Posted in: Abe wants to invite Putin to Japan next year See in context
Everyone knows that a deal with Russia is a deal with the devil. Why do these countries persist?
-3 ( +2 / -5 )
Posted in: North, South Korea naval patrol boats exchange fire See in context
Yes it says 'briefly exchanged warning fire'. So they were aiming to miss.
1 ( +1 / -0 )
Posted in: Man arrested for abusing 5-year-old daughter of de facto wife See in context
This is a criticism of social welfare in Japan for single mothers who may feel they need to shack up with a 'provider' in order to make ends meet. Or maybe their social world is so limited by being a single mother they take in ferals.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: Civil servant suing Fukuoka for one yen over employee drinking ban See in context
I'd say drinking causes mental suffering and not drinking results in clearer thinking and less mental suffering. If people in Japan weren't so busy driving each other nuts there'd by no need to drink!
-4 ( +0 / -4 )
Posted in: 3 dengue fever infections blamed on mosquitoes in Yoyogi Park See in context
Must be due in part to the tropical weather in Tokyo, high heat, rainfall and humidity - but it doesn't explain how the dengue mosquitoes got to Japan, on a ship from the Philippines?
-1 ( +0 / -1 )
Posted in: 3-month sentence for Japan-Hawaii flight assault See in context
@ M3, I agree there should be alcohol-free flights. I'm a non-drinker and I can't see the point of people getting pissed on a flight. I mean, if I wanted to go to a bar, I'd go. Maybe there should be 'no drinking' and 'drinking zones' on the flight. Make the 'no drinking' seats 10% cheaper.
-9 ( +1 / -10 )
Posted in: China tells U.S. to stay out of South China Seas dispute See in context
Meanwhile, the entire PRC Chinese middle class, or anyone with any money is trying to emigrate and buy real estate overseas to escape pollution, political instability and other worries in China. This must be a real brain drain on the PRC. Or it certainly seems so observing the doubtful quality of PRC media announcements and diplomatic initiatives.
4 ( +5 / -1 )
Posted in: Chinese newspaper posts map of A-bombed Japan See in context
The Chinese hate Japan? What about the bus-loads of mainland Chinese tourists visiting Japan and having a great time? There is clearly a disconnect in the media.
2 ( +2 / -0 )
Posted in: 28-yr-old man, 16-yr-old girl commit suicide by inhaling helium See in context
To Yong Yang, when i was 28 in Japan I had a 17-year Japanese girlfriend. You have to realise that girls that age can come on fairly strong and it's not just 'dirty old men taking advantage'.
-3 ( +4 / -7 )
Posted in: I want you See in context
This seems a fair recruiting poster and video. Advertising has moved to the 'warm and fluffy' these days since they started using hopping bunnies to advertise computers in the 80's. Looking at the video ad itself, it says 'Realise your potential' which is what Defence Force ads say in Australia. It holds some hooks for both men and women. It also has the feel of 'emergency and mobilisation' which is what the Japanese govt must be feeling these days. So then, how far is this sentiment from the 'for the Emperor' brainwashing in WW2, time will tell..
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: North Korean ship symbolizes hopes for better Japan ties See in context
I would trust the MangyongBong-92 about as far as I could throw it. I saw the -92 in Niigata in 1991 and the on-shore crew didn't look very friendly. Since 1991 they've been accused a illegal drug smuggling, gun-running and god-knows-what-else. I'd think it would be prudent of Japanese customs officials to make a thorough inspection of the -92 everytime it calls.
1 ( +1 / -0 )
Posted in: Man saved from Nazis by 'Japan's Schindler' returns on journey of homage See in context
There was also the interesting story of the 'Nazi Schindler' Rabe who, in 1937 - 38, saved Chinese citizens in Nanking from the Japanese army. He also defied his government and died in obscurity. You can therefore say that altruism is a strong motivator of human behaviour irregardless of race or nationality.
-1 ( +1 / -2 )
Posted in: Cabinet adopts resolution dropping ban on collective self-defense See in context
This means that if anyone is silly enough to illuminate Japanese navy vessels with a fire-control radar will be eating a missile courtesy of Toshiba.
3 ( +6 / -3 )
Posted in: Hire a gorgeous virtual receptionist via iPad app See in context
The idea should be that you multi-task the human receptionist so they are not just a pretty face but they have a role with serious duties.
1 ( +3 / -2 )
Posted in: Top Malaysian court dismisses divisive 'Allah' case See in context
Glad I live in a country like Australia that separates church and state. Malaysia is just asking for civil strife with state ruling on religion.
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: Woman attacked by wild boar in Hyogo See in context
I used to live in Kobe in the late 80s and the funniest thing I heard about boars was that during the Rokko marathon in 1988 the hungry boars ate the white flour markers that guided the runners on their course. This may have run a few runners off a slippery slope.
-1 ( +0 / -1 )
Posted in: Japan hits back at China for criticizing Abe's remarks See in context
I think Abe's policies are succeeding in terms of Japan maintaining it's territorial integrity. The PRC knows too well that it's not going to get away with any 'nine-dashed line' bollocks in the East China Sea so they go to the South China Sea where the opposition is weaker.
