md2009 comments

Sounds very messy. Anyone know whether foreign spouses of Japanese nationals are allowed to enter either on spouse or tourist visas to travel to Japan with their partners?

What a joke. Of course it will not go ahead as scheduled. Going to be a lot of uncertainty for all of the athletes even if it is postponed until this is over. They are the real victims after so many years of training to time their peak. But let’s also put that into perspective - people are losing their jobs, livelihoods and lives every day. Few are untouched by this. There is no point in being in denial. The only realistic solution is to delay by 12 months and hope by then that this crisis is over.

Probably a smart move. But if this is bring done to try to save the Olympics, there is little chance the Olympics will go ahead on schedule. Even in the unlikely event that Japan is virus free, to bring athletes and fans from all over the world would risk spreading it again both in Japan and in other countries as they mingle and return to their home countries. I just don’t see it as any more than a remote possibility that countries would permit this. Best base is that it will be rescheduled to later in the year. But I would not even bet on that because the virus may well resurface in Autumn.

In other words, better to stay in hotel and risk spreading to other tourists, than to go to hospital where Japanese may be infected?

As with most other countries, the steps being taken will prove to be too little, too late. Governments want the tourist and trade dollars to keep flowing but short term gain may well result in a lot of pain in a matter of weeks or months. Terribly short sighted.

Pity he did not drive away in a Nissan car. That would have been a nice touch and might have even helped boost sales. Even in his escape he shows no regard for the company:)

What he did was illegal and I fear for what this may do to other bail applications by foreigners, but totally support his view that Japan’s system is medieval and unfair. In my own small way I have experienced it myself when I was told once that unless I admitted a traffic offence, the alternative would be many hours at the police station. The Japanese justice system is seriously flawed.

It will be interesting to see what statements Ghosn makes. There will be quite a few current and former Nissan executives who will not be sleeping well in coming days!

It’s controversial, but I for one am happy that maybe this will bring Japan’s corporate and enforcement practices to light on the international stage, and just in time for the Olympics when the eyes of the world will be on Tokyo.

These particles are in the forests and in addition to being carried by water, they obviously get blown away by winds all over Japan. Children (and athletes) may well be breathing them into their lungs in Tokyo and elsewhere, No-one wants to talk about it, and to be fair, there is not much we can do about it now.

"We have failed in the past by employing foreign workers who could not blend in with a different culture," a manager of a metal-products maker wrote.”

Plain old racism dresses up as “cultural” differences.

In most cases whoever comes under this scheme will be treated as second class citizens at best. Unfortunately, Japan is not yet ready to treat foreigners as equals. Unless and until that “culture” (of intolerance) is fixed, this kind of program is destined to fail.

Trying to look at the positive, one reason for this may be that Japanese women are starting to assert themselves and say “no” when faced with traditionally aggressive Japanese male behaviour, particularly in the work place.

Women often have found it hard to say no in Japan. Their expected submissiveness is almost a part of the culture. The popular conception of women as reflected in Japanese popular manga, teen idol girl bands and of course Japanese porn has been of the submissive girl or woman in short skirts or under aged school girls who are play things for Japanese businessmen. Japanese porn movies are filled with girls submissive in the face of aggressive sexual behaviour. These patterns have been mimicked in approaches to sex of a lot of Japanese men who grow up with little time after jukku or work and a lot of internal frustration (as well as a steady diet of manga).

So perhaps the increasing trend to abstinence is pointing to the fact that women want more than that and they are holding out for better quality relationships. If so, that would be a positive.

I have been firmly against his detention and believe this is more of a coup than anything else, but still I think this request by Ghosn was a bit cheeky. There is little need for him to be there other than to somehow try to intimidate the Board or re-state his position. He would likely have tried to ask questions or make statements deflecting to others - that may have helped vent his justifiable frustration, but I don’t see that helping his case.

He should lie low, try to stay calm and fight his case on the merits, then deal with the Board issues if and when he is acquitted.

The timing of this - when Trump is threatening Japan on trade and Putin is being criticised for his actions in Ukraine - tells me that this is more about sending a signal to Trump than anything else. Abe is not so subtly warning that he will move closer to Russia if Trump tries to force Japan too hard on trade issues. A silly and likely ineffective ploy, but that is almost certainly the background.

