Posted in: Kanye West's account on X goes dark after hate-filled rant See in context
Afaik it wasn't the hateful content that got him into trouble. The owner of the app obviously has no problem with that.
@I've Seen Footage
DG reference in the wild! Agree with almost everything about Ye's work, recently even the production has been subpar, although I've been avoiding new work for the last couple of years anyway.
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Posted in: Japan weighs Alaska LNG pipeline pledge to win Trump's favor See in context
The sky isn't going to fall in your head due to you consuming a little fossil fuel. Stay warm!
It's not "a little"
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Posted in: Japan weighs Alaska LNG pipeline pledge to win Trump's favor See in context
@Newgirlintowm
Yes, a headline like this in 2025 looks truly dystopian.
-1 ( +4 / -5 )
Posted in: Japan records biggest jump in foreign workers in 2024 See in context
in Japan?
In JT, mostly yes.
They are paid exactly the same rate as any Japanese worker.
The "trainee programme" has such a bad reputation for worker exploitation that even the LDP had to get along with reform (i.e. renaming).
@GuruMick
Very well put!
-1 ( +9 / -10 )
Posted in: Japan records biggest jump in foreign workers in 2024 See in context
@Mr Kipling
Because there are never any reports of Japanese people committing crimes.
If anything, a Vietnamese person is much more likely to be on the receiving end of illegal working conditions and workplace harassment than commit crimes themselves.
-8 ( +17 / -25 )
Posted in: Ishiba says he will accelerate debate over selective surname system See in context
"It's not an issue that we can continue to put off a decision on because public interest is extremely high,"
No, it isn't. It's high among dinosaurs who think any change will be an affront to their antiquated worldview. This is Japan's version of the culture wars, making up an inconsequential issue and treating it like the biggest current problem.
Allowing married couples to have separate surnames will only be met with pushback from hard-line right-wingers while making some people's lives much easier at no-one's expense. However, it won't do away with issues such as constantly rising prices, stagnating wages and other, more glaring, forms of inequality.
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Posted in: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year See in context
@zulandar
Oh yeah, I forgot about that conservative "counterargument". As the understanding of the scientific community comes to grips with the complexity of the issues, terms change as we know that the issues go clearly being warming itself. But let's not allow more understanding of complexity to go against simple answers.
-1 ( +3 / -4 )
Posted in: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year See in context
The current temperature above the industrial level is 1.6ºC.
I'm not sure if you're saying that to show that it's not that bad or really bad, but the latter is true. It's going faster than expected. That's already higher than the peak suggested by the Paris Agreement and it's bound to keep going up.
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Posted in: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year See in context
So what is really the problem with the a warming planet ??? We just evolve with the condition like the last time there was warming planet event, it call evolution.
The current changes are happening within the range of decades and centuries. Evolution is nowhere near that fast.
Plus it is refer to Man made global warming. So in theory man can make a cooling planet.
Not sure how, but why not. As it stands now, however, we're doing a lot for it to warm. What's more, even if we stopped contributing to climate change immediately, it would keep getting warmer for centuries due to the effect of already existing greenhouse gases that we have emitted.
many conservatives dont think that there is a MAN MADE global warming.
Conservatives have been, generally speaking, moving the goal posts for decades. First, there was no warming at all, then there was, but it wasn't man-made, then there was but we didn't have to do anything about it, now there is to some, but it's actually a good thing. Anything to go against calls for systemic change.
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Posted in: Japan logs its hottest year on record in 2024 for 2nd straight year See in context
@Newgirlintown
Agree completely. But it will be business as usual with all sorts of mental gymnastics to blame rice and vegetable shortages, starving bears appearing increasingly in human settlements, deaths from heat stroke, super typhoons and other climate-change driven phenomena on everything but the fossil fuel industry.
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Posted in: Japan to revise law for emergency animal shootings due to rise in bear attacks See in context
In Japan, however, bears have recently been seeking food near human habitats due in part to a poor nut harvest.
