SumoBob comments

Posted in: Man believed to be fugitive 1970s terrorist bomber dies in hospital See in context

He took his evil deeds to the grave.

Now he will have a paupers cremation. I assume.

As opposed to the deluxe cremation?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Posted in: Man dies after being shot outside residence in Saitama Prefecture See in context

Nemo wrote:

"I want to know why yaks were allowed in public housing."

I don't know what part of Japan you're living in, but anywhere I've lived generally prohibits bovinae from living in most apartments.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: VR metaverse of Akihabara Station being made by JR East See in context

How long until this becomes a haven for chikan who can molest VR victims from the comfort of their own manshon.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Posted in: The masks allowed me to talk honestly with company reps, which was good because doing so gave me a new perspective. See in context

But even with the masks, the recruiter can till see your mandatory picture on your application. So, unless we eliminate photos, voices and names, recruiters will still be biased towards clean-cut, 'Japanese-looking' males.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Model Nana Suzuki declared ‘The Best Gyozanist 2021’ See in context

Can't wait for the best "Japantodayist" awards.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Posted in: One in three Australian parliament staff sexually harassed: report See in context

Peter Neil wrote:

"Good morning, how are you today?"

"I fell threatened! I want to talk to HR!"

Thank you for succinctly demonstrating the problem. Your callousness is beyond disappointing.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

Posted in: Japan considers lending statue of famed Chinese Zen master to China See in context

Ingen served as chief priest at Wanfu Temple before leaving China. After arriving in Japan in 1645, he founded the Obaku sect of Zen Buddhism and is known for having brought to the country a kind of bean called "Ingen-mame."

A "kind of bean" called Ingen mame? Really? A perfunctory Google or dictionary search would have shed light on the fact that it's the common green (string) bean.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Transgender man in Japan wants switch recognized without surgery See in context

Despite many in this forum having difficulty understanding transgenderism, the real issue here in Japan is one of preserving the status-quo when it comes to the koseki family registration system. On the one hand, Japan is more progressive than many countries in that it correctly recognizes that some people are born in the wrong physical body and allowing them to change their gender on the koseki. The caveat being that they must undergo surgery to remove their reproductive organs first. Note, that means ovaries and uterus or the testes, not the vulva/penis. This is significant, because the reason for this is the koseki. If transgender men (some with functional uteruses) started giving birth, or recognized transgender women (with viable sperm) starting impregnating willing female partners then the whole neat and tidy father, mother, offspring system would get too muddy. Can't have a Japanese child registered with a transgender man (registered male) listed as the mother alongside a cis woman also listed as mother. Conservative heads would explode.

Forced sterility as a condition of being recognized as who you are is a human rights violation.

-4 ( +11 / -15 )

Posted in: Kono backs Suga for prime minister, but still has his eye on top job See in context

Although I strongly disagree with most of Abe's policies (and his Nippon-kai handlers), on positive aspect of his long tenure was that it appeared to the world, at least on the surface that Japan had an actual leader in charge. Now I fear we're back to another period of prime minister 'musical chairs' like from 2006 to 2013 when we had a different prime minister annually for an entire cycle of G7 meetings (and photo shoots). It was terribly embarrassing.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Samurai Mac burgers arrive at McDonald’s Japan See in context

"Roasted Soy Sauce Style Bacon Tomato Thick Beef"

Oh direct Japanese translation, how I've missed you. lol

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Free wagyu beef is Japanese politicians’ latest coronavirus response plan See in context

One wonders why the LDP never thought of these vouchers before to prop up its whale ‘research’ business.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Gov't set to revise law allowing Abe to declare state of emergency over virus See in context

Two years of a 'declared emergency' in which the LDP would have carte blanche to do what they like in the name of protecting the people. Think of all the constitutional amendments and pension fund reforms they can enact during that time.

Christmas has come early for Nippon Kaigi.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Posted in: FY2018 wasteful tax spending in Japan 2nd lowest in decade See in context

Just just wait till the 2021 audit comes out on Tokyo Olympic spending. Fun times, all around.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Posted in: LDP presents case for amending constitution in Diet debate See in context

Mark my words, first the Abe government and its shadow cabinet, the Nippon Kaigi will first try to change Article 9 , but one look at the LDP homepage manifesto shows they have a whole slew of revisions they want to acheive to drag the Japanese people back to to the Meiji period:

Changing Article 97 (fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution are for all time inviolate) to an imposed set of "duties" - change to: "The people must respect the national flag, national anthem, and this Constitution."