Abe definitely can’t be seen to be weak on the issue of the Islands right now or he will lose the support of his Nationalist supporters. Nothing is going to happen - all theatrics.

Are you telling me that a huge under reporting like this over many years was not noticed by the company’s Board or Auditor? There must be more to this than meets the eye. With all the corruption and misreporting in Japan, it does look like Ghosn ultimately paid the price for being a foreigner who tried to put Japanese management in their place. Of course, if he did something wrong he should be penalised, as long as other executives in Japan are treated the same way.

And we are to believe that the Olympic facilities will be constructed according to relevant safety standards? Radiation from the Fukushima facility is not yet under control and these types of incidents are common in Japan. I don’t think Japan has shown that it is responsible and accountable enough to hold the Olympics but of course too much time and money is at stake to reverse that now. Let us all pray! And if that doesn’t work...it appears a good “bow” solves most problems!

How many instances of negligence, corruption, fraud and misfeaaance will it take for Japanese people to take to the streets? In the light of Fukushima (on a greater scale) and now this and no doubt other cover ups that affect security and safety yet to be uncovered, should Japan really be holding the Olympic Games? Of course my question is rhetorical - it is going ahead full steam but can Japan guarantee that its Olympic facilities are all earthquake resistant to the highest standards? Few are ever held accountable, and yet the world’s athletes are about to trust their lives to Japanese governance standards. And by the way, are Japanese ambulances fitted with defibrillators yet? Or are they still glorified taxis? I hope that athletes can at least expect fully equipped ambulances when they arrive - that was certainly not the case a few years ago when I lived in Japan. You could be dying in an ambulance waiting for a hospital to receive you, with no-one able to provide life support in the meantime. So much is accepted in Japan. by its wonderful tolerant people who definitely deserve more.

Of course the idea is to spread the risk all over Japan so everyone contributes a bit of “Ganbare!” to the cause. Does anyone trust TEPCO or the authorities on this disaster any more? Who knows what is being covered up, and how many “apologies” will be issued in future. Good to see some locals taking action but I fear it will be too little too late. Radioactive material has already been sent all over Japan. Does anyone really believe that the radioactive content is safe? I feel sorry for the Japanese people who deserve better. As usual, cultural norms deter most people from sticking their necks out to question or protest. And the rest of the World stands by idly.

Governments around the World stand by and watch as lie after lie is exposed. If TEPCO lies about this, what else is it hiding? And how much is the Japanese Government aware of and hiding out of fear of causing panic or losing the Olympics? I have no proof but suspect that things are likely worse than being reported. And meanwhile the Government is apparently sending radioactive waste around the Country for burn off or use as building materials. All said to be “safe”. It is high time that an independent international Body examine this whole mess. But there are too many vested interests who will not wish to rock the Olympic boat. So the cover ups continue.

The truth is that Japanese don’t really like foreigners entering into the market and companies like this quickly find out that people at all levels from employees to suppliers to consumers prefer to shop at locally owned stores and often prefer locally made products. Of course exceptions exist but usually thy offer something special and adapt their management philosophy and marketing to meet local conditions. Call it pride in Japan or racism depending on your point of view. And by the way that is also the reason that all the chest thumping in the world by Trump will not be effective to counter these non tariff barriers that foreign companies face leading most to frustration and eventual exit.

Japanese consumers are probably the losers in the end but as long as that herd mentality remains, and as long as they are happy doing things their way, foreign companies will continue to face these obstacles.

The only relevant fact is that earthquakes could happen in Japan any time, anything else is speculation, perhaps semi-informed but speculation nonetheless and highlighting 30 years gives people a false sense of comfort.

No Govermment agency would be permitted to give a warning of a more imminent likelihood with the Olympics so near.

If the inevitable big one comes during the Olympics then an already historic and likely horrible tragedy would be made that much worse. With much security and resources devoted to the Olympics, I am forced to wonder how Japan would cope, although no doubt the international community would try to help.

And by the way, are Japanese ambulances to be fitted with life saving equipment any time soon? A friend of mine nearly died of an asthma attack while the ambulance had no medical equipment and waited for a foreigner friendly hospital to accept her. I had a similar experience with a heart issue finding that the ambulance had no defibrillators. I am not sure whether that situation has improved but I hope so - I can’t imagine how many Japanese (and other) people have died in ambulances in circumstances where they would have been saved in other first world countries.

