zenzen comments

Add to it that he's referred to as Canadian despite being "a resident of Japan for three decades"

Toasted Heretic, fair enough.

Rugby is popular in Japan? If Japan were real fans of the sport, they would be watching Russia vs Samoa in big numbers. Fiji vs Georgia will be sold out. Bars will fill up for these matches. Millions of real rugby fans in South Africa, New Zealand, France and England will be watching these matches. Will the media in Japan be broadcasting the Fiji match on network television – not some obscure cable channel? When you look over the shoulders of people in front of you on the train and see they’re all watching Fiji versus Georgia on their phone, then you can say that rugby is popular in Japan.

Of course, nations cheer for the home team. But sophisticated nations love the sport. Where rugby is truly popular fans will know the names of the players on the other teams. Ask yourself, if Japan was playing Ireland on a Tuesday night, would the same number of fans fill the streets are huddle around televisions? Think scheduling a Saturday night match up was not by design? I see they’re playing their next match on a Saturday, too. How about team Russia? Their matches are on Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday nights.

As upset as you are at CaptDingleheimer about “tiddlywinks”, he’s right. I’ve lived in Japan long enough to experience this many times in Olympics, soccer and rugby. Good for team Japan, they’re doing well, but Japan has to just admit they only get excited when their team is playing, regardless of the sport.

Come from a real baseball, rugby, soccer, or basketball nation and you love the sport, itself. Millions of people watch even when the home team is not playing. That’s sophisticated. When Hayashi and Tanaka are at the water cooler discussing the brilliant Italian defence against Wales last night, then you’ve got a country where rugby is popular.

Likely this will receive many "thumbs down", but I had to say it. There, I feel better. Thanks for reading.

"Let's Climate Change!"

...now mascot...we need a mascot...

Humanity is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. This is not going to change any time soon. We, 6 billion, are here and healthy because of oil, gas and coal. India and China are constructing hundreds of coal-burning generators.

Despite what the MSM, the UN and "the science" reports there is, thankfully, a growing body of data, information and knowledge demonstrating that there is no "crisis" and that the powers-that-be have done a wonderful job over the past 20 years to mislead. The biggest impact on global climate: the sun. No mention of this. The climate change folks: focus on CO2. Why? because they cannot tax the sun. It is with an open mind that I undertook research on the issue. I encourage everyone to question and dig a little deeper.

But that doesn't matter, politician need to create problems to look important. Koizumi is a glorious distraction - well timed just ahead of the sales tax increase.

Why doubles with Osaka? Nishikori is Japanese and Osaka is Haitian-American.

When I was a kid (1970s), laundry detergent came in a cardboard box, soda came in a (refundable) glass bottle, juice came in a big metal can, toothpaste came in a metal tube, milk came in a cardboard container, so did ice cream, soap came in a bar and water came from a water fountain. All of this, except the water, was placed in a grocery bag that was made of paper.

Has anyone seen the results of the "research"?

Really? Well for the ones that are born, parents have no problem bringing them to restaurants and izakayas at 8-9-10pm with zero consideration for others.

What's he going to buy them with?

Option 1: US will lend them the money.

Option 2: It's getting harder and harder for Japanese govt to borrow domestically. They'll have to look outside. Let's see, which country has money they can lend Japan? ....China?

and promised to buy 105 F-35 warplanes.

And there it is. The real reason the US encouraged Japan to modify its constitution regarding (self) defence: to create a new customer for the US military industrial complex.

It's a week of upsets... COME ON BRIGHTON!!

"Is into beetles"?

The insect, VW Beetles or The Beatles?

Yes, people spend more when on holiday. Ok, let's extend this thinking: give (require) workers to take full weeks off through out the year. Keep the "boost" going. Let's see, you'll need to build more hotels, theme parks, resorts, restaurants... gosh, sounds like a whole new industry.

A shout out to JT Editors: Thanks for publishing this story on your site. I quite enjoyed it - including the great commentary - and would likely not have read it elsewhere. :-)

Hope you like your dystopian police state folks, this is just the beginning. These will likely be in place and mandatory to go through by 2020 and laws will be put into effect for "Olympic safety"

Agree, paradoxbox. Once installed, it never goes away.

So, if this testing is a result of problems on the Shinkansen...why are they doing scanning on Tokyo Metro? Why not scan passengers traveling on the Shinkansen? And, why Kasumigaseki Station? It's likely a "showcase" for the polies, though no high-ranking politician is taking Tokyo Metro.

Hopefully no injuries.

Good news: it'll give all the news programs and their helicopters something to fixate on for the entire weekend. Thankfully the heli's will hover endlessly over a business area and not inhabited areas.

Great! You what this means? More mascots! ya-a-a-ay!

How could a foreigner who isn’t fluent in spoken or written Japanese accomplish such a crime at a Japanese company in Japan ?

Insane Wayne - you're not so insane. that's a good point.

SaikoPsyco - "Giving the property to Ghosn.... that was Nissan's escape clause for if and when the need arose. You ever wonder why no large Japanese manufacturer has ever been bought by a foreign company..... because once fully purchased, all the dead skeletons in the closet could be found and the real dirty laundry comes out."

This happened with Olympus back in 2011 or 2012. It was not a purchase by a foreign company, rather a British -CEO- came to the helm and Pandora's Box was opened.

Have we reached "peak nerd"?

It's all staged for the publicity. Do you think every move these guys make isn't orchestrated? Do you think they have ANY say in what they wear? No.

You mean all these years our plastic waste was being shipped off to China?! ...I didn't know that. Always thought that annoying over-packaging in recycling-conscious Japan was ultimately alright due to (clean) incineration. They just shipped it off to China?! I'm miffed.

This gives me greater motivation to restore my '78 VW Beetle.

Am guessing the new one will have a gift shop, mascot, soft cream and many announcements and recorded messages in four languages.

technologies exist to retard aging but i'm certain you'll find none of them at this event.

No surprise. Trump told them to do it. And, US arms contractors are first in line. Likely, not even in line. Just there. Thanks for the money!

This idea is beyond stupid. I didn't need to read the story, just the headline and the photo is all I need to see.

THIS is the best use of AI? Better idea: Use AI to come up with more useful ideas for AI.

No need to extend the age range. They need to improve the marketing. Mascots!! A whole new array of mascots, I say!

It's all about the money. It's always about the money. Likely there is pressure from the US to make this revision. Change a few words in the constitution and instantly all the major US weapons manufacturers have a new customer.