Eliminating a constitutional provision forbidding the appropriation of public funds - change to: "for the use, benefit or maintenance of any religious institution or association."

Freedom of speech would be curtailed: - "engaging in activities with the purpose of damaging public interest or public order, or associating with others for such purposes, shall not be recognized."

Allow the prime minister's cabinet to inact law without the Diet: "The Cabinet may enact cabinet orders having the same effect as laws," and all persons must comply with the directives of national or other public institutions.")

And the list goes on...

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Posted in: Naomi Osaka picks Japanese citizenship with eye on Olympics: NHK See in context

Thank you to Wipeout for posting a very thorough and correct post on this subject, saving me a lot of time of having to write out exactly what you wrote.

What what Wipeout wrote is absolutely correct and there's an awful lot of misinformation on this subject which is doing more harm than good.

As the as the article stated, Naomi is simply following the procedures necessary to ensure her legal status as a Japanese citizen (who also happens to be an citizen of the US). But in no way will she actually relinquishing her US citizenship nor will the Japanese government force her to do so.

Japanese natural born citizens are required under the Constitution to be treated equally and, asking one citizen to formally renounce their citizenship (in this case US citizenship) would force her to go through a lengthy and expensive process which would be patently unfair to her. She received both Japanese and US citizenship from birth but she should not be punished for that. So she's signing a paper essentially saying that while I am in Japan I will consider myself to be a Japanese citizen and give up the rights as an American citizen while in Japan. But that paper is very specific in the kanji that is used: hoki-suru (放棄する - relinquish /give up a claim to~) and not ridatsu (離脱 - breakaway/secession/separation), because the Japanese government cannot force someone to give up something that:

A: they have no jurisdiction over

B: something that they have had since birth

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Top court upholds damages over students' tsunami deaths See in context

An Ishinomaki official said the city "has been making steady progress in safety measures against potential disasters since the 2011 tsunami"

Glad to see you're making 'steady progress' towards protecting against serious disasters. It's only been eight years after all.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan to pardon 600,000 to mark emperor's enthronement: media See in context

I says, pardon?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: 8 side jobs for foreigners to make extra money in Japan See in context

"Guidelines and models for companies to help them embrace a gig-style economy were put in place earlier this year, along with the removal of a labor ministry rule banning second jobs without the employer’s permission."

:D Huzzah! Japan finally joins the world of modern, liberally-minded nations.

"Now, employees only have to inform their bosses before taking on another gig."

:( And...with one additional sentence we're back to the way things work normally here.

Very typical Japanese, quote-unquote reform. Like seriously, how many people are going to find their traditional working Japanese workplace happily say, "Sure. Thanks for informing us that you're going to take a second job. Ganbare!"

It it would have been so easy to just change the law to say you don't need to inform your employer of your second job (in any normal country that is, but then again any normal country wouldn't have such a restrictive law in the first place).

But instead, they dangle the idea of reform without actually reforming anything.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: No. of recorded crimes to hit lowest postwar level for 5th straight year See in context

Any stats that originate with the NPA should be viewed very skeptically.

yep the 99% conviction rate says it all. only count the convictions of the people that were actually convicted, cases thrown out becuase prosecutors didnt think they could get a convictions arent counted.

meddling in statistics is rampant in Japan

Very true. And when foreign crime is reported by the NPA, the statistics include visa overstays:. a crime that is absolutely not possible for Japanese citizens to commit and the ergo not applicable when comparing crime statistics.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Tired Ghosn recovering, as lawyer works on defense See in context

The lawyer added that Ghosn's defense team was considering an opportunity for him to speak with the press in the near future. But the event must be designed in such a way that it would not affect the trial and not allow prosecutors to argue that Ghosn was using the media to send hidden messages to his associates to conceal evidence.

Of course of course that hasn't stopped the prosecution from using the willing and complicit media from day one to constantly pound the message that Ghosn is guilty of something.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Posted in: Surveillance proposed by defense team likely helped Ghosn secure bail See in context

Today  09:26 am JST

The previous defense team led by Motonari Otsuru, a former head of the special squad of Tokyo prosecutors, initially proposed having Ghosn stay in France or at the residence of the French ambassador to Japan in Tokyo.

