Japan Today

TrevorPeace1 comments

Posted in: Man jailed for 6 years for slashing two AKB48 singers See in context

No follow-up report on how the victims are doing? Shame.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Maid breakfast cafe coming to Akihabara for one day only See in context

Not a bad gimmick, but restricting someone to thirty minutes is a bit weird. And only 200 extra yen for a breakfast, after 800 yen for a piece of toast? Slightly backwards, methinks. And I can do without the Polaroid shot.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Riken considers filing criminal complaint against Obokata See in context

Leave her alone, Riken. She's paid her price.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Posted in: Book containing Charlie Hebdo cartoons of Muhammad goes on sale See in context

It's interesting that they blurred the face of the prophet. What good did that do? About as effective as the blurred genitals in Japanese porn. If you're going to be explicit, be explicit, otherwise...

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Posted in: In view of what’s happening in Syria and Iraq, do you agree with the Japanese government’s decision to confiscate the passports of any private citizen who wants to go there? See in context

Have to agree with MarkG, and in a sense, spbpb: Don't restrict a person's travel plans to a violent part of the world as long as s/he (and their families) sign a document declaring the choice is theirs and there will be no approach to the government for any form of help if things go wrong. We are, after all, responsible for our own well-being.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Posted in: Dylan turns into music critic in rare speech See in context

Having covered a few of his songs myself, and taken just as much criticism from my own band mates about my voice, I wish I'd been there for the speech, as well as those performances! The man was an icon in the '60's and he still is.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Posted in: U.S. lawmaker says Japan and Canada must cut farm tariffs See in context

A lot of fierce talk, here. And as a Canadian who pays through the nose for protected dairy and poultry products, I tend to lean toward 'freer' trade, but not the TPP kind that's being discussed behind closed doors. I think it would benefit the Japanese people - as well as Canadians - to have cheaper butter, rice and other products, but at the same time, I don't see what the US has to 'pay' for the TPP other than dropping tariffs on vehicles, and we all know vehicles aren't the panacea to freedom that the Americans believe they are. We don't all believe in Detroit!

There's more to this issue; let us all watch carefully what's going on, and make a point of not only expressing our opinions here, at JT, but also directly to those people who have been elected to represent us. Sorry, but I still believe we have some power there, at at the voting booth, so let's put their feet to the fire, shall we?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Berlin Film Festival See in context

Bored AND anorexic. Poor examples of real Japanese talent.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: If you could live in any city in the world, other than where you live now, which one would you choose and why? See in context

I live in Victoria, arguably the nicest small city in Canada, and the capital of our province, but if I could choose, at this stage in life (60 but still feeling like 40), I'd pick Tokyo for its incredible diversity of neighbourhoods.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: My husband and I are pensioners. It would cost a lot of money to rebuild the house, and I don't think it is necessary. We have no choice but to continue living in the house. See in context

There's nothing wrong with wood-frame construction, but there's everything wrong with no space between houses, and that's where most of urban Japan fails the grade. Just a thought from the son of a fire chief, in Canada, who spends two to three months a year in Japan, often in neighbourhoods where he's scared sh*tless of a domestic fire caused by any one of a dozen bad heating habits. And on top of that, wood-frame construction is much safer than concrete construction in an earthquake-prone environment. Ask any engineer.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Gov't warns journalists to avoid Turkey-Syria border town See in context

It took official advise for this? Only stupid people would venture into a war zone without military training.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Gov't to tighten controls on foreign trainee program See in context

It's about time. No chance of retroactive fines for the abusers, though. Pity.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Posted in: Japan needs to provide more and better information on its countryside. See in context

I see a lot more smiles in the countryside, and smiles lead to talk, with me whipping out my funny little cartoon-filled English-Japanese phrase book and getting a lot of laughs and invitations to people's homes for tea and more talk. I like that. So, in my experience, I'd say I've had an almost 100% success rate getting to know more about people in the countryside. As far as rusting farm machinery goes, it's everywhere in the world and makes for some pretty good artistic photography, in my experience. AND, there's nothing like asking for a pair of gumboots and offering to help in the rice fields for an hour or two; makes for a REAL experience in the countryside.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: Reconstruction minister promotes Fukushima food to 4 ambassadors See in context

I love it that the first four commenters, who I dissed for being fearmongers, gave me the thumbs-down. Shows the mindlessness of some of the posters on JT.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Posted in: Reconstruction minister promotes Fukushima food to 4 ambassadors See in context

To those first four of you who dissed the idea that anything good could come of this meeting, three of those four ambassadors represent countries involved in the TPP negotiations. And they know all about Fukushima's problems relative to food production. They wouldn't be there, helping Japan, if they didn't care! I care, and I'll be in Fukushima in another month, for a month, and I'll eat anything they serve me. Fearmongering does nothing to help!

