Mizu no Oto comments

Posted in: Airbnb opens up housing for 20,000 Afghan refugees globally See in context

SAN FRANCISCO

Airbnb opened the doors of its properties to 20,000 Afghan refugees globally Tuesday and sought assistance from hosts who rent property through the home-sharing company for more free housing for those fleeing the crisis.

Wow!  Airbnb is volunteering their hosts' empty accomodations be loaned out during this neverending  pandemic. Who will be able to build their brand image? Who is getting free advertising? Who is appearing to be corporately responsible? Who will be bearing the brunt of the expenses and any other headaches? Who wasn’t this cleared with first?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Mizuho Bank suffers 5th Japan-wide system failure of 2021 See in context

I miss the days when Daisuke Matsuzaka (Baseball: Seibu Lions Japan & Boston Red Sox US) was in the news for a week, because he got a parking ticket in Japan. Maybe that is what got us into this mess in the first place. No one in Japan had their eye on the ball.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Gov't to send SDF planes to Kabul to evacuate Japanese, Afghans See in context

@kurisuplsu

It is a bit tough to believe, but Japan does have at least 100 Yazidis they took in from Iraq some years ago. With pressure from the US, I can see them taking a scoopful. A story I came across said Afghans would be taken to US bases in South Korea, but no mention of Japan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Man in Kyoto leaves bag of red-stained knives in front of house See in context

He is quite bald on the top and in the front.

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Posted in: Number of private lodgings in Japan falls with demand lost due to virus See in context

@Blue

It boils down to that there is too much regulatory capture in Japan! This has created issues with Tepco and the Olympics.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Tokyo reports 2,447 coronavirus cases; nationwide tally 16,841 See in context

I wonder if parents are allowed to have their children do the shopping for the family instead of being allowed to send them on a Paralympic adventure? ;-)

I'm not sure how the government could frown on that.

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Posted in: Man arrested for strangling woman, robbing her See in context

Have they stopped reporting now where crimes occur in the big Metropolis?

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

Posted in: Gov't to send SDF planes to Kabul to evacuate Japanese, Afghans See in context

They need some serious coordination. They don't say where the Japanese citizens are located or if they have safe and unobstructed passage to the airport. I wonder if it is best for the plane to wait nearby, but outside Afghanistan. Have their citizens be at the airport waiting first. Once they are there, immediately get in and get them out.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Tens of thousands of children to be allowed to attend Paralympics See in context

@ Steve Martin

Thanks, Steve Martin. Those in power like to do what it takes to hold onto it. ‘The end justifies the means.’ is their compass. Koike seems to be stuck in the vortex of this dirty business.

However so far, I haven’t seen an article of who we truly have to thank for these Olympics and that would be Former Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara. I have not the foggiest idea why.

BTW, loved you in Roxanne. a great date movie!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Tens of thousands of children to be allowed to attend Paralympics See in context

This decision can’t be politically popular for Koike and actually seems to fly in the face of what I’ve read so far on her Covid stance.It’s interesting that she was first up in the story and the IPC figureheads went second, but it doesn’t really say who is the true force behind the decision-making. 

And so, I wonder if key information is missing from the story, that if included would make the story make sense. For example, I would not be surprised if in the contract between the IPC and Japan/Tokyo a certain number of children were required to attend. In a non-Covid year, this would help the Olympics’ image.

If a contract were the true reason, again, this would show how ugly reality really is. It would mean they would be risking the lives of this future generation to make the Paralympics look good/wholesome and so the IPC could maintain their brand image and deflect the fact that this is more about money. Just a theory, right?

What I found out was not a contract, but a handbook. This is from page 40 of the 2013 IPC Handbook under section 5.4.2 EDUCATION PROGRAMME :

https://www.paralympic.org/sites/default/files/document/141113151011315_2014_10_07+Sec+i+Chapter+3+Paralympic+Games+Principles.pdf

EDUCATION PROGRAMME 5.4.2

An education programme aiming to enhance awareness about Paralympic sport and Paralympic Games in a national scale shall be implemented, co-ordinated by the OCOG and the education authorities. 

In addition, the OCOG shall organise a special programme and co-ordinate the necessary activities, in co-operation with the Host NPC and the educational authorities, to attract school children to attend the Paralympic Games, as part of the educational curriculum. Such attendance is important to develop social skills such as disability awareness, positive attitudes toward social inclusion and tolerance to diversity.

I can’t find this in a newer hand book version, but if someone has the time to look? This news story would make ‘logical’ sense for the reason they are going through with it, if it were a ‘rule’ (not to say that I agree with the decision making). Maybe this information is buried in a non disclosure agreement now?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: Organizers, festival host agree to reopen 'comfort women' exhibition See in context

The exhibit will also provide visitors with an interim report on the background up to its discontinuation, according to the governor.