That’s just insane! It’s not as if the judges weren’t looking for the easiest way to pass the buck and to deny the request as long as humanly possible. It’s what they do. Denial of requests is a high level art form after all and these guys are masters. Why would Ghosns previous lawyers even contemplate that this could have worked?

Hats off to you, Ricky Kaminski13 for spotting the real story in this article.

Ghosn's previous attorney, Motonari Otsuru is the former head of the same special prosecution office that is now prosecuting Ghosn. Although he is now a privately-practicing lawyer working for defendants, the 'team Japan' thinking would never have left him, especially since he's now sitting across the table from all of his proteges who are desperately trying to get a win and avoid losing face. What better way to give his former underlings a helping hand surreptitiously, by suggesting to the court that his current client could be released on bail and allowed to return to his home country while awaiting trial? I'm not surprised in the least that the court was 'stunned' by the suggestion.

If this were any other country with a decent justice system that would be prosecutorial misconduct and grounds for being disbarred.

Ten bucks says that Ghosn was not even aware of the details surrounding his lawyer's first 'attempt' at bail.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Farmer investigated for selling wagyu cattle sperm to smuggler See in context

"Every sperm is sacred..."

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: There are no parts of a tree that can be thrown away. We can use fallen trees as energy sources without wasting any parts. See in context

While this sounds innovative, quite a few towns in Japan already do this. I know of a town nearby in which all public buildings are heated (and cooled in summer) with 100% biomass (waste wood). The idea came from Europe.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Olympic meeting in Tokyo gets off to chaotic start due to corruption case See in context

According to the head minister of the 2020 Olympic games, Yoshitaka Sakurada the bentos for today's meeting cost 1,500 yen.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Not having children is selfish, says LDP Secretary-General Nikai See in context

NambanOnigiri: As much as I dislike the current government they are actually giving some help to families with children, obviously I would like more and they should do more to help working families. especially if they want more children in society.

They give child support payments, tax breaks, subsidised kindergarten for 2nd children, free kindergarten for the 3rd child, free school meals. I don't know if this is nationwide or just localised however.

Namban, perhaps you haven't lived here long enough, but the monthly child support payments, tax breaks, subsidised kindergarten etc, were policies implemented by the previous DPJ government from 2009 to 2012. They campaigned on, and passed laws to implement them, against the wishes of Abe' LDP. Credit where credit is due.  If they hadn't had this brief stint in power I guarantee we wouldn't have them today.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Pro-smoking LDP lawmaker apologizes for heckling cancer patient See in context

"I just murmured my feelings that smokers should not be discriminated against more than necessary," he said in the statement on his website."

What's next, LDP? Outrage that the rights of oyaji to flirt and fondle their female subordinates might be infringed too much by the passing of stricter sexual harassment laws?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Posted in: Knife rampage aboard bullet train kills 1, injures 2 See in context

Oh, I know. Let's have everyone who rides the shinkansen carry a knife in order to stop such attacks. All it takes is one 'good guy' with a knife to stop the carnage! (/sarcasm_alert)

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Posted in: Airbnb says new law regulating short-term rentals 'stinks' See in context

Honestly, all of you Airbnb supporters need to take an honest look at the situation. All of you "free market is best" and "I'm tired of the government over regulating everything and gouging the average Joe" are far too young to know the past two generations worked so hard to ensure you have a safe place to sleep at night with government-regulated fire escapes and smoke alarm at your hotel, or if you need a clean reliable taxi whose driver has been vetted, licensed and extensively knows the city in which they're driving.

What's what's next for the young budding entrepreneur who wants to break down the so-called government and business bureaucracy? Building inspectors? Doctors, plastic surgeons, lawyers?

We don't need regulations for the public good, as long as I can save 20 to 30% on my bill, right?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: 'Roseanne' cancellation brings unemployment, uncertainty See in context

One things for sure - Roseanne's certainly morally bankrupt.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Posted in: Criminal complaint filed over Finance Ministry's document disposal See in context

Kamiwaki told reporters that if a criminal charge is not pursued it would encourage the state and politicians to "actively dispose of records that are not in their favor," thus undermining democracy.

Only in Japan, wearing its thin, tatamae of a so-called 'democracy' could someone say something like this with a straight face.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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