Uwe Paschen comments

Japan may be playing a form of Russian roulette. Well, if the gun goes off it would suit the US.

Japan has generated its own low birth rates and aging population due to mismanagement and greed. Universal healthcare as is standards in many countries including developing countries as well as industrial leading nation is as important as universal schooling and social security for a country and its long term ability to remain stable and prosperous.

The problem is emberetd in the Japanese culture of segregation and discrimination. It is fueled by a failure to face facts and reality along with a lack of empathy and compassion. Japan is certainly not alone with such troubles. However, those are more frequent in Japan and the USA than they are in Scandinavian countries or Canada. Japan is not a model to follow if we want to establish Justice, equality and fraternity on a global level. The Brazilian Japanese, Koreans and other minorities in Japan face similar harassment. There are several factors causing this sort of problems. All of them could be countered. With political and social measures.

First strike has never been an option. Fascism, Imperialism, totalitarianism use such as an option. A democratic system should never, ever use such as an option. Diplomacy and reason have to prevail. War is a last resort and only as self defense. Start working with China, Russia and the UN. Close all US military bases that act as a direct threat and provocation around the world. Defuse the tessions rather than escalate them. But that would require wisdom, intelligence and long term reasoning. Follow Willy Brandt and Michael Gorbachev their models. Wars are the politics of idiots without conscience.

Japan has maybe the loves number of foreign workers of any industrialized nation throughout the world. And this mainly due to an extremly segregative system. People living here for over a decade, being married to native Japanese and having children born here fail to be given Equal rights and permanent residency. They are not protected and live at the mercy to the system its humor To get their tree year visa renewed. In Germany refugees are given permanent residency as soon as their status has been checked out. They also get free language classes and government support in all industrial countries, except for Japan and China. Foreigners enjoy equal rights and opportunities throughout Europe and Canada as well as South America. Something that would be Unthinkable in Japan.

Akimashte omodeto gosaimasu. :)

It is g and time to grow up Japan. Adolescent behavior is no longer working.

The shareholder and politicians never lose. It is always the tax payer who pics up the tap. And this both ways, to subsidize the construction and the shareholders and than to pick up the tap when things go wrong. Could we change the system? Make the sharholders and politicians accountable and take their assets.

It is Very nice to read anything that furthers peace. And that gives us hope that we may get there after all.

Japan belongs to one of the nations who complains the most and against who, there are also the most complaints as far as international laws and the disregard for those goes. Japan is a segregative and discriminating system with very derogative, racist if and fascistic tendencies. Alway the first to complain to the UN about Taiwan, China, Russia, The two Koreas, and many others. Sending do twety two years old who merely graduated basic training as teachers and foreign aid specialists to third world country with no experience and no know how yet claiming that this is Japan it's great contribution for international aid..... The list is rather long... Japan should really shut up and clean house.befor complaining or saying another word.

Russian and European news papers have a very different stance on this. I think it may be over for Japan. Depending on a few more factors, such as the outcome of the US election and the Syrian crisis. We may be at war by the end of December. Since Russia and Japan are still at war, Russia will not even have to declare war. It will just finish it. China will come along to help Russia and US will send a few ships, but will never risk a head on conflict with two super powers.mthey will sink a few ships, divide up Japan and sign a peace agreement. None of the tree super powers will risk a nuclear war or a bacteriological war to be fought out anywhere close to their territory. Japan will be used to settle the differences between the tree supper powers. Wake up Mr. Abe. Japan is for the US nothing more than a shield as Poland, the Ukrain, Israel and South Korea are as well. Expendable.

Russia just gave Japan a way out of the impasse without loosing face by deploying a humanitarian action to Syria.

May does not seem to know who Sofbank is nor what it is. It is not a success, but a dissaster. Which will make matters worse.

Sorry, with just over 50% of the people voting or bothering to vote it is not a land slide not even a win. It is a dissaster and it certainly cannot be called a democratic system any longer. Propaganda news.

Fortunately most other industrialized countries give people the freedom of expression and the right to voice their opinions freely. Japan is still very far away from such ideals. The teacher could appeal this ruling since Japan signed the human rights charter of the UN.

Who started the war with the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Well done in deed! Wile I agree that many teacher are seriously incompetent, so is the education system which those teacher have to comply with. We spend more money per capita in the arm end forces, political extravagances and other useless expenditures than we spend in education, welfare, rehabilitation or other rather vital programs for a well functioning and balanced society. It has nothing to do with socialism or capitalism. It is simply logical and vital for the future of any society. Those students should be given a scholarship and maybe even a job.

Russia has reached out to Japan on several occasion and this with good intentions. Japan slammed the door shut raging a temper tantrum like a child whose big brother is watching over it so that it would not get hit. The irony is that both Russia and China as well as South Korea have all tried several times now to make a peaceful agreement with Japan. Japan is not that important any longer, neither strategically nor economically. It should stop burning bridges and shutting doors to people who try to make a peaceful and for all side honorable settlement. Russia as well as China or South Korea had no ill intention. It is time to grow up Japan. Sorry to burst the Disney World Bubbles here.

The irony of the political power games and the way realities are being twisted to suit the powers of the day.

The wake up call never seems to come for gamblers. Invest into Fukushima and fix the nuclear disaster.

If we deport everyone who is critical, or who is questioning something, in a "democratic and free" society, of a country that wants to be an international leader. Than this country may be moving closer to Fascism and further away from democracy. Certainly not a leader, nor beacon for the international comunity.

