Joseph comments

It is a false victory. Japan is an exporting nation. The increased profits are only commensurate with the depreciated currency. Sales volumes have declined. Slowly, down the tubes you go.

Japan is slowly dying. They want to solve their labor shortage by bringing in foreigners, yet they still have a xenophobic attitude towards immigration. Most recently offering a "special" visa for high degree top school applicants. I doubt that any Harvard grad student is going to apply so that he/she can earn 1/3 the pay, live inside a matchbox house and struggle with a foreign language. Good luck with that Japan. What the Japanese and their high regulation controlling ways don't get is the spirit of "Lady Liberty". "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free". A country cannot buy or regulate itself to greatness. All they can do is open up to the world take their chances and let the power of individual motivation take over. Yes, there will be failures and criminals and all the stuff associated with humanity. There will also be brilliance and exceptional people thankful for the opportunity. There will be first generation children who driven by their parents, educate and build a better life than they had. This is Japan's only hope.

Japan is slowly dying. They want to solve their labor shortage by bringing in foreigners, yet they still have a xenophobic attitude towards immigration. Most recently offering a "special" visa for high degree top school applicants. I doubt that any Harvard grad student is going to apply so that he/she can earn 1/3 the pay, live inside a matchbox house and struggle with a foreign language. Good luck with that Japan. What the Japanese and their high regulation controlling ways don't get is the spirit of "Lady Liberty". "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free". A country cannot buy or regulate itself to greatness. All they can do is open up to the world take their chances and let the power of individual motivation take over. Yes, there will be failures and criminals and all the stuff associated with humanity. There will also be brilliance and exceptional people thankful for the opportunity. There will be first generation children who driven by their parents, educate and build a better life than they had. This is Japan's only hope.

These stories do not qualify and have nothing to do with the "Darwin Award". The award is for doing something really stupid to cause your death, not something embarrassing. That stuff could happen to anyone. Could of had sex with his wife and died. Bad article

"But that’s set to change in December when Airbnb plans to roll out a toggle so travelers can opt for search results to display total price, including all fees . Users who don’t toggle the total price display will still see nightly rates only."

Why bother with the "toggle"? The user can care less about anything other than the total price.

On one hand I'm all for democracy, free speech, anti-repression, etc. On the other hand, we, western nations don't need any added competition. Shall we consider letting them continue to do dumb things and keep themselves down? Let them repress, control, remain a "little people" with an isolated ignorant government. Lets not try to teach them how to be a better people and a stronger country. We don't need the competition.

Just a thought.

Pulled into a parking garage at a Las Vegas casino. I was to drop off my family, go park and meet them in the restaurant. My 2 year old in the car seat was with me because it's too heavy for my wife to carry. My son fell asleep while I was looking for parking. The car was silent. I parked, locked the door, and made the long walk into the casino. Inside the parking garage temperatures were 95 F in the summer. So 10 minutes later and fortunately before I got to the restaurant I suddenly remembered. I ran back to the car. Son is still asleep and no one the wiser. Yes, it can happen! Please don't tell my wife.

Every time he fires off a missile he should publish a picture of his face. That way no one will ever perceive him as a threat.

Japan could easily intercept and shoot down those missiles using the US technology that they already have, however, that would expose our hand and reveal our technology. That is why we let them fly, waiting for a real threat. Let Little Kim teach us all about his missiles. The fool is playing chess against the masters.

As of 2022, the Japanese public debt is estimated to be approximately US$12.20 trillion US Dollars (1.4 quadrillion yen), or 266% of GDP, and is the highest of any developed nation. 45% of this debt is held by the Bank of Japan. Japan is still handing out free money in the form of business relief and the new travel program.

And they wonder why the Yen has collapsed. This is just the beginning.

"I was told that COVID spread was caused by the way ferners said "P." I even saw a video that employed a tissue as a prop."

パピプペポぷぴ etc.

"Ryuhei Kaneko, 30, who regularly visits bars in Tokyo's Kanda neighborhood, said he intends to save on food and keep his alcohol spending stable."

Ryuhei is my hero.

Am I missing the elephant in the room? A missile was fired over Japan and they did nothing? Can you imagine what would happen if a missile was fired over the US or over any country in Europe? Like Trump said, "go ahead, fire a missile at Guam and see what happens".

