oikawa comments

I love the Japanese police. First time I dealt with them they came to my apartment cos I was having a party and the neighbours had called them, but they soon realised it was just some gaijins chilling out so they posed for some peace-sign photos and went on their merry way. Second time they took my side when I'd pushed a drunk guy on the train for hassling a girl. Third time my bike got stolen when it had been rested against a pillar outside the station. They took it incredibly seriously, as of course bike crime is, and took down my details for ages then asked to be taken to see the pillar my bike had been leant against and proceeded to take multiple photos of the pillar, for some reason. Fourth time they were very thorough in checking my friend was who he said he was when he went to find a lost wallet. They also told another friend off very sternly for wearing shoes inside his own apartment when he was being picked up once.

They never played in Japan with Metallica, that was just in the US. Will be interesting to see how it goes this time. Not really sure what the point is. A few one-off shows I'd understand but are they going to create any new music and if they are do they really think it's going to be worthwhile? They've both come a long way since 1993 and there's not much reason to thing they're on the same page musically anymore. At least with nu-gnr Axl was making stuff (every 10 years) that was innovative and fresh, whether you liked it or not.

a man speaking rudimentary Japanese

Surely it can't have been that rudimentary if he managed to convey the message that there was a bomb on one of the guest floors over the phone? I don't remember seeing that kind of vocabulary in Japanese for Busy People or Minna no Nihongo.

katsu78

Right, but the point is that is the next step that leads from this question. People usually sued traditional media outlets, not individuals, like bloggers and tweeters. If we start sueing them, what's stopping you from sueing someone in your neighbourhood from spreading a deliberte untruth about you? Nothing, possibly, and maybe we'll see the rise of that too.

I don't want to go too far off track but if you can sue someone for slander for what they blog or tweet, can you sue them for what they say, as in literally speak? Perhaps you can and its just a matter of proof, like a verbal contract being as valid as a written one, just much harder to prove.

Funny thing is I bet if it was a young hunk with big muscles no-one would as much as bat an eyelid.

It's funny how some people are so scared of the female anatomy.

???? I've never seen any Japanese friend of mine show the slightest hint of concern about their children's physical safety. Health in so far as getting a cold and being paranoid about miniscule changes in temperature, yes, but not cuts and bruises.

Yeah, a "Who gives a toss?" button would be most useful.

None of these measures seem to be attacking the reasons and causes though. While they remain you'll never solve anything. Japan should be asking itself why the rate is so high, not just "raising awareness" of suicide, whatever that actually entails, as I'm sure most people in Japan are "aware" of it.

TumbleDryAug. 31, 2015 - 07:01AM JST

Joyride?

That's what I was thinking. Seems odd they don't mention the rather important fact that the car must have been being driven illegally, possibly stolen, and if not stolen then who did they get it from?

You seem to be under the mistaken impression that money can buy happiness. It can't. It can only stave off the unhappiness that comes from struggling for money.

And the massive irony is that the satisfaction gained while working to get money so you can supposedly be happy is often what actually gives you the greatest happiness, which then dissipates once the achievement has been realised.

Yes, Nokogiriyama is good, and Chiba itself is massively underrated. You can get almost anything you want culture-wise in Chiba but many people aren't aware of it even though it's on almost everyone's doorstep. 懐かしいな。。

Strangerland

They do it in Japan as well. Why do you think they tested him for drugs?

Which obviously was insufficient if it only enabled them to keep him for 3 hours. When you find someone with a stun-gun and handcuffs in their van you don't let them go until you've got to the bottom of it.

I know it's hindsight but I think most police officers know if you find a stun-gun and handcuffs in a man's van you don't just let them go because they haven't done anything wrong, you detain them on some genuine but minor reason for as long as it takes to sort out their story. That's what they do in England anyway. I would have thought it would be even easier in Japan.

Alien Invasion??? Lol

chowarui:

" I could see myself doing this kind of thing so I have some sympathy for the guy. "

Please don't send it to this forum by mistake!

http://www.fnn-news.com/news/headlines/articles/CONN00295213.html

Here's the video and a report in Japanese if anyone can discern any more information from it.

Jeff, she's 60, probably not an "adult" yet.

Unlikely

Depression has nothing to do with knowing right or wrong.

@bullfighter

Agree with most of what you wrote but Minowa itself is the closest station, and it's Iriya before it, not Irie.

Don't ask me how I know.

How did the dentist end up getting arrrested? If he'd already sold his ticket in the toilet why was he still hanging around with the Yak when the Yak got arrested?

I got a ticket for a Marinos-Man U game 10 metres from the entrance with police around. They seemed to talk to the tout for a bit but he was still selling tickets later. The name on my ticket was Thatsabar Chavarangi or something but I was just met with a "Hai Dozo!" when I went in.

Whoever Mr Shimada is, why has he scribbled a cross on his expensive suit sleeve?

I'm sure you're against that Mr Abe. You've never benefited at all from your family's financial and social circumstances.

I thought the most demeaning part of the article was "... she added, in perfect Japanese."

Exactly what I thought. No shi* Sherlock, seeing as she's Japanese... It's bad enough when they do it to people who've lived in Japan for years but when it's to a Japanese person... although seeing as they have to add "he said through an interpreter" for most Japanese baseball players who've lived in America for 10 years you can understand the surprise.

He came back an hour later?? He hadn't found another phone in the meantime?? What on earth had he been doing?

That's great to hear.

WilliB, yes that would be classic if even judges came out with the "We were drunk" excuse!

@Disillusioned

There were 2 or 3 comparable tsunamis in exactly the same place in the last hundred years, let alone the last millennium. The chances of it happening again are pretty high seeing as there's a major fault line just off the coast! I agree the wall won't do much to stop it though and there are plenty of much better ways to deal with them.

Does he pay his NHK fee??