tairitsuiken comments

So it's back to the old, the well-known? Japan's current attitude can be summed up in "More Of The Same."

Oh, how China is toying with Japan, trying to provoke any reaction.

This is what Japanese get for never ever having the guts to speak up. At my place of employment, a foreign company mind you, people say yes, yes and yes, even if they completely disagree. "PawaHara" is much like japan_cynic says, a useless term as it is not really definable and can be pretty much anything.

Basic problem in Japan is this subservient attitude.

My problem with dubbing lies mainly with the creative process. To make a movie, with actors that you want to work with to portray the characters and dialogue you try for days to get just right, to have that idea squashed by some local little sound studio bringing local celebs... Uuaah. That goes all ways, mind you. Matt Damon in Ponyo is no better than KimuTaku in Shrek.

Heyey, let's stop "blaming" the father for not doing enough. People are different and perhaps he was very unsure of what to do?

Sad that such a young person sees no other way out that to kill herself.

Japan has a lot of good points but the suicide rate is one of the most shameful things I can think of. And it's all becuase people are so damned scared of showing emotions, standing their ground or becuse of their seemingly chronic fear of opposing opinions or conflicts. Sure, people can smile and say "good morning" to you but most are enormously scared of sticking out, helping a person in need etc.

From what I read in this article, responible people are nowhere to be found: Father wants a "consultation". School (who I am pretty damn sure knows very well what's going on) tries to make it a police matter (bullying is not a police matter) and nobody lifts a finger.

The longer I live here, the more ashamed I feel on behalf of the Japanese people for their lack of courage.

@papagallo

They hardly strive to be that good at English. But it would do them good.

In the long run.

@billyshears A totally valid objection. I should have stated more clearly that movies directed at the adult portion of the public should not be allowed to be dubbed.

In Spain during the Franco years, the authorities loved dubbing. Foreign films with "questionable" dialogue could easily be transformed into "proper" Castillian, without any pesky ideas being served the movie going public. A poweful tool indeed.

..we can at least be respectful to our hosts.

Hosts? Please tell me you're joking, brother. If you are here visiting, then sure, they might be hosts. If you live here, visa, family and what have you, you are a citizen. Same as anyone else.

All movies, foreign or domestic deserve to be watched (and heard) in it's intended form. That goes for format, sound and picture. Dubbing ought to be outlawed.

Also, with Japan mastering the English language to such an extent, wouldn't it be better if people tried to hear some PROPER English once in a while?

@JeffLee

I'm waiting for your explanation as to why Jobs thumbed his nose at giving small portions of his money to charitable causes.

How do you know he didn't? Just because it's not on the books doesn't mean it didn't happen. But I guess any chance to badmouth the guy makes speculations worthwhile, right?

Almost same place as the last big one... Here in Tokyo, the floor suddenly started vibrating - not the usual swaying this time. That felt pretty weird...

@smithinjapan

I remeber this natto thing some years ago. They mentioned something about the benefits of eating natto on TV (daytime TV, I'm sure) and the following days not a natto pack was to be found.

Then, a few days later, someone refuted the claims that natto was god's gift to humanity and all went back to normal...

@rickyvee Better read that again:

...returnees from China following the end of World War II, NTV reported.

Ah, Japan, the land where scientific results are brought to the populace by a company. What a place.

@BernieK

Sadly, no:

http://youtu.be/1c03sC1BPYI

@papigiulio

You can do it! A big portion of "gaman", some "shoganai", hot baths at night, bulk up with those thick nylon jackets all the obaasan like to wear and finally, not to forget, hot water bottles on you futon before bed. Yessiree!

Alternatively, "eco" loving Japan could get with the times and build houses that keep an indoor temperature above 14°C.

Are these truck armored? Where? The windshield.

Nexco needs to be taken to task on this.

Of course they do. And won't be. The "investigation" is probably only a show for the masses, making sure no one actully demands guilty parties being charged with negligence. Japan Inc, FTW!

Just send out a questionnaire.

@saidani

Oh, so they are different? From who? Everybody else? Or only Westerners? All other asians? Are they also different from Mongols and Koreans, people from which thei hail?

The very sad truth is that this country has an identity problem, exquisitely manifested in youths wearing masks to "look cute" or "have a seemingly smaller face". You call it a quirk but it is more serious than that when young people hide behind a mask 24/7. there can be no comparison to wearing sunglasses in public - just a handful actually do that.

@hkitagawa They planted too many Cedars? According to who? And why would they do that? This article was not specifically about hayfever season and what that brings. In other countries people go on there lives without using masks. Why is that?

That

Speaking of masks, I saw a weird ( yes, weird) thing in Yokohama. Some of those bakery chais (forgot the name) seem to have the staff wear masks, butbif they wear masks you cannot see their forced smiles, so what to do?

Thay were wearing some kind if clear plastic mask, covering the mouth, much like those surgeons wear when sawing rib cages. Now, the Japanese populace may think this is a good (and hygenic) way to do business but it is simple deluded and wrong.

Masks ne... I always felt the actual benefit of these things was lost on most people. In Japan, you do as your peers and if your peers wear a mask intended for use in hospitals - so do you. No questions asked. Mask users here (besides looking like a bunch of germ phobics) seem to use masks more as an adult version of a kids blanket than anything else. And it looks so good too, when you ought to be home, but instead do some "gaman" and show your co-workers how much you really care about whatever company you work for.

@saidani

Japan and its people are "special" don't you know? Wearing surgical masks in public suits that special style well. You can't have the cake and eat it too. Either you're special or you're not...

Seems he lived a great life, enjoying himself to the fullest.

I remember him best as JR in "Dallas" and what a meanie he portrayed. Fantastic.

@Brain

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/ben-lowy-virtually-unfiltered/

I am not surprised. Compact camerass are up to pretty good quality today but the cameras in smartphones are not that far behind. Sure, they might not be quite as advanced, but what they bring to the table is convenience. The possibility to snap a picture and in a few seconds be able to send it across the world is simply amazing.

Even though compacts are not that big a hassle, they still involve having to bring your camera to a computer, eject/insert the memory card, donwload your pictures, opening your email program and send.

@bigfujiyama

Mmm, yeah..., as Bill Lumberg would say. Watched some of those videos. As was to be expected, a lot of "Horrrraaa, omae, kaere..."

Nothing new there.

Oliver Stone is a master story teller. He makes stuff that's truly interesting to watch and whoever takes all his tales for the truth must have missed something. In any case, ut's more interesting to see some different interpretations of world events than only one view. Take it for what it is.

Anybody watched "The Cove"? The funniest moment was the loon videotaping the "activists", screaming: "Kaerrreee, kaerrreee!".

@kimuzukashiiiii

I too kinda can understand how these so called nationalists feel. They feel threatened because they are not used to anyone opposing, or questioning, their confused views. In Japan, nobody ever speaks up when something is wrong.

50 people vs. 30 people really sounds like a joke, though. I bet the other 19,999,920 people had some much needed shopping to do...

Oh boy, this is not going to end well. From bad to worse, perhaps. Always amazes me how gullible people are when it comes to revolutions and how they so dearly want to believe better times are ahead when often the opposite is true. Watching "The last king of Scotland" about Idi Amin's regime in Uganda is quite fascinating for example.

No more balloons at Chiba Disneyland. The Times is ON IT.