GyGene comments

My hope and prayer is that Korea will become a united democracy - soon! It happened with West and East Germany. I know many South Koreans have been praying for years...someday, someday.

All I know is that I loathe all things nuclear, power included. And, that Japan needs a very strong self defense. This world will never know lasting peace, never has, and sadly, never will. Im for peace, but do not tread on me or there will be a fight.

I remember when many Japanese would call things that stink, バター臭い。 Butter kusai. Meaning, it stinks like butter. I've also seen Japanese almost heave at the smell of cheese. Wow, as a liver of all things dairy, I'm glad to see Japan needing more dairy products. I have a friend from Gunma Ken whose family used to run a small dairy farm. Alas, they sold out about 20 years ago. I surely do not know what's best, all I know is I'm pulling for both the Japanese farmer, actually, all farmers, and for the consumer at the same time. I hope something good for all concerned comes out of this mess.

Stay safe! I have come to loathe all things nuclear.

Hugo, ye have never had a really great cup o' joe, eh? No coffee machine can do the above. Believe me, there is a difference.

Right on, presto! Xi and Putin buddying up are troubling.

As for all this continual China asking for more apologies, I'm a bit tired of this mess. I've lived in Japan over 30 years and it never has ceased. Every single year it's China wanting deeper apologies from Japan. Dagnabbit, ENOUGH of this mess! I personally know of Americans who were decapitated by Chinese before WWII in China. A man and wife - just one couple that I personally knew about. There have been many more. Japanese also killed many before and during WWII. In terrible ways. We all know that.

So, in recent history, who would I trust? Japan or China? That'd be Japan for me!

Rarely does hollywood (doesn't deserve to be capitalized) do anything worth watching since about the '50s era. Like music, the best they can do is remakes of old music that was great. As for Roots - yeah, that's just what America needs now with all the race baiting going on. Watch for more thugs to riot. I'm ready to retire in Japan, or somewhere other than America.

Any iPhone CAN be unlocked. Whether or not the knuckle headed carrier will do it is another question. They are always finding ways to take lucres from our wallets.

Pure class.

台所ゴキブリだよ。。。

jump, (a few posts up) the houses that fell are the very old post and beam built houses. They have to be specially reinforced for earthquakes, and the old ones were not. 2x4 houses are stronger in earthquakes. I have an architect friend in Kobe who built 2x4 houses from two to four years before the Great Harshen Quake, and his houses stood while older post and beam houses were destroyed. That was a 7.6 quake if I remember right.

My prayers also for the people affected in Nagano Ken. Back in early '80s, we lived near Oomachi, used to ski at Hakuba every week. Love that area. We only had one big quake there back then, it was maybe the same magnitude, I forgot, but it was a big one for Nagano Ken.

Sounds like she wouldn't be the nail that sticks out and gets pounded back down - until she becomes PM. But, she just might do a good job. Better relationships with Asia is good. I think. While maintaining good USA, Bri'ish, etc. ties.

Oh no, this is why I left Brisbane!

All non smoking coffee shop! Just that makes the coffee better.

I think Apple Pay is going to be huge! Ye have to think worldwide, not just America, or Japan, etc. My understanding is like Samurai says above - the NFC technology iPhone has is not proprietary, it will work with any NFC terminal. I've had my American credit union based visa card NUMBER (just the number) stolen three times, one time by a Japanese man in Japan! My number was used to buy over ¥200,000 worth of goods hundreds of kilometers away from me. Whew, what a hassle for me, even though I didn't lose any money, I had to spend over two hours on the phone with my American credit union calling from Japan. Plus, I could not use my card to withdraw yen from Japan post office ATM, my method of getting cash in Japan. Apple Pay via iPhone will save banks and merchants much money because of its security, plus save us consumers much headache. I use and love Suica cards, and I'm all in for iPhone and Apple Pay. Actually, Apple Pay is making me buy my FIRST ever iPhone. I'll probably go ahead and get an Apple Watch too!

I am so tired of Central League Giants. Somebody else, please beat them.

For those of us with USA based credit cards, Apple Pay is worth it! My number has been stolen twice, just my number! Jerks spent $2,000 in Pennsylvania one time, all over the second time. Cost me nothing but problems, but the merchant lost that money. I won't wait in line that long, but Apple Pay will make me buy my first iPhone.

Good food, walk a lot, clean air, some of the best water in the world.

Just as China has gotten fairly prosperous too. The country can't seem to go very long before they have to stir something - T Square, so called "cultural revolution" of the '60s when they murdered no telling how many people, whew! They don't seem to understand that their prosperity has come because of a few years of peaceful relations with some other countries.

Time to pull out the old DDT boys. That'll kill them skeets.

Paul Arenson - spoken like a real head in sand Scandinavian (no offense meant to Scandinavians, but all this "neutral nation" mess is ridiculous) who thinks world peace can happen. Hitler died, but people who believe like him are alive and kicking. Communist China slaughtered who knows how many of it's own people since 1949, plus many foreigners. I personally know one man who was in their concentration camp in early 1950s. I long for peace. But, peace has never been in this world and never will be. Peace loving nations MUST be prepared to defend and die to try to keep peace, knowing it is a continual fight. Yep, we have to fight to keep the peace. Otherwise evil people will take over.

Build it near new Bridgestone plant, Aiken.

Well, if this is the case, I don't stand a Chinaman's chance for long life! I'm coming to join you Elizabeth! I'll be the one holding chopsticks.

Wha' boweevil said above. I loathe ALL things nuclear!

@kuribo, I like the way ye think.

The world has NEVER been very peaceful. It never will be very peaceful. United democracies can be a great deterrent to countries that might want to do something they ought not.

I know of at least one American missionary couple (man, wife) who were beheaded by China even before WWII. Others I have read about. China has been exceptionally cruel in recent history, especially the already mentioned "cultural revolution" of the '60s, etc.

Maybe some research should be done and published on communist China's mass killings. Whew. Communism.

Washi ga neeee... ワシがね。。。

My heart goes out to those suffering through this nuclear mess.

Think of how hard it would be just to even do this poll via anything else. Yep, online.