Kyle Alpert comments

OMOTENASHI is just code for "follow suspicious folk around, pretending to be helpful". Mie is a place with a long history. And in Japan, that's not necessarily a good thing Ninja, Magical Fairy Goddesses--there are lots of secrets to protect. The culture is intensely paranoid but they mask it quite well: OMOTENASHI. I spent some time in Mie a few years ago (Tsu, mostly) and immediately noticed how much stiffer their TATEMAE is compared to elsewhere.

I found myself wondering if that is what the people working at Disneyland feel like, under those sweaty costumes: secretly hating each and every one of us, but forced to wear a fake smile all day while speaking like cartoons.

As for the tourist spots, our host dragged us around to view various moss-covered rocks and of course the famed Ise Shrine. Admittedly, the latter does have a certain charm, but good luck getting real explanations out of people.

And that's really what I found most off-putting about it all: Mie is supposedly home to all this wonderful fairy magic but none of the cultural treasure is visible, accessible, or even well-understood by the townies. The rest of Japan has culture that is both relevant and accessible--even Hokkaido has done well to develop their own style.

Mie is just... meh.

It's simple: Jpop stars fail to get the same "upgrades" as their Western and Korean counterparts. Most Western pop is really just pre-porn. I bet if JPop wisened up to that, itd be a big hit. Just look at the popularity of Jporn, where there's respectable "T" and passable "A", and age appropriate sexiness.

Imagine that... KiraKira48"! Bet that'd make everyone's day! :)

Crown Prince handles himself they way the rest should. He makes a statement urging his nation to quietly pass on the truth, and everyone interprets it as leftist. Lol Restated, he's saying it's grandparents' duty to pass on history, because books and media are enemy propaganda. The only rebuke for Abe is that he's being too noisy. If Abe heeds the Prince's message, then expect a high degree of super awesome doublespeak.

Many of the comments, while mostly valid, are absolutely misinformed regarding unions. Germany, a country with extremely strong unions, is both strong in terms of growth AND working-class living standards.

The problem isn't unions. Its the parasite 'investor' class demanding an increasingly larger share of the nation's wealth. Germany has some extremely wealthy individuals, but they all reinvest it back directly into Germany.

This reinvestment takes on many forms, including: higher wages, vocational training, lower rental rates, etc.

The anonymous hero, who originally wrote Bitcoin, was also good with logics. You see, that used to be a prerequisite for programmers; however, now, modern packages serve as crutches that weaken the programmers development of logics.

This man, hero or not, seems to be very clever: a good user of logics. Banzai. That Newsweek writer needs to have her sources investigated. This article was a hitjob, or meant to induce one: so the logics.

As his name implies, he was and forever will be known as a HERO. RIP Onoda HIROO sensei, the story of your passing will allow a new generation learn of the values for which you fought.

I wish I could have met him. His words, that we should think calmly about the past, think about the 100s of years of oppression that came crashing down due to efforts of souls like his. Think calmly about why 2 previously introverted nations would so quickly and completely raise the flags of war; think about the power of the convictions, that allowed 2 nations to take on the World and emerge on top, even after 'defeat'.

'Religious', no; intransigently dogmatic, YES.

Religion is not a huge factor here, because the lessons that most religions seek to teach are already deeply embedded into their culture. You just have to pay attention: they honor Job, Jesus, Cain/Enoch, and even Moses/Seth (to a lesser extent); they fear/give-due-respect-to Lillith/Eve/Abel...

Japanese are anything BUT ignorant, when it comes to religion.

You forgot to quote the first line: 'There is minimal overlap between European and Japanese agriculture'

We are talking about high quality fermented foods and manufactured tech & fasion. Europe produces an Ultra High-end class of product that would sell well in Japan, due mostly to their being no viable substitute. JFarmers have no worry.

German, Scandinavian, Italian... These create a far different impression than 'American'. Japan deserves better, for Japan and fro Japan. And EU free trade is the way to get it.

There is minimal overlap between European and Japanese agriculture. Same goes for automotive, at least in the countries that matter. This will only get held up, if undue attention is given to the interests of the economies who're currently being propped up by said countries that matter. Indeed, quality goods fom Japan's natural allies should sell quite well once prices drop. Japanese like trusted quality and goods with a soul.

Japanese deserve another perspective on 'the West' better than America. They deserve to be reminded that some Westerners share their values.

Lets not forget that Snowden was also a 'contractor'. People concerned with security issues should think deeply about this. The bulk of actual spy work is conducted by private citizens, acting based on ideological interests. There are members of cult, religious, or fraternal organizations who provide access or do favors for their 'brothers' without knowing any of the details.

Contractors are only a small part of the problem and are easy to deal with compared to the hundreds of (potential) agents infiltrating Japan annually as 'students' and 'language teachers'.

This is amazing. And the naysaying commentators are just further proof of how far beyond the Japanese are. Single minded determination, to protect the pride & peace of mind of those you care about... 'Head chala, nothing can stop me now'

This story is not about belief in others, its about understanding of your self. This is 'YAMATODAMASHII'. Thank you, Nippon.

