Jack comments

Half the judges were Japanese. Nice to see so many Asians in the top five even though they are a minority in the world.

Umm,... 3,000-5,000 people die every year in Japan from choking on food. Same proportion in most countries.

Asking for temporary accommodations for diagnosed depression, or even just for extreme stress, is a healthy thing to do and should be encouraged. There are times we all might want to be given a break for a little while. It's been a rough year.

A joyless Olympics to suffer through. The IOC has killed its brand.

This question presupposes that "governments around the world" are capable of getting together to withhold information, or are that it is natural for governments to do so on their own.

A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.

The former have little evidence, the latter abundant evidence. Yet some people and also media like to speculate for fun and profit. In a pandemic, it is dangerous.

I don't think governments are engaged in any major or deliberate withholding of information. This is a conspiracy theory.

What has the Olympics got to do with LGBTQ?

The Olympic Charter sets out many ethical ideals the Olympics represent and champion. These include anti-discrimination based on national origin, physical disability, religion, sexual orientation, language, economic status. These are all fairly well known, with the exception of sexual orientation. So Hashimoto threw on a mask and said a few words about it.

More vitriol here today than I would have expected.

Far more time is spent indoors with windows closed in winter. Lots more transmission occurs, same as with colds and flu..

Why is the age range important?

I'm guessing the government will open up international travel if the epidemiologists think we can keep the death rate from going up too precipitously from where it is now -- about 9 per million. That seems to be the compromise they have been accepting so far -- it went from 7 to 8 to 9 per million in the past three months, so that trajectory is likely to continue.

Maybe we should have this conversation after the government tells me I can take a train up to Tokyo without worry, or a plane to Okinawa, or even a one-hour bus trip to a hot spring.

To cracaphat:

I'm sorry, not looking to make you angry. Just interested in your opinion. You are right, the article I referenced is not new. That's partly the point. Do you think it's wrong or unreasonable? I'd really like to know what your argument opposing it is. And yes, I'm scared of pandemics, but I don't think it's a bad thing. Just thinking that if everyone wore masks, things will improve dramatically. If we don't, millions more will be infected.

We disagree, but all I want is to understand your opinion.

Below is the text in the link I recommended earlier. I think the argument is correct. Please tell me if you (anyone, especially daito_hak, think this argument is wrong. Seriously, not interested in attacking anyone. I really want to know. Surprised to find so much opposition to masks on airplanes.

//////

Dr Hugh Montgomery, a professor of intensive care medicine at University College London, explained how the 'very infectious' coronavirus could be passed from one person to thousands.

“Normal flu, if I get that, I'm going to infect on average about 1.3 or 1.4 people. If those 1.3 or 1.4 people gave it to the next lot that's the second time it gets passed on. By the time that's happened 10 times, I've been responsible for about 14 cases of flu [if at 1.3; if at 1.4, it’s nearly 30 people].

This coronavirus is very, very infectious, so every person passes it to three. Now that doesn't sound like much of a difference, but if each of those three passes it to three, and that happens at 10 layers, I have been responsible for infecting 59,000 people. [The math is correct.]

  Please just remember that the best chance we can give for the people who do fall ill is if we have got enough beds and enough staff and enough kit to be able to be there for you. And if you are irresponsible enough to think that you don't mind if you get the flu, remember it's not about you, it's about everybody else.“

I'm interested in anyone's response to this explanation, especially those who dispute that the reason for wearing masks is simply to protect others and prevent spread:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8149149/Expert-describes-one-coronavirus-patient-infect-59-000-others.html

People who refuse masks are a danger to others. The mask is not for you -- no one cares if you get sick. It is to protect the health of others.

Stop this silly accusations. People who have health conditions or in an age that make them vulnerable to the COVID-19 have to take their own responsibilities to protect themselves. Either avoid travelling for the time being or use better protective masks. Stop to treat people like little kids, they are adults.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to accuse anyone of anything. It has been proven that the virus goes away when everyone wears masks. So when masks are required, it has little to do with the mask wearer's health and protection and everything to do with reducing spread. And yes, older people and sick people have to take extra care. But if you get it and don't wear a mask, it will spread.

People who refuse masks are a danger to others. The mask is not for you -- no one cares if you get sick. It is to protect the health of others.

Irresponsible to say in a medical crisis, where people are afraid, that "some people believe" when polling. You should have said "Conspiracy theorists believe," but then you would be guilty of spreading conspiracy theory. Actually, you are guilty of that. Japantoday is being irresponsible, unlike a reputable media outlet. Yes, anything's possible, but that doesn't justify spreading conspiracy theory in a medical crisis.

I think they're missing the point. What's wrong with just a... wedding ring?

Might be better to just say "train groper" in English. Using "chikan," could end up making it sound cool. That's what happened with "hentai" and "otaku." "Masher" is the word that preceded "groper," but it never became a thing because the negative connotations were clear to English speakers.

The total number of crimes commited in Japan in 2017 is 915,042 according to this: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-21/crime-hits-postwar-low-in-japan-as-joblessness-declines

17,006 is about 1.8 percent of 915,042.

So 17,006 of the 915,111 crimes logged in Japan in 2017 were perpetrated by foreign nonpermanent residents.