mrsynik comments

I doubt BoJo would have been received by the previous, Xenophope Mayor of Tokyo. Perhaps he's trying to sell some Boris Buses there.

Customer service in Japan while usually good needs to learn to be more flexible than it is. My biggest gripe is hotels who refuse check-in to someone if its a few minutes to an hour early. Some hotels may charge for it but others wont even make that possible and just refuse and force people to wait even though it may be ready.

NHK World's programming is drivel, useful only to help get over jetlag. I agree with the news presenters skills (i.e. lack thereof) mentioned above.

You should see the media circus in Australia at the moment

The Australian media's covering of this event is just as repulsive as the actions taken place. Rolling updates of nothing happening, then rolling updates of nothing happening after the confirmation of the event. I'm sure they'd have run a live telecast and or commentary if they could have the sick vultures that they are.

Interestingly published on the same say as an article here suggests 58% of J students don't like learning English.

More countries should take this approach to mindless defacing of public property by idiots who can't get their kicks any other ways. Good on Singapore.

She needs to grow up.

From my experience in Korea, I'm surprised this kind of thing doesn't happen more often. They all drive like crazy.

The landing fees at Heathrow and passenger transport duties demanded by the UK for flights outside of Europe is what makes direct flights more expensive that transiting at Schiphol, Frankfurt/Main or CDG for example.

The grubby nature of what goes on behind the scenes of organised football rears its ugly head again. So much for the spirit of the game.

What an appalling airline it has turned into. I long for the days when it was government owned and provided a service and not to line the pockets of its management and directorship.

I don't agree with this project either as it's completely unnecessary in a nation with a declining population. But building more roads isn't the answer either!

Beak hour is over.

The Olympics are like a party where its better when someone else hosts it - since you dont have to pick up the tab nor clean up the rubbish after everyone's gone home.

Why would you go fishing with a crowd of others? Completely pointless.

Just exactly how and who paid for this opulence? Money better spent elsewhere?

Silly by name, silly by nature. JR West have created this from a pair of 30+ year old railcars (KiHa 47 Class), hardly money squandered.

There are many such Joyful Trains in Japan, and this no doubt will be a popular and welcome addition.

ALW probably needs the money, can't think of any other reason he needs to do this. This could also be his 'Jumping the shark' moment.

In China the real religion is money. Any other forms of religion is just a distraction.

All that's needed now are the jobs for such individuals. The IT market in Japan is still pretty lacklustre in terms of good opportunities compared with other global centres of IT unfortunately. Such jobs generated by the 5 ring circus are going to be haken at best. Would be fine if contracting in Japan was like everywhere else!

Slight correction JT editorial - there's no such JR East service as the 'Haneda Express', since JR East do not serve that airport - trust you mean the Narita Express which operates on that line.

If it toured the whole country over a week it might justify the price, but dropping that amount of dough on just Kyushu? No thanks. I'd do the Trans-Siberian instead.

Go Istanbul!

Asiana Airlines and Fukushima - what a scary combination!

Best wishes to her - I sincerely hope the Kennedy curse has ended.

Akihabara - JR's most anti-social railway station. Always found it the most painful to use.

ANA is not a bad airline but they're nothing special either. I was disappointed with their Business Class service in comparison with other quality airlines out there. No pre take off drinks and the seats at the time didn't fully recline into a flat bed. Asiana incomparison is a far better quality airline more deserving of such an award.

In my experience, fluency only counts when you're going for a job interview. If you're in the pub, hotel or even buy JR tickets fluency is not important as long as they understand what you;re talking about and you have the confidence to ask 'sorry I missed that, can you repeat it please?'

I'd say that it was a pretty accurate piece. Perhaps it could have added that Japan seems to have a much higher percentage of beautifull to stunning womem compared to other countries. I have zero regrets about marrying a Japanese woman. Best move I ever made.

More like stating the bleeding obvious I'd say! I concur with your sentiments!

Flights take only about 2 hours from Narita to Incheon

Yet it takes all day from Tokyo to Seoul with all the mucking around getting to airports, screening, waiting, delays, holding patterns and getting away from Incehon.

Aww boo-hoo. Toughen up little petals. If you want to play in the European leagues and get the big cash then you've got to be big enough to handle the gibes.

It does highlight Japanese sensitivity (complex) to how westerners view them

Exactly. The hypocrasy is breathtaking.