JDoe comments

Denny's Japan really sucks. US Denny's is so much better, Im really disappointed everytime I go in one.,. only thing I get there is the Club Sandwich.

Another ancient tradition that has outlived any usefulness. Good riddance.

No surprise at all. People are people and Japanese are the same as anyone else, There are wonderful Japanese and scumbag Japanese.

If the bases were to pull out, how would the Okinawans support themselves?

This just isn't true. Returned land is always developed as soon as it returned and the economy grows improves in those areas.

IMO Okinawa should be designated a unaccompanied duty station with no spouses or dependas allowed. That would be a great start to reducing the impact on Okinawans.

Any man that abuses/assaults a woman, child, or senior is scum. Doesn't matter where he's from, what language he speaks or god he worships.

Japan is very LOUD! Old people are loud, school students are loud, train stations are loud, train announcements are loud, markets and stores are LOUD. Singling out ONLY people (usually younger) that wear headphones is total BS ... how about a poster telling old people to stop SCREAMING at each other in public!!

Energy prices dropped 6.6 percent from a year earlier, helped by the government's support programs and stabilizing crude oil markets.

This just isn't true. Elect, gasoline, LPG, Kerosene all up from last year.

I've reduced energy costs at least 20% by investing in a few solar panels and home batteries.

It's been shockingly easy to save money, even while energy prices continue to increase.

I luv living in Japan, but one of the biggest issues/problems here is the systemic misogyny. Till the issue are seriously addressed in may areas (work, school, media, gov) by politicians and corporate leaders.... birth rates will continue to FALL.

Senseless and preventable. Self driving vehicles can't get here soon enough.

Not surprising since many/most Japanese (esp females) act like sunlight is equal to life threatening radiation. They do everything imaginable to avoid/prevent direct sunlight at any costs. ;-(

My utils dropped JPY5,000 last month by cooking on the BBQ in the yard (burn wood cut from my trees), buying 2 small 100w solar panels and small 600wh battery and making a solar oven to cook in my sun room.

If you have sunshine, no need to pay the full/outrageous TEPCO/util fees.

wallaceToday  09:15 am JST

JDoe

what is the cost of kWh indicated on your bill? What is the kWh cost of the total bill divided by the total kWh?

I've tracked all my bills in a spreadsheet for the last 4 years. The only reduction/trend I see is when I/we use less energy and when I recently invested in solar equipment, made a solar oven, and started cooking outside on my BBQ.

Why should I/we have to do the math to justify whether or not the Gov is doing what it says it will do? It should be clearly stated... '20% GOV subsidy' on each and every statement. Its not... so I and prob many others are skeptical.

This conversation is kind off topic & prob will be deleted so I wont respond any further.

> wallaceToday  08:17 am JST

Everyone receives a monthly meter reading and then a monthly charge. All items are listed on that including the 20% deduction.

My KEPCO bills show it. But we have bottled gas so we don't get that one.

Thanks Wallace but I just checked both of my monthly statements and there is absolutely no mention of a supposed '20% subsidy'.

Sorry, but I cant believe or take it seriously just because of gov influenced media proclaims 'The JGov is Helping!'.

wallace

Today 07:55 am JST

January until September the government is paying 20% of monthly power bills and also city gas.

How can I see this on my monthly statement??? If it's not cleary shown on our statements how do we know it's really true? Do we just have to believe NHK, no thanks.

I'm investing in solar/wind and conserving energy but not because of the Japanese government incompetence. I'm doing it because I don't want to pay TEPCO any more than I have to going forward.

Good for economies, bad for environment.

I'll keep wearing mine on public transport & in crowds. Don't GAF what anyone else thinks.

It's my choice so none of anyone else's business 'why' me & others choose to continue wearing them.

If Putin is successful in Ukraine, Maldova is the next independent country to fall, plans are already in place. So does the world 'mind its own business' and give up Ukraine & then Maldova (similar as it did to Hitler), or does the world stand up the psychotic/delusional bully this time before it spirals out of control. Many things I posted about several days has come true... even the posts that were deleted by moderators... volunteers, freedom fighters, and weapons flooding into Ukraine.

At some point each person, each of US may have to decide 'what if that were my country being invaded by Putin, my friends, my family suffering & dying'. Hopefully it doesnt come to this but simply ignoring Putins war, wont be an option for any of us if war continues to spread in Europe. Yes, I am beginning to lose sleep.

btw - China is watching who stands up & who remains seated

marcelito:

Just to clarify; Im not saying the US is, was, has ever been perfect. I am not naive nor an ideologue.

My point is simple: Comparing Cuba to NATO or the Ukraine is asinine.

What about Russia placing some missiles in Cuba, a la 1962? I wasn't around then but "something," tells me the US didn't like it one bit.

A valid point indeed.

Not the same.

Ukraine has already given up its nuclear weapons and has singed several agreements/treaties with Putin. Still Putin annexed Crimea, supports/funds rebellions in two regions of Ukraine, and now directly invades the entire country.

The US did not/has not directly invaded Cuba, not at the time of the crises nor in the 60 years since then.

Cuba happened what 60 yrs ago, yes history & needs to be remembered/studied in proper context, but not really applicable right now and definitely not in comparison to Ukraine nor NATO.

Japan does & should care about what is happening in Ukraine as it a very real model for what would happen in Taiwan if China were to invade. The one major difference is that the US has treaties with Taiwan and would be willing/able to defend them directly.

All other actions being seen now would play out pretty much the same in event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

The longer it goes on, the longer the Kyev government hangs on, the worse it will get for Putin.

Finally heard it on an Indian news channel from a senior retired RAF officer; CIA is absolutely already at work, guerilla/insurgent fighters are mobilizing in the region outside Ukraine, and handheld Stinger ground to air missiles are without a doubt on the way to Ukraine.

This should be the beginning of any/all anti Russian factions in Europe to begin moving into the western border areas of Ukraine. Those anti Russian factions financed & armed by the west for a proxy/asymmetric war in Ukraine. Very real possibility this is going to get very messy. ;-(

NATO must do everything in it's power to support, defend the Ukrainian people and their democracy. Even if it escalator to full scale war.

No sympathy. Stop traveling abroad, period.

Female emperors would be a significant symbol for the advancement of women's rights in a country that insists on dwadling.

Business as usual in Japan.

International travel is the virus best friend. If this new variant is more contagious and vaccine resistant, there is no end in site as long as people keep traveling. ;-(

If you like low infection & death numbers, booster shots should not be an issue or problem. Treatment capsules are also on the horizon.

T

his may be the last winter that COVID will be a serious issue!

Infections are spiking right now across Europe. This may be a mistake to ease travel restrictions just ahead of winter.