horrified comments

Fascism in Germany? How about fascism in Japan? Short memory.

The book was amazing. Highly recommend it for non-fans as well. Just hearing these guys are mending their ways gives me hope and puts a lift in my day.

Not weird. They are Christians. The Christian Koreans and Japanese are pretty close/friendly to each other.

Nicky - I get that all the time. I have to walk on eggshells when asking about where some food item is from. People who grew up in this school system seem to mix their personal identity in with unrelated social issues. It's the way they're taught to take social responsibility. Unfortunately, it makes them extremely defensive to general social criticism.

But we all need to be diligent when it comes to sourcing our food. "Kokusan'' is not nearly enough information. They need stricter labelling/sourcing laws!

Article rings true and clear after going through several secretaries who played all of the above cards. So frustrating - makes you wonder what they teach them in the schools here, because it sure isn't how to think on their own.

Nicky -- Please take care and get well soon! Try to think of pleasant memories while you heal. I totally agree with your assessments 100%. I've been here for over 15 years and what most have said here rings totally true for me.

To those who can't understand why we just don't "pack up and leave" if we don't like it here: you will only understand if you give it a good 10years yourself.

I almost wish I could go back to the mindset I had when I first got off the plane. Those first few honeymoon years in Japan were great! Everything looked new and interesting. So many people I meet even casually looked to be interested in me and so friendly and inviting. Back then, work was bountiful - job offers kept flowing in weekly. Most people had extra cash, and we never gave a second thought to going out and dropping a quick 10,000yen on drinks and food on even a Tuesday. Even the cab drivers looked happy. All of the negative/racist rhetoric was a distant echo -- a mere faded backdrop against the positive chorus of new, smiling faces welcoming me.

Then, slowly, my premium guest status began to wane. I seemed to be wearing out my welcome. Those warm, welcoming faces brought out the bill for their past efforts -- "You didn't think you were really one of us, did you?" Our friendship reached a point where we should be taking it to the next level -- a step deeper.

No go. This introductory welcome was the maximum. Oh no! What did I say wrong? What did I do to offend them? I thought we had more between us? No. I did nothing wrong -- as more years passed, I saw they have never experienced that kind of depth with someone outside their clique. They haven't been given a script on how to behave in a new type of friendship. No one taught them how, so they are afraid to proceed.

Some people posted above about this fear. It's annoying, but there is a reason for it. Way back when these adults were still schoolchildren, perhaps in elementary grade 4, they were psychologically beaten down by their friends for daring to do something different than the group. I see it happen all the time among my students. Fourth graders trembling for fear of ostracism. Repeat that over and over throughout a sensitive adolescence, and voila! You have timid adults.

This timidity creates ridiculous cultural oddities like people write about in this thread. The face of the TV talent in the corner of the screen, watching what the people at home watch -- affirming that, "Yes, you are allowed to be sad about this. Yes, you have permission to be outraged at this segment." People need that social affirmation/permission, otherwise those traumatic feelings of ostracism will come welling up once again.

I find TV in Japan to be highly annoying. I find the shallowness of business and social relationships -- again, based on fear -- to be aggravating.

Translate THAT, you sad, sorry bloggers, and give me all the thumbs-down you want!

Daichi power plant is still putting out radioactive water into the ocean and land on a daily basis. Does anyone have a link to show how much?

Great comments, Ivan! Very insightful. More input, please.

kurisupisu - you fail at reading comprehension. That was not Cleo who said that.

I've got mixed feelings about this report.

First - it's just a report of an estimation of what could happen. Not was actually happening. At that time, my mind was also conjuring up all kinds of similar scenarios, and another estimation would not have changed reality.

Second - This has nothing to do with the secrecy of events that actually WERE taking place at the time. Events such as evidence of meltdown/melt-through, radiation air-dispersal towards Itatemura, Speedi data, etc. These are actual events that should have been brought to the public's attention.

tmarie -

Mainstream middle class folks don't often pick up and immigrant to a different country. Immigrants in our countries have laws to protect them from intolerance, racism and discrimination. We don't here. You need to stop thinking that some of us are here for a few years and will go home. I AM home. And would just like to be treated like everyone else. As I asked above, would you tell immigrants in your home country to suck it up? Would you tell them living in your country is a privilege? I would hope that you aren't that ignorant and can see the ignorance in your above post.

Wow! You nailed it head on, sister! Do we have to be tolerant of racism? If we truly love this country, then we owe it to everyone here to help bring them out of the dark ages of racism and ignorance.

ReformedBasher-

Fortunately that influence is waning due to the younger generation(s!) no longer being indoctrinated for last 60 plus years and the higher number of people thinking for themselves since the propaganda machine was stopped, including the wartime generation who worked things out rather than live in the past.

I think it's time for you to come back to Japan and see what's up. The influence (anti-foreigner propaganda) is not waning, but rather gaining momentum once again. This is in part due to popular right-wing xenophobic politicians such as Tokyo Governor Ishihara. It's amazing to see their influence on people far from Tokyo, even. Japan has reached a low point once again in it's social domestic mindset.

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Ivan Coughanoffalot -

I d say the answer to this question lies primarily in the way Japanese are taught to interact with each other. A large portion of any exchange is composed of the ritualized recitation of the correct thing to say or do, rather than anything with any intrinsic communicative value. The reason Japanese often panic when required to interact with an outsider is that the outsider is expected to not know his lines, so the encounter becomes a form of improv, rather than the ritualised Noh drama of memorised minutiae.

