Dotakun comments

This is a positive step, but long overdue. An orderly evacuation of Tokyo is not possible, one of the inherent risks that an overpopulated city with no urban planning and limited infrastrucure carries. At least emergency vehicles will be able to function and keep the city from burning down...

The fact that the 20km no-go zone is uninhabitable is unquestionable. But starting the buiding of waste dumps before all the residents are compensated and given an apology, is the point here. Still alotta anger and not enough apologies to the people who had their homes turned into a toxic wasted dump.

Well, if they really want to watch out for our health, they should ban drinking more than 3 beers, and fried foods too. healthy!

of course no flights from tokyo...

what about planes/trains/automobiles!! domestic airfare is ridiculous, cheaper to go overseas! taxis cost 1000 yen/3kms, if anybody knows any other country that is more expensive, please let me know! what about highway tolls!! shinkansen costs double/triple compared to amtrak in the U.S.

http://forums.seattletimes.nwsource.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=182186&sid=6f812b8aeaf5db1a12eb3705eddbbefa

interesting, a warmer reception from the Mariners fans than I had expected I guess it is quite flattering to them maybe he will end up there...

Gaga in Lala land, combination of low self esteem and superiority complex, with a good heart in there somewhere?

I really like Kawasaki, he's always upbeat and gives 110%, but I think he just shot himself in the foot here. I wonder if he knows the situation with the Mariners, having 2 overpaid/underperforming lead off type hitter in Ichiro/Figgins. They are in need of a power hitter and a Kawasaki type player is the last thing they need.

I guess this is his first time as a free agent, but he needs to market himself better if he is values his career. His Ichiro worship is a bit childish and has gone too far.

the plot is unfolding exactly as he had planned, and making a name for himself

The price for vegetables is very very high right now, JA wants to keep it that way. TPP will pretty much make JA irrelevant, they will fight tooth and nail to keep their control. Will Japan decide to join the free market or will they retreat back to the traditional communist/isolationist ways...

funny how prices of imports have not come down so much. It is such a value now, going to Korea and buying duty free. Retailers are not bringing prices down much and the importer or someone in the middle is taking a bigger cut. Again the Japanese consumer gets screwed...

Who would buy Japanese products at the current exchange rate? Importers are having a hey-day importing cheaply and taking home the expensive yen. Japan needs to change its business model.

The act of having to climb over a gate will deter most jumpers. Also make it easier to stop people. Newer subway stations have gates/walls that you cant climb over, its not like JR cant afford them...

all JR stations need gates/barriers on the plaforms PERIOD! This will absolutely decrease the number of jumpers into trains. why provide such a convenient method of suicide in the center of mass transit!?

If people want to kill themselves, They can go do it somewhere else.

Over crowded platforms during rush hour are very dangerous. Absolutely retarded that they have not gated everything up yet.

deflation is inevitable, many areas of the economy need to be deflated, as they have not changed since the Japanese bubble

another billion down the drain...

better yet, we can build these in major cities all around the world, we could export real radiation too! we could also arrange travel plans to have the kids visit the real Fukushima plant!

So now, the residents of Tokyo know that they will not be warned by the government in case of imminent disaster. We must protect ourselves...

Negotiations have been stalled for many years and a new approach is needed. I sympathize with the families but I have never heard anything constructive from them, only complaints and criticism.

One thing we can take away from this is that for a very typhoon prone country, Japanese people and local governments are not conscious of the risks. Japan is mountainous and many rivers, with many people living in these areas.

I like Hosono, but this is totally backwards. He is trying to take the burden off of the people of Fukushima, but by this logic, they might as well dump it in central Tokyo, so the most number of people can FEEL the PAIN!!

Potentially more casualties than Irene which was a bigger storm Japan is more mountainous but did the authorities do a good enough job in preparing/evacuating people???

Noda is for lowering corporate taxes, hope he can push that thru

Lunchbox, very cynical but completely true. Japanese politics is completely backwards! Looks like the candidate backed by the crook will win. The Japanese need to be saved from themselves help!!!

Kaieda is a complete socialist. God I hope he doesn't get in

It is illegal for Japanese politicians to receive donations from non-Japanese. That's why this is significant

Doesn't really matter who gets voted in anyways though, as the dpj lost majority in congress and the ldp doesn't look like they will cooperate to push thru any meaningful legislation, the policy vacuum will continue until japan will be forced to make decisions about it's debt next year

Need to think about why these people are driving drunk, most road-side restaurants and izakayas serve alcohol, how do they think people get home? In rural areas where there are few train stations, drinking and driving is a way of life, the only method of transportation unless you stay home

The other half of the problem is the reservation system, very convenient but very prone to fraud, surprised this hasn't happened before

Congressmen need to start thinking on their own, they were voted in to represent their constituency, not vote along faction lines or how the boss tells them to, the Japanese people need to wake up and not stand for this, voice their opinion, stop voting for these puppets