Posted in: War, violence and hate crime – here's how to discuss bad news with your children See in context
Why is it that adults seem so determined to expose children to things that they shouldn't be exposed?! Or why do adults not take more steps to protect children from being exposed to such things?
Children need to be allowed to be children. And adults, especially parents, have a responsibility to ensure this happens. And they should guard this responsibility / role jealously.
Our son is 10 yo. Of course he hears about stuff that goes on in the world. And there are things that end up being discussed at home because of it. But we have done our best to move those things to the side. They shouldn't be front and center in his life.
And yet far too many parents treat their kids as though they are adults. And put on their burdens on their children.
And that is wrong.
3 ( +3 / -0 )
Posted in: China plans to keep ships near Senkakus for 365 days in 2024 See in context
With all due respect to Japan, they are complete weaklings and idiots when it comes to these things.
If they had any backbone and any spine, they would do what China has done in the South China Sea.
They would build military bases on every island they claim, dredge up the sea bed to create artificial islands if necessary, deploy armed military forces, warships and air force planes on all of them, and threaten EVERY Chinese vessel or plan that comes within 12 miles of them.
Just as the Chinese have done in the South China Sea.
China respects only one thing.
Force!!
They are brutal thugs and need to be treated as such!!
9 ( +20 / -11 )
Posted in: Season's greetings See in context
25 years has not diminished the beauty of the Westin Ebisu lobby Christmas decorations.
8 ( +8 / -0 )
Posted in: At least 60 are killed in central Gaza in one of the war's deadliest strikes See in context
Hamas launched an attack on innocent women and children! Without provocation!
War is hell!
The Arabs in Gaza are paying the price for supporting Hamas!! You support murderous terrorists, you pay the price!!
-14 ( +11 / -25 )
Posted in: Detainee dies after being found unconscious in cell in Saitama Prefecture See in context
Ya gotta believe that the coppers caused his death!! They have no sense of responsibility for their detainees.
Their attitude is... hey, someone died? Well, whatever.... not our problem.
-13 ( +14 / -27 )
Posted in: Canada's surging cost of living fuels reverse immigration See in context
So, clearly economic migrants!
NOT refugees!
Why should they have the right to come and stay if they are just oming and looking for benefits.
Doesn't that make them no better than parasites?!
-1 ( +0 / -1 )
Posted in: Court rules Japan's dual nationality ban constitutional See in context
All of the recent cases have dealt with Japanese nationals who were born Japanese nationals and then chose to adopt another nationality AS AN ADULT.
I have little sympathy in these cases. An adult was born as a citizen of Japan and then, at some point, as an adult, decides to become a citizen of another country. Not a resident, not a permanent resident, but a citizen.
That person is saying that they ACTIVELY CHOOSE, AS AN ADULT, that new country as their country.
I get that.
Compare that to a child who acquires dual nationality at birth, that has 2 nationalities from the day they were born, with nothing connected to any choice they made as an aduit.
7 ( +11 / -4 )
Posted in: G7 leaders speak with Ukraine's Zelenskyy; agree to Russian diamond ban See in context
LOL.
Utterly meaningless!
No ban on Russian oil or gas imports.
No ban on industrial diamonds.
This is all about keeping the grift going for Zelensky and corrupt Western politicians!
4 ( +14 / -10 )
Posted in: Kishida again denies knowing of Unification Church members at meeting See in context
Silly man!
If they had just said was Soka Gakkai, all would have been fine.
3 ( +11 / -8 )
Posted in: 2025 Expo ticket sales begin with 500 days to go amid cost concerns See in context
What a complete boondoggle!! Just like the 2020/2021 Olympics!
-4 ( +8 / -12 )
Posted in: U.S. continues to fly Osprey aircraft in Japan, despite Tokyo's request not to See in context
The uncomfortable truth for the Japanese people is that if their government really wanted ANYTHING to happen regarding U.S. forces in Japan, they could make it happen....TOMORROW!
They could issue an ultimatum to the U.S. government tamhat if the U.S. didn't cease Osprey operations immediately, Japan would unilaterally terminate all agreements in place, expel U.S. forces within 90 days, by force if necessary, and immediately stop funding the costs of U.S. forces in Japan.
They could do it and the U.S. would be forced to comply.
So, why don't they do this?!
9 ( +19 / -10 )
Posted in: Life term sought for man over killing of doctor in 11-hour standoff See in context
But a man who ills his mistress because she annoys him gets, what, 17 years?!
And parents who abuse their children and cause their death get, what 7 years?!
Makes no sense....
2 ( +6 / -4 )
Posted in: Russia withdraws from 2025 World Expo in Japan See in context
World Expos are about as useful as Olympic Games!
A bunch of construction companies and government types making money off of the taxpayer.
12 ( +29 / -17 )
Posted in: Nissan to invest $1.4 billion to make EV versions of its best-selling cars in UK See in context
LOL.
Follow the money.
Make sure you have a gas powered generator to recharge your "eco" vehicle.