The public is not being lied to. Officials are saying what needs to be said, and the public is understanding what needs to be understood. This is Japan. Everyone is doing their best to manage a complex situation. The public understands this. Go test this on the street: the only ones outraged are foreigners.

Maybe France should lighten up about the Holocaust? In France, people get jail time for saying/doing anything that 'minimizes' or otherwise makes light of WW2 atrocities. For France to talk about its culture of free speech, etc... disgusting.

Japan is committed to preserving the (current) world order, and must endure this type of abuse as a result. Notice how noone talks about the world prior to rise of DAI NIPPON? Notice how noone points out the simple fact that Japan's actions broke the back of an evil, EVIL system that brutalised & abused most of the world's population for 100s of years--including (especially) China? The Japanese all (quietly) know they're dealing with a bunch of pathological ingrates. The Japanese all (quietly) know the Truths about many, many things... And they keep quiet, because to do otherwise would forever destroy this era of (relative) peace. The world needs to be reminded of the promise and potential of the thing called 'civilization', and the 2020 Olympics will be the perfect platform to do so. This is what China fears.

Increasing tensions with neighbours, nationalism on the rise, a nation looking to forge its own path amongst a sea of uncertainty... Anyone else seeing seeing shades of 1936?

The only one I disagree with is 'Intelligent', which to me denotes a certain type of quick-thinking or opportunism, more closely associated with the word KANINGU ('cunning'); KASIKOI is something quite different...

But then, this might be what many here describe as being 'fake'. Most Japanese are simply trying to manage the situation or people around them. Its not 'they are fake', its more like '(to them) you are not real'...

Only good thing about this is the precedent being set, that will most certainly be used against those abuse & benefit from it today.

Many Germans understand this, and some Japanese do too: dutifully accepting relentless abuse is the best way to guarantee that kind, conscientious people one day commit the same atrocities they oppose... in the name of Necessity.

Irrational racism is an old story that Blacks would be better off dropping. No, whats going on is 100% purely rational.

Blacks, and other concerned parties need to understand that. The post above talk about Black failure. Failure to what, fit in? Fit in with a system thats fundamentally unjust? Fit in with a system that is predicated on creating and spreading misery to everyone who doesnt fit in?

Black socioeconomic statistics are evidence of one thing: Blacks fundamentally reject the basis of that which the US promotes as 'civilization'.

And why shoudnt they? Even the black president is stymied and treated with the utmost disrespect and distrust. And thats the point: if not even the Black president can escape the ditch thats been dug for Blacks, what options do they really have?

And more importantly what do 'they' hope to accomplish and WHY? What is it about Blacks (and their descendants) that is so scary for them?

No, its not irrationality... its indeed quite the opposite.

American racism is such that a half white man, raised in a white household, who only knew white family is seen as 100% Black. Almost as if Blackness is a disease, so that some who is even 1/4th or 1/16th Black was still considered 'a threat'.

Blacks in the US come from many different cultures, but US society paints the same expectations on them no matter what. Once you look Black, then society expects/tolerates certain behavior. And since whites are actually afraid of Blacks, the only acceptable behavior is 'humble' or 'subservient' or 'self-debasing'... its disgusting to watch. Blacks seem to be superior to whites in so many ways, even their sense of rhythm denotes a intuitive/instinctual understanding of higher order maths. And their behaviours seem to be dictated by logic, far more so than whites. In fact, isn't that one of the major criticisms of B.Obama? He is too 'cool' or logical? Again, its disgusting to watch how people with so many gifts can be undone by such stupidity. Many Blacks will complain about society trying to hold them down, but never stop to think about the individual-level strategy being employed. They assume the irrationality is the nature of whites, and never think about it as a strategy. Also, Blacks never seem to catch the true bend of the racial cues coming out of Hollywood most recently, that hyperlogical machines or androids are threatening to rise up, and erase 'our way of life'... Racism in the US is complicated, yes, but mostly due to lost/destroyed/suppressed histories...

Japanese women have more to fear from relationships with married men, cos society and the legal system will hold them responsible for the mans infidelity. In Japan, you are considered responsible for the evil you cause or inspire. In short, the spurned wife can (threaten to) sue the mistress and disgrace her publicly...

Also, in Japanland, married women in their 40s are way over the hill. At least they (are made to) feel that way. This results in the other phenomenon mentioned: these women make easy marks for foreign guys (or vice-versa), for whom the inexperience & hollowness of younger Japanese girls makes them feel especially juevenile; meanwhile, the 40 year old well-kept Japanese woman feels much younger/fresher than her Western counterparts... And she already feels 'discarded' by the world, making her decision to sully herself less difficult.

Or so I've heard...

Now we are getting closer to Truth. US is no longer talking about Agriculture, its now down to Autos and Insurance. And nothing can realistically be done about Autos, so the real target is (and has always been Insurance).

