UnagiDon comments

DIsillusioned;

Strange! None of this appears in the Sydney news report, which is where this article came from. Would you call this added tag plagiarism or sensationalism?

Cletus;

Yeah its funny isnt it, even in a story about something completely unrelated the JT crowd even manage to turn it around to be about Japan. What's even funnier is they have quoted another media outlet, even put their AFP symbol at the bottom but have slipped in their little Japan bit without acknowledging they have altered the story to their own little slant.

Here's a crazy concept, maybe the Sydney report removed the paragraph about Japan, and the original AFP article does mention it? Ever considered that before resorting to conspiracy theories. I'm no fan of JT's journalistic standard but come one, use your brains for a sec. You know that it possible, right?

A Google search for the offending paragraph took me 10 seconds and confirmed that JT posted the original AFP article in its entirety, unless you want to believe that the Bangkok Post, Malay News, and Google News all conspired together with JT to insert the exact same plagiaristic paragraph about Japan? Fiendish devils!

tmarie;

Unagi, the difference is that the countries you listed, with the exception of south Korea, have plenty of immigration that is helping them. Japan and south Korea are screwed.

I doubt that Taiwan has a lot of immigration, and Singapore has lots of expats (which is different). Germany, even with substantial immigration, has a comparably low fertility rate to Japan, meaning that if you take out the effect of immigrants (who tend to have a higher fertility rate), then Germany actually has a lower "native" fertility rate than Japan. Why is that, I wonder?

The more educated a woman, the fewer kids she has. Why?! I could give many suggestions but mine is the lack of child care and career worries. Give more educated women child care and job sercuity and I think more would have kids.

Bingo! This applies to Japan, Germany, and all developed economies, it's certainly true in Canada. And that's my point, this declining fertility rate is a developed-world problem, not a Japanese one. Immigration is certainly one solution, but hardly an easy one, and may not even be needed on a large scale.

I think a smaller population is not necessarily a bad thing. We are too mired in the old models of economic development that say big pop = bigger GDP = better economy. We have moved beyond that, and the future economies of the world should look at individual wealth and GDP, and so long as relative standard of living can be maintained, individuals should be better off in a smaller-sized populace. THAT is the real challenge, for Japan and all developed countries, not reversing a shrinking population. Japan is simply a little further ahead of the curve than others. Adaptation is what we should be doing, not attempting to reverse it.

Oh and for all the simplistic thoughts as to why this is happening in Japan, keep in mind that this is hardly unique to Japan and so not some damning indictment of Japanese society. Fertility rates are this low in many countries, even those with immigration, and are much worse in some of Japan's neighbours;

Germany 1.41 Japan 1.39 Greece 1.39 South Korea 1.23 Taiwan 1.16 Singapore 0.78

It's a complex issue, it's a global issue, and simplistic answers based on your problems with Japan are hardly likely to provide an answer.

Predicting pretty much anything societal beyond a few decades is an exercise in wishful thinking - technological change, social change, disasters and wars have a huge impact and cannot be predicted. To even be able to guess about the pension situation in 30 years is highly uncertain, who knows what kind of medical advances will have extended our lifespan by that point.

the people who are pushing against restarting nuclear power plants here in Japan are very normal citizens, many of them mothers and fathers with small children, who are simply horrified by the possibility of another Fukushima in their backyard.

As opposed to the slow, gradual deterioration of our climate due to increased greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution? That's what those children are inheriting - a hotter, dirtier Earth. The problem is that gradual disaster doesn't scare people as much as sudden and spectacular ones, so people get way, more worked up about nuclear plants and the risk of a sudden disaster, than the slow gradual disaster of climate change.

it is only a question of when not if there will be another nuclear disaster

This is a nonsense statement which cannot be proven.

farmboy;

That's about right. Nukes were providing less than 30% of the power. Seventy percent is from other sources that can and will be ramped up.

Yep, other sources such as coal and gas plants - welcome to 30% greater emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution from that ramping up.

Exactly - making out Japan's shutdown of its nuclear plants as some sort of "green" victory is ridiculous. More fossil fuels will be burned to compensate for it, more GHG emissions, more global warming, People say they want to leave their children a cleaner, safer world without nuclear plants. Maybe, but increasing air pollution and warming up the planet do not seem to be things that we should be leaving our children.

Chuck;

Here in Canada, immersion is the way to learn French. When the student enters the room where French is being taught, no English can be spoken.

That's a good point - how many years of French education did us anglos get in school, six? How many of us are actually able to use it in conversation? Probably not that far off from the Japanese. Contrast that with the Quebecois who seem to pick up English much better, but maybe because of their constant exposure to it.

