iabcd comments

Cleo, fresh water is out but sometimes dogs just like the toilet. If it is clean, what is the problem? Do you allow your pup to drink out of puddles, rivers, streams? Toilets are probably much safer for them.

Add dogs to the list of things you shouldn't be allowed to have.

Plenty of adults were abused as kids and have a hard time. Doesn't mean they should get off without a punishment.

Am I the only one unable to follow this line of reasoning? I wasn't abused as a child so maybe that's why I am having difficulty understanding what you're going on about. Are you reliving some past horrible traumatic experience and trying to apply it to this young girl?

I am pretty sure that most people commenting would agree with you that adults should be held accountable for their actions. However, a 13-year (even one who knows right from wrong) would probably benefit more from counseling or other more positive forms of guidance than being "punished" like a common criminal. Maybe appropriate guidance at this stage in this young lady's life will be just the ticket to prevent her from growing up to be one of those "I was abused as a child, so don't blame me" people who end up in court later on as adults.

No 100% guarantee of course, but it wouldn't be the first time that a little kindness and guidance helped a trouble kid through a difficult stage in their life and got them started on the road to becoming a responsible adult.

The "spare the rod, spoil the child" theory is no longer the norm. IMO, throwing the book at somebody so young only ends up leaving scars that sometimes never truly heal.

Nicky WashidaAPR. 18, 2012 - 05:48PM JST @iabcd - obviously my conscience forced me. Who in all good conscience could walk out of a park and leave a 4 year old alone? Pls don't nitpick - its irritating.

OK. Then that explains why you were really angry then. You were mad at your conscience for forcing you to stay in the park. That would be really irritating. But, don't blame yourself. You did something nice.

I was forced to stay in the park much longer than planned recently because a woman came in with a 4 year old, dumped her in the sandpit, and went off shopping! If I had left, she would have been on her own in the park and I couldnt in all conscience do it. My God I was angry when the woman came back - 20 minutes later!*

Nobody forced you. You stayed of your own accord because of your conscience. Did that woman come up to you and ask you to look after her kid and then come back later than expected? Leaving her child unattended like that was dangerous on her part but staying and watching over the kid was your decision.

tmarieAPR. 16, 2012 - 06:18PM JST Where was the father/family all this time? What did the government do and why no check-ups? Could be a single mom who lives alone with the kid. What check ups? Do you think the government has the time or money to do weekly check ups on everyone? Sounds more like a police state - of course, not think this is what you seriously are suggesting but if mom wasn't getting welfare checks, there were no previous issues, the government wouldn't check anything. Glad the neighbours raised the alarm. I think anyone in my building could die and be left for months since no one speaks to each other... RIP mom and I hope that little girl has some other family who will love her and raise her.

Why do I strongly suspect that if this had happened here in Japan instead of Australia and the little girl and her Mum would have been Japanese your comments wouldn't have been so sympathetic?

In fact, I imagine you would have used it as an opportunity to go off on another rant about how bad things are here compared to the rest of the world. Actually you kind of started to do that by saying " I think anyone in my building could die and be left for months since no one speaks to each other...", didn't you?

@ orange

Very good post orange. We're not all the same, yet there are those that insist on lumping us all together as if we are. Some people get so bent out of shape about us (=non-Japanese) being lumped together as one by the Japanese, yet these very same people have no problem lumping us all together as one when it suits their purposes. Their situation has to be our situation, their experiences have to be our experiences, and their choices have to be our choices. They are so insecure that anyone or anything different is instantly seen as a threat. I feel kind of sad for them.

ryukyustrikerAPR. 13, 2012 - 02:30AM JST This is my view. I was born and raised in Japan, but I am a American only by my pasport. I spent 31 of my 36 years in Japan. I am a called a Gaijin. I am half. Growing up I got picked on by both American and Japanese. I pretty much fought everyday. Japan is my home and to be called Gaijin is extremely offensive to me. Everyone else here see it as just a word that is why it means nothing to them. Japan is my home and to be called a foreigner is like driving a spike through my heart.

You say that Japan is your home. Indeed it does sound like it is more of a home to you than the United States. So, why hang on to your American citizenship after all these years? Have you applied for Japanese citizenship?

Not saying this would change the way those around you see you and get them to stop calling you a "gaijin". But legally it would be better for you, wouldn't it?

Good luck to you and your family Peter. I especially am impressed how you have managed to remain positive despite all you've been through. You could've broken bad on so many levels, yet you seem to have focused on what is important to you.

Too many people (especially on this site) only focus on the "negative" of being in Japan. Complain, complain, complain about this being unfair, that being pathetic, those people being stupid. Then, they expect us all to be just as negative and bitter. It's sometimes mind numbing how such people still think they are the only non-Japanese that matters while the rest of us can just be lumped together as one and always be thought of as the same group having the same thinking. Some of these people might think you're dumb and would easily call you crazy for wanting to move back to your home. Such people refuse to understand that making the best out of a bad situation and trying to find a bit of happiness even where it doesn't seem to exist doesn't mean that you are living a life of denial. It just means that you are living.

Hopefully such people will read this article and be inspired by your story to allow a little more sunshine into their lives and begin the realize that life does not always mean that the glass has to be half empty.

No joke? Unless we're talking about you as a teacher (at least from the sound of it).

Once again, if you were able to present the material better or in a more interesting way then perhaps your student wouldn't have tuned you out.

Makes no difference what age of student you are talking about. The teacher is in charge. If you HATED taking your students into a computer lab then maybe that had more to do about your feelings of inadequacy than your student's unwillingness to cooperate. Thanks very much.

@samwatters

Lots of good suggestions but I doubt he'll see what you wrote. You should try and reach him through his official fan page of something instead.

It is one thing to have a few kids that you can monitor. It is another to have a class full of kids. I HATED taking kids to computer labs because they were never on task. Too busy screwing around on other programs and games. They also demand computer and I believe it really messes up their attention span.

Then maybe you just weren't a very good teacher. Maybe the burden was on your to keep better control of your class.

Any teacher who says they HATED taking their students into a classroom setting probably should have chosen a different profession. Maybe if you had been a little more positive, your students would've fed of your energy and paid better attention.

tmarieAPR. 05, 2012 - 01:08PM JST Had it been two men in the fight my post would have said "In their 40s, out at a bar that late on a Tuesday? Can only imagine the type of men and the bar." Nothing sexist about it at all. I can't imagine why anyone in their 40's would be out that late at night - on a "work" night no less and getting into fights. People in their late teens and early 20's I get. In their 40's and var fighting? Nah. Grow up and get a life.

Back peddle much. Should I put on my boots be cause the bs is starting to get deep.

I imagine there are lots of things you can't imagine. Maybe these two women don't have jobs. Maybe they do (did) but the next day was their day off. Of maybe they work in the evening and just went out after work to get a drink. Who knows why they were there and what really happened? If you have first hand knowledge then please share it with us.

Btw, I saw a Japanese report that said the attacker is unemployed. The victim's employment status was unknown at the time the report was made.