jforce comments

Convenience stores in Canada are awful. Even the chains are independently run and are really messy. Prices always change, too. They are just lotto-addict depots with staff that are usually rude and don't speak decent English. The best convenience stores were the old 7-11s which there are so few in Ontario anymore. I love the Japanese standard of service (sorry about the low pay though) and cleanliness. Bringing anything of influence from North America is not a plus at all. Go away Couche-turd!

Going to get worse out there. Things are not easy for most of the foreign workers in Japan. They make little money and are exploited. I hope they get deported, but there are deeper issues at hand here.

Ditto. See ya.

It's a really cringe sport. Lots of fake hype, and a really outdated dance culture. The people who are keen on this must've had an odd upbringing. I think only Asians and a few oddball Euro countries like this. Umm, time to move on. How about we bring JARTS into the Olympics? It's another 70s/80s fringe activity.

The Olympics really needs to quash the skateboarding and BMX, too. It's far too fringe and little kids are participating in what should be a young-adult to adult competition. Just weird.

Christa was born here and should be the story. She’s been through a lot with the Japan Judo Association. Unreal finish for her and for Canada.

What kids get a month off of school? Not the junior or high schoolers. They still go there for practice tests, study projects, or clubs.

RIP Onishi Sensei.

The binge drinking is pretty bad though. I wouldn't want this as a regular thing in my area either. No problem with public drinking, but loitering is the issue.

I'd love to have this service available. You've gotta hustle to make money, but the service is great and convenient. With all the inaka people aging and not being able to drive this could solve a lot of problems with elderly drivers and also with bus or taxi service in rural areas. Not to mention service to all the tourists that want an Enlgish-speaking driver.

I see more advantages with this.

As said above: work-life balance needs to be fixed and maternity/paternity more widely accepted as the norm (maybe make it law).

If you have private insurance with regular health insurance, costs are minimal, if not zero. Yes, all this is for those who can afford it, so making it free across the board is a decent step forward after the above is accomplished with it.

Sadly, this won't save the decline but may help some.

How about divorces where one of the parents is not a Japanese national? Does this apply?

Great roast for the most part. Nice to see uncensored and unfiltered humour is back. All you sensitive people out there need to watch and see that all types of people can take a joke about anything. Nothing is taboo to joke about.

Tourism is off the charts and not everyone is reaping the benefits of it. It takes measures like these from companies to try to quiet the locals who don't really want any tourists there. I get it. They are sick of all tourists, not only those from abroad (not the G-word some of you use here). The Japanese tourists are just as bad at all the major spots around Japan - especially all the suburbanites and big-city dwellers. They litter and have awful manners in public and on the road. Lots of xenophobia is being created as usual.

No bookie would take that much of a IOU. Ohtani is guilty and I am sure the MLB don't want their golden boy going away. Baseball is a dying sport in the US. Mizuhara will tell the feds the real truth.

It's all an image game now. Team Ippei all the way. Shohei knows exactly what happened and they must've bet on things together, or even solo. Bookies keep their records and there is no account of app use out of state. All seems sushi (fishy).

Going to a bookie is not easy, and then calling to place bets is so time-consuming. This whole thing is fishy. Are there transactions out of state on some of the betting apps? Did Ippei do it? The big thing here is it could be Shohei doing all the betting. I can't wait for the investigation.

It's hard for any foreign worker to move up in any government field or company, let alone make a decent wage unless you go the independent way. I'd say if you stay, make your own business after some experience in any field - otherwise, you are just wasting a lot of time and effort.

Also, getting a solid construction skill for home repair, maintenance, or building is a great way to secure a career. As this population gets less and less skilled workers, there are far more opportunities for employment that lasts.

Uber will be priced as high as taxis, so as not to take business away from the dinosaurs.

Poor guy probably can't cook, he's down on his luck and stressed out. At least the mom could make him a nice breakfast! Maybe with a happy full belly, he'd be in a better mood to find a job.

I can see the local governments needing tax revenue with the population declining and fewer locals to pay for infrastructure. It seems like this is going to be the way for other areas of government spending, too. Bleed tourists (not only foreign) for a little money and cover your budget.

I feel bad about all these service taxes. As if the airport taxes weren't bad enough for those of us who need to travel out of here occasionally. Now, we get nailed when we want to go skiing, too. Ugh

Hey if the nerds bring in money to an area, then go for it. Looks better than a normal manhole cover, too.

Why is this article here? It's about streaming in the States. Wouldn't it be helpful if you posted an article with where and how to stream in Japan?

As mentioned above, JSL classes are the best way to go. Growing up in Canada, we had ESL immersion programs at every level - and that was the 70s!

We are doomed.

Uh-oh. Slippery slope.

It's really sad. I've noticed that most locals in Inaka are pretty sick of foreign tourists. I hear it all the time. Taking up spaces in hotels, giant suitcases on trains, wandering around the streets, and not being able to speak English to them. It sounds nuts, but I hear the complaints. Just wait for ski season is what I told them. All I got as a reply was "ya-da-ne". The shine has worn off and Xenophobia has reared its ugly head yet again.

They really don't want the business and these garbage measures to raise train fares will do nothing. As many of you have already pointed out - you've just screwed the local population. Thanks gov!

There are lots of dodgy dealers and Big Motor is one of them. They took me for a lot with an A/C gas leak, and broken rear camera. I've never trusted a dealer since. I take my cars to a local guy that appreciates the work and cares about his customers. I recommend finding a local guy over the corporate douches.

I wish there were a site to let us know which platform a lot of new shows would be in here, in Japan. HBO and Paramount + shows are loned out to a few different services here. And, we all know Netflix and Hulu aren't always the same as North America.

Everyone has a bad day. Being a clerk in a convenience store is not easy with all the riffraff and annoyances coming in. I side with the clerk.

Finally some good news.