Japanese SAVINGS are what the US is after. Consumer spending is nothing compared to what the US could gain by forcing in the same financial mechanisms that wiped out US savings in 2008.

Japan, however, may have put itself into a difficult position. Peasants focused so much on the threat to agriculture, and automobiles are a dead issue... So, insurance may be the only bargaining chip left... which is EXACTLY what the US wants.

Like Germany, Japan has been too successful for her own good. BEAUTY can sometimes be a sinn, especially when it inspires evil in others. Japan needs to QUICKLY find a way to make its financial industry unappealing. When rape is imminent, victims are advise to claim the have AIDS or otherwise make themselves disgusting to their attacker.

I am sure Japan already recognizes the gambit. Though, there are some here who would welcome financial rape, as it probably be the fastest way to make the public flip out, and embrace the more dramatic changes that Abe, Isshihara, Hashimotokun have been pushing for... Interesting.

People should probably pay attention to the cloning research. The motivations attributed to the Japanese are laughable. Noone ever said the stated research objectives were the only objectives. And Japan is not required to elucidate further.

The law has no 'spirit'. It was created as is, to allow exceptions for those willing to go far enough to abuse them. That's a basic understanding for all laws or obligations, religious and civil.

And I suspect the people arguing against Japan know this better than most. Whaling, like many many other things Japanese do, serves multiple purposes. And like many many other things Japanese do, there is no obligation to share more than the minimum.

Japan has fully complied with her obligations under the current regime. And everyone knows this.

The real reason Japan is whaling, and why certain parties oppose said whaling, is something that cant be discussed publicly: basically, Japan is both monitoring the global ecosystem and storing biological samples, in anticipation of a major global catastrophe.

ales arent the only rapidly depleting resource that the Japanese have been buying up and storing. Other examples are Mediterranean fishing stock, which are being handled by Mitsubishi.

ales provide vast information about the status of the global ecosystem, and Japan is not at all obliged to share this information with the savages who know about the dangers and continue to violate OUR world.

Japan, as always, allows itself to be called a villain, to protect the pride/sanity of those ignorant of or denied Truth.

This court case is a farce designed to coerce Japan into revealing what they know about the (future, bad) situation. This, of course, will never happen; karma must be allowed to play out; and so we are left with a less well defined, but equally valid purpose.

Xbox ONE, always on, always online, always monitoring your activities, (and with Kinect) always monitoring your actions. Lol Given Microsoft's position in the online space, you can bet all that data is being piped right into PRISM servers. And in typical fashion, Japan dodges it all by going the low tech 'oh solly, we no sophisticate like you' route...

Now, all they need to do is make it available in assorted flavours...

Lol Google indirectly warned about this 2 years ago when they urged all users to read the new Terms Of Service, wherein it was stated that Google sends data to 3rd party AGENCIES for 'processing'. Or did people really NOT expect this, after Bush tachi proposed and then backed away from their 'Total Information Awareness' plan?

This is travesty. Stats dont lie: this is indeed a military reality.If only there were some organized system, whereby service men could relieve their sexual tensions...

Hashimoto san et al are hitlarious. The unspoken message revolves around the phrase 'ease the burden of hosting the Americans'. And any acknowledgment of this request confirms the Americans see it that way too.

It also serves as a vehicle for certain circles to ridicule the current state of the US military: 'so much attention, drama, and resources for something so utterly useless. Typical.'.

Really, what better way to drum up public support for remilitarization than to highlight unacknowledged failings of tour would-be protectors?

The point here is, that having strict laws can & will result in THE CHILD feeling that parents are fighting over & being because of it. The last thing a child needs to witness is hostilities between the parents, or even police. This way, though seemingly harsh, forces the RATIONAL/civilized partner to be more thoughtful in dealing with the (m)other. Observe the well-documented emotional scarring that takes place in jurisdictions that encourage direct & often protracted conflicts (eg: USA). People need to learn to limit conflict, either through cooperation or civilized retreat, if not the parents, then at least the children...

These large financial institutions, these global 'facilitators', are giving Japan a preview of Japan's future, should TPP be allowed to open/expose Japanese savings/investment accounts. Seizing accounts over 100,000EUR along with the anti-democratic restrictions on commerce highlight the true nature & goals of 'globalization'.

The story hasnt changed in over 500 years: first they abuse (trade) relations, then follow-up with violence; first they push dreams of mutual betterment through unity & equality, then they use the system to enslave/oppress the population. Some might even say this has been going on for far far longer...

Cyprus, Czech, Ireland, Spain... its amazing how these populations have allowed their dreams to be abused & stolen so brazenly. Even Germany isn't safe from the plundering, having their assets transferred out to pay for the rest. Where does all the money go, and for what is it being used?

any case, Japan has done wisely to avoid all the nonsense that has been plaguing the West (and her Allies) for so long. I hope that somewhere, on some level, this Cyprus/EU/Global financial situation is being monitored, because we all know whats coming next...