Japan Today

hooktrunk2 comments

Posted in: Japan Today Spotlight #3 | The Saitama sinkhole tragedy: What went wrong? See in context

And the Niigata river flows into the Nakagawa and then Arakawa. I have t ridden my bike along them for a while. Hopefully no one fishing there like I sometimes see.

I hope the fire department comes up with a good rescue strategy for the future. Sounds like this was the perfect storm though. All the sewage from east Saitama ending up in one point. This spot. Plus all the cables and pipes together.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Large sinkhole swallows truck in Saitama Prefecture; man still trapped See in context

Definitely a sink hole. Another hole has opened up and swallowed a large sign. Who knows how big it is under the asphalt. A waste water pipe broke and washed away the dirt surrounding it. I live 5km from here and can hear the hovering helicopters, but thank goodness I’m downstream. A huge area upstream is being asked not to do laundry or create waste water. Ramen shops, etc affected. Communications too. Broken cables.

I hope the driver survives.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Posted in: Large sinkhole swallows truck in Saitama Prefecture; man still trapped See in context

Oops. “as of”

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Posted in: Large sinkhole swallows truck in Saitama Prefecture; man still trapped See in context

Moderator: as if 7pm, the TV news says he has not yet been rescued. 

with a man being rescued following the incident.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Posted in: TikTok gets reprieve with Trump order but with twist See in context

In retaliation I can imagine China demanding half ownership of a US tech company, say like Apple.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Posted in: 42-year-old man arrested for allegedly groping teenage girl at bus stop See in context

@リッチ

Worthless news. No details names just worthless

News sites usually don’t name victims’ identities. Or were you wanting to “destroy” the alleged perpetrator’s identity after all by learning who he was?

The article actually tells us more than we often get to know. The guy kept his hands outside her clothes, not that I care to know that.

But I know you really want a photo of what she was wearing, to show us if she was dressed in revealing clothing. As if that gives him license to grope her.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Posted in: 42-year-old man arrested for allegedly groping teenage girl at bus stop See in context

@リッチ

How old and how was she drrsssed as well as was she a street walker that was upset he just left or what? Destroy someone’s name over a bad truck?

Age? Teenager. Specifics don’t matter.

Streetwalker? Serious? The article says she was waiting for the bus at 8:30 in the morning, much like my daughter does on her way to college and she’s not a prostitute.  

Destroy someone’s name? It was caught on camera dude. I’d say it’s pretty easy to distinguish someone fondling your lower body from accidentally bumping into or something innocent like that.  

Creepy.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

Posted in: Japan to give $2 mil in aid to California for wildfire relief See in context

@kibousha

What ? Isn't the burnt area known as where "celebrities" live ?

There are a lot of people that lost homes that aren't rich nor movie stars. The daughter of some friends of ours lost her home that she just bought last year. She does work in the movie industry, but as an animator. Not wealthy and not famous.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Posted in: Ex-PM Abe's widow hopes Trump will lead world to peace in 2nd term See in context

Peace by giving into land grabbing dictators.

15 ( +31 / -16 )

Posted in: Taiwan receives first batch of U.S.-made Abrams tanks See in context

Ah, right, the tanks that the underequipped demoralized Russian draftees have been taking outvwith primitive drones.

The Abrams tanks sent to Ukraine were stripped of their depleted uranium armor before being shipped.

I wonder if the same will be shipped to Taiwan?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: Japanese researchers test pioneering drug to regrow teeth See in context

Here's the link to the Osaka hospital doing the clinical trials and research: https://toothreg.jp/

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Posted in: Japanese researchers test pioneering drug to regrow teeth See in context

@JLivermore

Please more disturbing stock photography of teeth please, to help me understand the concept of “teeth.”

The caption under the photo shows that they aren't "stock" photos.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Posted in: Japanese researchers test pioneering drug to regrow teeth See in context

Prosthetic treatments used for teeth lost to decay, disease or injury are often seen as costly and invasive.

I cracked a tooth this year that was basically dead from a root canal. Without roots, teeth are weak and can crack easily(darned rice crackers). My dentist worked hard and amazingly repaired the crack and gave me a new crown, which was covered by insurance.  

Implants are not covered and cost about 300,000 yen!  Yikes.

So, instead I’ll be able to get a new tooth? Sign me up!(in 5 years).

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Posted in: JR Tokai to install women-only toilets on Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen lines See in context

Could the reason also be that as men we we often stand up to pee and the toilet seat, along with the floor in front of the toilet, often get messy?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Apple adds ChatGPT integration in latest software update See in context

@Dan

The "Great" Apple is so late...