Keep on swimming, we may come to help you, eventually. However, for now we want to pain our boat and make it nice. Should you drown that is unfortunate. You should have tried to endure until we can make up our minds.

What country does not have external troubles to fix these days and still takes in refugees? Memories are long and and those who will prevail will pass those memories on to the next generations. We reap what we sawed out.

When it comes to SofBank, drunk or not, I can well understand the rage. The games they play are utterly frustrating and the hidden charges as well as the derogative service can be quiet enraging. Fortunately he was a Japanese National. Foreigners have to pay 900 Yen per day for 3G and 1000 Yen per day for 4G phone service, and they also have to buy a phone for 30,000.00 Yen ($270.00). That is about $8.00 to $9.00 per day. And having a phone from overseas does not work, they will not give you a card or contract. You have to buy one of their phones. I called them "Yakuza." Well, needless to say, I have not phone service in Japan. Who ever comes to Japan, is better of buying a satellite phone service. May cost more, but it ends up being cheeper than "SoftBank."

We have to remember what made peace possible, and we need to nurture what we did right, rather than repeat past mistakes, which caused great harms, injustices and discriminations throughout the world. Willy Brandt, was in his philosophical reasoning, was the right man in the right place at the right time. His politics, laid one of the most important foundation stones, which allowed the "Federal Republic of Germany" and the "Democratic Republic Of Germany" to reunite into one Germany, after the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. His reasoning followed an old reality, that balance had to be established and maintained for peace to become a lasting reality. The Chancellor who kneeled in front a monuments for the victims of the Fascist regime, and this with great remorse for what his fellow country men had done. He who him self deserted and joined the Swedish army to fight against the NAZI regime of his time, made all the difference of post war Germany. Today we need another icon such as him to generate peace, nurture another "Ost Politik," of sort. Only today it has to be a global reasoning. And this before we let another disaster escalate into a global nightmare. Justice, Equality, Fraternity, Liberty, unity and Accountability has well as Duty have to become our global culture and philosophy if we want to be able to master our troubles and fix those before they get out of control. The world and especially Germany as well as Japan have to remember Willy Brandt his reasoning and return towards such a philosophy. We cannot risk another disaster, for it will destroy all of mankind and maybe even our planet. We are one Humanity living on one Planet with finite resources. There is only one way forward, any other option may destroy us all.

Sadly this type of scenario is not unique to Japan. Manifestations of all sorts expressing hate as well as the opposite urging to be against such hate have become common through out the world. Humanity is in trouble and failed to learn the lessons from the last two World Wars.

We seriously need to think about international accountability and liability wile we are allowing free trades and want to expand on those. The US allowed for corporation to be viewed as persons. A person who commits murder or causes others harm du to its actions would be held liable and send to prison. However, corporations and banks whom finance the likes of MONSANTO and TEPCO are being bailed out when they cause mass chaos or mess up. This needs to change. Governments and Corporations have to held accountable and liable for what they do which causes harm to human life and our environment at large. The ICC should be allowed to prosecute such and be given the power to enforce its verdict. Cases such as the US and MONSANTO or EXXON and Japan with TEPCO should be tried in an international court and such a court should be given international power to enforce its verdict and hold even countries as well as their corporations accountable and liable. We had to many such cases with radiation leaks, poisoning or chemical releases as well as major oil spills and so on. All affecting the environment as well as causing illnesses and death. Enough! If you want international trade and even free trade, only if accountability and liability are made part of the equation. Sale your food, products, goods and energy if you are willing to be held accountable and liable for those as well, otherwise they should not even be allowed to run a business may such be locally or internationally. How many more disasters do we need before we start to learn and get smart. Maybe, only after it will be to late for humanity.

Japans new LDP government has engaged a dangerous pass and it is one that is counter productive in the long run. The earth will not be destroyed by any kind of natural cataclysm, but by human short sightedness, greed, egocentrism, lack of respect for life and a lack of intelligent planning, as well as a total lack of wisdom and logical thinking.

This happened on Saitama street in Soka city, Saitama prefecture. It did not happen in Saitama city. Soka is on the outskirts of Tokyo and many people who work in Tokyo also live in Soka because it is more affordable than Tokyo. It is an interesting and lively town. I live there when I first came to Japan. It is famous for its rice crackers.

@Silvia Acquati

Pulling the plug as I wrote does not imply that they have an active NPP. It does mean they abandoned the idea to generate electricity through an NPP. France has a growing opposition to NPP's, however, it would be very difficult for France to make any change at this point since 80% of its electricity is produced through NPP's. However, the French operator AREVA has more and trouble, especially since a BBC report. "The director of Criirad, an independent body, said the organisation was worried by the numbers of people contaminated by four separate incidents. In the most recent leaks, about 100 staff at Tricastin, in southern France, were exposed to low doses of radiation." Globally we had over one hundred nuclear plant accidents resulting in serious radiation leaks and contamination of those 12 happened in France since 1952. Of course the official political statements are the same than those of Mr. Edano. "No problem..."

Japans one step forward and two steps back is counter productive and is not helping the country nor the victims of this disaster. Other countries such as Germany or Italy have already pulled the plug on nuclear power and did not wait for a major disaster to happen in their back yard. The shift towards renewable energy has been well underway for over decade now in Sweden, Germany and Island. Last summer German solar plants produced more power than their nuclear plant could have. Japan needs a goal, a plan and a will and it could become an energy beacon in Asia providing clean power from renewable source even to China.