It's understandable individuals and communities need to be able to protect themselves from immediate harm. However, the "poor nut harvest" is likely a part of a larger pattern of resource depletion that isn't going anywhere anytime soon and that business as usual will only exacerbate. But it's easier to blame foreign tourists for rice shortage and shoot famished bears (luckily not the other way around yet) than push for any meaningful climate and other environmental action.
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Posted in: Foreign-born CEO says Japan needs immigration to thrive See in context
An article on Japan's (obvious) need for immigration. Sure to keep the comment section, largely composed of immigrants, sorry, expats, going!
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Posted in: Nearly 90% of Chinese view Japan negatively: poll See in context
What's the point of such a poll (or reporting results like this)? It makes it look like there is no nuance between pro- and anti-given country, which is just an appeal to blind tribalism.
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Posted in: Japan rules out ending death penalty despite panel's call for review See in context
I was once against it and still is but considering the latest rise is Fatal Crimes in Japan especially against the helpless and defenseless including children I am now for keeping it because it works as a deterrent in many cases.
Your undermining your own argument. The fact that they are rising clearly shows that the "deterrent" isn't really that efficient.
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Posted in: Japan revises foreign trainee rules to allow job transfers over abuse See in context
@Fighto!
I completely agree with what you say.
However, the approach to immigration by the government and, largely, the public is so stubbornly exclusive here that it's hard to see it implemented. Suggesting people born elsewhere and ethnically different could actively participate in society and, the horror, have children here that would become Japanese is political self-destruction.
Case in point, last year the citizens of Kumamoto voted against even referring to foreign nationals as 市民, and city representative had to make a statement to assure the public that word doesn't mean they'd be able to vote. If only referring to people as "citizens of a city" causes such a backlash, no popular political party will take it upon themselves to encourage integration.
-3 ( +6 / -9 )
Posted in: Japan revises foreign trainee rules to allow job transfers over abuse See in context
The whole programme needs to be abandoned. To call exploited workers "trainees" is just a condescending colonial way to disguise blatant exploitation as some kind of sharing of wisdom. The fact that enabling workets to change jobs is treated as some kind of progressive, benevolent step just shows how cruel the system is to beging with.
But who am I fooling, the Japanese government treats its own citizens like disposable goods. It won't create good conditions for people with other nationalities, whom it refuses to call immigrants to begin with.
-6 ( +11 / -17 )
Posted in: Japan election puts couples' right to choose surname in spotlight See in context
@virusrex
That's just politicians politicianing. It works all around the world. Focus on an inconsequential issue so that you don't have to deal with more complex ones or, god forbid, make anyone meaningfully question the status quo.
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Posted in: Man arrested for stalking former girlfriend by sending her text messages See in context
Why did she not simply just block him?
Adding to what other says, he definitely knows where she lives, so blocking him in the digital world wouldn't prevent him from stalking her irl.
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Posted in: Foreigner climbs onto FamilyMart roof in Shibuya; yells 'I did it!' before police step in See in context
What is this, the Daily Mail? The fact that the expression meiwaku gaikokujin has been spreading doesn't make its use less xenophobic. People engaging in this kind of rhetoric are the real nuisance as they make daily life highly unpleasant for foreign-looking people who just want to get through their day.
This guy's a moron (or at least did a really moronic thing this time). I've met morons from all walks of life from all around the world.
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Posted in: Japan must strengthen NATO ties to safeguard global peace, PM says See in context
@JeffLee
"There are worse places to live. Therefore, being an American ally is good."
"If you don't like it, leave."
These are two fallacies ignoring that geopolitics isn't one-dimensional and that life in the places you mention is "good" only thanks to rampant exploitation within and without of its borders.
0 ( +9 / -9 )
Posted in: Japan must strengthen NATO ties to safeguard global peace, PM says See in context
There is no "global peace". It's just code for American hegemony. Kishida is conspicuously quiet about Gaza and other conflicts (or massacres) western and Japanese big business are actively contributing to.
