Roten comments

But in return, Japan didn't get split, like Korea and Germany, into North/South, East/West. Oh, wait, what about Okinawa? Well, a small piece got split off from Japan...

Let's see. Karafuto was taken over by the Soviet Union at the end of the war, and the four northern territories are still occupied by Russia, with no peace treaty signed between the USSR/Russia and Japan to end the war. Truman refused to let the Soviet Union occupy Hokkaido and thus saved any splitting of Japan. Okinawa reverted back to Japanese control in 1972 or so, over 50 years ago now. Look at history, Japan didn't get split like Korea and Germany.

I for one miss the Reaper personnel who who were here in Kagoshima, *southern Kyushu" according to the article. The personnel were good citizens, very quiet, and no burden to the local community. They engaged with the JMSDF in several community service projects and were overall a plus in the area. The movement to Kadena Air Base makes sense logistically, but they were not a burden here in Kyushu; anti-base activists were more of a nuisance in the totality of things.

That rypkan

This reminds me I need to lock my doors when I am in or out of my house. In the case of both of these drunk Americans, a locked door might have saved everyone any embarassment or being rightfully pissed off.

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The subways are pretty loud anyway. The music helps some of us drown out the noise of the subways.

newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/779239?display=1 The five people were believed to have gone fishing in the early morning hours of October 11th, and Hane's wife, who became suspicious when they did not return home, filed a missing person report with the police on October 13th, and the police conducted a search. was going on. Four children who were elementary school students between the ages of 7 and 12, were found inside the car, and they were pronounced dead at the scene.

It looks on the face of it like it might have been a suicide, but there is no indication of that from the writeup in the Japanese press. I wonder what the reason is for the delay in filing the missing persons report, or whether the police required a certain amount of time between the last sighting and the filing of the report. I imagine the mother/wife is griefstricken. A rough news story all around.

Not trying to be racist or anything but whenever this kind of theft occurs in Japan, the thieves are almost always Vietnamese… like the Vietnamese who robbed a peach orchard a while back.

The real issue is not who did the manual lifting or thievery, it is the people who paid for the work to be done. I expect this was, as pointed out above, an inside job or similar locally organized operation. Even if it were Vietnamese or other foreign entities who took the rice, this stinks of blackmarketing and the big crooks are the organizers and/or buyers of the purloined rice. Go after the head of the snake and not its tail.

I remember the early years of the Kumamoto baby hatch. It was such a good idea, and seemed to be highly publicized. I am dismayed that it has taken so long for the most populus metropolitian area in the world to try this idea. I hope that many more hospitals open themselves to similar "hatches" As a three times adoptive parent I am grateful for those women who, for whatever reason, provided us the opportunity to have children when we could not have them in the natural way.

These tiny fragments have been discovered inside fish in the deepest recesses of the ocean peppering Arctic sea ice and blanketing the snows on the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain.

Care to rewrite this sentence? I was trying to figure out for a millisecond how the fish in the deepest recesses of the ocean were able to pepper Arctic sea ice, and wondering if we were talking flying fish here. Then, as I read on to see the blanketing of the Pyrenees snowfields I realized that commas were missing.

Sad. It must be very difficult looking after your sick daughter for 20 years even while you had your wife together with you and now with her also sick and hospitalized... At their advanced ages, I think the man just lost hope of being able to look after them on his own

I agree with this. Those who suggest that he just take his own life seem not to understand the concept that if he just took his own life he would be leaving the burden of their future care entirely to the state. He may have just been tired of taking care of them as his age advanced. Up to the time of his wife's hospitalization, it is probable that she shared the responsibilities of taking care of their daughter. Now, with her hospitalization he was left with taking care of both. Perhaps he was anticipating a life where he would also succumb to hospitalization and there would be no one to take care of any of them. Rather than become that meiwaku, he solved the societal problem for the three of them.

Interesting article. Which of these mosquito repellents that work are legal and sold in Japan? Which of the repellents that do not work are commonly used in Japan?

Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture - An important piece of information that was not included in the Thomson Reuters article. Japan Times editors ought to catch the lack of details, and add them, when posting things skimmed from other sources. I was trying to figure out whether this was at the Tanegashima or the Uchinoura launch sites, both located in Kagoshima Prefecture. I wasn't even aware that there was a test site in Akita. A shame that I had to rely on the New York Post rather than a Japanese source to find where in Japan this happened. https://nypost.com/2023/07/14/japan-space-agency-rocket-engine-explodes-during-test/

I think the priorities are still off when the penalties are harsher for voyeurism than for rape.

It means that people who use intimidation, seduction or money to coerce children under 16 to meet for sexual purposes will face a prison sentence of up to a year or a fine of 500,000 yen ($3,500).

A penalty of up to three years' imprisonment or a fine of up to three million yen will be imposed for secretly filming private body parts, underwear or indecent acts without a justifiable reason.

