johnnygaijin comments

I get stopped , on average , about twice a year , I'm a nondescript caucasian. There is usually a trigger for it, seems that any excuse to stop a non-Japanese is good enough, for example riding my bicycle a little quicker than most "why are you riding so fast?" , crossing on a red signal - cop blows whistle and alerts everyone about the criminal whitey , meanwhile Japanese do the same without reprimand . It's embarrassing, annoying and a waste of time, I was late for work twice due to random stops.

titaniumdi0xide , suicide rates have been falling in recent years. Excuse the pun.

AylerFEB. 09, 2012 - 11:00AM JST So many Japanese men develop a sudden cough when talking to me. Must be something in the air.

I notice the cough reaction as I walk or cycle past Japanese people every time I go anywhere. What is causing this reaction? I am clean and I don't smoke or stink.

I am already a yen millionaire! Being rich is about having the freedom to choose your day, it doesn't even take a million.

What happened to the great Japanese work ethic? Lonely housewives have no one to blame but themselves. Get off your fat bum, get out there and work! "Idle hands are the Devil's workshop".

"citizen2000 Ban bicycles from sidewalk , once on road, you'll see how their dangerous habit will change."

Actually, it is illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk, but everyone does, including the cops, it so it`s ok! The most severe punishment is for cyclists riding on the road in the wrong direction (against the traffic).

Is it just me or do Big Macs seems to be shrinking lately? It no longer deserves the title.

@Gerard van Schip: I suggest you get a job too, one low income for two people is living on the poverty line. Don't blame the gubmint for that.

I would disagree that truckies are bad drivers. I have been riding motorbikes daily here for 15 years and have never had a close call with a truck, in fact I find them very professional, courteous and accommodating on the roads, unlike other bikers who are by far the worst and most dangerous fools I see out there. It seems that about half of the accidents I see involve bikes, especially the little gentsuki 50cc ones. And it has nothing to do with smartphones.

I wonder if the rule for insulation by 2020 is for new buildings or if it is for new and existing ones?

Japan's government could pay off it's national debts pretty quickly if only they would start actively enforcing and fining offenders like this. Plenty of jobs for the unemployed as undercover traffic patrol officers too.

If it's that tough then why not find some other kind of work? Better outcome than "suicide".

I've lived in Japan for a total of 13 years and I can say that some Japanese are indeed bitterly racist based on my own personal experience. I get snide remarks when jogging around the park "nanisuruno,gaijin!" (what the hell do you think you're doing gaijin?") in a very derogatory tone that one might use when addressing a cockroach in the kitchen. I asked for directions once and got "urusaindayo,gaijin!" (get out of my face you piece of .... gaijin!"). Other stuff that happens on a daily basis are things like avoiding you on the trains, coughing and occasionally even spitting as you pass by while walking down the street (if it happens enough you realize that it's not just coincidence, imagination or paranoia), closing the elevator door in your face as you are walking towards the door, giving you the evil repugnant eye for no reason, crossing the street to avoid walking past you, police harassment for walking or cycling while foreign (the latest incident a few weeks ago "you are sweating and riding fast so ..... " four cops surrounded me in front of the public passing by and questioned me about all kinds of trivial rubbish for about ten minutes (it shows the J public that 1.working hard to protect against foreign crime 2. yappari, gaijin are doing bad things in Japan). So yea, some Japanese are pretty nasty towards foreigners. I can live with that, if not I can leave.