Posted in: Gov't estimate shows record decline of Japanese nationals as of October 2024 See in context
Aly RustomToday 08:01 am JST
The gov seems to be a deer caught in headlights when it comes to this issue. They just seem to want to kick the can down the road and hope someone in the future comes up with a solution
Declining population is not a problem in itself, forever growing is not possible, sustainable or even desirable.
Government and local areas need to take steps to take this into account, means schools will be consolidated, services rolled back and so on.
Population will stabilise at some lower value, let’s say 80 million in 20 years.
3 ( +12 / -9 )
Posted in: Deadly crash raises new questions about safety of New York’s helicopter tours See in context
Mayor Eric Adams on Friday said he doesn’t support further restrictions on the aircraft, saying they’re crucial for everything from transporting Wall Street executives
Did he really say this? That some wall street executives are important? Why transporting them should be a priority at all?
4 ( +4 / -0 )
Posted in: Copyright questions loom as ChatGPT's Ghibli-style images go viral See in context
I'veSeenFootageToday 01:13 pm JST
But this is not a human. That's the whole point. This is a company that used copyrighted material without any authorization to develop a product it is now making a lot of money on.
OpenAI has never made any money and never will, the business case just isn’t there. They are burning through billions of dollars of investor money.
If you understand how LLMs work, you know it’s blatant copyright infringement on all levels. It can mimic anything you feed it with during training.
-2 ( +0 / -2 )
Posted in: Land prices up in half of Japan's rural areas for 1st time in 33 years See in context
Land prices up is NOT a good thing. Does not benefit the economy or the people.
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: Prices of 2,343 food and drink products going up in March See in context
VanillasludgeToday 09:54 am JST
Inflation is only a problem if wages don’t keep up and that’s the primary issue with the economy.
That is false. Wages NEVER keep up with inflation, anywhere in the world.
Taro always loses in an inflationary economy.
Incentivizing companies to increase wages relative to inflation is a way to get big corporations off the dime and regain some balance
Will never happen, incentive is just another word for tax break and it has been tested around the world endlesly. Companies will just keep the profits.
9 ( +9 / -0 )
Posted in: Judge finds mass firings of U.S. federal probationary workers to likely be unlawful See in context
BlacklabelToday 09:55 am JST
Didn’t say the agencies can’t fire. Just that OPM can’t order them to do it. Which they didn’t.
non issue.
San Francisco Democrat activist judge going for some headlines
This exactly. OPM cannot and did not fire anyone anywhere, just like Musk didn’t. they asked the agencies to terminate the probationary workers.
-2 ( +3 / -5 )
Posted in: Japan 2024 growth slows despite stronger fourth quarter See in context
0.1% growth with 4-5% rampant inflation means the economy contracted a lot in real terms. This folks is the reason for the ”inflation is good” mantra!!
-1 ( +4 / -5 )
Posted in: Vance attack on Europe overshadows Ukraine talks at security conference See in context
The TreesToday 06:28 am JST
More and more embarrassing, shameful, and despicable by the day. Censoring free speech? Vance is talking about AfD and right wing extremists, which is just what he himself, Trump, and MAGA are. I wonder what experiences might Europe have had previously when failing to shun extremists?
Vance was spot on. Just because you don’t like it means nothing. Free speech and expression mesn exactly that. There is nothing more important in the world.
-15 ( +2 / -17 )
Posted in: Former Diamond Princess passengers mark 5 years since COVID outbreak See in context
This should be a case study on what NOT to do. Keeping people on board for nothing, keeping them separated from family for nothing.
Wrong on so many levels.
3 ( +6 / -3 )
Posted in: Japan's farm exports up 3.7% to ¥1.5 tril in 2024, a new record See in context
Due to rampant inflation these kinds of news are useless. In real terms exports are down even if the value keeps on climbing.
-2 ( +3 / -5 )
Posted in: OpenAI chief says it needs new open-source strategy See in context
isabelleToday 04:58 pm JST
I know the code (but not the data) is open source, but it doesn't change the fact that:
1) DeepSeek spouts CCP propaganda
2) DeepSeek ripped off OpenAI
These are not facts. Especially 2).
