Hiroshi13 comments

The rules are rules if you don't like it then don't come . Typical westerners forcing what they want on others.

Read the article again. It clearly says that there is no government mask mandate so what exactly are westerners "forcing" on others?

"...face masks, regarded as one of the good tools to combat the coronavirus in Japan," Really? And how's that working out?

Nearly all U.S. personnel fall under a vaccine mandate while the 1,000's of base workers do not. Let's review again "who" poses the biggest risk to spreading the virus.

These SEA countries just don't get it yet. Casual tourists are not looking to fly 12-15 hours to pay for the privilege of sitting in quarantine for the first half of a vacation followed by restricted activities, curfews, multiple tests, etc. for the remainder of their stay.

@kaerimashita "Although still possible that a rise in cases leads to a rise in hysteria again. Happened in Singapore". And Thailand, and Vietnam, and Philippines, and California, and New Zealand, and New York, and...(voice trails off)

The Japanese government is set to fully lift the COVID-19 state of emergency.

They spelled "partially" wrong again.

What's the point? As soon as two people in Tokyo get the sniffles they'll overreact and restrict everything again. Did I mention that I'm leaving in 32 days?

@paddletime...Afghanistan was once a "great country"?

Nearly every person in Japan: the LDP can't possibly choose anyone worse than Suga as the next PM

Kono: hold my mask

PM Suga on 2 August...

"We will conduct antivirus measures to make this declaration the last extension of the (COVID-19) emergency."

"Afghan soldier"? The ANA no longer exists so does this really mean a Taliban fighter, an airport security guard or...?

Serious question: are Australia and New Zealand "democracies" with free elections? If yes, there's one heck of a reckoning coming for their politicians.

In the President's recent ABC interview, Biden referred to our hasty withdrawal saying "it was inevitable that chaos would ensue no matter when we left". He also mentioned in his address to the nation on Monday (referring to why we stayed past May 1st) "we were clear-eyed about the risk, we planned for every contingency".

Can anyone explain these opposing statements? I'll wait.

I feel encouraged that this will get the attention it deserves now that Sec. Austin and Gen. Milley appear to have (temporarily) shifted their focus from fighting "white rage" and other imaginary adversaries to actual military operations.

USG on CNN, "if the Taliban disrupt or attack our evacuation efforts there will be swift retaliation!"

USG secretly to Taliban, "here's a plane load of cash to pay for the privilege of evacuating your citizens, and pretty PLEASE don't attack us."

In case you've never ridden in a C-17...the only windows in the main cabin are about 6 inches in diameter and high up in the overhead of the interior of the plane. So unless the cargo doors were open, the crew had no idea what was going on outside the aircraft as it taxied for takeoff.

"expressing doubt over the effectiveness of lockdowns that have been imposed in some other countries."

So...if lockdowns don't work, where is the evidence that Japan's alternative methods (impotent SOE's which only target alcohol consumption) are effective at achieving any results? I'll wait.

@GBR48 Your post just made my day. My favorite part...

Friday: US destroyer arrives and collides with island. Island sinks. US declare victory and vanish in the night.

Saturday: The Island Incident becomes a point of contention between China, South Korea and Japan for the next two centuries.

Absolutely brilliant!

@ FIT...The idea that bars and restaurants should close during the only time period they can earn money is just absolutely idiotic and cruel from the perspective of employees who need a salary and businesses who don't want to go bankrupt.

Not true. In fact, let me know if you want to invest in my get-rich idea. You and I will open a bar (in Japanese person's name of course) - never open it because of SOE rules, then just sit back and watch the Covid welfare cash pile up. Sound good?

"never forgets the peace that the country enjoys today is built on the sacrifices of those who died in the war."

Perhaps it's the translation which makes Suga's comment seem strange but as others have already stated, Japan was fighting a war of aggression and conquest and the only reason there is "peace" now is because its armies and ideologies died in defeat.

Whether occurring during a Democrat or Republican administration, what we're witnessing in Afghanistan was inevitable. Too bad it happened about 18 years too late.

It seems Covid restrictions and this endless rain has cancelled summer for the foreseeable future.

A failed campaign until the pointless bans on alcohol end.

@Mark "elderly people testing positive for the coronavirus has been rising recently despite most of them having been vaccinated. This is Bad NEWS not just for the elderly, but even the young are dying while vaccinated".

This kinda makes the case for the doubters NOT to get vaccinated don't you think? I'm no anti-vaxxer nor am I suggesting that we should hide the truth about the vaccine's limitations but politicians and the media could do a better job of promoting the benefits of getting jabbed.

Oh wait...we're back on Covid now? Guess now that the Olympics is over the GOJ can turn its laser focus back to the pandemic.

Dear Japan and China:

Please be nice each other..

Accept your diferences..

Take the best from you and work togheter..

You can be good partners and friendly countries each other..

Don't let the jealousy, hypocresy, and the dirty historic interventionism from US and Europe ruin everything in Asia.. (as always)..

Asia for the Asians!!..

Why doesn't this person's ridiculous comments ever get moderated?

This never-ending SOE used to get me down but I just don't care about these so-called "restrictions" anymore. Leaving this island in approximately in 76 days...but who's counting?

@RAF "a superhot watched event"...you're referring to the weather, right?

Yay, Olympics :) Thank goodness it's over and today is a holiday. As for tomorrow...back to sardine-packed trains and COVID.

Good thing they banned spectators at the Olympics to avoid...crowds.