sure do suck at presenting it convincingly.

Sounds like a long shot. But I wish him luck anyway. Whatever the outcome, I'll buy the book!

Japan’s cash-strapped government

How is J-gov cash-strapped? They seem to be pouring money and donations to Euro crisis, Chile and so many other countries, upkeeping non-profitable whaling fleet and it's security etc.

Oh, I guess looked from the Tohoku victims side J-gov seems very conveniently cash-strapped indeed.

By the way, seemingly uncomprehensible J-gov finances became very clear in Alex Kerr's book "Dogs and demons".

“My wife began receiving welfare payments from last year,”

So, not Mr. A. Unless the wife is also a non-Japanese, the article doesn't cite a single example where a non-Japanese would receive social welfare, fair or unfair one.

Even if the above is so, there is no indication that this would be a real problem. How many Japanese are claiming unfair social welfare in turn? How many elderly were "resting" for decades, when they actually were dead and stuffed in some closet so that family could keep receiving pension?

“But from the viewpoint of Japan’s sovereignty, I declined to accept the offer,”

Well then, that just made the whole mess 100% Japan's fault, now didn't it? A helping hand was spat upon by the Japanese. Feeding your own people to the wolves just to avoid culpapility.

So, was is that much better to lose your children's future than your own face?

Ishihara said that the lukewarm support indicated that Japanese people have become “selfish and extremely narrow-minded,”

So, take what you see in the mirror and throw it at your enemies (the people of Japan who think independently)? Is that how it works, you old obsolete man?

Kyle, you were right, but so was everybody else too. This was predictable. In Japan, petty self-interest groups are stronger political force than voters. This is why being in a government of Japan is not a real job.

most would have gone out to sea where it will disperse and be absorbed into the rocks at the bottom of the sea

That's some serious willpower there, buddy.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ishihara wants this is so that he can funnel money for

Damn, you beat me to it! (^-^)

Yup, there is nothing but corruption behind Tokyo's bid. Having Olympics in Tokyo will not further Olympic ideals in any way.