Vikingflute comments

"We have to conduct further interrogations and make him better understand so he will be more cooperative" - I like this.

Couldn't disagree more with Mirai Hayashi. People have a right to drink - and life in Japan would be unbearable without - but it's good that cameras protect them.

Don't blame TV. There's worse in many other countries. More blame goes to breaking up of families, alienation, society that only appreciates material goods and success, schools that don't address bullying and only put exam pressure on kids.

The lay judge system is scary. I'd much rather entrust my fate to a group of trained professionals than laymen who may or may not like my face.

It's interesting how gaijin, especially from the Anglo world, frame tattoos as human rights issue when it's just a fad, and a stupid one at that. The next generation will be embarrassed with their parents with fading tattoos covering their loose skin and sagging bodies.

Azusa Suzie, the whale slaughter methods are truly heinous and inhumane.

Indeed, Azusa Susie. The whale hunt is entirely unnecessary. It has no scientific value and culturally, as you say, it only pertains to a very small coastal population, mostly in Shikoku. Anyway, even they started commercial ocean-going whaling only in the 19th century. One gets the feeling that the continued whale hunt is only because of macho defiance to foreign criticism by some chauvinistic circles.

One would hope there'd be more adult-like methods of protest but what could they be? Sea Shepherd -- and Greenpeace even more so -- stay within legal boundaries and refrain from violence. What they mostly do is try to bring this to the world attention and shame Japan to accept international norms. But alas it doesn't faze them much.

It's quite wise for Japan to keep a low profile on the issue of whaling, as virtually the entire world opinion is against it. But it must be hard for some in the Fisheries Agency etc. to do so, as the whole whaling business continues basically because of national pride. There's no real demand for whale meat and the effort is a major sinkhole for public money.