hakuba comments

Every year.

This is so heartbreaking. Imagine living a full and normal life and in your final years you put yourself in the hands of someone else and then you drown. Its such a miserable way to end your life and as this happens so often you would think someone would take these floods into account when locating people in wheelchairs.

I am beginning to feel angry.

I live near Osaka and many people I know said they didn't really understand what the referendum was about. The personalities involved were also tussling with Abe and it looked like a power grab.

Now the consensus (amongst the people I know and what I see in the media), is that it is a good idea. Local councils waste enormous amounts of money on both inefficiency (hanko, fax, multiple docs for everything etc) as well as lack of real skills in understanding where (our) money should be invested. A centralised, professional - and audited office could hopefully do it a lot better.

I honestly think the best thing to do is to semi-quarantine the elderly and let the virus runs its course through the population so we all get immunity to it.

Anybody under 60 has very little risk from this virus.

This is really dangerous talk and is a quick way to cause many, many unneeded deaths. Almost every expert has tried to stop people talking like this.

Please read qualified news before propagating nonsense.

Japan took and follow its own unique path and its better off at dealing with this virus then the rest of the world combined.

This is a really strange statement and I suspect you don't have anything to justify this comment.

Hopefully, we may have missed the worst of the virus - but its way too soon to start self congratulations.

I would like to wait (and be careful) for at least another couple of weeks before deciding the outcome.

I hate conspiracy theories - but something feels wrong. I know a lot of people who applied and not one person was able to get a ticket to a major event. Not one.

I know there is a large population, but something doesn't feel right.

When you see how many people line up for the "double points" days at the supermarket, you know something is wrong with wages. General pay levels have not moved much in over 20 years and corporations are just rolling in money - but Abe and his shabby crew continue to get elected. I just don't get it.

Awful tragedy for so many people.

I think you meant $30 million each for the trains

I wouldn't be so critical of the fact powerlines aren't underground. Japan is also earthquake prone, and landslide prone. Then there's the density of development, water tables etc.

This is quite a silly statement. There are plenty of new areas in Japan that are regulating that power cables are located underground.

Its simply about cost. Considering how much tax we pay and how little is spent on infrastructure, I think the question should be where is the money being spent?

The rain and wind seem to be avoiiding the Hanshin area, despite everyone on telly telling us it's lashing down right now.

Well, its absolutely pouring down in my part of Hanshin. The wind is strong and the rain is getting harder by the minute. I am not sure if its dangerous but I feel content to be sitting at home, nursing a single malt, without any thought of heading out in the car.

Great, now they are starting to threaten people before they arrive.

Locals may tolerate being treated like children but its offensive to start this sort of nonsense as Japan starts to get watched on the world stage.

Credit to him for building up such a profitable company - but he seems to be incredibly needy. I assume these demands for attention will just get worse if he continues to make so much money.

I think this Nissan story has a long way to run.

Obviously it was badly managed company before Ghosn took over and once they started to make money again, they didn't know how to deal with this nice new income and have to cope with a pesky foreigner in charge.

I'll bet there were numerous people at all levels, quietly looking the other way when things were going wrong - hoping he would fall on his proverbial sword - while they somehow continued to make money.

Plus they make really boring looking cars.

Why all the negative comments? Kansai has stood under the shadow of Tokyo and to some degree Kyoto for years. This will give the city a chance to show off its talents and wonderful food.

Bampaku Koen is a wonderful legacy left from the 1970 Expo, there is no reason why this shouldn't do the same.

Alex Einz: "atleast someone is entertained by that egotistical , slapstick lowbrow american clown"

I think you are missing the point - that this is a wonderful distraction from the Trump shenanigans and it's nice to see something in the news that isn't depressing.

And I think Conan is mostly funny.

Fourthly, why would they need to pray during this protest?

Muslims pray at the same times each day regardless of where they are. Also, I have seen plenty of Christians pray at rally's and public meetings.

I don't really have strong feelings on this subject but the rest of your post seems to be full of unnecessary negative comments.

These people aren't trying to cause a problem they are trying to make a point.

You can see why the Aussies call us whinging poms. I can't believe there is so much negativity.

Surely anything that helps promote the ol' country and includes some possible food pickings is worthwhile.

But my American friends have said that after he became president, their lives and the economy has gotten better.

Funnily enough, I have heard exactly the opposite. I assume this comment says something about who you are as much as your friends.

I think we are at a tipping point for "Made in Japan" credibility. Airbags, steel, Mitsubishi cars, Tepco, Black companies, death by overwork, Olympus - I could produce a huge list of problem Japanese businesses. In recent months I have bought new products from Sony and Daikin that were made in Japan and failed in the first couple of months of service.

I have always been a bit suspicious of this credo that Japanese products were made to a higher standard. Toyota deserves its accolades but these days, I can't think of many other companies that are much different from European/US/Asian firms. There may have been a period during the seventies, but I think its now long gone.

The article sounds like an advertisement for the insurance companies. 2,500 incidents sound a lot but over 300,000 people climb Mount Fuji alone.

Every weekend I see thousands swarming all over the mountains (including myself) and for those who prepare correctly I suspect the amount of accidents is very low. The ones I hear about seem to be mostly older people who take unnecessary risks.

"That is how their cultures teach them to survive. Common sense does provide an obvious answer that fighting violance with violance is insane, if not dumb, but the calls for vigilantism and capital punishments for abusers and criminals are dominating all those forums. You can not expect the society to improve with such bloodthirsty average citizens."

A voice of reason - at last. I have come to the conclusion that most people just don't understand this concept - so violence will continue to prosper.

Wow, what a bunch of wowsers. Most Go players are normal, considerate and just enjoying the fun of catching something while being outdoors.

The idiots have always been there in some form or another, but trying to wrap everyone up in the same "dangerous" category is nonsense. Put away your pitchforks, or save them for a corrupt politician or a nasty criminal.

This article is so full of dramatic statements, I have to assume it is just clickbait.

Sheesh, the outrage!

Yes, I would be outraged at the fact that my family could be killed or seriously injured by such idiots. I definitely did wrong things at 17, but trying to kill someone wasn't on my list.

At least she is trying and perhaps setting an example for other women in Japan.

I think some of you have never seen someone with serious post natal depression. It can make a mother do things which are almost unbelievable. These women need help. The Japanese medical system doesn't seem to cope very well and rely more on the family to support women with problems. I know it makes us all shudder with horror when we see stories like this, but my first reaction is total sympathy for the woman to have got into such a state to do such an awful act. Google post natal depression and you will see what I mean.

Before we get stuck into the unions, Australia has not had a recession for over 18 years and if management cave into their demands its because they are furiously trying to get back into making huge profits. The car industry failed for many reasons and Toyota has been at great pains to point out its not because of the cost of their workforce (just look at the cost of labour in Germany and the many benefits they receive in that country). Its always easy to pick on the closest scapegoat.

@lostinnagoya LOL. Those poor people thinking they look smart with this oar-size phone...while they're actually seen as, well, poor people.

I presume you are a troll, or perhaps lost somewhere in techland? I switched from an iphone to the S3 and suddenly I can use smartphone features. The extra size makes everything you do online so much easier. I will leave aside the flexibility that I now have using android and that I am not constantly having to update my apps.

Oar size phone indeed. I am assuming you have never actually used one.

We have to remember the US Military has been willing to hire almost anyone for the last couple of years. There is a good chance that these incidents are carried out by people who would get up similar situations at home and could be close to the edge of the law in their normal life.

I would guess that most of the US Military in Okinawa are as embarrassed as everyone else by these events.