Vagante comments

Violence in, violence out. Usually this kind of "parenting" is handed down from generation to generation. Our hope is that enlightened parents will break the chain and not pass on to their kids the vile treatment that they received.

Love and encouragement is always stronger and more successful than bullying and violence in the quest to build a strong and humane society and a better future for our children.

Let's fight the drug war! ... with a poster.

Anything to actually avoid discussing the subject with our children.

Sakura, sakura, Aoki mo sato mo ...

I predicted some while ago that we would be seeing more of Aki ...

She has lovely eyes.

I love the irony. A few generations ago, it was quite common for Japanese to share mixed-sex public bath facilities without media attention. Bare-breasted pearl divers were the norm, breast-feeding in public was quite common (and not uncommon in family photos), and porters and delivery workers in the countryside often went on their way more or less naked. It appears that the influence of western "morality" then influenced the Japanese to cover up. A female friend told me recently that these days, some women in the female side of an onsen will wear bathing costumes. Irony is always good for a chuckle, so let's enjoy!

I forecast that in the long run, this will do Kusanagi's career no harm at all. He is a very popular fellow and his supporters will steadfastly defend him.

Fear of nakedness is a peculiar human perversion. Do the police arrest the birds in the parks that go there to sing naked every morning? ... or give citations to the owners of dogs that do not wear pants?

As the T-shirt says: "What's wrong with going naked?"

Hashimoto appears to be one of the best things to happen to Osaka in a while (apart from them fishing Col. S out of the river). If this lady wants to give her money to go to "welfare", there is no reason that I know to suppose that Hashimoto will not put it to good use.

Of course, if anyone has evidence to show that Hashimoto can't be trusted, it would be good to read that, rather than inuendo.

Where are those SEALS with their high level of training, stealthy watercraft, advanced SCUBA gear and other sophisticated equipment? ... or should they call Steven Seagal?

Den Den writes that this "wouldn't of happened in Japan." I daresay it also wouldn't have happened in Japan.

Closed mind, closed heart. Ignorance and cruelty go hand in hand. Every day we read about the exploitation of workers who do overtime for no compensation or about kids who are bullied at school and by their parents. Narrow horizons contain narrow ideas. Japan could be a paradise - a blend of peace, prosperity and happiness ... but not while this insularity prevails.

I wonder how Saudi diplomats and businessmen abroad get away with "mingling" with females who are not their immediate family ... do they all get arrested and sentenced to lashes when they get back home?

If he had asked her to dress up in a highschool girl's uniform instead of as a maid, he would have got similar photos and might have avoided the attention of the raging mob.

Doesn't this story smack of discrimination against maids? They do a useful job and are pleased to have the work.

Sorry about the crappy formatting - return doesn't seem to work. It's a limerick ... (but you knew that). :-(

"Another popinjay like Koizumi ..."

A Nagata-cho popinjay Was Koizumi, some would say He did his utmost To privatize post Delivered, and then walked away.

Commercial information can be worth a lot and this kind of whiteboard can compromise confidential information very easily. In the old days, others were responsible for taking notes and then you just wiped it clean. Then the print-out versions would make copies. Now that the information can be downloaded and shared more easily, security issues become more obvious. Interestingly, many companies pay little attention to security of information - they just hope that their employees will protect it adequately.

The article doesn't tell us what they ate or how it was prepared so now we can expect the reader-experts to fill in the details. ... plus ca change.

Moderator: It was a buffet dinner and authorities have not pinpointed the cause. Hence, they suspended the restaurant’s operation for five days as of Wednesday.

"As for pieces the size of micrometers, the count will likely be in the thousands, he added ..."

I have two micrometers; they are very useful tools.

People who are quiet and keep a low profile are just as important as those who are active and assertive but his father did not understand that. When a boy is unable to live up to his father's expectations, it can lead to misery. Cause -> effect ... all events are conditioned by other events.

Tragedy born out of ignorance is the continuing story of the human race.

That somebody should be arrested for taking pictures of a scene that is clearly visible in public says more about the mental state of the people making this arrest than it does about the photographer. I don't believe this case has a leg to stand on but the cop has now had his career damaged.

If people do not want parts of themselves to be photographed in a public place, they should cover up.

I hope we don't hear more whining from their quarter about them being photographed as if they are a tourist attraction. The last article I read about Maiko, there were complaints about people photographing them in the street. If you show off in public you have to expect some attention.

When performers walk in the street dressed for their next appointment, the tourists are supposed to ignore them and not disrupt the harmony of Japanese life? Irony is everywhere and hope springs eternal.

I'm very sorry to hear of her death. I've always enjoyed seeing her on TV and I shall miss her. She was a beautiful lady who gave pleasure to many. It's unfortunate that those who cannot empathize have to exploit news of her death with brash or snide commentary.

Apparently able-bodied people sitting (often pretending to be asleep) in the priority seats of trains, while other, more deserving citizens stand nearby. When one sees such poverty of manners in one of the richest countries on this planet, it's difficult not to notice this.

And ... people walking in front of me without a word, when I am looking at something on a shelf in a store. When an aisle is narrow, I always manage to offer an "excuse me" when I need to pass in front of somebody.

Lack of consideration of others as fellow humans is quite prevalent in Japan. Basically, Japanese culture allows the citizens to completely ignore (and not give consideration to) people they have not been introduced to. See the change in behavior when people know (or have at least been introduced to) each other ... a different set of social rules kicks in.

It was his life, his death and his wish. I don't think the guy was wrong. Life and death are inseparable and if more of us took responsibility for our own lives and deaths, the world would be a better place. The taboo surrounding death prevents reasonable discussion and his action helps to bring that discussion into the open

Nobody HAD to watch the program.

The company could employ enough workers to cover a reasonable workload and schedule, but while they have willing wage-slaves like Yuri, they probably will not.

I'm sure Yuri knows the answer in her heart. Which is more important for her and her family - her relationship with her family or the success of her company? She should consider changing her job or try refusing to do overtime.

If we are not part of the solution, we are usually part of the problem.

This is progress? I can see how it can help those with disabilities but for able-bodied people I see dependency on robots as a kind of slavery, not freedom. More human interaction, not less - that's what I'd like to see.

Clearly it's difficult to prevent people from stealing books but isn't the root cause of the difficulty the motivation of the thieves, not the shortage of money or staff?

"I can't remember the last time I saw a child reading a book."

We should not be blaming TV or video games, etc. Look to the parents, who should be considering the balance in their kids' lives. Good parenting is the answer.

At times like this, I claim some other nationality ...

Unless there is a sign there that says people should not go swimming, I reckon he could get away with it on a legal technicality.

" ...with censor detecting moves of head to control it."

Censorship ... it's everywhere! We need to be careful what we allow those 20- to 30-year-old males to see.

;-)