takabin3650 comments

@MilesTeg

First, Dr. Tedros is not qualified for the position. He covered up 3 cholera upbreaks in his home country. Perhaps he did not know that 90% of cholera victims will survive with rehydration therapy (rehydration salts). For severe cases, IV and electrolytes will help. He ignored the possibility that the Wuhan Lab was responsible for the outbreak (the virus shows every indication that it was genetically engineered). Next, the Philippines are very different from East Asia culturally and genetically. Also, MDs and PhDs in the clinical field are often seen as somewhat arrogant; however, this has to do with the heavy responsibilities of their respective positions. If they make a mistake, they can lose their license. Unless there is clear evidence of abusive and racist behavior, judgement should be withheld. If you can understand Japanese and watch Japanese TV news, this is not a major issue. It will be a major issue, if and when, evidence is shown.

A lot of comments are being made without knowing the situation. Quite frankly, some comments are consistent with a clear bias against Japanese and very unfair. Conclusions should not be made unless the facts are revealed. First, Tedros is not a MD; he is an epidemiologist. An epidemiologist's strengths are biostatistics; however, he is not qualified for his role as one needs to understand the medical aspects of the job. He did not proactively investigate the Covid-19 virus possibility that it leaked from a China laboratory. This virus clearly deviates from the H5N1 influenza virus which disappeared because it killed its hosts and the myxoma virus in Australia which decreased its virulence against rabbits due to selection. I have worked on both sides of the Pacific as a laboratory director in a specialty including a 150 people clinical microbiology laboratory. It was very easy to work with the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese licensed laboratory scientists. We focused exclusively on patient care with limited non-business interactions. We discussed and I made the decision. It is very possible that Dr. Kasai had difficulty working in the Manila environment. In my laboratory, the staff (female) from the South China country felt that I was distant and not friendly. When one is interacting exclusively with physicians on patient care, there is little time for social time. Japanese do not use first names (bottom name in Japanese) unless you know them from childhood or in-laws. My brother-in-law and cousin are the only two people that I use first name. In my current consulting career, my clients that come to Japan from S. Korea and I get along very well. Perhaps this is a cultural difference and conclusions based on negative feelings about Japan and Japanese should be avoided. If it is proven that he made racist comments, the dismissal is very justified. We should be fair and wait for what happened.

During the Meiji Restoration, Japan noticed how the western countries invaded SE Asia and the Far East. The leaders made the mistake of following the west in invading other countries. The U.S. economic warfare provoked Japan into Pearl Harbor and the rest is history. Similar to the west, Japan committed atrocities in Asia. South Korea committed atrocities in Vietnam (I have many Vietnamese friends who will never forget). China is engaging in genocide against non-Han individuals. The U.S. is continuing to engage in discriminatory actions against dark-skinned people. Japan has the right to honor those who were slaughtered by U.S. forces. My mother, as a young child, saw a brave U.S. fighter jet sweep down and shoot an old man walking with a cane. Japan is committed not to make the same mistakes. Other countries, such as a western country, continue the same behavior against non-western countries.

I have a koseki or family registry (five generations). I am Japanese and have two citizenships. I know many people who went to school in the U.S. and got an US citizenship. If you have a family address in Japan, it is not difficult to renew your passport in Japan. The consul general outside of Japan in many places does not force people born after 1985 to choose a citizenship at 20 years of age. I have renewed my Japanese in Japan and outside of Japan with no problems.

My grandchildren are dual citizens. They can make up their mind where to live if they can read/write/speak at a university level in two languages especially Japanese.

Vaccine effectiveness is a measure of how well vaccination protects people against outcomes such as infection, symptomatic illness, hospitalization, and death. The paralysis seen with polio infections drastically fell with vaccinations. Countries in Africa cry for vaccines. The permanent damage to infants from measles, varicella-zoster and mumps have fallen because of vaccinations. The Japanese physician, Kitasato, was a pioneer in the development of vaccines when he was in Robert Koch's laboratory. Kitasato University is named after Kitasato Hibasaburo.

With respect to COVID-19, there is no one indicator that assesses effectiveness; however, vaccine effectiveness is measured through observational studies specifically designed to estimate individual protection from vaccination under “real-world” conditions (not clinical trials). Covid-19 vaccines dramatically reduces the severity of illness and the viral load of the infected individual which reduces spread to vulnerable populations such as the elderly and immunocompromised. In Japan, individual rights are less prioritized than protection of society which is why wearing of masks is over 99%. All of my contacts are vaccinated against Covid-19 which is for the good of society. Contacts who live with an elderly parent, places their protect as priority. This tennis player is self-centered/selfish and has no rights to endanger the health of others. If he does not care about the vulnerable, he can cry by himself. The ability of Covid-19 to mutate without losing virulence clearly suggests a lab engineered strain that escaped a lab in China. All influenza variants emerge from China because of their habit of raising poultry and birds in the same area. (Doctorate in the area of infectious diseases).

I pray that the letters are returned to their families and placed on the Butsudan (Buddhist alter in the home). It is unfortunate that the ashes are not there.

「My children were born in Japan and acquired dual citizenship at birth. While technically, they were obliged under Japanese law to choose one or the other at the age of 20, they've both followed the "don't ask, don't tell" principle and thus, now in their late twenties, retain both」

The above is correct. If you submit the birth of a child to the Japanese consulate or embassy within the required time, your child will be a Japanese citizen (if one or both of the parents have Japanese citizenships). Although the law changed around 1985, the Japanese consulate does not mention anything about making a choice at the age of 20 at the time of passport renewal. There are many dual citizens and do not experience problems. One can also retain their Japanese residency through relatives and renew passports in Japan even if you are living outside of Japan. The key is not to make an issue about it.

