Peter Mantello comments

Only the brain dead would think this statue worthy of exposure...

I doubt this idea will go over well with the already US military adverse Okinawa people. This is typical of the top down logic of Tokyo bureaucrats.

Perfectly illustrates the idiocracy that constitutes the Japanese MOFA. Idiots pretending to be cool.

It was refused by the Japanese public in 1972 and again in 1980. Hopefully, it will be refused again!

Bribery and 'gifts' are what make the IOC such a lucrative scam. This has always been the way they operate. On the other side of the is the corrupt practices of the revenue and wealth the games provide to a very small few. The games are always a drain on the taxpayers money who never see any return.

Instead, the money gets funnelled to the pockets of elites and huge companies who end up sourcing other suppliers for a fraction of the cost. In the end, the Olympic Games do not generate long term revenue for the paying public who host the games but rather it goes into the bank accounts of the brokers who no doubt contribute to the off shore bank accounts of the 'fixers' who make the winning bid happen. This was evident in previous IOC scandals and it appears today that the old adage rings true 'You can't teach a dog new tricks...'

Japanese Olympic Committee – which oversaw the bid – said its press team was away on business for a week and was unable to respond... In other words, we need to time to spin our story and cover our tracks....

HiragiFEB. 07, 2016 - 09:47AM JST What is the difference between Japan and a totalitarian dictatorship such as North Korea. The vague interpretation of the law can easily defer to peaceful protest. In a real democracy this would be allowed. However, Japan is not a true democracy but an oligarchy run by corporate elites.

I guess this would be deemed by the government as a national security risk. I am surprised they did not water board him.

I am sure he will be shifted side ways to a well paying job at the expense of Japanese tax payers. Hey moderator are you going to censor my comment again???

Abe must go! Like father like son.

If Japan would like to take N.Korea to the Hague for war crimes, then they need to wait in line for the US who is also in need of a little punishment for Guantanamo Bay, drone murder and targeted assassination. Moreover, N. Korea has nuclear weapons so I doubt that any assertions of Western hypocrisy would go very far. Nice try thought. And while we are on it....war crimes...how about the Japanese armies use of comfort women in China, the Philippines, Korea, Burma, Thailand and Indonesia for a start. Oh forgot that one did we Abe....