The 'background' is now a part of history too and anything pertinent not only up to but also after should be made clear. Anything less can lead to more suspicion and distrust.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Posted in: Starbucks becomes latest target of Hong Kong protester rage See in context

Top franchise owners and Execs in McDonalds like to tell the story of how their McDs wasn't attacked during the Rodney King LA riots of '92 because those from the neighborhoods rioting saw McDonalds as a true part of the community.

What stories will execs and franchise owners of Starbucks be telling about their connection to the protesting in Hong Kong?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: The Tourism Agency wants to share disaster information using various media, such as apps and social media, so that international visitors can feel safe while they enjoy their stay in Japan. See in context

I wish he would go into detail about the breakdown of the information to expect. Just sounds like vague assuredness.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Artists protest hate underlying attacks on Aichi art festival See in context

are revisionist , but at least that I'm aware are not the key issues that are creating a major impasse from opposing sides.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Posted in: Artists protest hate underlying attacks on Aichi art festival See in context

If a city is looking to attract Chinese and Koreans to their area, build up security and set up museums that cover the Nankin massacre, comfort women, Korean slave labor, the impact Japan had on the lives it oppressed in Japan, Korea, and China , topics like how conglomerates made their fortunes then and got to where they are today. I’m sure the list goes on. 

Hiroshima and Nagasaki have their history which people from all around the world come to learn from, grow, and say never forget and never again. 

Can you imagine if the United States were to say, ‘The nuclear bombs we dropped were not nearly as big as you say! It wasn’t even close to causing that level of damage you claim! You have to be kidding when you say that many people died!’

I would imagine rightly so Japanese would be deeply hurt and offended.

As I walk through parks here I occasionally find a random park with a concrete shape or a play area that seems to be a symbol of the atom dome. I pause at these places wondering how many Japanese realize the shapes significance. Those places in Nagasaki and Hiroshima are hallowed ground. The sad events of those times are seared into the psyche of this culture. Those events sadly happened. But It would be wrong to to take the events of what happened there away. 

As far as how Aichi can pay for this, I recommend they put a go fund me page out. There are those who would help cover the costs.

2 ( +13 / -11 )

Posted in: As N Korea expands arsenal, Japan's missile defense shield faces unforeseen costs See in context

AkieToday  12:37 pm JST

Mizu no Oto, I don't have to ask permission from 1.6 billion Northeast Asians to say this with certainty that Japan is loved for being peaceful. Unlike being told by Abe govt, Japan isn't threatened, or hated by neighbors, why would they ? Neighbors don't like Japan behaves like the past, for historical reasons. In that sense, Japan should have some self respects, stop visiting war criminals in the shrine, no excuses, as simple as that.

I'm sure many Japanese would agree with you, but it is those in power who usually have the strongest voice. I can say the same for those who hold power over those 1.6 billion Northeast Asians. It's almost always the people who are forced to follow their leaders into war not the other way around.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: As N Korea expands arsenal, Japan's missile defense shield faces unforeseen costs See in context

rlperez@hotmail.com.au , this is Thomas Jefferson's point when he referred to slavery as 'having the Wolf by the Ears'. If you get worn down and tired trying to maintain control over it, you'll lose your grip and risk the wolf attacking and biting you. But if you decide it's better to let go of wolf early because that is the best thing for everyone, you risk the wolf turning against your decision and attacking and biting you.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: As N Korea expands arsenal, Japan's missile defense shield faces unforeseen costs See in context

Zichi, I'm confident Japan is trying to move in that direction under the guidance of the USA. They would be aiming to create a new Military-industrial complex. The news in past years in Japan mentioned small efforts of the sort seeming to be heading in that direction.

Since many of their engineers with know-how have already left the labor force and Japan being unfamilar with the type of applications desired, it will take them multiple decades to get up to speed. Right now I believe it's Mitsubishi and Honda who both started building smaller planes. Look for them to try to commercially get to the same level as airbus and boeing in the future and later branch out into military applications.

If a Military-industrial complex is Japan's business model, it has longer lasting economic benefits (that's if they stay out of war). A lot of US military research has led to game changing daily applications: the internet, the microwave oven, GPS, Drones, Nylon, Canned Food, M&M's,...

Whether this is going to be a good or bad thing, I can only wonder.

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Posted in: As N Korea expands arsenal, Japan's missile defense shield faces unforeseen costs See in context

My above comment is a reply to Akie

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Posted in: As N Korea expands arsenal, Japan's missile defense shield faces unforeseen costs See in context

The players who push Japan down the wrong paths are those who profit from military build up, those who use it as a tool to maintain power and influence, those who can't step outside of the shadow they are standing in in order to see the light, and those who are too weak to confront the ills of the past.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: As N Korea expands arsenal, Japan's missile defense shield faces unforeseen costs See in context

Is this really a shocker? Whether you're trading to attack another or defend oneself, you are part of a market system. When you take a look at the markets Toshiba, Sharp, Olympus, and Sanyo are/were in, you see how these highly competitive companies fell behind to stay innovate and keep a handle on cost pressures. Expect Japan to be part of an arms race.