-1 ( +15 / -16 )
Posted in: Tokyo Gov Koike reelected, beating opposition Renho, rising ex-mayor See in context
@wallace
I didn't know about this specific proposal but I know it's being brought up (and, in some municipalities, enacted). However, never by the LDP as their hard-line supporters would definitely not approve.
3 ( +3 / -0 )
Posted in: Tokyo Gov Koike reelected, beating opposition Renho, rising ex-mayor See in context
@wallace
Same here. We choose candidates together with my partner. And it's quite easy as you're usually left with very few choices once you've ruled out all unhinged nationalists and xenophobes.
The system is made in a way in a way the LDP will win no matter what (Koike isn't a member anymore but her activities and affiliations suggest she might as well still be). And non-Japanese citizens won't get the right to vote as long as they're in power.
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Posted in: Tokyo Gov Koike reelected, beating opposition Renho, rising ex-mayor See in context
@wallace
In an ideal world not, but being head of the capital, largest metropolis or any other significant constituency has nationwide repercussions (e.g. Boris Johnson). She might want to take it further and become the first female PM, skillfully hiding behind her gender and drawing attention away from her regressive actions. This would be much less likely if she were the mayor of, say, Hamamatsu.
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Posted in: Japan plans to require more firms to disclose gender pay gap data See in context
Saying a gender pay gap doesn't exist implies that women earn less because they are less capable/work less/don't want careers. Anyone can interpret that information as they like.
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Posted in: Japan now able to deport people with multiple failed asylum claims See in context
Maybe if I see them actually working on how the Tibetans and Uighurs are treated by China, or the Rohyngyas I might care.
They do mention these issues as well, and suggesting they should somehow make ruthless dictatorships "behave" is absurd. At this point this is just whataboutism. Japan doesn't act according to treaties and conventions it's agreed to on refugees as well as racial discrimination. I'd pull out the names, but I don't see a good-faith debate happening here, so I'll just leave it with that.
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Posted in: Japan now able to deport people with multiple failed asylum claims See in context
This means that while they should not return individuals to situations where they face danger (non-refoulement), they have discretion over how they process asylum applications and manage their asylum systems.
I'd argue Japan is leaning very heavily into the latter part. I have a problem with that interpretation of that convention, as do Amnesty International.
It's the difference in morals that puts most people off.
"People from other (poorer) countries have different (i.e. lower) moral standards." Cool!
-2 ( +0 / -2 )
Posted in: Japan now able to deport people with multiple failed asylum claims See in context
Against my better judgement, I'm leaving a comment.
Most of the people here seem to be quite secure in their status of residence. Good for you. Now, Japan's refugee application system is in violation of international law as it is and has a laughably low acceptance rate. If you think over 99 percent of applicants are frauds, fine.
Also, far right candidates sweeping elections in Europe being indicative of the bad effects of accepting immigrants is like saying Hitler was right because he won in the 1930s. Tapping into people's prejudices during time of crisis is easiest way to score political points. The LDP is doing that now. It's refugees, easy scapegoats now, but the government is going for PR holders next.
It's ironic this article is just under another one about Japan's shrinking economy. Study after study has shown that immigration is a net benefit for countries. The fact that a lot of people think their neighbour having a different ethnic background from them is an affront doesn't change that.
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Posted in: Kishida to stress rules-based global order, support for emerging nations at OECD meeting See in context
@dagon
I'd add last year's Draconian immigration law amendment which actually is against international law. A country is changing its own rules to not abide by international rules but poses as an enforced of a rule-based order. Japan is in good company though.
0 ( +2 / -2 )
Posted in: Town to block Mount Fuji view from troublesome tourists See in context
exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists
Wow! Way to start an article.
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Posted in: Man arrested for scouting Japanese woman to be prostitute in U.S.
WhoreSpringsColorado: you should move to wherever it is you infected Japan from
Posted in: Explosion at Taiwan department store kills 4; 26 injured
Women used as objects. When will it ever end?
Posted in: Man arrested for scouting Japanese woman to be prostitute in U.S.
Posted in: Japan, China, S Korea eye foreign ministerial talks in Tokyo on March 22