I sincerely hope that the whole issue of emergency ambulance and hospital support for non Japanese speakers is addressed before the Olympics and more generally for the benefit of the local population in normal times and times of emergency.

A bit off point but all connected to the issue of preparedness.

I don’t know about the world of politics and journalism, but having worked in the corporate world in Japan, I can attest to the fact that rules of respect often go out the window when there is a work dinner or drinks session. Male executives think nothing of making sexist remarks and groping is common.

In particular, the office female admin staff (OL) is regarded as fair game in many cases and of course women are still regarded as second class citizens in many aspects of Japanese corporate, legal and family life.

This particular offer to other claimants to ambush potential claimants by encouraging them to directly contact the accused’s legal counsel is completely offensive. Why are they not being encouraged to contact their own counsel or the Police?

I’m other words, they are saying... “Come on into the Lion’s den so we can formally apologize, and at the same time warn you of the embarrassment you will face if you take proceedings (and maybe if you are lucky offer you a small sum of money so you go away without going public). Of course, if you decline, we will have to call the boss of your news outlet to advise him of the matter and try to reach a consensus as to who was at fault.”

Based on what I have seen in Japan, the actions here are at the milder end of what goes on under the pretence of alcohol induced “fun”. The situation is far worse in the corporate world where the jobs of women are often implicitly linked to expectations of putting up with sexist comments and actions day in and day out.

Of course America and other Western countries have their issues as the #metoo movement has shown, but there is little chance a similar movement could gain traction in Japan’s sexist and male dominated society.

I should add that there are many decent men in Japan who would condemn this, but unfortunately this type of sexist behaviour is fairly widespread and institutionalised.

I am not a Trump fan - he will no doubt bear the consequences of his actions one day. I do respect Comey’s achievements and past career but I do think he handled the release of information about Clinton badly. I also think he showed lack of backbone at the time Trump privately demanded his loyalty - as I understand it he basically remained silent or replied with an indirect rebuttal that he would be “ honest” when an unequivocally clear statement was called for - giving him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he was trying to show the President the respect that office normally deserves - on the other hand maybe he was trying to protect his job by remaining silent - of course that failed. And now here we have his revenge served up publicly with a hastily released book right at the time Mueller is looking into Trump’s affairs. And apparently written to exact revenge and maximise publicity and proceeds. To me this is a self serving end to a distinguished career, beneath the level of respect he would otherwise deserve for everything he has done for his country. And references to Trump’s similarity to a Mafia boss revealed little we did not suspect about Trump but did reveal an unpleasant side to Comey. I doubt that Trump will bring charges against Comey or that they will succeed, but Comey should not be releasing information about his discussions with the President in this way. If he truly believed that he ought to have resigned on the spot.

He should have stuck to reciprocity imposing the same or equivalent measures on those who impose tariffs or non tariff barriers on the US for the same products or other products with equivalent impact. Instead he starts a war based on “fake” security grounds without logic and just designed to aggravate friendly nations and trade abusers alike. And by the way, you can be sure that Japanese consumers will boycott American products like the plague if America starts to mess with it like this. And nothing Trump will be able to do about that kind of emotional reaction based on National pride. Trump has no idea of the extent to which these factors will play out in the form of consumer reaction in these countries.

@jpn_guy - very informative, I think your answer is the only one anyone needs to read. Unfortunately there is too much racism in Japan and it is easy for foreigors to under-play it because of the "aimai" way Japanese language is used. Japanese lusteners would clearly know what meaning was intended for the reasons you stated.

Every country should have the right to determine who it wants as residents and citizens, and live with the consequences.

The vast majority of Japanese do not want their lives and cultures to change, in many cases reflecting racism, in many cases fear of the unknown or of losing their unique cultural identity which they cling onto as a means of preserving their illusions of superiority.

Maybe there is a little jealousy from among some of those commenting here. Japan manages to maintain a safe and orderly society, while at the same time uncontrolled immigration is causing problems for many Western nations. Once Japan opens that door there is no going back.

Of course, as I said, they will have to live with the consequences of their anti-foreignor bias and aging population. For many Japanese that is better than losing their social cohesion but only time will tell whether practicality will win out.