No they aren’t. They are using an existing chatbot, ChatGTP. Besides, Apple is rarely the first at what they produce. The first iPhone came out 13 years after the first smartphone. Basically the same with the iPod and Mac. But the Mac was the first all in one computer and the Airpods were the first truly wireless headphones.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Tokyo to make daycare free to boost birthrate See in context

Perhaps they should have made it free to parents everywhere BUT the biggest cities. This might just draw more people to Tokyo and continue to drain the countryside and rural communities.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Posted in: Price to climb Mount Fuji will double, trail gates will close earlier if new plan is approved See in context

When you add the price of the train and bus to get there plus the hut and food and any necessary gear, that 4000 yen seems expensive.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

Posted in: Health insurance cards to no longer be issued as info will be integrated with My Number cards See in context

@garypen

hooktrunk2

BTW, for those who want to log into you mynumber from your PC, you'll need a card scanner. 

Not entirely correct. **Most gov't sites with MyNumber logins allow you to use the MyNa app on your smartphone to log into the website on your PC.**

You are right! D'oh. I meant to say scanner app from a smart phone.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Posted in: Health insurance cards to no longer be issued as info will be integrated with My Number cards See in context

@garypen

Thanks. That makes sense. I have P.R., so that probably explains my long expiration date, but the e-cert...will do.

A long time ago, the alien registration cards were doled out by each ward the immigration bureau. The visa expiration date and card date were different and I made a mistake reading it and was almost put in detention. Whew.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Posted in: Health insurance cards to no longer be issued as info will be integrated with My Number cards See in context

@CAPTAIN, if any of your conspiratorial accusations are true, then it sounds like a legislative solution would probably serve us better than just not allowing us to have one card and preventing the ability to streamline our experience of navigating all the various services we use in our lives.

Instead of attacking the mynumber program, perhaps try to make it illegal to deny coverage for certain reasons you mention, etc.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Posted in: Health insurance cards to no longer be issued as info will be integrated with My Number cards See in context

How could My Number cards already be expired? I got mine a couple years ago and it doesn't expire until 2030. Is it ward by ward?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Posted in: Health insurance cards to no longer be issued as info will be integrated with My Number cards See in context

BTW, for those who want to log into you mynumber from your PC, you'll need a card scanner. Find the link via their website instead of searching for it in the Japanese App Store. If you search, it will be a different scanner.

The scanner takes patience. It isn't instant and doesn't make a beeping noise when it's done.

Also, if you want to use your laptop computer to log into your account, you have to download the extension installer to install an extension for your browser. It says app, but the app is just an installer app.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Posted in: Health insurance cards to no longer be issued as info will be integrated with My Number cards See in context

If you have a bank account in Japan, Japan National Health Insurance, file your taxes in Japan, have a Japanese driver's license, pay into the Japan Pension service, the government ALREADY has all your information. What's the big deal. They know where you live too. What's wrong with allowing us to have just ONE card to carry around.

It doesn't install a tracking chip in your brain or any stupid thing like that. Give me a break.

Moderator: Thanks for your contribution. Your comment has been featured in the latest episode of the Japan This Week podcast. Visit the Japan Today top page to listen.

-3 ( +9 / -12 )

Posted in: Brazil's first lady insults Elon Musk at G20 social event See in context

I am all for free speech, but is it OK to spread outright lies? The problem is that the truth to one side is lies to the other side. Who will be the judge? That's a dilemma.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Posted in: Ex-nursery school teacher gets 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting 7 girls See in context

What's with the suspicion against male nursery school workers? What about men who have kids at the same age then? What about young male school teachers then? What this guy did was disgusting, but assuming all are young men are this way is equally disturbing and disappointing.

When I was that age, I as very good at entertaining kids. Lots of energy. Way back when I was working at an Architecture firm, at the Xmas party I had my co-worker's kids thoroughly entertained while they were having boring adult conversations in the kitchen. We were trooping around my boss's home like a parade in Where The Wild Things Are, playing hide and seek and then I was dragged across the living room floor like dead bear by all the kids.

My boss thanked me profusely and said I found my calling, but I was reluctant to have anything to do with kids because the generalized slander people like Dutch and Mr Kipling post.

At 36, I finally opened my own Kids and Craft English school which I ran for 18 years with my wife(for older kids). Not a single instance in my life have I ever had a single solitary desire to molest kids. Gross.

I have another friend that IS an actual male nursery school sensei and he is amazing with kids. Completely normal trustworthy guy.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Posted in: Planned Mount Fuji light rail line could transport 3 million hikers per year See in context

I really doubt that many people will pay 10,000 yen for such a short trip. After being stuck in the Subaru Line traffic jam, I was in favor of the project, but now seeing the fare, I'm not so sure. I really doubt all or most of those 3 million people will be climbing to the top.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Posted in: People 50 and older should get pneumococcal vaccine, U.S. health officials recommend See in context

Wow, 300 bucks!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: Shizuoka Prefecture approves drilling survey for maglev train project See in context

A ridiculous waste of money.

The study or the Maglev?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: 34-year-old woman arrested for beating elementary school-aged son See in context

I hope people are not getting reported for disciplining their children.

The article says he was left with severe injuries. A simple slap on the head like they often do here doesn't usually leave one with severe injuries.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Posted in: New Sony building in Tokyo's Ginza district completed; to open 2025 See in context

Is that a framework for a giant video screen? Not exactly an inviting design if you ask me.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

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