Isn't the relatively poor level of English a good things for all you eikawa teachers out there? If the Japanese were better at English, most of you would be out of a job. The whole business model of the eikawa schools is not based on making Japanese actually able to communicate in English speakers, but making them improve just enough so that they'll pay for more lessons.

Yes, let's all celebrate for the REAL winners in this affair - the oil and gas-producers of the Middle East!

Cricky;

The world didn't end...lights are still on.

Get back to us in the middle of July on that...

Heavens to Murgatroyd!

Thomas Anderson;

Sad to see that there are so many homophobes in the comments section. There are many comments with very roundabout way of saying that "I'm a homophobe". Yes, you're a homophobe, and you can not logically or rationally justify your prejudice.

Well said. It's all the more hypocritical when you consider how many of the same commenters complain about being discriminated against for being non-Japanese. Apparently certain forms of discrimination are acceptable to such people.

Ah karma is it great.....

People being hurt, possibly children, is great in your eyes? Why?

Any information on trans/subway stoppages?

The jorudan website has all the current delays in Japanese, I'd hope people can at least recognize the name of their train lines and from that figure out the length of the delays.

The reason Japan nor almost any other country will send observers is because that would give the appearance of legitimizing the launch. It would give NK a propaganda victory. It's a pretty simple reason, but one obviously missed by many here. This launch has been condemned by pretty much every country in the region and the UN, the only ones cheering it on are NK and those with an axe to grind.

I was going to say how one less AKB48 in the world can only be a good thing, then remembered that they'll find a replacement. Zero sum.

Heda_Madness;

They do. They appreciate it a heck of a lot. A lot more than people on here seem to realise. They really appreciate that they haven't been forgotten. That people from Japan and elsewhere have done stuff to help them. They often can't actually put it in words.

100% in agreement - the locals in Tohoku appreciate the visitors and appreciate help. Visits from foreign leaders help remind the world that this was where the real disaster took place, not Fukushima,

SumBob;

It is worth noting that this is very likely is not a photo-op, but rather a concerned world leader getting a first-hand account of the destruction and the lives affected by it. I can tell you personally that seeing pictures and video of the damage and walking amongst it are two very different things. Also, the Sendai area (Ishinomaki specifically, if I recall) is where the only Canadian citizen to die during the disaster lived. It makes sense he would visit there.

Well said - I'm no fan of Harper but I think it's impossible to go up there and see the destruction up close and personal and not be moved by it.

smithinjapan;

Why no radiation detected until now

Because since Fukushima we suddenly have an elevated interest in measuring radiation, so lots more people with geiger counters and other detectors running around measuring their neighborhoods, and we have a media that thrives on reporting such things to feed on the hysteria and paranoia such as that displayed by many of the comments here?

Crazy concept I know...

Alex80;

Anyway, bottles or not...I guess there are many hotspots like this in Tokyo.

On what factual basis do you guess that?

You think that somehow radioactive rainwater somehow managed to accumulate ONLY in the bottles?

Indeed, and somehow accumulated in bottles in boxes, under floorboards. Guess the rain mutated from all that radiation and crawled in there.

I recently went to a restaurant for masochists, so after I took pictures of my meal I smashed my own camera.

I seriously think that if Apple called all their fanbots to a special meeting, locked the doors, and had Steve Jobs come out and ask all the fanbots to drink a special Apple-flavoured Kool-Aid, they'd oblige.

"I just don't see why I should have my livelihood and the livelihoods of many others ruined by those who ran and refused to return."

Well-said. Why is it so hard for people to understand that their actions have consequences?

What revjp said, except turned around 180 degrees.

muhroomcloud;

Have a better plan, genius?

Yes - don't be afraid of paper weapons, and/or develop a defence if the threat turns out to be credible. Definitely don't abandon your ability to forward-project naval power because something bad might happen.

Doesn't have to be an active defence, can be something as simple (though not necessarily easy) as locating the launchers and attacking those, maybe even with a US paper weapon like the Prompt Global Strike.There are already several conventional ways to kill a carrier (subs, for example) without invoking untested threats. You are way too quick to buy any and all PRC military capabilities as show-stoppers and far too willing to cede ground to the PRC.

mushrooncloud;

Just park the aircaft carriers out of the range of these anti-ship rascals and the Big Kahuna, the DF-21D

Bravo, such a brainstorm of insight from such an expert on things military. So basically, the US should just "park" it's carriers outside the 1700 km range of such missiles, i.e. give up the entire Western Pacific, Taiwan Strait, Sea of Japan, to China? I believe that would be the primary goal of China fielding these weapons?

apecNetworks;

the PRC Navy

More correctly known as the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), which I'm assuming those in the know following such discussions "on the net" would be aware of.

That makes a rather large and unprotected target for the enemies.

As opposed to the helicopter that's carrying them?