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Posted in: For Japan, the world re-ordering change is the spectacular and spectacularly rapid rise of Chinese economic, political, and military power–the portentousness of which is compounded because it has occu See in context

"Portentousness"? The guy's got a bigger ego than vocabulary. I haven't seen such an specious example of pretentiousness in months. And he's a 'columnist'? Obviously not a writer.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Posted in: Unseasonable temperatures hit Sapporo Snow Festival preparations See in context

There's always an upside - think sakura, in March, instead of May! Ooooh!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Posted in: The super daikon See in context

When I was coming back to Sendai from Zao, last autumn, we passed a farmer's field that was full of people pulling them out of the ground - ¥1000 for all you could carry in a big plastic garbage bag. We got over thirty of them - all about 50cm long. What a deal! And what great fun taking pictures of children helping their parents. Some of those things were almost as long as the kids trying to pull them out. We shared with our entire neighbourhood. Yes, must try the recipe. Thank you, Ms. Goto!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Posted in: Democracy drowning in a sea of dark money See in context

As a Canadian neighbour and very interested observer of US politics and its judiciary, I can only say thank God my grandparents came back from LA before my mother and I could be born there (I'd have been drafted for Vietnam, and that scares the bejesus out me, still).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Cool Japan at USJ See in context

Frankly, I think that's ugly.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Sad Sunday See in context

Yes, he looks tired. I would be too, and as a deaf person, I appreciate the fact he's got a signer next to him. Shows some class.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Jazz greats Hancock, Corea announce 1st tour in 37 years See in context

Wow! These two, together? A must-see, even if I have to travel to where they're playing. Unfortunately, for me, I'll be in Japan for the first two months they're on the road.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: There's a need to increase the number of permanent and non-permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council to deal with increasing new challenges. See in context

It's not the Security Council that needs to be reformed, it's the whole gravy-train institution that gives despots and dictators full membership, and allows them to attend the General Assembly and rant about the wickedness and depravity of more civilized countries than their own.

As for the Security Council, it's membership should be limited to the G-20 nations, NATO, and SEATO, and it's influence should not be limited by anyone's veto. Majority rule, split votes determined by the Secretary-General.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Feminists cheer as bare breasts disappear from Britain's Sun See in context

As a breast-fed baby boy, I can't see the dilemma. They are, after all, glands for the protection of the innocent through the transference of antibodies that prevent illness, among other things.

I really think it's only the American psychosis about body and health that have inculcated anything non-American to make the whole issue a few mountains out of molehills.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Posted in: 'American Sniper' makes North American box office history See in context

Who could expect less from a gun-nuts society?

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Posted in: Poll reveals what we already know: Japanese toilets make no sense See in context

Having heard from my daughter about the squat toilets at a well-known (but nameless) temple in Tokyo, where she was wearing jeans and boots and had to almost totally undress to take a pee, I can understand the problem. As a male who has used both, but prefers to use his hotel room's sit-on Japanese-style wash-the-bum version before heading out for the day, I'll go for the latter, thank you. Just wish I could import one to Canada, and amaze my friends!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Posted in: Japan says jets scrambling at record pace to counter Chinese, Russian intrusions See in context

I sincerely hope the Japanese fighter pilots are aggressive, but not trigger-happy. Send them up, let them arm their weaponry, and the incursions by the more aggressive nations will take note - it all shows on the fighter aircrafts' scans.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Posted in: Abe cuts short Middle East trip to deal with hostage crisis See in context

Cut short a trip about which he can do nothing? Shame on him.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Posted in: Station art See in context

I hope it doesn't disappear before I arrive in March for my annual two-month visit.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: Brady's Patriots power into Super Bowl See in context

I'm with you on the Katy Perry thing, @Kurobune, but as for the teams, it doesn't really matter - I've had several favorites, over the years, but it's the game, first. And I haven't missed a Super Bowl since they started calling it that. Sit back, enjoy with friends and try calling a play or two. That's what makes it fun. That and all those funky new commercials.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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