2 ( +5 / -3 )
Posted in: S Korean leader vows to punish ferry disaster culprits See in context
I think you call this 'negligent homicide' and 'reckless indifference', not an accident.
4 ( +5 / -1 )
Posted in: Gang arrested following spate of drive-by eggings in Osaka See in context
It's actually almost impossible to throw a raw egg with accuracy due to the inside being liquid, though a hard-boiled egg can be thrown with accuracy. Nevertheless, if you hit someone in the eye with these things the result is serious. The stupidity of these individuals is astounding and they should be candidates for the rattan/cane.
0 ( +3 / -3 )
Posted in: 3 children, 2 adults drown at Niigata beach See in context
Don't these beaches have any competent Surf Lifesaving teams on watch?
-2 ( +1 / -3 )
Posted in: Planned changes to Australian law banning racial slurs spark bigotry fears See in context
Really. People aren't go to change the way they speak just because of some obscure law. I think what the ruling party wants is to ban 'hate speech' used by one racial group against another.And that can be Arab - white, white -> Arab, white -> Chinese, take your pick. Authorities in the main are concerned that certain radical islamic groups are inciting hatred against other groups which may further incite violence and terrorism. However as a lot of this 'racial' speech and commentary is on You-Tube and other web sites it's hard to know who and how to prosecute. The Cronulla riots have been documented as a bunch of drugged up, obnoxious, slanderous gangs of 'youths of middle-eastern appearance' making themselves total a_holes at a public beach, Cronulla, over a long period. Locals finally had enough and attacked the youths, then redneck white supremacists and god-knows-who-else joined in and you got the Cronulla riots.
2 ( +4 / -2 )
Posted in: Russia vows to hit back at Japan for denying visas to 23 people See in context
Russia, in this move on the Ukraine, reminds me of Argentina and the Falklands in ' 82 where Argentina's presidente hoped to raise his poor profile and economic record by invading a UK protectorate. That backfired badly for Argentina when major foreign force was invoked. What is different this time is that Putin wants to keep this war 'secret' and low-key by sending in masked gunmen (called 'local militia').And this reminds me of Indonesia and their 1998 destabilizing of East Timor. That failed too as East Timor became an independent country. Putin should stop playing the imperial Tsar, cut his losses and withdraw. I see now that Russia has now created a commemorative coin celebrating the 'Return of the Ukraine' when it was actually Brezhnev who gave Crimea to the Ukraine in 1956! ie it was not stolen by a rampaging foreign power, (like Russia).
-1 ( +5 / -6 )
Posted in: 'Cherry tree from space' mystery baffles Japan See in context
Just wait till Monsanto hears about this, we'll be eating space cherries for breakfast!
3 ( +4 / -1 )
Posted in: Man arrested for assaulting 3 high school girls on bikes See in context
Once again, another senseless assault by a paranoid individual in Japan. Is the paranoia caused by too many drugs or the lack of the right ones?
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: What if the missing Malaysia plane is never found? See in context
The best we can obtain from this is that aircraft communication systems will improve so planes never go missing again. This is the usual outcome from these airline tragedies.
4 ( +5 / -1 )
Posted in: Japan to unveil Y100 bil in aid to Ukraine at G7 summit See in context
I agree with HokkaidoBoy. Japan's aid to Ukraine also lessens the Ukraine's reliance on financial "Russian Aid" . Russia seems to live in fear of it "losing its influence" on Soviet-era states like Ukraine that have now become independent countries. And Russia wants to maintain "influence" over the EU with its oil and gas pipeline. Obviously the world has to maintain its caution over Russia's pyrrhic gifts. Japan sees that maintaining solidarity with US and NATO allies as being the best strategic move in dealing with Russia and other international threats.
-7 ( +4 / -11 )
Posted in: Toshiba unveils disease-detecting breathalyzer See in context
We need it be an App on an Apple phone.
0 ( +0 / -0 )
Posted in: 2-year-old girl stabbed with fork in Okayama park See in context
Well, both the unemployed/homeless and parents/kids use local parks, so it's not surprising such things occur. The homeless have serious mental issues, paranoia being one, so an attack like this is shocking of course but not that strange.
-1 ( +0 / -1 )
Posted in: Ukraine severs key ties with Russia over Crimea See in context
Russia has always been ruled by bully-boys and the Russian population has always been sullen and acquiescent. Putin likes posing for the macho photos so he seems to have a lot to prove.
2 ( +4 / -2 )
Posted in: Train platform door tech promotes safety See in context
The one incident that I have observed in Tokyo, and which these barriers don't allow for, is when a women gets part of her dress caught in a closing train door and then she runs down the platform with the train trying to free it. God knows how the "artificial intelligence" in these gate systems is going to cope with that one.
0 ( +2 / -2 )
Posted in: Trump administration fires CDC 'disease detectives' as bird flu fears rise
Posted in: Legal hurdles keep high-profile rape victim's film off Japan screens
Posted in: Trump administration fires CDC 'disease detectives' as bird flu fears rise
Posted in: Legal hurdles keep high-profile rape victim's film off Japan screens