But Natsuki Sunaga, a 22-year-old student, said she was skeptical that the reforms would stop people secretly filming others.

Natsuki, be skeptical that the reforms will protect people from rape, let alone secretly or openly filming others.

Still, an incremental move to protect people and regulate moral behaviour.

The Korea Herald article makes it sound that the Korean opposition party is as open-minded as mud is clear and as the opposition party in the states is scientific-minded. With preconcieved ideas, how do politicians ever consider scientific research as legitimate?

Where are their masks? Sorry, but they were likely wearing them in Japan (in public).

More importantly, where are their white gloves? Thank goodness Crown Prince Fumihito of Japan and Crown Princess Kiko are down-to-earth people even when attending the KoE's swaree.

What’s with the white gloves?

Is Kishida driving a taxi or something?

I will educate you...don't worry.

Wearing white gloves is a part of proper fomal wearing.

So, when the Crown Prince and Princess were in London yesterday without wearing white gloves, they were not taking part in proper formal wearing?

I agree with the first poster, what's with the white gloves? Are the politicians in the front row trying to hide the grift on their hands? This is a visit between heads of governments, not a political rally in Japan. Or is wearing white gloves the new anti-COVID measure of the administration when going abroad?

Too bad the article doesn't have more details about this situation. The dil could be abusing her fil daily. Or he could be an unbearable ogre. Who was living with whom? Who was mooching off of whom? what attitude? It would be better not to publish this article at all than to publish it with such sparse details. Why don't reporters find out more details than the bare essentials from a police report?

I agree with Wallace on this. I remember the accident. I read the article to see if the magic 18 was significant in Buddhist ceremonies. Nothing magic about 18. Perhaps this would be more significant if it were 20 years, but why report on it each and every year? I find it odd that the picture at the head of the article seems to be all men. Why aren't women among those who are commemorating this accident? Perhaps, if someone is going to report the 18th anniversary anyway, they could comment on the lack of women at the ceremony. Condolences to all those who lost a loved one in this tragic accident.

why we have to know this?

The Japanese press still reacts to public announcements by the US Ambassador. As to what is producing the electricity, hot air comes to mind.

Ecofriendly but still the same lair..

Better this than the lair of the bear. When did any positive announcement come out of there?

Wow, another of the Sora 24 stories linked to this article contains an impossible deal that would look even better if you were able to use it than the JR pass, but alas, its time constraints make it unavailable unless you can time travel, too. "If you’re looking for a special deal to celebrate your love in your “full moon” phase of life, consider getting the pass! You can purchase tickets at JR train stations or travel centers until May 31, 2022, and you’ll be able to use it between October 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022."

Train deals seem to be becoming a thing of the past in Japan. I loved the JR pass and often rode from Sapporo to Fukuoka when I visited Japan. Now, I'll just have to fly, as it is much cheaper. Goodbye stops such as Aomori, Morioka, Hanamaki, Sendai, Yokohama, the Izu Hanto Mishima, Toyohashi, Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Kure, Yamaguchi, and Yahata. I'll just fly over you and wave from the ski.

Finally the international convention center at Seagaia is again used for international meetings. Cogratulations, Miyazaki, for being able to use the center again for a set of international meetings.

Is this really surprising? Probably more than 70% of all of us who are not flight attendants can reported that photos have been or likely have been taken of us surreptitiously sometime in our lives.

The biggest surreptitious offender is the government. Street cams are ubiquitious. The government may take photos under the aegis of security, but we are photographed daily while in public places going about minding our own businesses. Living out in the country and not using public transportation or heading into urban areas is probably the best way to guarantee that we are not surveiled some way or another.

Japan, U.S. negotiating return of detained Navy officer: sources

Japan is negotiating with the United States the possibility of transferring a U.S. Navy officer, convicted of a fatal car crash in 2021, to his home country at the request of his family and U.S. lawmakers, diplomatic sources said Sunday.

This is a Kyodo article and Japan Today should not be held totally responsible for the article. I find the article poorly written. I suggest that the title should probably read "US diplomatic sources state that the U.S. is again raising the issue of detained Navy officer" and that the first paragraph should say that "the United States is trying to discuss the possibility of transferring ... " There is no reporting here to establish that Japan is "negotiating with" or even considering anything other than politely listening to US requests to negotiate.

"Diplomatic sources" what does this mean? US diplomats continually raise the issue as part of the talking points whenever a high-level delegation or individual, like US Ambassador Emanuel, US Secretary of State Blinken, or President Biden meet with their Japanese counterparts? Or, is Japan really negotiating with the United States rather than the US guys rattling their diplomatic sabres with the Japanese press because there is no movement in the bilateral talks?

I suspect that there is no movement here. Senator Mike Lee might even be bringing the issue up in the press to see if he can push some movement. The US-Japan bilateral relationship is too important to be affected by the unfortunate incident of Alkonis falling asleep at the wheel and accidently hitting the innocent victims. I don't really agree with the sentence, but I do think that someone is stimulating the press to again bring up this relative unimportant, except to the Alkonis family and the Japanese victims' families, incident to keep it on the minds of readers and pressure both governments to consider, again, doing something about the issue.

