Kent D Hatashita comments

Amen to that! Keep all ---48 groups out of the Olympics!

The institute said it is expecting the peak season to occur from the beginning of January and into the first half of February.

Sounds about right. Just after the big holiday travel rush when all types of mass transit (overnight buses, trains, and planes) are packed with people breathing recycled or otherwise non-fresh air and the masses at all rest stops along the expressways. Then, we all go back to our jobs where we can continue to spread the virus.

Abenomics or like one commenter referred to it "Absession" (as in recession), sucks! I hope the LDP suffers a BIG loss in the upcoming elections. Get tat party out of office (I know I'm dreaming)! Real income has decreased since his policies took effect. OK so we're going to raise the comsumption tax by 3% to 8%. All right, but has anyone else noticed that most companies took that opportunity to increase their prices by 5-10%? Also, I don't know about you, but I sure haven't gotten a raise! Maybe if I do like Kuroda did and just ask my company to play along I'll get a raise. NOT!!!

pushing prices higher and the value of Japan’s currency lower....Profits of big exporters have surged, thanks to the weaker yen, but higher costs have hit households and smaller companies. Despite some wage increases, many ordinary Japanese feel less well off than before, thanks to longer-term declines in wages and purchasing power. He also has promised to slash corporate taxes beginning next year...

In others words, the richest are getting richer an the poorest are getting poorer. In a country were the vast majority of people were middle-class not 25-30 years ago, thanks for increasing the salary gap Abe! Abenomics sucks!

http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/obuchi-being-touted-as-japans-first-female-pm

Funny how this comes to light just after another report of her being touted as possibly Japan's first female PM. This seems to be a reoccurring theme in Japanese media/politics. Smear campaign anyone?

I think this may be part of the cause for Mr. Perfect's and B.B.Q.Demon's critique of your post. I think that all four of us share the same conclusion- that this is a bad idea, but they way in which it was written, statements that can be interpreted as opposing views, leaves room for critique.

"Fukushima authorities said Tuesday they wanted the Olympic torch relay to pass close to the crippled nuclear plant when Tokyo hosts the 2020 Games, despite uncertainties over radioactive contamination there."

Be my guests Fukushima authorities. This proposal sounds like it was made to mirror the spirit of TEPCO's totally irresponsibility.

“We wish to have a torch relay here so that the status of our reconstruction can be conveyed accurately,”

What reconstruction? Would you like to move there even with reconstruction? Here's an equation- Fukushima=Chernobyl's big brother

"He (Mori) also said untrue rumors about safety in the area should not prevent Olympians from having a training camp there."

Oh, heck no! How much you want to bet the Japanese Olympians won't have there training camp anywhere near Fukushima?

"Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowing that the nuclear crisis was “under control”."

A flat out LIE!

WTH! This guy seems to do what ever he wants! Let's make it illegal to disclose state secrets so no one in the public will know what's really going on at Fukushima and those in the know will be sent to jail for public disclosure, increase the sales tax so the ordinary family finds day to day living more of a financial burden (under the guise of necessity to inject money into the retirement funds for retirees), and oh while we're at it, let's decrease corporate tax so the richest of the richest can become even more wealthy! Sounds so similar to Reganomics in the 80's it's sickening! Look at what that did to the US.

She fabricated/plagiarized results and is lying to cover, plain and simple. Who gives a heck what she looks like? In academia, credibility is everything when publishing research and if you foul your name it's basically impossible to reclaim. If the institute wants to keep its credibility they shouldn't have compromised.

So, by the article's logic since I'm from the States where this is a big hit I should like this music? Bad logic, worse song.