jammer comments

BTW, if you're a "nobody in cyberspace" please don't comment.

Forgive me but I dont understand your persistence. All I have said is that a previous poster made a reasonable point in suggesting that this "warning" may have be issued based upon dubious stories and/or conditions. With the exception of the sensible 23 y.o. kiwi lad, the empirical evidence in this thread supports it too.

I and many of my colleagues and friends have had to travel to these places I referred to, at those times

I must be missing parts of these messages. The places you to referred to would be... ?

This warning was sent out to protect travelers and naive people who don't live in Japan, so if you have nothing productive to say, don't contribute

You are certainly persistent in your efforts to censor.

Protect the "naive people"? Do you work for the Justice League?

As much as you would like to deny it based on your 15 years of living here,

It's soo not about me. I'm a nobody in cyberspace.

If there were military personnel out there making false accusations against the Japanese, I can guarantee you there would be have hell to pay. I may not be military, but I am quite familiar with their procedures regarding incidents like this

I hear ya. And indeed there often is hell to pay when it is discovered. I'm not questioning the military. I merely pointed out that northlondons comment was not irresponsible, but rather a harsh to imagine yet reasonable conclusion. That's it.

I never saw crack whores back in America, does that mean they don't exist? Same stupid logic.

You are taking this way too far. Look, I grant you I'm not the most logical person at the best of times, and after a hot n sticky week like this past one I cant think I'm gonna be too sharp on a Friday at closing time either. But you can't possibly think that your "not seeing crack whores in America means they dont exist" is the same logic as me spending hours upon hours on end, weeknights and weekends in Roppongi for the last 15 years.

If you were hanging out where the crackwhores were, you'd see them.

If you are American, good luck out there on your own and I hope you never go to a truly dangerous country where the embassy's warnings are vital to your security.

I remember these same scare tactics used to try and squash the many Americans who were against GW going into Iraq. You sound just like Donald Rumsfeld.

Here is a little clip about the darker side of 'The Pong' involving drink spiking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=JP&hl=ja&v=aAzLVOMuJMI

You are reaching way too far to make the point. These unfortunate girls werent given spiked drinks in bars in Roppongi. This video hilights the story of hostesses/strippers who were working and taking customers out for dohan. This is totally unrelated to the topic of customers having their drinks spiked in Roppongi bars and then having their credit cards maxed out.

I have been drinking in Roppo for 9 years, I know quite a few guys who own bars and girlie clubs and nobody has witnessed this happening.

I'm out a fair bit in Roppongi and the general area, and I can say without a doubt I have never heard of this happening to anyone - obviously that doesn't mean this is an urban legend, but I'd disagree with anyone who says this is widespread

15 years for me and I have NEVER seen it let alone heard of it happening.

How do you explain the complaints from tourists then?

Who said anything about tourists? The article doesnt say.

Most Americans, tourist and military alike tend to go to Roppongi more than any other nationality.

This is your guess, and it makes no empirical sense.

What an irresponsible comment. When all else fails, blame the military (the US military in this case).

I think northlondon's comment is harsh to imagine, yet reasonable. So only Americans have fallen prey to this drugging of drinks? Only the American Embassy has declared the warning? Just what IS a "reliable report"?

Has nobody considered that this is not really happening and that some servicemen have used it as an excuse when they return late to the base and with their cards maxed-up from a big night out ?

I think this is a reasonable question to ask, certainly not irresponsible.

The trouble with most of the early responses here is that you think the poster is English. While the news article states it is written "in English", it doesn't say it IS English.

The people who wrote this poster didn't think they were writing "in English". They were merely making a persuasive poster with symbols, a known actress, and a clear to understand message written in easy to understand Japanese: "dame, zettai".

From the eyes of the Japanese, is it as bad as you all make it out to be?

Hate to break that self righteous bubble of yours, but the story was posted on JT with the sole intention to have people comment on it. What's the point in keeping comments to ourselves? This site is rife with speculating and theorizing. Keeping opinions to ourselves defeats the whole purpose here.