And make sure to have a really good fire extinguisher.... in case the car spontaneously combusts!
-11 ( +4 / -15 )
Posted in: Sixty years after the assassination of U.S. President John F Kennedy, debate still continues over whether or not there was a conspiracy to kill him. What are your views on the subject? See in context
The CIA did it.
The fact that the government has kept everything classified speaks volumes.
And the fact that the CIA continues to deny it and actually invented the term "conspiracy theorist" to discredit those who linked them to it speaks volumes.
The CIA are bad bad people. They have done horrible things, in the U.S. and around the world.
RFK Jr. knows exactly who killed his uncle....
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3993563-robert-kennedy-jr-sees-overwhelming-evidence-cia-involved-in-jfk-assassination/
3 ( +4 / -1 )
Posted in: Car overturns in collision, killing 2-year-old boy in Chiba Prefecture See in context
I wonder if the boy was buckled up in a car seat. Just trying to figure how the boy could end up crushed under the car.
9 ( +9 / -0 )
Posted in: Fake news, hate-filled sites are big business in Japan See in context
Journalism has descended into nothing more than propaganda. Free speech is dead, because anything that a "hews organization" or some "government"doesn't like immediately becomes "fake news", "misinformation", "hate speech" or "vulgar / offensive" speech.
As long as you spew the vitriol that the "news organizations" or the "governments" agree with, you are fine.
So, it is perfectly fine to say "radical white Christian nationalists are responsible for X".
But, if you say that a "transgender white hating, Christian hating terrorist killed people at a church school in Tennessee", that is offensive.
Look, truth is truth. Journalism used to be about speaking truth. These days? You can only speak "truth" if the truth agrees with what you are allowed to say.
-3 ( +1 / -4 )
Posted in: Landowner seeks understanding over Jingu redevelopment See in context
I've always loved it when Japanese is translated into "understanding".
The English word "understanding" does not in any way imply agreement. You can understand something and not agree with it.
However, in Japanese, typically the word / words used implicitly not just understanding but agreement, whether explicit, implicit or tacit.
The real translation would be:
"We'd like to proceed with the project while obtaining their agreement through careful explanations,"
Although, in the end, what they are really saying is.... "we're going to do what we want to do and we are going to bulldoze any opposition if at all possible."
I bet if the Tokyo City government removed the tax exempt status for the transaction and taxed the gains at 80%, the religious corporation that owns the land would reconsider.
17 ( +19 / -2 )
Posted in: Disturbing war images can stir deep emotions: How to protect yourself and your kids from overexposure See in context
This isn't complicated. It really isn't.
For adults, be informed and then move on.
For kids, while it depends on their age, the average kid will not be exposed to this stuff unless adults proactively choose to expose them to it. Whether it is parents or teachers or any other adult in a kid's life.
Our son is 10 yo. We talk with him in general terms about world events, but that's it. And we carefully monitor what he is being exposed to by other adults, including by his teachers.
You can be very well informed on things without dwelling on or obsessing about them. Especially when, in the end, there is nothing you can do about them.
3 ( +3 / -0 )
Posted in: Listen to last new Beatles song with John, Paul, George, Ringo and AI tech: 'Now and Then' See in context
Music is a funny thing. It constantly evolves, for better or worse. And just because an artist / group or style of music was extremely popular at one time doesn't mean that will be the case later on.
Equally, while the audience / fans / music listeners may love and appreciate songs from the past, much of the time that is because of the memories associated with the songs at the time they were released. Or perhaps because there is a recognition that the songs in question were masterpieces.
I say all of that to say that this song probably should have been left alone and not released as some "last new Beatles song." Its not that I don't appreciate the effort and there may be a place for it. But not the way it is being pitched.
The Beatles made amazing music. John Lennon made amazing music. This just doesn't rank. And I am guessing it wouldn't have ranked back when John recorded his vocals. It feels like a tune that just never made the cut. I mean, let's face it, some of John's solo stuff was not particularly great. And this just sort of feels like a tune that would never have been successful back in the day.
-2 ( +1 / -3 )
Posted in: 38-year-old woman arrested over death of newborn daughter See in context
Many women in this situation, unsure of their ability to raise their child, particularly if they are not married and the biological father is not involved, would consider abortion, which is legal in Japan.
I am not advocating abortion; however, an abortion would have achieved the same result, but without criminal penalty.
4 ( +6 / -2 )
Posted in: School's out forever in parts of aging Japan See in context
Sorry, but it is. “Lets just give up trying to solve a problem because its difficult” is a nonsense approach to anything,
No, its not nonsense. And what you call "giving up" is not giving up. When you beat your head against a brick wall, after a while you begin to realize that, perhaps, the brick wall isn't going to move.
Japan has been trying to address this problem for 3 decades. You may argue that they haven't done enough or haven't done the right things and if they were to only do the "right things", the situation would change.
