Japan Today

TheDalaiLamasBifocals comments

Posted in: Kyoto eyes raising city lodging tax to up to 10,000 yen per night See in context

Reducing tourists is the aim. Overtourism is a real problem. Places like Venice and Barcelona suffer from it. It reduces the experience for tourists and affects the quality of life for locals.

Of course they want tourists, but it's a delicate balancing act trying to control a boom-bust situation like this. In some cases uncontrolled overtourism caused way more damage to the local economy than measures introduced to control it.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

Posted in: Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary dead at 86 See in context

I'm getting the word...nonce.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Posted in: Japan governors push to have hot spring culture recognized by UNESCO See in context

I don't think this is a good idea due to the mental anguish caused by onsens.

My first time was a mixed bath way out in the countryside shared with two old women who had some well saggy danglers floating out in front of them

I still have nightmares about those flaccid bouyant teets.

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

Posted in: Wayne Osmond, singer and guitarist for The Osmonds, dies at 73 See in context

@Mocheake He is the first Osmond to die.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Osaka Expo 'Grand Ring' a symbol of unity: architect See in context

If the only thing to come out of the Expo is another Fujimoto building, then I'm all for it.

His constructions are beautiful and challenging.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Posted in: Makers of Dassai to brew sake in space and sell 100 milliliters for ¥100 million See in context

だっせー

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Universal Studios Japan opens world's 1st Donkey Kong-themed area See in context

Hurray! Err...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus See in context

A huge kick in the nuts for Putin.

It shows how weak Russia is right now that they don't have the resources to support their main influence in the area.

Syria was also their link to Africa and Iran.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

Posted in: Why would a Japanese bartender open a nonalcoholic bar? See in context

Liquor displeases the Lord.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Japanese court convicts Australian who says she was tricked into smuggling drugs See in context

Page 1 of the Nigerian Drug Smuggling Manual - menopausal women make excellent mules.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Posted in: Japan reaches its lowest-ever ranking on Education First’s 2024 English Proficiency Index See in context

Education First?

Aren't they a bit dodgy?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Posted in: Father of 7-year-old girl murdered 20 years ago releases notes on his feelings since then See in context

The murderer is out of it.

The father is left suffering.

He needs some serious grief counseling.

Losing a child is a horror nobody should suffer, but still feeling like that 20 years later is a wrong. The murderer has killed the father, too.

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Posted in: Japan's sake brewers hope UNESCO heritage listing can boost rice wine's appeal See in context

Japan is only 7th on the list of registered UNESCO Intangibles with 22 - the same number as South Korea. China is way ahead with 43. Followed by Turkey with 30.

Japan! Register moar!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Posted in: Japan rules out ending death penalty despite panel's call for review See in context

A government should never have a legal method of killing citizens.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Posted in: Mount Fuji still without snowcap in November for first time in 130 years See in context

It snowed this morning on Fuji. I can see it from my window.

But yes, it is very, very late.

Usually the first dusting happens in early October.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Still no snow on Mount Fuji, breaking record See in context

It continues to disappoint me that the climate deniers still can't grasp the difference between weather and climate.

It's on a level with the phrase 'But it's only a theory.'

/facepalm

8 ( +17 / -9 )

Posted in: Woman arrested for stabbing man at Chiba shopping center See in context

@Fighto

Yes. And according to the National Police Agency data, knife attacks have been on the decline since the 2000s.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Posted in: Tokyo's Shibuya, Shinjuku join hands to tackle Halloween crowds See in context

This is an American "event" that does not match with the Japanese culture.

Actually it's an Irish/Scottish event.

What Japanese culture? If you are talking about miserable old oyajis, maybe, but it matches with many, many young Japanese people.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Posted in: Osaka gears up for 2025 World Expo with memories of hosting a half-century ago See in context

Who actually gives a flying fart about these expos.

No idea.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

Posted in: Taylor Swift's Harris endorsement draws 9 million 'likes' See in context

Harris certainly ripped Trump s new one.

He looked like he was about to cry through most of the debate.

9 ( +17 / -8 )

Posted in: Sapporo man arrested for possession of 33 handguns; says he bought them for fun See in context

A guy who used to run a military surplus store near me was jailed a few years back. Selling uniforms is one thing, but he was going into the Mt. Fuji training grounds, picking up unspent rounds and grenades and selling them over the internet.