Covid19 did not cause this economic turmoil. It was caused by the political response to Covid19. In the end, those few countries that did little or nothing fared no worse that those who crippled and restricted. The United States dollar is strong because the mentality of Americans allowed a fight against misguided government policies hence less controls and now a stronger faster recovery. If your leaders make decisions anyway the wind blows instead of using vision and common sense, and if the public is too shy or captured, or afraid to walk against the herd and do it for you, then you end up with Japan. 2% inflation is just the start and tourist aren't going to come to a country where everyone is walking around wearing a mask while outside even though they don't know why.

Correction, Prime Minister, same thing.

Abenomics saved Japan's economy in 2012. He also revamped the military. If Abe were still president Japan would have moved past Covid a year ago.

Being an American I can't understand how anyone would deny a former president a state funeral. It's as if the Japanese have no respect for the office if not the man. I felt that Abe was the greatest president Japan ever had compared to these snifflers of late. He was/is the only president anyone in the world could name. Disrespecting the office of president is disrespecting your country.

Masks are permanent in Japan, literally. It is never going to be possible to get rid of them, even if the govt wanted to.

They allow a depressed and stagnant population without hope for the future to hide from human contact. No smiles, no expression, just impassive dead-eyed resignation. A visit to literally anywhere else in the world is a revelation...life still goes on, vibrant public life exists, people talk and eat and laugh and make friends. Everywhere but Japan.

I think this only applies to the old men in charge. Japan needs some young leadership if it's ever going to recover from Covid and its falling Yen.

They still assume Covid is coming from foreigners? Japanese can never grasp the concept that doing nothing is often the best policy. Everything is over thought, over controled and ridiculously complicated. Look what they have done at the airport. They have created a 1000 man jobs program. Just leave it alone Japan. If you had done that from the beginning your Covid problems would be finished by now just like everywhere else in the world but for China and you.

This is going to be very fun to watch over the next few years as their policy drains them of all international business and cripples their economy leading to rebellion.

OR, they know something we don't?? Like after the next 3 mutations the programed virus goes into "life extinction mode"! Now these seemingly senseless efforts make complete sense. NaHahahahha

They can raise the limit to a million and nothing will change untill they eliminate the visa requirement. Crazy Japanese wearing masks while walking outdoors on the street. Fun vacation...not.

Great, I won't have to keep changing the date on that test report I got in 2020.

What he needs to do is honor the visa waiver program.

"Around 39 percent wanted visa requirements to be rescinded"

I doubt that 39% and the other 61% have any idea what they have to go through to get that stupid visa, otherwise, it would be more like 100%.

Japan is disrespecting the mutuality of the visa waiver program.

Sticking to bad policy is worse than the disease.

China hasn't fought a modern war in a hundred years. The US on the other hand goes to war at the drop of a hat. China shuts down their country and locks up entire cities over a few deaths from Covid. The US takes a million deaths like it's nothing and the people still complain about wearing a mask. China talks tough, but they have no stomach for adversity. Not to mention not a single ally who can help them. So good luck with that "to the end" stuff.

This is a problem that is very easy to fix. It's called "immigration".

The core problem is not an aging population. The core problem is an unwillingness to mix their society with foreign immigrants. To the extent where they would even consider the "Soylent Green" route. It's a mental illness.

Of course Japan will survive with a population as low as 70-80 mil. The problem comes from the resulting loss of economic and military streangth. Japan will slowly become irrelevant and vulnerable to stronger surrounding countries. And with in an aggressively changing world, yes possibly cease to exist.

Rising infection rates are a good thing. As we are discovering, this is not going to end until nature runs it's course. Countries like Japan and China, brothers with strict controls are only delaying recovery and spreading out the inevitable misery over a longer period of time. Rip the bandage off and get it over with lest the toll taken in a multitude of other ways becomes far worse than Covid19. Maybe it already is.

Haven't they heard of DNA testing?

What am I missing?

My God, look at what we have become. Totalitarianism fueled panic at it's peak or maybe not it's peak yet. Let's see how far they want to take this hysteria. Regarding the Olympics, why bother watching an event on TV with caged athletes and no spectators.