StradV comments

Sad to see Apple resort to this extreme tactic. I have been a loyal Apple user but I really think having a rival like Samsung will push them to innovate and become stronger. Let the market decide.

A strong BMD (ballistic missile defense) would be a good first step. It is defensive in nature much like the one being set up in the Mediterranean.

Please retire from public life. How many times does Japan have to go into damage control when Mr Asou makes unfortunate comments such as this?

That is a very good sign! Hopefully this is the start of a positive trend for Japan.

This person is like an evil Energizer bunny. He keeps going and going and going!

It is nice to see new blood come into a great organization. I wish them all the best of luck!

Luv the MO Tokyo. Yes the view from the Men's washroom is spectacular! I had a nice glass of Petalos with my meal. Every time I see it in my local wine store I think of my memorable meal at the MOTO (Mandarin Oriental Tokyo). Cherry Blossom time in Washington DC. I think I may just stop by the Mandarin Oriental in DC!

I am not sure what the reason is for Softbank to incentivise their employees to master English. It is a great motivator no doubt. However, I wonder once they do well on their TOEIC are they going to be using the skill on a daily basis or often enough to justify the investment. It would make some sense if these employees were trainers to go to the United States to help Sprint with their awful customer service culture. I sure hope Mr Son's gamble pays off. Good luck!

Hope Softbank knows what they are getting in to. Sprint probably has the worst customer service.

Very disturbing and sad.

After using a Sony Xperia for 2.5 years I decided to pre-order an iPhone 5. I was not too impressed with Android OS. I have heard the newest version is much better but I have decided to give Apple a try.

Not wise to insult your hosts. Very embarassing.

Good luck and good health to those brave workers at Nissan's Iwaki plant. I hope Nissan's management takes good care of them.

It will be interesting to see what China does since it is now the second largest economy in the world. With its economic influence and growing military power its neighbors have every right to be nervous.

I am curious about the public opinion in Darwin on having US marines as neighbors. Also not sure how this will impact Prime Minister Gillard's political clout with the Australian public. Foreign Minister Rudd's job just received another layer of complexity.

As for President Obama he has displayed a curious hawkishness on foreign policy. I suspect he is trying to take away some thunder from his Republican opponents in the upcoming election in 2012. Secretary of State Clinton has turned out to be a rather good choice with her soft but firm diplomacy to balance out the team.

I have a slightly different take on the S&P downgrade. I actually think this might be a blessing in disguise. The medicine may be bitter right now but maybe the sick patient (US government) in denial should take it. The politicians in Washington on both sides of the aisle need to sit down and construct a reasonable course of action. Both sides should stop blaming each other for the downgrade and work together towards a viable solution towards a recovery. I know , I know this sounds so simple and it isn't. As much as it hurts I have to agree with China's assessment. When an authoritarian regime tells a democracy how to run its economy it is indeed a cold, cold day in hell.

May we never forget the horrors of war. Visiting Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a humbling experience. Those two cities will have a special place in my heart.

Thank you Yoko Ono! I think she brings up many good points on energy that Japan should consider. Just because she has "celebrity" status please do not discount her opinion especially if it has merit to it.

I rather be living next to a wind farm versus a nuclear power plant which is supposedly safe. Having a nuclear-free Japan may not become an immediate reality because some of the renewable technology is still being refined. In my humble opinion I feel working towards a nuclear-free and petro-independent Japan would be a worthy goal for the well-being of its people.

Japanese are a hardy and adaptive people. I share Madam Ono's optimism.

TLJ was great in Captain America. Love his sense of humour!

Got it thanks! Learned something new today!

I may be ignorant of the intricacies of engine transmissions but how will doing a software upgrade counter a weak bearing? This sounds like a physical design flaw.

Japan has every right to be concerned about China's military especially its naval buildup. Remember how China flew off the handle with the fisherman incident? Look at how China is acting towards Vietnam in regards to its naval exercises.

With China's new aircraft carrier fleet coming out along with other weapons such as its stealth fighter and anti-aircraft carrier missiles it will be able to further project its power and influence. Chinese diplomats may say one thing but I have some serious reservations about its military. There is a fine line with being a responsible power and being a bully.

Lastly I also believe China also has a right to keep its defenses strong. My family suffered grievously when the Japanese Imperial Army invaded China. Their village was burned to the ground. Luckily my grandmother had crackers to stuff into her children's mouths to stop them from crying for fear of giving away their hidden location from the Japanese troops. Yes this is the past but it is not forgotten.

In the present I wish nothing but the best for both the people of China and Japan hopefully their government's act responsibly towards each other.

Congratulations to Madam Prime Minister Shinawatra. Her party won through democratic elections. Lets see what she can do. Sometimes winning is the easiest phase. Now lets see how she and her party serves the people of Thailand.

As an American with many Japanese friends I was disturbed and saddened to read such a negative piece of journalism. Yes friendship is not cheap but you do cheapen it when you start to whine rather than showing thanks and appreciation. I hope the view the Shukan Post promotes is a minority of Japanese sentiment towards Operation Tomodachi. Our brave and women of the US Military could have been doing other tasks to safe guard the freedoms of not only the United States but Japan.

This is going to be a very long and complicated process. The Environmental Ministry hopefully is the lead agency to work with local government officials on creating customised plans of action and milestones. Also perhaps designating certain zones to move the debris to may help. From these locations disposal with the least impact to the environment should be done. Once all the debris is cleared environmental remediation should be done to help the environment heal itself. Also I would suggest having a website with updates for the public see. This website would also be useful to get public feedback. The Japanese are resilient and dedicated people. I wish them the best of luck. Gambatte kudasai!

Happens to me all the time. Also men do stupid things for beautiful women. I know that from experience.

Thanks for pointing out the information in the article. Yes the breach happen in California but the network is owned by Sony. It was Sony's responsibility or "duty" to have strong security which is a reasonable expectation of a costumer. You are correct to say that it is the FBI's duty to see if Sony was negligent and also hopefully catch the hacker(s). I guess I along with many million other users are very very frustrated and disappointed with Sony. Stone faced apologies and bows only go so far.

Thank you to the brave men and women of the US Military and Intelligence. It took awhile but you did it! Your tireless vigilance, dedication, and sacrifice is truly appreciated by this citizen. Thank you again!

Will Sony pay for the FBI investigation? After all it was their supposedly secure network that was breached. I think Sony needs to do more than a "basic review" to prevent this from happening again. As a PSN account holder I am very disappointed with how Sony has managed this event. I think I will be using my Microsoft 360 more. Thank goodness we have alternatives. I just hope the people over in Redmond are doing more than a basic review of their security.

Congratulations to Ms Ando!! Both ladies are world-class athletes. There will be another day for Ms Kim. I hope both push each other to become even better!

Jack will be missed!