He even sent a live grenade through the post. What a mad lad.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Posted in: Osaka dragon’s tail must be cut off, high court rules in ramen restaurant case See in context

Whatever legal fees they incur are probably much smaller than an ad campaign of this size would cost.

Make a big spectacle of the tail cutting. Bring in Shinto priests, Buddhist monks and Chinese Wizards. Call on the local hosts clubs for their finest youthful peacocks to do Osakan tribal dances in their pointy shoes and tight suits.

Then store the cut tail in front of the shop in a diamond-encrusted golden box to show the world what the dragon sacrificed to bring delicious ramen to the world.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Posted in: Late French actor Alain Delon was like a 'god' in Japan See in context

@Roger Husain

Yes. Purple Noon is great.

He was also good in Visconti's The Leopard.

All way before my time, but any film buff recognizes Delon as one of the biggest in cinema history. RIP

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Posted in: City in Saitama Prefecture uses AI to find students at risk of school refusal See in context

Pattern matching is not AI, it is conventional data analysis.

Pattern matching isn't AI, but the systems they use to do it are.

For large data sets, AI systems are more efficient at data collection, cleaning and analysis etc. than humans.

It's very common in business now.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan lifts megaquake warning See in context

I would not recommend such warnings again. It's simply too difficult through scientific means to foreshadow a megaquake.

A trivial example, but

Imagine you’re in a busy shopping mall. The security knows from experience that there's a higher chance of pickpockets being active because of the large crowds and distracted shoppers. They might issue a warning, saying, "Be extra careful with your belongings today."

Some people might think, "Why issue a warning? You can’t predict exactly when or where a pickpocket will strike, so what’s the point?" But the purpose of the warning isn’t to predict a specific theft; it’s to make you more aware of the increased risk. So, you might decide to keep a closer eye on your wallet or phone, or secure your bag more carefully.

Even if no pickpocketing occurs, the warning has served its purpose by making people more cautious and potentially preventing theft. The earthquake caution works the same way—it raises awareness so people can take precautions, even if the exact time and place of a quake can’t be predicted. It’s about reducing risk, not guaranteeing an event.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Posted in: Japan lifts megaquake warning See in context

I has been interesting seeing the comments on this and other articles about the earthquake caution.

It is a perfect dictionary of psychological traits that pop up every time, that I am sure the scientists were debating about when they decided whether on not to make the announcement. The same happened during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Next time you post maybe check one of these cognitive biases to see if they apply to you.

Normalcy bias -  It leads people to believe that things will always function the way they normally have, despite warnings or evidence to the contrary. During emergencies, people with normalcy bias might downplay the seriousness of the situation, thinking "it's not that bad" or "things will get back to normal soon."

Hindsight Bias: Also known as the "knew-it-all-along" effect, this bias occurs when people perceive events as having been more predictable after they have already occurred. As with this caution, now that it is over, people might downplay its severity, thinking that it was obvious it wouldn’t be as bad as experts warned, even though it wasn't obvious at the time.

Outcome Bias: This is a bias where people judge a decision based on the outcome rather than the quality of the decision at the time it was made. In the case of this earthquake, if the outcome turns out less severe than expected, people might incorrectly assume that the initial response was overblown or unnecessary. - Very common on these articles.

Dunning-Kruger Effect: This is a cognitive bias where people with low ability, knowledge, or experience in a field overestimate their competence and dismiss expert advice. In the context of earthquakes, someone might reject expert predictions or safety advice because they mistakenly believe they understand the subject better than they do.

There are others such as Confirmation Bias or Cognitive Dissonance.

Good luck virusrex. You are battling against a smorgasbord of psychology in your daily efforts.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Posted in: No executions carried out in Japan for over 2 years See in context

If you believe in freedom and liberty and are against big government there is no possible avenue for you to support the death penalty.

A government should never have a way to execute its citizens. The is the biggest form of big government.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Posted in: Gov't urges public not to hoard disaster kits amid megaquake fear See in context

I meant @ burgers and beers

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Posted in: Gov't urges public not to hoard disaster kits amid megaquake fear See in context

@gurumick

"Tends to happen after a megaquake warning is issued"

This is the first time it has been issued.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Posted in: Gov't urges public not to hoard disaster kits amid megaquake fear See in context

The members of the panel said the biggest debate in the first meeting was whether or not to make the announcement because it would cause panic buying.

They erred on the side of caution.

This is the first time the system has been used since its introduction in 2017. I think if it causes more people to prepare, then making the announcement was worth it.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

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