don-in-japan comments

CH3CHO Today  02:11 pm JST

They are also convinced that the foreigners' knowledge on Japan is minimal

Except, it's the vast majority of Japanese whose knowledge on what happened during much of WWII is minimal...

katsu78FEB. 28, 2017 - 05:14PM JST My contention is that most Japanese teachers' English at most schools are already good enough.

Unfortunately katsu, this is most pointedly untrue. I have met loads of Japanese English teachers, who cannot hold a conversation in English...

RecklessMAR. 23, 2017 - 10:05AM JST saw a guy in the park with his 8 or so year old son the other night trying to teach the kid to ride the bike. the bike was obviously too heavy and the kid was laying there and crying. the dad was sternly telling him to get up while using his iphone constantly. I taught my son to ride in one go on grass pushing him and enjoying it. of course not all JP dads are like that, but it was uncomfortable to watch.

C'mon dude, there are no crappy parents back in ? Hey, at least the dad was THERE in the park with his kid...

katsu78FEB. 27, 2017 - 12:53PM JST Japan will never solve its English deficiency so long as the people in charge of Japan's education think their teachers' failings are due to a gap in the teacher's English proficiency and not a gap in the teacher's ability to teach English.

Not sure I agree with this. Proficiency is a necessity... ability to teach doesn't really matter if you can't even use the language. English shouldn't be quantified as a skill, but as a communicative tool. The focus for far too long has been on grammatical accuracy and spelling - rather than being able to communicate.

clamenzaJAN. 29, 2017 - 01:23PM JST Asking that immigrants be allowed in after proper processing and vetting is not hatred. Its common sense.

Erm... "common sense" would have Saudi Arabia on that list, seeing as the vast majority of terrorism that's impacted the US has come from that nation's citizens. But hey! Trump has business deals in SA, so... nah.

Dango bongJAN. 30, 2017 - 09:15AM JST @don-in-japan I do not agree. Any nation elects its leaders to put its own citizens first. Why can't America?

You really think that's the case, "Americans first"? If so, then the list of countries who are/are not immigration-banned on Trump's agenda are somewhat eyebrow-raising... unless viewed through the lens of who-does-Trump-have-business-dealings-with. Then it becomes to be a bit clearer.

Dango bongJAN. 30, 2017 - 08:58AM JST The welfare is over, time to be fair.

The inanity of attributing the term "fair" to anything Trump's done thus far is simply boggling.

Raw BeerDEC. 13, 2016 - 04:08PM JST Otherwise, they would be hypocrites.

Newsflash dude, they're politicians. They're all hypocrites.

keitaiNOV. 04, 2016 - 12:27AM JST Excuse me? Have you been watching the news and reading up on the politics besides cnn? Trump never raped anyone. You are blind to the facts that the US government is corrupted...but its corrupted to benefit your sighted view. Besides you sitting behind your computer vaping and trolling while undermining yourself to make you look good to others, read up and get educated. Ah, better yet, watch the "They Live" movie... It will open your eyes.

One of us needs to read up, and it ain't me, champ.

keitaiNOV. 01, 2016 - 12:41AM JST KuroBune, actually, get used to seeing a democratic presidential candidate get arrested for corruption... And i agree, JapanToday should focus on Japan, not usa. why not focus on Zimbabwe presidential race?

You'd prefer a Republican president in a rape trial?

CH3CHOOCT. 11, 2016 - 03:30PM JST I agree. The gay marriage challenges the whole concept of marriage, and opens a can of worms. Is bigamy or polygamy OK, if the the people involved want? Is parent-child marriage or brother-sister marriage OK, if they want?

How on earth do you arrive at that, from gay marriage being allowed???

dharmadanOCT. 11, 2016 - 02:29PM JST So the whole concept of marriage is devalued to the point of meaninglessness by divorcing it (pun intended) from its religious context.

Same question.

CliffySEP. 09, 2016 - 10:02PM JST I would think Pokemon Go would cause more death there as they will be paying attention to their phones rather than the surrounding. Or, the accidental death number surpasses the suicide number ?

I think that's a bit of a stretch. The vast majority of people playing this game surely aren't idiots.

bullfighter... have you considered that maybe... just maybe... it is your experience of excellent law enforcement that's different? Anecdotally here, it would seem that's the case. In my albeit somewhat limited personal experience, road rules are enforced with a somewhat haphazard and lackadaisical approach. It scares me how often I see children without seatbelts here, and that is something that is particular to Japan - as far as a comparative goes. I know that if you tried that in Australia, you'll end up with a hefty fine, and it blows my mind that the common sense element doesn't work here.

Now... that's not to say that stupidity when it comes to roadrules is only occuring here - and no-one here has asserted that. If you're picking up on that, you're drawing conclusions. No-one's said that, and before you point to no-one pointing to problems OS, this is an article about something that occured within Japan - it's a natural continuation to discuss.

Likewise, I didn't comment on cell phone usage whilst driving. I commented on road rules.

Now, I cycle a lot... sometimes without incident, sometimes with. It's simply a reality (tho' honestly? Cycling here is better - when it comes to cars - than in Oz. Now... other cyclists? They are a hazard!) of being on a bicycle. But seeing something stupd is definitely far more frequent than "there was this one time..." (as you're suggesting with likelihood of remembering "close calls"). But as I stated: it'd be just as bad in Australia - but we're not talking about that.