And ChatGPT spouts other kinds of propaganda so why is that propaganda OK but CCP NOK?
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: Japan records biggest jump in foreign workers in 2024 See in context
sakurasukiToday 06:46 pm JST
IBy 2040 Japan need 6.7 Million foreign workers, not ordinary workers, workers that willing to be paid low wages.
No, Japan does not need any foreign workers at all. This same mantra has been repeated in Europe and it simply does not work. Do NOT open the flood gates when you are already drowning.
-5 ( +3 / -8 )
Posted in: Ukraine man pleads not guilty to charges of smuggling 113 kg of drugs See in context
Mr KiplingToday 11:13 am JST
Not all "refugees" are good people. Japan would be wise to keep them to an absolute minimum.
If it’s really important to get out, wife and kids should go first. Not military age men leaving family behind, then it’s a ”refugee”
-3 ( +1 / -4 )
Posted in: Bank of Japan hikes interest rate to 17-year high See in context
kurisupisuJan. 24 09:09 pm JST
The interest rates are still very low in Japan-it’s a wonder that there is any yen in the country!
i have just placed asu stantial amount of my money in a one year foreign currency bond at 4%
And still you lose money all the time due to inflation. People think higher interest rates help, it just means you lose less due to inflation but still you lose.
1 ( +2 / -1 )
Posted in: Japan 2024 convenience stores sales at record high on inbound tourism See in context
Sales from seven major Japanese convenience store chains hit a record high of 11.8 trillion yen in 2024, bolstered by inbound tourism and demand for readily consumable snacks and drinks, data by a Japanese franchising authority showed Monday.
Bolstered by major hikes in prices of everything above inflation rates. Fixed it for you.
Even riceballs are priced out these days ay 7-11. Who pays 190en for one ?!
-1 ( +3 / -4 )
Posted in: Japan's tourism boom prices out business travelers See in context
That’s the inflation for you. Narrative pushed for 30+ years that it is a good thing.
Don’t forget, normal people ALWAYS lose in an inflationary situation.
Japan’s best years were the ”lost decades” when inflation was 0. It’s only gone worse since then.
1 ( +13 / -12 )
Posted in: Record 36.8 million tourists visited Japan in 2024 See in context
That is partly thanks to government policies to promote attractions from Mount Fuji's majestic slopes to shrines and sushi bars in more far-flung parts of the archipelago.
That is an overstatement of the year so far. I can bet a lot of money on the fact that NONE of this is due to any government tourist promotions.
7 ( +10 / -3 )
Posted in: JR Central to test pet-friendly shinkansen car See in context
YeahRightToday 07:29 am JST
No, thanks. They got rid of smoking cars decades ago. Why do they want to bring back smelly, nasty cars again? Not to mention the number of people who are allergic to dogs. Hard pass.
Now why would you or anyone else allergic to dogs book a seat in the PET car?
7 ( +9 / -2 )
Posted in: Japanese firms set for 5th year of record profits on AI boom, BOJ shift See in context
Classic Kyodo propaganda, should not be allowed anywhere and still this ”news” is everywhere.
The title has two false news, the profits have nothing to do with AI or Bank of Japan which policy has NOT changed in 15 years.
The profits are due to inflation exceeding wake hikes. Plain and simple.
0 ( +3 / -3 )
Posted in: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year See in context
kohakuebisuToday 09:15 am JST
Embrace the change and adapt,
Yes, everyone living in Nagoya within one meter of sea level will just have to move to higher ground. Other cities too, like Niigata. Their property will be completely worthless, but hey, they're not my assets.
Why would they move?
-4 ( +2 / -6 )
Posted in: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year See in context
Embrace the change and adapt, do not cling to the past as it is NOT possible to maintain constant climate on Earth. Never was and never will. Sheer stupidity to pour billions into nothing.
