ikkoikki comments

"Five fun facts"??? What are the non-fun facts if these are considered "fun"?

Japan: always a good place to judge what music is popular, if not particularly of much substance.

Typical event in a horrible state: evil man orders the killing of an equally evil person.

"The two Asian democracies have refused to recognize the Chinese zone, as has the United States." So why did Yonhap report that Seoul had told civil carriers to abide by the PRC's ADIZ rules?

Let's remember, this was from MTV, a showcase for the inane and puerile.

Hardly a surprise about SK being dumped. I attended twice but very disappointed; the course is miles from anywhere, faces dreadful weather in the early autumn, and the catering largely amounted to spicy street food (hardly what the F1 ticket holders are looking for).

Let the usual comments about Saitama commence

Hear hear Harvey. Same story where I live.

"South Korea 4-2 to win the baseball competition". Strange that I didn't see this on the Yonhap website.

So the PRC is denying a simple show of politeness. Says a lot.

Probably his management told him to re-start his entertainment career in Japan after his image took a battering in Korea for violations of armed service rules; pretty petty stuff but as the article says, military service is taking seriously in Korea.

It's official, youtube say so, the World is dumb!

Why all the hype for a Korean song that clearly Japanese people don't give a toss about?

I heard next year there will be an Urban Planning for Nomads Awards ceremony.

Good luck to him!!

Not just the Japanese, but the South Koreans, and Chinese too, use these cutesy characters to create a more likeable image amongst the young (and impressionable otaku) toward the police, fire service, miltary branches, etc.

I live in Korea (and spent 3 years living in the district of Gangnam -basically Kabukicho + Harajuku but with less chartacter) and tired of saturation coverage of this new Korean hero. Perhaps the Japanese (for all their own awful modern pop outpourings) are right to not tow the line dictated by youtube rankings and online downloads.

@JeffLee

Japanese resentment is also a big factor. Whenever the Koreans have success, the Japanese cringe, not just the nationalist ones, but the society as a whole.

So why are K-Pop and K-Dramas so popular in Japan?

Probably. His work is about the past not the present, and often in the 1947 period.

"China was drawn into Group C with the Saudis, Iraq and Indonesia." It's like an Amnesty International dossier.

@ CrazyJoe

It tells you how weak the Noda government is.

This has nothing to do about Noda. The prosecutors, not the Cabinet or Foreign Ministry, dropped any possible case in the realization that the alleged crimes, while recognized and galling, could not be prosecuted due to the official's diplomatic immunity.

Of course, his heart aches for the jobless; if they don't have any cash how can Romney and his cronies fleece them?

Well, if I had a vote in Japan, before today I was 90% sure I would have voted for Noda. After this it's hit 100%

Sad but probably not a good idea to be a travelling Blossoms fan in China at the moment.

@Ch1nSailor Me thinks you didn't see one water bottle being thrown, lest the K-Cops (Real Police, not to be in any way confused with J-Cops. or J-Oops) would be arresting somebody, none of this, "Don't do that again, or I'll tell your mom!"

Have you been to Korea? I live here and the cops here are as much a joke as their Japanese counterparts. Just check out the Korean news sites but a catalogue of scandal and outright buffoonery. Sure they can act tough when encased in riot armour and there smacking around students or farmers.

Well, that'll appease the old folk.

@SmithinJapan "Unlike Japan, they actually apologized, and continue to do so, and..."

I keep hearing comments from Chinese (admittedly translated) and Korean protesters (whom I can understand) and I keep hearing things let we can NEVER forgive, we can NEVER forget, et al ad infinitum. To people who seem to confuse demonstrating with looting, would any kind of apology honestly make a difference and bring the region the stability it has rarely had in the past?

movieguy

Takes a lot of confidence to get married on your birthday especially if you're a celebrity.

Why?

Is anyone in China actually calling for calm?

Regarding attacks on Korean tourists, I live in korea and have heard none of this on KBS or Yonhap News.