What is the best advice for Japan? Don't go around poking a stick at the hornets nests. As history has taught, issues from the past, don't stay in the past. Our past is part of who we are moving forward and who we are today. Problems from the past especially don't settle well when we don't deal well with the past. The injustice Germans felt from the punishment they received after WWI led to the ripe conditions for extremism, the rise of Hitler, and WWII. I wonder if blacks will ever be part of a fair society in the US. Conditions there today do nothing to keep the emotions of the past in the history books.

Why have politicians running off to Yasukuni to score political points with their base voters? You do realize this is all at the cost of stirring up deep offense and anger to those who fell under the hegemony of the past? Yes I know, it's a private trip and separate from being politician. Except why is there coverage of it on TV? Just Google LDP visits Yasukuni Shrine and click image You'll find a gaggle of seventy-year old LDP members marching off to Yasukuni a day or two after having lost some election!

Why is there a country of people who when you engage them about the past, they know a few lines from what they have been told? Why is there a society not searching for the truth themselves and trying to match it up to what they have heard? Why is there a society not trying to deeply understand other viewpoints?

Countries will always need defenses. But perhaps a different approach to the status quo can ease the anxieties and pressures of needing to use them. The playbook you've been using has got you where you are today. What choices do you want to make for your future?

Despite the tone of my comment, I love Japan. I want it to succeed!

Downvotes with a counter opinion to any points I've made is welcomed.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: U.S. exporters have definitely been disadvantaged this year due to the U.S. not being part of the trade deal inked late last year. See in context

They let Heather plug her name and research institute just to say this. She didn't even bother to say that Donald Trump's backing out of TPP was what had led to US farmers being put at such a disadvantage. This guy Donald likes to create problems just so he can say look at the wonderful job I did solving this problem.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Anti-NHK party head suggests genocide to solve overpopulation See in context

Has anyone on this thread actually watched this guys video on Youtube and can make an impartial comment on it?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: No grant for Aichi art festival after 'comfort women' exhibition fiasco See in context

If a city is looking to attract Chinese and Koreans to their area, build up security and set up museums that cover the Nankin massacre, comfort women, Korean slave labor, the impact Japan had on the lives it oppressed in Japan, Korea, and China , topics like how conglomerates made their fortunes then and got to where they are today. I’m sure the list goes on. 

Hiroshima and Nagasaki have their history which people from all around the world come to learn from, grow, and say never forget and never again. 

Can you imagine if the United States were to say, ‘The nuclear bombs we dropped were not nearly as big as you say! It wasn’t even close to causing that level of damage you claim! You have to be kidding when you say that many people died!’

I would imagine rightly so Japanese would be deeply hurt and offended.

As I walk through parks here I occasionally find a random park with a concrete shape or a play area that seems to be a symbol of the atom dome. I pause at these places wondering how many Japanese realize the shapes significance. Those places in Nagasaki and Hiroshima are hallowed ground. The sad events of those times are seared into the psyche of this culture. Those events sadly happened. But It would be wrong to to take the events of what happened there away. 

As far as how Aichi can pay for this, I recommend they put a go fund me page out. There are those who would help cover the costs.

-6 ( +7 / -13 )

Posted in: Gov't releases names of 424 underperforming public hospitals See in context

Number of times the word 'underperforming' is used i the article: 5

Number of times underperforming is clearly defined in this article: 0

Money saved by just reducing the number of hospital beds: next to nothing as beds are assets they already have and rooms are spaces that already exist for those assets.

What is sounds like they want to do when you squint at the really hard at the print?: Close facilities

Look for them to follow a plan the way they did when they restructured public schools in Japan.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

Posted in: Exasperated Trump's strategy: Flail at Democrats, attack whistleblower, tweet like crazy See in context

The president of the Flop! How many more antics do we need before the American people switch off their denial and turn on their brains? Respect is, but is hope too late for America?

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Posted in: Appeal starts over 2017 murder of 9-year-old Vietnamese girl See in context

From the article, "The defense had argued that the DNA evidence might have been forged or contaminated."

Based on what? What leads you to make such a claim?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Posted in: Kansai Electric top executives received ¥320 mil in payoffs from local official See in context

What, no detainment? What a double standard!

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Posted in: Japan's 'peace contributor' role tested amid U.S.-Iran tension See in context

Japan remember how you followed George W and all his and his little people into Iraq? Remember the sales pitch: 'Weapons of Mass Destruction!!!'? Remember the late Jacque Chirac's impartiality and the freedom fries thrown in the faces of French men and women? Well I hope you at least remember the results.

When it comes to Iran-US-Trump, stay the course Shinzo! Stay the course!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: Japanese cattle farmers fear U.S. trade deal will be death knell See in context

Isn't Japan always saying they need help in many other labor sectors?

What gets me with vegetable farmers is when crops are bad, prices are high and farmers are subsidized. When crops are good, JA has the harvest in the field destroyed, prices are inflated, and become high again. It seems like all too good a deal. And so it is hard to have an ounce of compassion for these hard working folk.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

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