Korea's policy is not relevant to this discussion although a Korean client living outside of Korea told me that he had to choose after a certain period of time. In any case, this discussion is about Japan and not another country.

Michael Machida Today  08:51 am JST

Reported that the batters are just not good at baseball.

町田様、Baseball in Japan, Puerto Rico, Korea, Australia, etc. is as good as MLB! We should respect the accomplishments of all people regardless of the playing field location.

A significant percentage of MLB players are from other countries and can read, speak and write in other languages. They should be respected.

Re: [Both sides do air of whitewashing, neither side can point the finger and Japan also doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to historical events, it also tries to rewrite history in many ways when it comes to its role as an aggressor during WWII],

history is always from the perspective of each side. There is no total truth. I think the U.S. president who dropped a genocidal atomic bomb is a war criminal. At the same time, Japan has made sure not to repeat the mistakes of the past and has apologized over and over and over. It is time to move forward and learn from the past. Non-Japanese readers have not read current Japanese books used in schools. Each school has several options to choose from. Each teacher adds his or her perspectives in a non-biased way. In Japan, children are not taught to hate other people. The director of the movie "Drive My Car" invited the Korean actors and actresses to the awards. This is the Japan of now. Most young people are more interested in the EU and U.S. and advancing their careers at a time R&D investment has significantly decreased in Japan. Racists statements at work will result in discipline and potential termination. When we went to Cheju Island to celebrate our division achieving a significant goal, our business director stressed the importance of behaving in a dignified manner. Quite frankly, it is getting old to get complaints from Korea.

Yes, the U.S. has forgotten about dropping agent orange in Vietnam which damages the germ-line; therefore, you see many young people with no legs in Vietnam. The US has not faced up to the collateral damage of those of middle eastern blood and has not faced up to the injustice of slavery and the genocide of American Indians. European countries invaded much of Asia and Africa on the basis of manifest destiny. The treatment of Indians by Canada's religious institutions and the genocide of Australia against aboriginal people are not forgotten. The point is that almost all countries have done cruel things and some countries are currently still committing crimes using drones that kill innocent people in the middle east. South Korean massacres in Vietnam are also not forgotten. China's treatment of those of non-Han blood is a war crime. Japan has fully apologized many, many times for its mistake of following the west. Japan made a bad mistake and paid for it by the experimental A-bomb not dropped in Germany. I have a South Korean client that I introduced to a Japanese company and their product is awaiting regulatory clearance; they recognize how much I am working for them. One of my best friends is a Korean Japanese. I have dated a Korean person in my younger days. We cannot rely on governments and must develop better relations one-to-one. Good business relationships, good food, good drinks and being a good friend will overcome the acts of government. Japan is Japan and will conduct its business independently.

FDA panel votes to recommend third shot for some Pfizer vaccine recipients

An advisory committee says Pfizer recipients who are at risk for severe COVID-19, including people age 65 and older, should get a third shot.

NOT EVERYONE! I would listen to the FDA before I would listen to a "Japanese Panel".

The FDA is not the global expert body. The FDA's recent approval of Aduhelm (aducanumab) , a monoclonal antibody, without definitive clinical trial results has raised concern about its objectivity. I believe its expert panel resigned.

The Japanese PMDA has a record of rigorous evaluation of data based on cost-effectiveness and clinical relevance. In a national healthcare insurance framework, clinical relevance and medical economics is the determining factor. The only weakness, in my opinion, is the inability to mix national health insurance and private insurance in Japan (this would favor the more wealthy). In any case, the FDA is not considered the final word on drugs, medical devices and IVD reagents.

The term “war criminals” is defined by the victors. To others napalming of Vietnamese, genocide of American Indians, genocidal atomic bomb, slaughter of the people of Palestine, western invasions of countries in Asia and Africa, etc. are war crimes. Visiting the Jinjya Shrine to honor those people forced to join the army is Japan’s way of honoring those who perished. Japan acknowledges its mistakes and pain inflicted in Asia. It has honored its commitment to not repeat the same mistake. It does not give medals to those who kill teenage prisoners in the Middle East. We will continue to honor those everyday people whose lives were cut short when the military leaders reacted to a planned and coordinated economic blockade. Japan mourns for its mistakes in its own way now and forever.

Each country has the right to honor those who lost their lives either through forced conscription or as a military person. The term "war criminal" is a reflection of the victors writing history. There are those feel the U.S. president who dropped a genocidal bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a war criminal. Military leaders who followed the west's behavior of manifest destiny were irresponsible and bear a heavy responsibility for failure to assess the military situation correctly as well as their expansionist policies. "War criminal" should be reserved for Dr. Ishii and others who committed atrocious medical crimes similar to napalming Vietnamese and trying to wipe out aborigines, American Indians, etc. Japan has committed to not following a bad mistake of following the west. We all honor those who lost their lives in different ways. There are those at Yasukuni Jinjya who were taken away from their families and forced to fight a war they did not want to participate. We will continue to honor those poor people who were forced to join the military.

Japan realizes that they made a very bad mistake in following western countries in colonization and manifest destiny, including those that exterminated native Indians and engaged in buying slaves from Africa. Japan has apologized many times and has refrained from engaging in actions that are inhumane since the disaster of the atomic bomb. Japan does not engage in open racism in its policing targeting darker skins. Japan paid the price of its mistakes although the atomic bomb was not used on Germany. Those of German and Italian ancestry were not subjugated to loss of homes and sent to internment camps. Japan should be allowed to mourn the loss of innocent people who were killed in an experimental bomb even though it was evident that Japan was close to surrendering. The mourning of those killed will continue in Japan and will serve to prevent a repeat of the mistake of following the behavior of western countries.