This is the most accurate description I've read about Japan's social structure in a long time. Japanese are too busy working extra hours for little pay (with the economic downturn) to communicate with someone who doesn't know their lines. So those who aren't racist, and really mean well, just don't have the energy to deal with people who need help to remember their script.

jonobugs -

Hearing about so many cover ups, I'm glad to hear about a company who is willing to step up and do the right thing even at the expense of their name.

Reading comprehension? They admitted it AFTER customers complained. That's doing the right thing?

but the ban is without doubt the biggest factor

Stuart - I think you are way off base on that one. Sorry to nitpick your post, but the smoking ban is not a major factor in the UK's faltering economy. Please cite me some references if you think I'm wrong. But I do agree with you that pub businesses are seeing a loss because of it. But there is no ban in the pubs in Japan, and they are all feeling the economic downturn lately.

Every economy needs to implement some level of protection to preserve their domestic market. It's all up for negotiation.

Check out the results here: http://www.maff.go.jp/e/seisan/milk_inspection/rawmilk.html

And scroll down to see some high numbers from Ibaraki and Fukushima. We know that they are not throwing this milk out, either. Expect to see it in your next pastry or other generic conbini food.

Officials initially denied that the reactors had melted down, and have been accused of playing down the health risks of exposure to radiation.

Looks to be a general consensus that officials initially denied the reactors had melted down.

But the watchdog said further tests of the reactors should also look at how the utilities operating them would deal with a worst-case scenario.

I had to reread it from the start to figure out who "the watchdog" was supposed to be. I could only find a mention of IAEA and NISA. No mention of a watchdog organization.

Iphone and ipad are slow compared to a good electronic dictionary. I use the EX word with dual touch screens. It has the Kenkyusha Japanese - English dictionary in all it's glory and it works fast in class. Also, if you look up an English word and can't read the Japanese definition, you can just highlight the word and it'll jump over to the Japanese-English dictionary and pull up reading/definition. I love it, and my iphone can't even come close.

Well, to be fair, if some old codger was single his whole life, there's a strong chance he has been paying some serious amount of income taxes.

Well in that case we had better hurry to raise the tax to 20%.

Joking aside, it seems that we've got a big burden to carry in the next few decades: paying to take care of our elderly. Necessary, but unrealistic as these elderly are dead set against allowing more non-japanese in to stimulate the economy. I think we need to change our immigration policy now.

What I find abhorrent is not only did they withhold info about possibly needing to evacuate, but they cut off the gasoline supply to the area. They claimed they were short of gas, and yet when I made it out (with gas gauge on "E") I found plenty of gas at almost every station I stopped at.

There were lineups at gas staions in Tokyo, Saitama and Gunma for up to a kilometer long. Seems to me they could have easily trucked in gasoline from other areas if indeed there was a shortage (but I suspect not.)

Imagine all the people -- not overworking themselves and getting enough rest. There would be a drastic reduction in these types of epidemics. Most of my adult students believe that 6 hours a day is enough sleep. Is that some sort of cultural work ethic/group control going on?

Also, is there no influenza strain called "Tokyo flu?" Or has that been vetoed by the propaganda ministry?

Robots? No surprise there. We can see the preparations for robot takeovers in all areas of society here. Just go to any Aeon supermarket checkout. Every single one of those checkout clerks are going to be replaced by automated checkouts in the next 5 years. That means less jobs on the horizon.

Samantha Zoe Aso -

the Resident~ I totally feel for the families involved but 7 panels. How about one panel that doesn't waste taxpayer's money. One where all information is gathered and utilized to actually forge progress with this sensitive matter. Seven panels to appease the public but the actual families probably won't benefit from it at all. I am sorry but it just looks like a whole lot of hot air to me. One dedicated 'thinktank' of a team is all that is necessary. Not 7 panels of folk bungling about, releasing reports a year on that a high school kid could have told us at the taxpayer's expense!

Quoted for truth. Yes, I agree with you 100%. This is just political theatre for the benefit of the right-wing crowd. Even one person set aside for this purpose won't make any difference.

This, along with the 35-year occupation of Korea by Japan, are hot topics that enrage all the countries involved.

It's disappointing to see money wasted on extra personal when there are still tsunami victims and an ongoing nuclear crisis.

I'm not in favour of over-regulation, but two kids on a bike, with the one child riding a ridiculously positioned steering-heavy handlebar seat should not be legal. Those bikes, when full, don't have nearly the manoeuvrability they need to prevent accidents. Tragic accident. Prayers go out to the bereaved.

I dunno -- I'm not sure I would mind this guy piloting my plane. If he was drinking by himself the night before, in a loner-type of way I think he'd be more dangerous. But if he was socially drinking and has his wits about him, then I'm of the opinion he'd be a better pilot than one who is overly serious and uptight. I drive better after one beer in me. . /not so good after 2 or 3, though.

GW-

It always amazes me how Japanese can get wound up about the above(understandably so!), but utterly fail to understand its own abducting children of the world & have even less comprehension of the 20-30million it killed 1930-45 & the many that survived the horrors of Japans rampage back then.

It amazes me, too. But lately I've been thinking the two feelings (denial and passion) both are connected somehow. It's like the utter shame of the war crimes have somehow created this collective guilt and identity vacuum, which in turn is projected in their hatred of North Korea (along with a simmering animosity towards South Korea and China.)

A quick reminder that the pacific coast of Honshu is now quite contaminated. What minuscule testing of the seafood there is reveals it is not safe to feed children. No more tainted water please. kThxBye.

Take a look at the radiation map that MEXT has released. It shows Miyagi is quite contaminated in some areas. This is concerning for those in Tokyo who will now be breathing in more contamination.