yasukuni comments

You'd think he'd just laugh about it.

"I am sure some people saw the hype on TV that everyone is reading it and went right out to buy a copy."

Which is why it's hard to take women seriously. Except for my intelligent wife!

"All my life I've been trying to treat women with respect and sensitivity."

Which is what they've been saying they want. Respect, sensitivity, equality and a man who washes dishes etc. It's best to just ignore what women say they want. They themselves have no idea.

It's pretty hard to take women seriously.

Interesting. After decades of hearing that sex is natural and no big deal, and that men and women are equal, some guy is willing to pay hundreds of thousands to take a woman's virginity. And no doubt he beat many others who were willing to pay.

And in another article, millions of women go crazy over a book about the totally unequal sexual relationship between an older rich man who totally dominates a young virgin.

Face it. Men and women are different.

"The Kansai quake struck early in the morning while most people were still in their beds. If it was later when most people were at work the death toll would have been much lower. "

I totally disagree. Take a look at photographs of the expressway that basically fell over, and look into what happened in the subway. If trains and roads were packed later in the day the death toll would have been worse I think.

Basically, my advice is that if you live in a place like in the photo, I'd move. No matter how many fire drills and evacuation drills you have, the reality is that many people will be trapped in houses, and in alleys like that and won't be able to escape if fires start - and they probably will. I know of someone who did the predictions of what would happen in places like that once fires started. He moved out of Tokyo.

If you live in Tokyo, pick where you live and where you work. What kind of building you live in and what's next to it, but realize that if on the day the big one comes you're visiting a fragile place you might be in trouble.

iow, decide whether or not you want to live in Tokyo, plan for the worst, but then get on with enjoying life.

If a really big earthquake hits it won't be fun and if there's a problem now with getting people to hospitals imagine what it will be like on the day.

If Ishihara didn't quit, I was going to suggest to him that every student learn first aid.

Anyway, we will get through it!

I understand all the points about the cases of foreign fathers, but there is the bigger picture where Japan needs some kind of cultural revolution.

This idea that when people divorce, the kids go with one parent (almost always the mother) and then has no contact with the other parent just needs to stop.

It's so backward, immature, and a terrible thing to do to a child. But you'd be surprised at how many japanese ( including educated ones) think its atarimae that children wouldn't see the other parent.

And on that note, it'd help if grandparents didn't get in on the act of badmouthing the ex, and lying about the reasons why they don't visit.

And they wonder why there are so many screwed up people here.

Let's think about the kids. They're much more important than sushi....

One thing for sure. If you don't like Ishihara or Hashimoto, I suggest you throw your TV out.

"The two greenlings, which are bottom-feeders, had cesium levels of more than 25,000 becquerels per kilogram, 250 times the level the government considers safe."

None of you were surprised, but I'll admit to being surprised. That's a scary figure.

It always seems to be the beautiful women who are so interested in world peace ...

I've hated beauty contests ever since Miss South Carolina didn't win.

Book em Danno!

I'm all for eradicating smoking.

I don't think it's a rag on Japan article. Japanese magazines love to have discussions about the husband/wife/mother-in-law/daughter-in-law from hell.

They're usually completely over the top accounts which make people laugh and tsk tsk and then think that they themselves are so wonderful.

But like any such story, we only hear the alleged victim talking about how bad the other party is. Maybe, I watch too much daytime TV and listen to too many people's complaints because I hear this kind of stuff all the time.

You don't usually meet too many people who will tell you how bad they are to their long-suffering wife/husband/in laws.

But you're right if your worried that foreigners will read these stories and take them as good sociological research.

There really are some problem people around though. If you are happy married and have wonderful in-laws, count your blessings and keep doing what you're doing.

I don't care about who wins a debate, who has better eye contacts, who looks stronger. I just hope Americans pick the right guy.

Great topic. And I liked what Cleo wrote about language and swimming.

The problem with a complex language like Japanese is that just when you think you're about ready for the Olympics you fall flat on your face.

If there's one thing being in Japan has done for me is it's made me humble. In a way the more confident you get the more dangerous it gets.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I was in full flight and suddenly realized I didn't know a word which everyone expected me to know. In the early days, you tend to think ahead about whether you can say something or not.