0 ( +11 / -11 )
Posted in: 52-year-old man arrested after body of emaciated mother found at home See in context
WoodyLeeToday 08:22 am JST
Again, and again, and again. the never ending saga of the elderly being abused and kicked in the teeth by the ones they nurtured, loved, and trusted all their lives.
It says she cannot move. How long should we keep them ”alive” in this condition? 20-30 years? It’s better to go and go fast once you cannot take care of yourself. Is it really ”life” being in diapers 24/7 and not knowing anybody or understanding anything?
5 ( +6 / -1 )
Posted in: South Korean police search Jeju Air, airport operator over fatal plane crash See in context
bangerToday 08:25 pm JST
Govt knew about barrier of close proximity. But it was in operational as always Korean govt will put blame on someone and we will see few jumps from the buildings …..
The barrier is irrelevant as the pilot crashed the aircraft in the middle of the runway. It would have crashed on a barrier at almost any other airport as well. Or gone into the sea at others.
-4 ( +0 / -4 )
Posted in: City at foot of Mount Fuji lost 1 month of winter in past decade due to global warming: report See in context
Another zero-level “research”. Climate has and will always change, why on earth would any idiot think there would be no changes over 100-1000 years ?! There is no constant in life, but birth and death. Everything else is in constant change.
Embrace the change instead of trying to milk money and cling to the past.
-5 ( +3 / -8 )
Posted in: 3 children fatally beaten at home; mother tries to hang herself See in context
Why is he coming home at 11pm on a Sunday? If you have kids, it’s very easy to understand that people can be pushed over the limit easily, if no-one helps.
-9 ( +8 / -17 )
Posted in: 80% of female inmates in Japan convicted on theft, drug charges See in context
JeffLeeToday 08:24 am JST
Why are thefts and drugs lumped in same category? Very different types of crime.
They are more connected than you think. A lot of thefts, shoplifting and burglaries are done to feed the drug habit. It’s the same in every country. About half.
-1 ( +2 / -3 )
Posted in: Plane bursts into flames after veering off runway at airport in S Korea, killing 179 See in context
wanderlustDec. 29 03:23 pm JST
Watched the full video. It did not skid off the runway; it initially landed well, though rather fast, kept going straight, then just it ran out of runway, into a wall/ barrier built at the end of it. Muan has a relatively short runway. All of the landing gear failed to deploy, not just the front landing gear, and flaps appeared not to be down. Total hydraulic failure? RIP to all who did not survive.
The runway is longer than in many places, 2800m. This crash has nothing to do with the landing gear despite the title. It landed without flaps or any other signs of actually landing, it landed on different runway than instructed, it hit the ground in the middle of the runway, not at the landing spot, etc.
Bird strike taking out an engine is ok, it can land with one engine. Landing gear can be extended manually if you are really landing.
4 ( +4 / -0 )
Posted in: Airports, train stations crowded as 9-day New Year break begins See in context
factcheckerDec. 28 08:04 pm JST
Still don't know how to spread out vacations throughout the year.........
Still by and large haven't figured out flexibility around taking vacations either.
And have you been to Europe? US? Everybody also there vacations at the same time and it’s not a problem?
Anywhere in the world, families vacation when school is off.
-1 ( +2 / -3 )
Posted in: Ex-Olympus CEO gets suspended sentence on drug charge See in context
N. KnightToday 05:50 pm JST
Who said he's an addict?
He said it himself, did you read the article?
Kaufmann said he was introduced to a drug dealer by his friend and began using illegal drugs to manage work-related fatigue.
Now, how the easiest job in the world (CEO of a big company) produces fatigue is another question.
3 ( +6 / -3 )
Posted in: Ohtani wins 3rd AP Male Athlete of the Year award See in context
The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
Why is the Lance on the list? He was stripped of everything due to obvious reasons so why keep him on that list?
5 ( +5 / -0 )
Posted in: Japan's chief tariff negotiator slammed for MAGA cap photo with Trump
Posted in: Osaka Expo draws 1 million visitors in 11 days since opening
His attitude was like tourist or Trump believer, Never negotiator.
Posted in: Japan's chief tariff negotiator slammed for MAGA cap photo with Trump