Their society, their rules. No-one forcing anyone to go there.

Certainly I would encourage those thinking of living in Japan long term to go somewhere else, as they will never really be accepted. Even leaving aside issues such as equality of voting rights, foreignors will always be viewed as second class.

Their country, their rules.

Recall only in its "home market"? If this is the practice for its loyal Japanese customers, you can be assured of the same or worse for those delivered overseas. Nothing less than a global recall will suffice.

Another example of the lack of proper governance endemic in this country - starting with Tepco, how many famous Japanese brands have been affected by some major scandal? If they have escaped under the radar, you can be assured it is only a matter of time. Japan Inc. is rotten to the core. Then again, Korea Inc. and China Inc. are no better.

The main hurdle foreign car manufacturers face is that Japanese are proud of their cars - they may buy European brands and specialty items like Jeep, but Japanese consumers believe in the quality of their vehicles when it comes to your average family car (as they should). Trump needs to be careful, if he starts to get too pushy, all he will do is further encourage Japanese to buy more Japanese products. No way will they buy American if they feel they are being threatened. If and when American cars achieve eqivalent quality of say German made cars they may have a better chance. Japanese consumers like to buy Japanese products, all things being equal - no amount of threats or chest thumping is going to change that. It's a matter of culture and national pride (with just a tinge of "sabetsu" thrown into the mix.)

With every announcement like this you have to ask what is not being told and what spin is being put on it. I am not a scientist, but you can bet this is just a cover so that in future the Government will be able to say that the public was informed. In this case the only story that matters here is that we have melted nuclear cores exposed to the environment that Tepco has no idea how to control. Great. Thanks Tepco, we feel better now!!

Toyota running scared, but all they have achieved is to show that Trump has them by the you know whats. Toyota is a great company, but this kind of tatemae (i.e. BS) approach will not work in the U.S. Releasing investment plans that must have been determined years ago in areas of "improvement" Including head office and .....robotics - that is, research into how to employ less people! I hope Trump keeps tightening the noose until (1) Toyota actually closes a plant in Mexico (2) American companies ( not only in the automotive industry but in others such as pharmaceuticals etc.) have equal and easy access to Japanese markets. I don't like Trump but I do like the fact that he has all these companies running scared. For too long the average worker has been treated as dispensable as jobs have been transferred to China, Mexico etc. without any regard for societal impacts. I would argue that Toyota and other Japanese companies care a lot less for their workers overseas than they do for their workers in Japan.

Would be interesting to see what the reaction would be if a Tokyo train driver apologized for all the people from Kansai on a Tokyo train. Probably start a civil war. The train driver was conpletely out of order. Foreignors should make more effort to understand Japanese norms when it comes to good manners. But Japanese really do look down on some foreignors, especially mainland Chinese. You rarely hear any Japanese person say something good about someone from mainland China. But the long and short of it is.... If they want the Olympics and tourism and all the money that comes with it, put up or shut up.

This is just spin by all concerned. Isn't it obvious that the US and presumably France know just how critical the situation is and demanded to be involved. The spin that the Japanese Governemt asked for help is just that. This is a crisis and I suspect the Americans said to Abe that unless we come in and fix this, we will be forced to raise questions about the viability and safety of the Olympics and maybe even have to start to think about removing military and other personnel from Japan in case Kin Jong Nutcase decides to fire a missile at the reactor or some other man made or natural catastrophe occurs there. There is a lot not being said here. IMHO. All just guesswork, but makes sense to me. And yes, TEPCO is going to make life difficult for them, and cover their well worn tracks so they can later blame the gaijin. It is a disgrace that it has taken this long. Oh, and don't ask about the hot particles.

Go into any Bank and see the public face of inefficiency. Companies in Japan will not be able to increase wages until they deal with all the dead wood. The only saving grace is that Japanese population ages and the dead wood is ageing with it. Japan is a disaster all round from the education system, to the immigration system, to the entrenched interests, to the inherent anti-foreigner bias that many still hold. And don't forget we still have the real possibility of the big earthquake and further nuclear contamination. Japan has so many creative, talented people who could change Japan for the better with a more flexible and global thinking Government. But not likely in the short term. I feel sorry for the Japanese people who are victims at so many levels. Most do not trust their Government any more but are powerless to drive change.