Thomas Michael Lewis comments

whilst one accepts that overdoing phone time is common, how is it much different than any other fiercly watched hobby or practise If we applied that logic fairly to everything we wouldnt have experts, professionals or even amateurs

Worth remembering Fukushima was damaged by a tsunami not an earthquake.

You can say many things about Japans absurd old traditions but in this instance the gift one is utterly heart warming

@Probie Clearly you are not the Romantic type, but many romantic men can and do exist. Im sorry you are lacking in that deparment but I dont feel it gives you the right to judge and call anyone who does it fake. I personally use pet names, always leave on "love you" and compliment my love regularly, but I guess thats because Im not just in it for the sex.

The bullying goes far beyond the schools, the workplaces are rife with it, did a little part time work and the main guy had an Apprentice, he treated him worse than a dog, it was disgraceful and left me with the firm impression that I dont not want to work under Japanese employers, and Im sure many of you know that wasnt a one off.

Arnt these ones uninhabited? Lets just destroy the Islands with some strong firepower and call it international waters.

Worth pointing out that hispeed trains are usually faster than flying, due to the lengthy check ins and out AND the fact the plane has to travel much further than the train to reach the same destination.

Well said NeverSubmit, the recent overwhelming NO vote to ACTA by the European Parliament followed by the European Commissions statement that it would carry on with it regardless is just their most recent demonstration.

The RedHouse Report is incredibly intriguing, and somewhat bloodcurdling, something well worth googling, even if only to laugh at its prosperousness

Bollocks, I suppose whilst this didnt include sexual abuse etc, it did include spanking which was nothing to do with teaching children so much as the parent getting pissed off with them. My father spanked us, and I can proudly state that every child of his is very well mannered, kind, responsible and hardworking, but then this study would point out the string of Manic depression that has been in the family for generations and somehow use that as vindication for its results.

Spanking when done properly is very good education for a child, as is reward, one or the other alone is ridiculous.

Britain is still being defiant against the abuse of Human Rights, ergo the EU commission ignoring democracy. The EU parliament has voted NO to ACTA, the EU commission has said it will press ahead anyway. Someone has to stand up for the rights of humanity, and Nigel Farage is doing so splendidly. I should like to see you live in a country led by a trio of people of whom none were elected. British PM Brown suggested a the Tobin Tax to the EU almost a decade ago, they told him to get on his bike. They have no respect for British ideas even when its in their interest, Camerons veto was a fine snub in the EU' face.

Germany! They like Japan are very safe at a first glance, but have hideously bizarre murders, and such.

Rule number one would seem to go without saying but doesn’t: “Be aware of your surroundings.”

This made me laugh, people in Japan -Tokyo and Saitama atleast- have the worst cases of Tunnel Vision I have ever encountered, stepping straight onto the pavement without checking for joggers, bikes etc, the absurd number of car collisions and pedestrians well Im not going to get into listing them all.

But the people here really need to open their eyes.

Dont care too much for the pillow, but the mattress does wonders for my bad back. When Im lucky enough to sleep on one*

I ALWAYS check what medicines the Dr gives me here and the most concerning thing was, on no fewer than three occassions I have been given drugs that are not accepted/give out in Europe due to medical concerns.

Wait sorry, this article has completely ignored one fundemental factor. The EU Democratic parliament said no, but the EU Commission has vowed to carry on anyway. That is the reality of the EU today, the Parliament is just for show, the Commission is pulling all the strings. You barely need to scrape the surface to see the reality of this.

I implore all to look into this. The EU Commission needs to GO.

Why do so many people not grasp the fundemental notion that territory does not depend on proximity. Why is Europe the only part of the world that can handle this? Although Spain.. We dont see the French parading around Jersey or the Channel Islands demanding it be theirs.

ah King Salmond, the man driving many Scots crazy. Why cant people get the idea out their head that Free Trade is highly unlikely to end if leaving the EU, it benefits Europe more than Britain, whilst Britains escape from the political monster will offer massive chances of Free Trade agreements globally...

the EU does not allow Free Trade Agreements with member and non-member states. Everything is siphoned through the EU making the Commonwealth out of bounds territory for Britain

Most countries fail to recognise the EU as an Independant Economic block anyway, and at the end of the day being the biggest GDP block doesnt mean a better quality of life, and me in my crazy ways, thinks that is more important than just a massive GDP.

On the plus side, an independant Britain would mean that jobs are actually given to British people. 60% of workers employed for the Olympic games buildings etc are EU migrants. EU migrants are notorious for coming to Britain to take advantage of the Welfare state sending the income back to their native country and "living it up" as it were. People can say what they like, Im not saying British people are 100% honest in that either, but they are the ones that pay for it.

Am I the only one that gets the feeling that the US' stagnating economy is attempting to leech off the growing Asian ones

P.S. in regards to working hours, I think its worth remember that the Greeks do the second longest hours of work annually in the world. 4/top10 longest work hour countries are European, the French are notoriously laz... "workfree"

http://www.billshrink.com/blog/4724/working-around-the-world/

Ah the ever common misconception of Parisiennes that the food is the best and they only accept the best. Anyone who has been will know that the best in Paris is frightfully overpriced, and that the reputation is nothing more than reputation. Its amazing how hard a reputation sticks Many people still mock the food of Britain, yet Michelins highest rated chef -French ironically- calls London the capital of cuisine

but it matters not what I repeat, like I said -reputations stick.

Also worth pointing out, Governments run things far more efiiciently than any Private corporation does. Look at Thatchers privitisations, the cost has increased and the quality has fallen, relative to cost.

Worth remembering the UK spends a smaller % of its GDP on healthcare and still manages to cover everyone free at point of entry. I dont believe in a great many socialist ideas, but Universal Healthcare provided by the state is one of the ones I do.