LeTizzAUG. 25, 2016 - 03:08PM JST That might be the case in Tokyo but traffic enforcement is lacking in Aichi, especially in smaller cities.

Agreed. Same in Kyushu. I ride my bicycle daily, and have never seen "traffic enforcement". Nearly got hit by a women reading a novel and driving a few months back!!

The character was voiced in the original trilogy by James Earl Jones, now 85, while 80-year-old David Prowse donned the iconic cape and helmet. Jones, 32, who was Oscar-nominated for her role opposite Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything,” plays rebel Jyn Erso, who has notched up a string of convictions for forgery, assault and theft.

Slopping writing, given you've just mentioned James Earl Jones, and then leap into discussing (Felicity) Jones...

Michael Werker JUN. 09, 2016 - 09:43AM JST I agree with commanteer. I bathe with my children and thats none of anybodies business.

As do I. My son (9) and I discuss basketball. Anyone who sees anything untoward or (god[s] forbid) sexual in that has a problem.

Anonymous Jones JUN. 09, 2016 - 12:11PM JST Sure Japan has it right dcog (sarcasm), but mothers killing their children here is an almost weekly occurrence... No country is perfect, but c'mon...

Erm... that happens in the US too, it's just not big enough news to matter.

Well... about time that they got tough on their personnel.

GWJUN. 04, 2016 - 11:10AM JST

Anyone see a pattern here, no wonder too many children here end up in horrible situations here, thinking of many is seriously MESSED UP!!

Are you seriously suggesting that the treatment of children here in Japan is in any way worse than what occurs in Western society? For whatever's sake... check you're own nation. It's probably far, far worse.

SpeedMAY. 31, 2016 - 07:42AM JST I see a double suicide happening if the child is found dead.

If the kid's dead, he was probably dead before his parents left...

seadog538APR. 28, 2016 - 03:22PM JST Australia has been an "easy touch" for too long.We have enough on our hands trying to help the Aborigines

Holy crap... wrong on so many levels.

wtfjapanAPR. 28, 2016 - 04:26PM JST This... is embarrassing. hows that, Autralias tough policy WORKS and saves lives! it stops people making the journey if they know they have no chance of coming to Australia. now the EU who said Australias policy was harsh is now getting tough on there asylum seekers, as they now realise its the only way to stop the tsunami

Works... in the sense that the boats are turned away, and they die elsewhere. I guess you're fine with the human rights violations in the off coast "detention camps" too... Nice one, Pontius.

MoonrakerMAY. 09, 2016 - 09:34AM JST Is it just coincidence they are both called Suzuki? It would have been nice to know.

VERY common name in that part of Japan...

MyhumbletakeMAY. 09, 2016 - 02:46PM JST That's an extreme decision to take somebody's life. Didn't he approve the marriage beforehand?

Pretty sure it wasn't planned. I mean... stabbed with the shaft of a broken golf club?

This... is embarrassing.

According to the TV, 4 dead last night.

gaijinfoAPR. 15, 2016 - 08:01PM JST Bullying "between" the boys. Sounds like one boy wailed on the other regularly and nobody did squat.

Based on... your idle speculation?

WilliBAPR. 15, 2016 - 05:59PM JST From the article it is clear that this is a bullying incident. It is also possible it was just a Kamen rider stunt gone wrong. People here are just speculating.

Thank you! Sheesh...

Danny BloomAPR. 15, 2016 - 06:22AM JST Don in Japan, 2 deaths confirmed. Check BBC news site

Yup... pretty much as soon as I hit 'submit' on that, news started coming in on deaths.

KariHarukaAPR. 15, 2016 - 05:50AM JST RIP to those tragically killed and my deepest thoughts with all those that have been affected by this latest earthquake.

Erm... I think you're mistaken - as far as I can ascertain, no-one died.

MarkGFEB. 29, 2016 - 09:08AM JST Yea, no good choices out there. If it comes to Clinton or Trump, I'll go Trump. It's a no brainier on that.

I guess you're correct. You'd definitely have "no brain" to do what you suggest...

YukiiiFEB. 17, 2016 - 08:59AM JST Apart from arresting by police, has their school teacher noticed this troubles before??

Why does everyone rush to blame the teachers? Would you do this in a different country?

smithinjapanFEB. 10, 2016 - 11:26PM JST Now, I agree with you on one point -- the schools will not learn. I'm quite sure that some will perform the human pyramid despite it being banned. It is my hope that parents will put their kids' safety above the ambitions of arrogant gym teachers...

Hold on a sec... at our school? The gym teacher (me) wants to cancel it, and it's the kids I'm up against who want to do the pyramid (admittedly, it's not really a pyramid - more a triangle. Only 5 high and one rank deep). The "arrogant" there is a bit of a stretch.

ghoneim mohamedJAN. 24, 2016 - 01:49PM JST Before criticizing Japan for accepting 27 refugee applicants only,we should understand and realize Japan is over populated Islands

Say what? Have you stepped outside the city? Japan's not "over-populated" - the cities are crowded (for the most part), but travel for an hour outside, and there are regions that are absolutely not in the category of "over-populated".