kyoken comments

It is not only Japan that is in this malaise. Just look towards the number 1 and the unseen number of unemployed there are. With the wake of China and India (which we rich nations woke), the system has been knocked over.

We can no longer live a comfortable life on the shoulders of other nations and unless we all reduce our expectations and focus on more important things as pure consumerism, there will only be one direction for us: down.

“When you fight, the man should apologize.”

Japan's families are doomed with this kind of "professional" advices.

But luckily for us all, terrorist are very rare and more importantly they are incapable idiots. If they would be intelligent, they would blow up the long line in front of the security checks.

So what we do is paranoid. The money would be better spent on preventing the number one death cause: cardiac arrest ...

... or protecting us from lightening strikes as more people die during the thunder storm season than by terrorist.

All this security theatre serves only two purposes a) to serve as cover-your-ass tactic for the man in charge of security and b) to sell more placebo high-tech equipment.

Guess most children know more about circumventing filter "services" than their parents know about having them set up. And as filter services only give a sense of safety they are not complete and not secure; education is the key.

That's not correct. China needs a prosperous environment in the area, except Japan. It's Japan who needs a peaceful environment with Japan to keep its standard of living.

And these twin sisters show why its time to say "good by Japan", your myths of strength and speciality no longer work: edition(dot)cnn(dot)com/2010/BUSINESS/11/11/obama(dot)twin(dot)sisters(dot)japan/

bye bye ...

These demonstrators had better go home and start learning Mandarin and Cantonese.

Sad, but true.

So what should the airline do for ME when some wisp of a human in front wants to stretch out as if on a living room couch and lean their seat right back into my knees? (although my knees were ALREADY pushing into the back of his seat when it was UPRIGHT!)

There are a number of options: a) Fly an airline with more legroom (there are online lists) b) ask for the seat next to emergency exit on wings c) fly premium economy or higher.

If one is outside the human standard she will always have problems. If you are too long, you will not fit into a small car, beds come seldom longer than 2 meters, suits are too short, shoes to small.

Bottom-line: you are always charged more if you fall outside the norm; why should air travel be different?

Clean and safe public spaces in Tokyo reflect and reinforce a level of social harmony and respect for others that are startling to Americans and Europeans.

The authors words mirror the sorry social state of the US best expressed as "Me, me and me first".

As for Europeans, I do not agree. Where I come from we still look after each other and we oppose what is called "Americanisation". I am more startled at the coldness and lack of human interaction one sees in Tokyo; in other words the growing problem of むえんしゃかい。

Except that once you peel off the top layer of jingoism, you usually find that the average nationalist puts self well before country. They want others to do the hard work, make the sacrifices, provide the cannon fodder.

Well said. All this demonstrating is about making forget ones pathetic state of self confidence. As they have achieved nothing in life, they need the country to be great so that they can feel better.

Interestingly all reports on this "demonstration" of 3000 (Google writes of 4000) report about women as the most unreasonable and nationalistic. And so is my Japanese wife.

But if they would be as nationalistic as they claim to be, they would have more babies so that Japan can once again conquer the world .. or at least produce more Nintendo games and Toyotas.

3.000 out of 30 Million living in Tokyo; is there any significance other than a cheap headline for media like JT?

ratters

Yasu, known for her love of cooking, tried her hand at making some octopus balls herself after which the gathered press asked her who she would like to have feed them to her

Always the same dumb question of the press.

Kitsch.

And if you did get everything you want, would that be a good thing?

Interesting women; and no it would not be a good thing to get all one wants, the history of Rome tells us.

The myths and demons the neo-conservatives have created are hunting us.

Spot on Japanoob; let JT do the speculation.

Has anyone seen anything that helps?

I am not convinced of this western understanding. A lot of young people are looking exactly for the cosy relationship with their company, the life-long employment the Japan Inc. is famous for.

Furthermore my centuries long experience in Japanese companies showed me that most Japanese had not been the tough guys they are portrayed now. Out of obligation they had put in long overtimes, just as they do today.

What has changed are the chances these young people get, with nearly 70% of all workers under 35 in low paid unsecured temp-jobs. That doesn't necessarily mean that the people have changed, but that the industry is failing them with insufficient possibilities for a "proper" job.

This is a perfect place to grow marijuana.

When I say some 20 something year old, driving around in his car with a manga figure, I just had to laugh!!

I have a 40 year old Japanese friend (father of two kids) who does the same. He even gets all exited to see new manga figures in the convenience store and "must" buy them.

Do these idiots every study science?

The meeting is not about protection of ecosystems but to protect cheap access to fish stocks, clean water and other resources we over consume.

Why did JCG captured the Chinese fishing boat?

It was a direct order by Maehara.

Japan also asked China to unblock the export of rare earths and reopen talks on the joint development of gas fields in the East China Sea, Maehara said,

An EU investigation has found no evidence of the claims by Maehara, hence there is no blockage of rare earth materials, neither pure nor pre-processed.

It's safe to say that the Japanese foreign minister is becoming a real problem for the government with his constant claims that later turn out to be "on shaky ground" at best.

Furthermore one can only wish JT would not only reprint "news" from certain sources, but actually get involved in investigative journalism checking all claims before printing.

When are we leaving this medieval display of muscle play behind and start seriously talking to each other. All I see is the American driven neo-conservative mystification of illusive enemies.

In some generations people will look back and wonder what the logic of all this aggressive war talk and display of power was, like we now look back to the times before WWII.

Biohazard attack!

We’re not Japan.

Japan, it seems, has become the negative role model for the whole world.

a drum washing machine that features superior cleaning power to other drum-style machines

That's a bold statement; any proof?

That wouldn't have been possible 10 years ago. Japan is in a desperate situation, but hope dies last.