I still think that Japan is the best place for language learners. How many other people will tell you you're good when you're bad and be happy that you've made the attempt to learn the language. Not to mention, I can't remember any time that people have rolled their eyes in impatience. (Oh, except for my wife ...)

He will no doubt visit. And Chinese and possibly Koreans will voice their displeasure, and that will be reported in the media. But with ill-feeling towards China at the moment, there won't be much condemnation of Abe for doing so. Far from it. So Abe will only gain from this.

Japanese hate criticism from China, and they love politicians who are seen as strong - esp those who now stand strong against China.

Huh?

"My first Stones concert was 1968"

Wow. I bet you didn't think they'd be performing 44 years later.

People often criticize these old guys for performing, but I'd be happy to watch them perform in an old folks home. Amazing.

"The Taiwanese make 14 decisions in one phone call: "

The Japanese make 14 phone calls to arrange a meeting to discuss what decisions need to be talked about.

Of course you can have plutonic friends. But the difference is I could have stay overnight with a guy friend , but I couldn't with a female friend.

The trouble with plutonic friends even with singles is that often one person thinks they are or wants to be more than friends.

Originalusername.

It's times like this when I wish we could delete our comments...lol

Sad.

Gotta feel sorry for the cabin attendant.

Austrian? Just as well he wasn't Irish. He might have missed Earth. (old joke)

Seriously..amazing. .I wonder if next time he'll have some kind of advertising on him.

"Back in the 80's, we called people/groups like PSY "one hit wonders".

Yeah, but this guy could spend a few months riding the wave and then retire probably. I think there's worse things you can be.

Makes you think twice about accepting the invitation for ocha and omochi with the old lady next door doesn't it?

Strange. I've had parents visit several times, and nephews and nieces. Everyone loves their time here. My dad even went around everywhere on a Japan Rail pass by himself and had a great time. Trains that go everywhere, people that apologize for not speaking English, models of the food so you know what you're getting, and beer out of vending machines, what's not to like?

"All in all, my brother didn’t absolutely love Japan. He didn’t care for some of the food, wasn’t happy with the crowded parts of the bigger cities, and really did not “get” Japan. "

He sounds like someone who probably shouldn't travel overseas. Some people are better just skyping with occasionally. And if I paid for transport, accommodation and food for a brother who then said he didn't like the food or "get" Japan, I'd stop feeding him and just tell him to go to macdonalds!

I feel weird back in my home country too. And I have to stop saying "In Japan ..." I usually bow to people like an idiot, and get totally freaked out when a girl behind a counter says something like "How are ya, sweetie?". Been here too long. I even feel weird when I see a gaijin here and end up staring.

"it seems to me the question is not why Psy isn't popular in Japan, it's why on earth would he be more than fleetingly popular anywhere else."

Yep, that's definitely a good question. But I have to admit that i've added 3 to the count. One to see what the fuss was all about, one to show my wife "Hey, do you want to see the most popular youtube of all time", and once more to try and figure out why it's been seen hundreds of millions of times. And I'll probably click on it again to try and figure out why Japanese don't like it....

I still maintain that if it were a Japanese performer, Japanese would like it - only for the fact that if Japanese knew that hundreds of millions of people liked something Japanese, they couldn't help watching it.

It's like Japanese movies that nobody watches until it gets an award -then people line around the block.

For all the people that hate it, is it really much worse than a Justin Bieber or AKB48 video?

"Japan and the United States are mulling a joint military drill to simulate retaking a remote island from foreign forces"

The only thing more obvious to do would be to use Senkaku for the training!

I think Japan should apologize too. It would probably mean a lot to many people from many countries.

To be a good role model, I call on North Korea to apologize for abducting men, women and children from Japan and keeping them away from the families for all that time.

If there are still people there , they should be returned, any remains should be returned, compensation should be made and Kim should bow down deeply and show his deep remorse.

North Korea should pay for the families of those abducted to go to North Korea and be shown where their loved one's lived and where they died.

Then maybe after sincere apologies have been made, the families compensated, and North Korea vows to never again do such an inhumane thing, and also to stop firing rockets over Japan's air space and other acts of aggression- then I think Japan can apologize.