Wilke comments

I'm more worried about how okaasan will cope, cleo, than the children.

When the most popular movies and dramas are western.

Many an American movie and TV drama is dumped on foreign markets at less than cost-price (including advertising). Local production houses in many places cannot compete. It's worse -- much worse -- in English-speaking countries that are not the United States.

And many a "famous" American movie or TV drama is a direct copy of a foreign original. "The Magnificent Seven" is one movie classic that comes to mind.

When the Starbucks and McDonalds are full of Japanese.

98.5% of the Japanese population is ethnically Japanese -- and you're surprised to find that cafes and fast-food outlets in Japan are "full of Japanese"? I be surprised if they weren't.

When the most popular sports are western.

I haven't seen much Cricket or Australian Rules Football being played in Japan.

Moderator: Back on topic please.

@ Samantha Ueno:

Have a question for international couples...how about the American side?? How do your parents feel about you marrying a person from halfway around the world who may or may not speak English?

Not all international marriages involve an American. I'm Australian, and will be marrying a Japanese widow with two children (aged 10 and 6) in May, and they're moving to Australia. Her family and her late husband's family don't seem too chuffed with the idea.

As for my family -- my widowed mum (81yo) has fallen completely for my beloved and her children (the boy was born on my mum's 50th wedding anniversary, and the girl -- left unattended -- cleaned my mother's house for her). My sister is glad to finally have a sister of her own after 56 years of dealing with two brothers.

In short, my family have completely accepted Mihoko and her children. That they can't really speak English (Miho speaks broken English, but it's an effort for her -- and the children effectively speak no English at present) doesn't matter in the slightest.

Deplore:

The bodyguards didn't seem to be doing all that good a job: the person in that group who is presented as the biggest target to any attacker and is in the most vulnerable position is the Prime Minister.

Australiangirl:

Are you sure that your comments shouldn't finish with the words "written and authorised by... on behalf of the Liberal Party of Australia"?

Cletus,

Recent reports are that a Gillard staffer was responsible for notifying those at the Tent Embassy, and he has been sacked.

From what I can gather, Gillard had not been told, and the action was not done with her authority.

Look at the television footage again, though.

There were, according to reports, a total of 50 protestors outside the restaurant.

The footage shows that they were at the front door, in King George Avenue.

The politicians were ushered out of the side door, into Parkes Place -- about 20 metres away from the protestors.

Three protestors managed to get within five metres of the Commonwealth car as it drove off.

The jostling crowd that the police were trying to protect the pollies from was not the protestors -- it was the journalists.

Looking at the Australian television news footage, I counted in the "scrum":

Two politicians.

50 police.

40 journalists.

3 protestors.

The "crowd" of protestors was about 20 metres away.

Cletus, I suspect it's more likely that it was someone from Abbott's staff that told the folks at the Tent Embassy that the politicians were there. The Prime Minister looked genuinely surprised and distressed -- Abbott looked as if the events were unfolding just as he expected them to.

Compared to Australia, taxis aren't all that expensive.

The 4km taxi ride from the centre of Brisbane city (Australia) to my home costs AUD15 (1,200yen). To go the same distance in Tokyo has cost me 1,000yen.

I won't even start to compare the two countries when it comes to the vehicles' condition and the quality of service provided.

Hot coffee, however, I have found is very expensive, and not very good at all.

It appears that it wasn't the fan who was offended, but the Korean media which took umbrage at Odagiri's non-autograph.