Suzu1 comments

It is kind of strange that the writer did not consider probably the most iconic depiction of a Japanese male in U.S. cinema during the 1980's - Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid (1984). As exotic as his character was made to contrast with Ralph Macchio's character, he was absolutely portrayed as an honorable, humble and heroic man. Also, it is relevant to point out that Hollywood actively edited screenplays to downplay any offense towards the Japanese during the same period. For example, the villains were changed in Sean Connery's Rising Sun (1993) from the novel so they were not Japanese in the film. Also, the Japanese police characters in Michael Douglas' Black Rain (1989) were portrayed sympathetically as honorable and dedicated. It seems like this writer took the lazy route of deciding on a victimization narrative and ignoring reality. There is no other way to take with a straight face to think that Hollywood films commonly invoke "stereotypical film motifs.....(including) scenes featuring “nyotai-mori,” in which morsels of sushi are artistically served from atop the torso of a nude female." Just try to name one, let alone two, off the top of your head.

I can't get my head around why the USA allow fully automatic assault rifles to be sold in wall mart why do you need one?

This is just one example of misinformation out there. There are no fully automatic weapons sold at Wal-Mart.

There are enough gun control laws in the U.S. The problem is that they cannot be enforced properly due to a lack of resources for prosecuting violations to the full extent allowed by the law. Trying to push new laws just leads to ridiculous debate and inaction. Instead the focus should be on providing prosecutors the resources needed to convict and send offenders to federal prison.

In the U.S. the standard stay, assuming a healthy mother and child, is 48 hours after the birth. That seemed about right for my family. Hospital stays in Japan often seem excessive.

On the bright side, the Humvees were equipped with Takata airbags so we can hopefully get most back as ISIS brings them in for recall.

Let them go...THEN cancel their passport. Don't let the door hit you on the way out!

I appreciate good hygiene and the emphasis placed on it by the Japanese. The confusing part I find is when the toilet has a faucet on top of the toilet and there is no hand soap to be found anywhere. Train stations without soap make me shudder at the touch of the hand rails.

Japan needs more hotels that will accommodate families. Too many will not accept two adults and two children in one room, even in Tokyo and Osaka. So Japan loses out on that lucrative tourist market. In contrast, walk around Manhattan and there are families from all over the world taking in the sights and spending money.

It is very difficult, even in major cities like Tokyo, to find a Japanese hotel, even major chains like Prince, that will accept a family of four (two adults and two children) in one hotel room. I think this one of the factors hampering Japan from becoming a major tourist destination. When I walk around New York's Times Square, for example, I am struck by how many international families are on vacation there. The related spending is a great boon for the city.

It is amazing that Kanye West has apparently no shame using Auto Tune while performing with Paul McCartney.

Too late. ISIS just released a tape showing the beheading of Mr. Goto.

The march should have been routed through one of Paris' so-called "no go zones" that have been ceded to the Islamic extremists. Otherwise just seems like preaching to the choir.

There is no privacy violation. After all, he drove his car in public and the GPS device was placed on the exterior of the vehicle. There is no difference from having him under direct surveillance by an officer.

Sadly, Janice Dickinson is a very troubled woman with self-professed psychological problems that stem from horrific abuse by her father. This makes her an attractive target for predators because others are quick to dismiss her claims due to her unstable behavior. That is probably why she waited until others had come forward.

I think we can assume that Spotify is great for less known artists, not so much for big stars.

Another article stated that the payout by Spotify to Taylor Swift this year alone was around $6 million.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/11/11/spotify-ceo-to-taylor-swift-is-6-million-enough/18854607/

Chariots of Fire, The Pink Panther, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars.

they would get their butts kicked at any American beach if they showed up that way.

Certainly not on Fire Island.

“Almost all of the public toilets here are impeccably clean.”

Really? That has not been my experience, especially with the JR station bathrooms. Hard not to gag.

I'm confused. Recent articles in JT have indicated that Japanese consumers conveniently purchase most goods with a quick swipe of their phone. After all, wasn't Apple too late to the game since this technology is ubiquitous in Japan? Why would a specific coin combination in your pocket make any difference?

To the surprise of many, Paisley embraced his new role as Northern Ireland’s first minister with a relaxed demeanor, most strikingly when working alongside his government co-leader, former IRA commander Martin McGuinness.

Not too surprising considering that Martin McGuinness was an informant for the British.

A successful vote for independence will be a Pyrrhic victory.

I'm not sure why the U.S. is singled out for criticism in this article since it produces the most films in demand in the international market. The same preference for U.S. movies with a few local ones over other foreign movies exists in the box office results of virtually every international market in the world. Commentators who pretend that their own country rewards decent non-U.S. foreign films with substantial ticket sales are deluding themselves. Here is a chart of the major international markets and their Top 20 box office results for the previous week:

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/

This hunt may be traditional but it used to be conducted in obscurity. Now with exposure through media, especially the cable TV channel Animal Planet, millions of kids are growing up with a negative image of Japan. Time for this tradition to be retired.

Very tragic situation and very unusual. That is what made it national news.

Then we hear the manufactured accounts from white supremacists who believe it's perfectly fine to execute an 18 year old kid for jaywalking.

Seriously? You spend your time putting out straw man arguments like that? Very troll-like.

he was 25 or more feet away and was NOT aggressively going after the officer. No eyewitness has come forward with that.

Brown, 6'4'' and 292 lbs., punched the police officer so hard that it caused an orbital blowout fracture to the eye socket.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch has reported that more than a dozen witnesses have corroborated the police officer's story.

The continued protests no longer have connection to the residents of Ferguson. Of 78 protestors arrested last night for causing disturbances, just 3 were residents of the town.

The great customer services often ends when you try to return an item.

Would Japanese reporters then have to use an interpreter for the now English-speaking Japanese player?

The video of Brown robbing the convenience store is here:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=464_1408123040

Has anyone suggested that the penalty for stealing cigars from a convenience store is death? Please, give up using the straw man arguments!

Surveillance video now released shows the 6'4'' 292 lbs. Michael Brown committing a strong arm robbery of a convenience store, roughing up the store owner, shortly before the confrontation with the police officer. His friend's account, which help fueled the violent protests, is now established to have been a lie.