The guy likely ran because he feared the consequences of his actions. He thought that by running he could get away with breaking the law. Who knows what would have happened, maybe they just wanted to give him a warning? This guys actions are the epitome of selfishness. To put your own life in danger is one thing, but to put others lives in danger just so that you can get away with doing something everyone agrees is wrong - shouldnt garner sympathy. Of course may he RIP, but it didnt have to end like it did. People here have to be accountable for their actions at all times. Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

Hanamasa in Tokyo has huge ones for 1920 yen. Picked one up for the family today.

Fruit or vegetable? What makes you say so?

Nobu is becoming too big.

His place in NY is infamous as is the LA Nobu.

Ahh the good ole days - 2007 :(

Japan, though, is the tech-mad market that...

It must be the same person translating these articles. If I see a news report (advertising?) telling me how "tech mad" the Japanese are again I'm gonna spill my tea. It must be the same person that keeps saying the "hawkish" Prime Minister Fukuda.

Trust me, no Japanese person here has more Apple tech saavy goods than my nephew and his mates back home. Anything Apple they have at least 2 of.

controlled as strictly as the eel industry, the beef industry, the frozen foods industry, the banking industry, the .....

riiiigggghhht.

She must be rolling in the cash these days.

you know ya think one would get tired of seeing her advertising everything yet her appeal still shines on me...go figure???

I hope she milks it for all it's worth and enjoys every minute of it.

Thanks for the headsup magpie and Yikes. It is hard to figure out the differences.

Will my unlocked Blackberry Pearl now work here? I was told that Softbank cards would work, but they don't. Wonder if the Docomo cards will work?

JR said security cameras, which were designed for shinkansen trains, have been installed in trains on these local lines as well since the rapes were reported.

Nothing is wrong until something goes wrong. Good timing JR.

"The emperor told Wen then that the government decides on the royal family’s foreign trips, a palace spokesman said."

Japanese for "NO". Classic J diplomacy.

I agree with Altria - what a useless advertisement? Certainly doesnt make me want to go out and buy the book. Tickle the taint a bit and give us an example or three?

Got rats in the attic? Get some of the sake made with snake - the kind you can find in Okinawa (or China etc). Put it in a spray bottle and spray it all over the attack and let it dry. The rats will smell the snake and they wont come round anymore. An old temple trick ;)

Hiko,

I'm not sure why you addressed me specifically with your post but I thank you for your attention none the less.

Hey, if you think news (with or without columns) in the "free world" (not sure what this means) is objective and not bias than we agree to disagree - simple. I suppose you think the Mainichi Shinbun and the Yomiuri Shinbun dont post news stories to satisfy their own differing political views? The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian in the UK, Globe 'n Mail and National Post in Canada - each representing differing political views and spewing their doctrines in "news"papers. Media and Olympics are largely about politics and power. I'm not saying I like it this way, it's just the way I see it.

If you think the olympics and politics are separate than once again we agree to disagree. In an ideal world the olympics would be purely about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in sport. I would much prefer them to be like this, however our forefathers have created a different olympics over the decades. They have created an olympics about politics/power, business/money and - sport. We can complain about "the system" until the sun comes up, but that doesnt change what the olympics are today.

Dubya, with all due respect:

"Not sure which part of the mountains you come from, but anyone with the most basic education will read into the current anti-Beijing Olympics media spin" Your argument relies on personal attacks - the first sign of weakness.

"It is not a ‘thought-provoking’ article" Thank you for correcting me, clearly I'm not educated enough to have an opinion or to know what provokes my thoughts.

"It [the article] is biased and sensationalist" I challenge you to find one news story/piece of journalism ANYWHERE that doesn't have bias. We all have bias - sheesh talk about basic education.

"Metropolis should be ashamed of publishing an article based on one man’s biased political view of the world." See #3 above.

I agree that the headline is sensationalist - my guess is that it is intended to be so.

Why should JT be shameful when they are reporting the opinions of a large part of the public? I really wouldnt be surprised if some countries do boycott the games - whether it's right or not is a different story.

Get with the times folks - like it or not, the Olympics are about 3 things, politics, business and sport.

I thought this was a very rare thought provoking article. Not the usual drivel we expect from JT.

I am the egg master. I am the walrus.