Looks to me nog a country I will pick for a holiday with such a justice system

Looks to me that if you are picking a holiday destination to commit crimes in it is not a holiday for you. Do the crime, pay the time.

From the article -- Japan's government decided Friday to enable courts to order the use of GPS trackers to prevent international bail jumping ... The government aims to pass the bill through parliament during the current session. The use of GPS devices will begin within five years from the promulgation of the law.

Yubaru - GPS tracking capability has been around for a very long time. About time Japan caught up with the rest of the developed world!

It seems that the government could begin using GPS devices within five days after making it lawful, especially for high profile international potential bail jumpers. Why, when as Yabaru points out, this capability is already around, should it take up to five years for the GOJ to begin the use of GPS devices? Pass the law; begin the use. Anyone who won't wear the GPS device doesn't deserve bail. Of course, the courts then would be obligated to try cases with reasonable alacrity and without foot dragging.

I use those monitors when I fly through Haneda. It will be a pain to use my phone when I have my hands full. One more thing to drop or loose in the crowds. Bad move, ANA.

One of the great pleasures of living in Japan is the absence of tipping. People simply do the job they are paid to do and the customer pays the price listed (plus the increasing consumption tax). Tipping is a remnant of colonial times, when the better-off would toss a few coins reward to a starving laborer who did a good job. It's an insulting practice at heart.

When I first lived in Japan, I liked the surprises of little "service" gifts that many mom and pop stores gave to customers, especially at stationary stores. Thinking about it, I can't remember the last time I received a "sabisu" gift. It was like a tip to the customer, and I am sure we paid for it somewhere along the line. I am glad to give a "tip" sometimes when I have had great service, but I hope that tips go by the wayside in the United States where I now live most of the year the same way "service" gifts to customers fell out of practice in Japan. Swag never is free. Tips aren't free either. Just say NO.

I used to worry about similar bus incidents when I rode on the buses in the Nepali Himalayas. If I was adventurous I sat with some other people on the top of the bus and we could look over the edge of the roads down into the ravines. Sometimes the cliffs on the opposite side of the road came so close to our heads that we all ducked. Pakistan, northern India, and Bhutan are scary for transportation. This bus accident comes shortly after the airline accident in Pokhara in Nepal and reminds us of the dangers of transportation, especially on third world roads.

I agree with the suggestion that this is click-bait for unknowing foreigners and would like to see how many Japanese workers would want to live in a place without at least a shower. I have been to many inner-city sento, and there are/were many that were as grungy looking as the article's picture of a bath with the mold on the wall. There is a certain charm with going to a nice sento from time to time, perhaps every night for a while if it is close, but that does not diminish the need for something to wash in at home. What happens when you have diarrhea or some other illness and need to wash multiple times a day? Or when it is really cold, or when a typhoon comes? And where will you wash any larger things in your house that need washing and you can't fit in the little kitchen sink? I could understand, maybe, an article about apartments with common kitchens and indoor hallways and communal showers and toilets down the hall than no showers at all, and that still would be a big inconvenience. Real estate companies could advertise them as inner city dorms. Next we will see SoraNews 24 suggesting that people should go back to the era of non-flush toilets and talking about how much cheaper they are waterwise.

I remember my 成人式 almost 50 years ago now. I still have the ceremonial flower vase I received in Nagoya. How time flies! No masks back then unless you had an active cold or hay fever. And plenty of smiling faces.

I've ridden trains in Japan since I first visited in 1971. They are marvelous people-movers in the urban areas. They do offer beautiful views in rural areas where they are built up a bit from valley floors and give glimpses of the byegone eras of Japan. Now when I visit, I wonder how they still exist in many areas of Japan. I also think this of several bus lines that have replaced trains. As a visitor without a car, I depend on the rural trains or buses to see the countryside and get to often end-of-line hot springs. But the economics are not on the side of these relics. In December I was looking at akiya (vacant old houses) and wondering about buying one as a fall retreat for my annual trips to Japan. When I spoke to neighbours at two of the places I had my eyes on, they said that they disliked the rural areas because it took so long to drive to areas to do serious shopping. This was for groceries. When I do the math, I cannot justify living in rural areas with trains or buses only two or three times a day unless I had a vehicle. And having a vehicle for only 6 or 8 weeks a year doesn't make economic sense either. So, as a tourist I am glad for Japan Rail passes to travel from major cities to other major cities (although Peach and other discount airlines are often cheaper if I am not making multiple stops). I have to check time schedules to make sure that I know how to get to rural areas when I need to. And I maintain my Japanese Driver's License for the times when I rent a car to go to places that don't have public transportation any more. I miss the old train route that no longer exist.