I can chose any Dr, any city, any country of the UK and not only will they serve me free they will have my entire medical history on the NHS system.

In Japan I sign up to a new Dr every few months -cuz I need a Dr in the area for something or another- and they know nothing of my medical history, and I have to do my best to remember. Well its not hard to be honest, they ask hardly anything about it.

@NeverSubmit, Kerosesn/Paraffin is gas at room temperature and thus turns into a gas when exposed to the open, these fumes easily catch fire. It doesnt burn half as viciously as petrol for example, but it still burns and wont stop burning easily, once alight that poor man would have little chance at getting it out before it burnt itself out.

That is the EU propaganda talking, why does everyone assume we cant just be a happy trade partner like almost every other bordering, even surrounded, nation of Europe. We were before, and EU will be much happier without are differnt systems constantly clashing with theirs Britain wants to be a trade partner with the EU like it signed up for I cant think of one nation near Europe that is a snarling outside, we live in a world based on trade, no longer Imperialism

@Jack1987 P.S. Beagle 2, most mars expeditions fail, one attempt and one failure represents nothing, most failures are with the first attempts, with failure at a rate of 66%. Britain has the second largest Aerospace industry in the world. Thats not fish, how does that suit one for an example, we can guess which has the worlds biggest.

Comparing Britain to Norway is foolish also, Britain has a population of 61million and a very strong global economy over a very diverse area, Norway has a population of 5million whose economy is almost completely based on fish and energy reserves. Britain is also one of the largest funders of the EU. If the EU stopped telling the British they were expendable, tried to incorporate British systems rather than overrank them then I suspect every Brit would love to be in the EU. Most Britains love Europe, the EU is the problem.

@lucabrasi Im British. And many people now regard Australia as more British than Britain thanks to the massive immigration significantly reshaping British culture.

The idea that Europe would cut off all trade with Britain if we left is nothing more than pro-EU propaganda, many non-EU nations trade with it just fine. It would harm the EU economy significantly if they cut Britain off. And lets not forget 80% of Europes fish are in the waters of Britain.

The Commonwealth ties are not fading, Im not sure where you get that idea, just because the Commonwealth does not demand laws on other nations, and is a relationship of respect not domination, does not mean it does not exist. Many Commonwealth nations share our Monarch -By Choice! and Yet you claim they are not close. They are also the fastest growing economic block on the planet.

The Free Trade Agreements between Commonwealth countries are numerous. Until the EU cut British ties with the Commonwealth, many nations of it regarded the people as Commonwaelth citizens with many of the rights -and more- that the EU is making Britain take. The EU cut off Britains trade ties practically overnight -causing a massive decline in the wool industry of Australia almost crippling it-

Id rather be part of the Commonwealth that doesnt force laws on each other, and allows Free Trade with any nations any member wants, inside or outside the Commonwealth. Thats why we joined the EEC -for trade, later on it became political and cut nations ties. Canada is willing and wanting to trade its energy supplies with us, India, its tech commerce, Aus and NZ their meat trades. Just a few examples.

The EU is a propaganda using bully, scaring the British from progressing. If we were as worthless to the EU as they claim they would not try so hard to keep us in. Its not about being jingoistic, its about the fact that the EU and UK dont mix politically.

We use Habeaus Corpus -innocent until proven guilty, Common Law, Case Law, Europe uses Corpus Civilis -guilty until proven innocent, Constitutional, Napoleaonic Law, but EU law is now above British Law. Thousands of years of Case Law now made irrevelant for a Constitution that all nations -given the referendum- said no to. We believe "no man is above the law, not even a King" and yet the EU has created Europol whose members are infact above the law.

EU believes -coincidentally- that Fish should be free for all across Europe, when 80% of the stocks are in British waters, the Germans dont share their coal resources, why do we have to share our Fish stock resources?

The worlds largest financial centre is London, if Cameron had not used his Veto, that would now be in the progress of moving to Frankfurt -Eu Bank. Britain has the worlds second highest foreign investment -second only to the US. The list of problems of British/EU integration is endless. The UK is simply too different a system for the European ones, Churchill knew it, De Gaulle knew it and UKIP know it.

So please tell me, how and why will Britain not be able to survive without having the EU telling us how to do politics? And tell me, just what the EU does for Britain?

Human Rights? Well most of them originally came from British Laws, but the EU has fumbled them up so badly 7/11 of the Human Rights Judges have NO court experience, and we are forced to keep terrorists in our country, at taxpayers expense.

As far as history recalls, the fancy looking Napolean was kicked down at the Battle of Waterloo, is BB going to do the same to iPhone, I wouldnt mind too much to be frank.

Its a pity Thatcher didnt have the balls to take on China, HK was never part of the 99year lease.

More proEu propaganda, these writers always conveniently ignore the Commonwealth when it comes to trade and such. Failing to mention that 80% of Europes fish are in Britains waters, Im pretty sure Europe isnt going to just tell us they dont want them anymore if they cant fish them. We have free movement of peoples in both the EU, and the Commonwealth countries before. We had free trade agreements with the Commonwealth and joined the EU for Free Trade Agreements -nothing more- then one day the EU decided to tell Britain -Your fish is our fish- -No free trade agreements outside the EU- -only EU nationals may enter the UK freely to live and work-

An Australian woman summed it all up for me "My father fought in WW2, my Grandfather in WW1, both for Britain and the Allies, I am of British ancestry, now through no fault of my own I am more foreign than a German in Britain"

Japanese politicians grow up. Enough of the selfserving ideas for your honour and crap and support the leaders youve put in charge instead of finding a reason to flip them off at every oppotunity.