MichaelJP comments

Wonder if they will cover up the Tazer injuries he received just prior to the "suicide" after he asked for access to his Japanese-speaking lawyer? He most likely died of a heart attack and the hanging was done by the police to cover their asses after he was dead or unconscious.

That link to the list of contaminated products posted earlier by kawabunga included:

Glico Pocky Men's Coffee Cream Coated Biscuit Stick Lotte Cream Cheese Cake Lotte Koala Biscuit Lotte Koala's March Chocolate Biscuit Lotte Koala Strawberry Biscuit White Rabbit Creamy Candies Nestle Dairy Farm UHT Pure Milk

Is there an equivalent list released by the Japanese government?

Change is inevitable, and technological progress has fundamentally changed the viewer landscape. The movie (and music) distribution industry needs to adapt like everyone else, but instead they attempt to protect their outmoded business models through influencing legislation and attacking their customers. It doesn't have to be this way, as Apple and iTunes have shown.

Cinemas can be fun, but they have to adapt to the change in viewer profiles and distribution methods. With digital film-making, digital distribution, and digital projection becoming common, there's no reason a movie can't be distributed near instantaneously around the world to cinemas. Artificial delays lead to much of the problem.

USNinJapan2: You do know that they're not sisters right?

Right, they're quads.

yokkatane "Their operation schedules were not affected by the graffiti"

Unlike here in Australia, the first site of graffiti on a train they will take it out of service and disrupt operations.

In Australia, that's just an excuse to cover up constant schedule disruptions due to poorly maintained trains and equipment, and untrained late or missing staff.

Moderator: Stay on topic please. Australia is not relevant to this discussion.

Wonder if we will see it here in Japan? Or maybe some other handset manufacturers will use a localized version of Android?

Anyone notice the poor girls have two black eyes? Someone should say something to them. Or maybe not, they've obviously been told twice already.

He musn't pay them much, they can't afford pants.

What the??!?

This author must have done his research on 2ch.

Where can I get funding to do some adventuring like this? I hear there may some mysterious creatures masquerading as bikini babes in Tahiti. Someone definitely needs to investigate and take photos. Anyone with me on this?

In no way can you compare this to the death of trainee Takashi Saito of traumatic shock after repeated beatings with a metal baseball bat and being struck in the head with a beer bottle. The guilty in that case were Japanese so the fact that a far less severe punishment was given by the sumo board should not come as a surprise.

I'd love to work in a nice IT office environment. Unfortunately I work in a cramped and dilapidated cubicle farm with constant noise and interruptions, poor lighting and minimal air-flow.

I first read it as "Revolving UBS webcam" and was wondering if it generates spin while losing billions of dollars.

I am intrigued by the exclusive male plan.

If JT will pay for my stay, I will volunteer to write an in-depth article on it.

This story is totally useless without said upskirt pictures. I am imagining one of his drunk buddies at the wedding snapping a few similar ones of the bridesmaids given the groom's obvious penchant for the genre and the fact everyone will be thinking it anyway.

One generation's "weird" is another's norm.

Opening the street for traffic to protect pedestrians is like having sex to prevent pregnancy.

Some of the managers where I work are here on an expat deal. They stay in fully sponsored multi-level apartments in the most expensive areas, their children have all education costs paid at the best international schools, and they get a nice supplemental allowance for the inconvenience and suffering of having to live and work in Tokyo under such terrible conditions. No wonder Tokyo comes out as expensive.

So any venue is illegal if men frequent it in the hope of picking up a girl and eventually having sex? Given that men think of sex constantly throughout the day, this would apply to many establishments.

a phone that will be only popular with a niche market

All markets were niche markets at some point in time. It will be interesting to see if the iPod effect will boost the popularity and change people's habits. Simply being perceived as a niche product will drive sales amongst those who like to feel they are different from the crowd. If marketed with this in mind (if!) then Softbank could have a winner on their hands. There's already significant momentum behind the Apple brand, so they have a headstart.

Treat the cause of the disease, not the the symptoms. I wish someone could ask these cabinet ministers how knife regulation would have stopped the guy driving his truck into a crowd. What he'd used a pointy stick or a big pencil? Would they ban writing instruments?

Maybe these Chinese commenters fear reprisal from the government if the speak the truth. I wonder if they have read Orwell's 1984?

Why does China require all bloggers to be registered? Why is there a national firewall to prevent internet users from freely accessing any site they please? Why are journalists arrested?

Because China is a totalitarian regime.

<strong>Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. Posts that do not refer to the Olympics will be removed.</strong>

I'd love to know the story behind why NTT DoCoMo and KDDI are not offering the iPhone. Did some old executive think it was not Japanese enough? Is there some Japan-style corporate fixing going on with the major carriers that Apple would not participate in?

Interesting!

Ah, MPLS2, part of the China Olympics propaganda task force of bloggers, failing once again in the attempt to project China as a forward, peace-loving society who really aren't shooting monks in the back of the head and locking up journalists and others who speak out against the rampant human rights violations of the repressive government. This generation of brainwashed Chinese are really going to be shocked when their nation is eventually put in its place.

These Olympics are certainly more interesting than usual, but not for any good reason. China is like a mentally deficient bully heading for a major fall. Its a pity that a generation of Chinese nationals have been so brainwashed that they will defend the worst of Chinese indiscretions. China will fail, and it will be very ugly when it finally happens.

About as likely to succeed as the the previous Prime Minister who called on Aussies to pray for rain.

Maybe Prime Minister Rudd could start by not selling uranium to China? Oops, there's money in that, so I guess that option is off the table. Hypocrite. Sorry Australia, you fail at being a good global citizen.

Motivation is difficult. Its hard to get people's spirits fired up with enthusiasm for decades of life as a mindless, grey drone. I doubt Apple or Google have this problem. I, however, do not work for Apple or Google, and can empathise with these graduates.

maybe they could make tokyo disappear and replace it with something better looking

Like a giant statue of me!!

I'm sure most Japanese citizens would have sent a thank you note, but the article mentions it may have been a music or media industry executive. That, in itself, should be explanation enough. As someone who has dealt with chaps at these levels, I'd think its a reasonable bet that any form of thanks would not even have occured to them.

Worse is the fact that the author himself has enough indignation to write an immature article about it.