Japan Today

Alan Smithee comments

Posted in: Ex-Olympus CEO Kaufmann pleads guilty to drug charge See in context

If you want to find them, drugs can certainly be had here (the 芸能人use them all the time).

I've personally known people here who bought hashish--and then avoided them entirely. It's not worth being detained and/or deported for a few hours of enjoyment.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 22 as Vatican envoy visits Christians for pre-Christmas Mass See in context

USNinJapan2Today  10:49 am JST

War is hell. When will Hamas regret starting this one? Unfortunately probably never.

War may be hell, but the disproportionate killing of non-combatants is a war crime.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Posted in: Now caretaker of his dad's work, Sean Ono Lennon seeks to innovate, not merely repeat See in context

Fighto!Today  12:33 pm JST

This no-talent, Swiss-boarding-school-educated twit and pampered son (who's the farthest thing from a working class hero) continues his mother's work--milking the legacy of the late, great, John Lennon.

Sean a "twit"? From all I've read, Sean (and Julian) somehow turned into nice, decent men.

Julian does indeed seem to be a decent chap; Sean, not so much. Too much Yoko in him. Thus, a twit.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Posted in: 2 ex-Johnny's singers sue agency for $300 mil in U.S. over sex abuse See in context

They should change it to "Smile Up and Bend Over!" or vice-versa.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Posted in: Now caretaker of his dad's work, Sean Ono Lennon seeks to innovate, not merely repeat See in context

This no-talent, Swiss-boarding-school-educated twit and pampered son (who's the farthest thing from a working class hero) continues his mother's work--milking the legacy of the late, great, John Lennon.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Posted in: No Halloween See in context

I remember the days when the only Halloween revelry that occurred in Tokyo was when drunk US expats dressed up in costumes and rode the Yamanote line around and around and around.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: Three 16-year-old boys arrested for throwing fireworks at police station See in context

Bad parenting.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Posted in: Japan's 1st forced sterilization plaintiff gets ¥15 mil settlement See in context

garypenToday  

For Japan, that's a fairly large legal settlement. They're usually quite small by western standards, similar to their light criminal sentences.

That is true, but it doesn't make that settlement just. (And remember, in Japan, civil plaintiffs must post a bond that is a percentage of the amount of damages they seek--which many have noted (Harvard's Mark Ramseyer for one) poses a structural barrier and hindrance to litigation.

As for light criminal sentences, that is true too (see below). The Japanese judiciary really go by the book--Japan does not provide sentencing guidelines. To quote: "...an applicable sentence range is provided for each crime. The judges have discretion to decide the sentence within that sentence range. The public prosecutor makes sentencing recommendations in the closing arguments at the trial, and practically it affects the sentencing by the judge to some extent. However, there is no guideline or standard for sentencing recommendations by a public prosecutor, and he decides the sentencing recommendation by comparing similar cases." (https://www.nishimura.com/sites/default/files/images/49658.pdf).

I'd opine that the death penalty would not qualify as "light" where the accused is not told of their execution date until the morning they hang them. (Which makes me wonder why the hirsute Shoko Asahara didn't just levitate out of his cell when they came for him....but that is another story....)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Oasis to reunite for tour, ending 15-year hiatus during Gallagher brothers' feud See in context

Hell is a place where the only soundtrack is 21st century popular music.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Oasis to reunite for tour, ending 15-year hiatus during Gallagher brothers' feud See in context

There's a great opinion piece in The Guardian today that takes the p--- out of Noel and Liam.

I'm personally ambivalent (could care less really), and prefer baroque chamber music, but to each their own.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Algerian teen, Yulo steal gymnastics show as Biles takes day off See in context

One thing I do like about the Olympics is when an unexpected athlete emerges as triumphant. Other than that, it tends to be an often unseemly outlet for ultra-nationalistic fervor.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Cheesemaking is a complex science – a food chemist explains the process from milk to mozzarella See in context

Meanwhile, Japan imposes a tariff (up to 29.8% depending on the type of cheese) on imported cheeses.

They have agreed to gradually reduce it to zero (I believe).

See: https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/fact-sheets/2019/october/provisions-of-the-us-japan-trade-agreement-dairy-products

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Posted in: Nissan shares plunge after profit warning See in context

They could always bring back Carlos Ghosn to rejuvenate the company.

Oh, right. He escaped. Oops.

Ghosn does seem like a scumbag (but Nissan blamed the alleged fraud almost entirely on Nissan foreign employees...gee, I wonder why?).

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Posted in: Paris aims to reset Olympics with audacious Games and a wow opening See in context

They should hold the summer and winter Olympics in the two same locations every four years.

Since at least the 1984 games (when Ueberroth turned it into a money-making machine), it has been a foul enterprise. The IOC is as corrupt as FIFA. It's all about the money. Building new stadiums, marketing, sponsorship, kickback after kickback--it reeks.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Kishida, Iran's president-elect agree to deepen friendly relations See in context

Politics aside, I hope it leads to lower prices for Iranian pistachios (they're delicious).

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: 98% with mixed Japanese heritage experience microaggressions: survey See in context

LagunaToday  07:52 am JST

"...I have explained multiple times that my children were born and raised in Japan and attended local schools K-12, though they went to college in the States (culture shock!). He can't seem to get that through his head and asks me repeatedly, "Can your children speak Japanese?"".

Sounds familiar. Here's one that sometimes occurs: you are with your Japanese spouse in a department store and ask a question of the 店員in perfect Japanese (after 35 years here, I am fluent), and they then ignore you and respond while looking at your spouse (as if to say, "this gaijin will probably not understand what I am about to say, so I will address the spouse to be sure.")

20 ( +22 / -2 )

Posted in: Jury finds Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts at hush money trial See in context

Finally, the conman and grifter that every New Yorker realized he was since at least the 1980's is having his comeuppance. He'll likely get probation and yet could still very well win in November because his cultish followers could care less. He's acting like a martyr, but he's just a punk. Don't drop the soap, Donald.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

Posted in: Apple pauses U.S. sale of latest Watch models over patent clash See in context

Apple's got deep pockets; they should have just made a licensing deal with Masimo and they'd be done with it.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: U.S. agency to watch unrecalled Takata inflators after one blows apart, injuring driver in Chicago See in context

Whatever recall insurance Takata had, it must be exhausted by now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Which Park Ji-min? U.S. outlet's BTS error prompts online outrage See in context

Understandable error; Jimin looks more feminine than Park.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: What habits have you picked up from living in Japan that you sometimes have to try and stop yourself doing when you go overseas because you don't think it will look right? See in context

Not holding the door open for people coming in (or leaving) behind you.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

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