However, and this is the key, even if Japan did everything "right" and the birthrate were to stabilize and and then increase, the demographics still work against Japan for the next 30 to 50 years. And even in this scenario, those having children would most likely not be moving to / living in the regions / in rural Japan.
So, what is more important right now? Trying to continue to stabilize the birthrate despite unsuccessful efforts for the last 3 decades? Or preparing for what is coming to ensure that the country and the citizenry is as prepared as possible for what IS going to happen in the next 3 decades?
I’ve lived here for more than 20 years, but so what? Living here a long time doesn’t automatically make your argument make sense.
Actually, living in Japan a long time does make one's argument / views potentially more informed. It doesn't mean you have to agree with them or that you don't have a different viewpoint. However, there is something to be said for time and experience It doesn't automatically make or do anything, but, again, there is something to be said for it.
Here is the thing. Things are going to get really bad in the next 30 years. I don't think anyone fully appreciates how bad it is going to get. And that's not "giving up" or "fatalism", that is just realism. And if Japan doesn't do more to prepared for what IS going to happen, it is going to be horrifically bad. The government needs to work to try to make it less bad.
And that's just realism. Sort of like preparing for a typhoon that is coming your way and there is nothing you can do to change the fact that it is going to hit you dead on.
0 ( +1 / -1 )
Posted in: School's out forever in parts of aging Japan See in context
The low birth rate is attributable to a lot of stuff, but they all generally fall under the rubric of “things in society that make having kids unattainable or undesirable for many young people”. The fact that it is difficult to change these things doesn’t mean we should give up and just accept a much much worse society as an inevitability, screw that nonsense.
It's not nonsense.
Those of us that have been here for decades knows that it can't be changed. They've tried for the last few decades.
So, which is the better choice? Accept reality and proactively deal with the situation.
Or deny the reality and just make the inevitable that much harder to deal with.
-1 ( +2 / -3 )
Posted in: School's out forever in parts of aging Japan See in context
This post and the comments mirror the discussion going on worldwide, especially in the West, if I may use that term.
The dropping birthrates, the change in mix of economic output, and the increased concentration of population in more urban areas.
Japan is not going to go back to the Japan it once was. Which was a largely an agrarian nation and then a mix of agrarian and industry spread all over the country, with far more people living in the regions. It just isn't.
And, equally, there is no chance that the birthrate will increase anytime soon. It just won't. And the government will not be able to do anything about it. All the government can do is plan for what is inevitable.
For those that argue that immigration will solve the problem, there are so many issues with mass immigration in the context of Japan. Perhaps on the margins in specific areas immigration could be helpful. But there is no evidence that mass immigration will benefit Japan or somehow stabilize the situation.
More important, at what cost? Japan will no longer be Japan with mass immigration. What has made Japan what it is will be lost. The traditions, the culture. You need to look no further than Western Europe and the effects of mass immigration in the last 30 years, especially the last 10 years, to see that the Europe of today is not what it was even 15 years ago. And there is absolutely no evidence that Europe is the better for it. There may be more people in Europe as a result, but is Europe the better for it? Unless, of course, the intent or goal was / is to change what Europe is.
I am not Japanese but my entire life has been spent in Japan and molded by Japan. I have spent much of my life in parts of Japan most foreigners haven't. Including a long, long time ago, before many JT readers ever set foot in Japan.
I love Japan with a passion. I ache for the Japan of old, when, for example, I was able to go to a small town in the mountains of Akita and the town was bustling, with a mix of farmers and local industry. And I have watched that town, like so many, die a slow death. It's still there, but it will never be what it once was. Never. And no government initiative will change that.
The only answer is for the government to realize that what is coming HAS to come. And it will be painful, very very painful. But that is the story of history for so many countries. Measured in centuries, not decades. The key for the government is to find the best way to manage the change in demographics and the drop in population. Not try to change it but accept it and go about try to do its best to manage it in the best way possible for its citizens and its country.
-1 ( +6 / -7 )
Posted in: School's out forever in parts of aging Japan See in context
This is a positive.
In 50 years, this will stabilize and Japan will still be Japan.
-9 ( +13 / -22 )
Posted in: China, Japan coast guards face off again near disputed islands See in context
Until Japan develops a backbone and defends its territories with force, #CCPChina will view Japan as spineless weakling.
CCPChina only understands one language.... power & force!5 ( +9 / -4 )
Posted in: Are EVs (electric vehicles) good for the environment? See in context
No one ever considers the full carbon & environmental pollution footprint of EVs.
The production of batteries for EVs, which have an unbelievably high carbon & environmental footprint.
The generation of the electricity used to recharge EVs. It's not magical electricity, it has to be generated by some source.
Even if the source of the electricity is "green", such as solar or wind power, what is the carbon & environmental footprint of creating those sources of production.People need to realize the push for EVs by those in control is not about the environment. You may think it is, but it's not. It's about control. They want to control how much you drive. And EVs will allow them to do that.
Of course, they will still have their private jets, private luxury yachts and chauffeured limos.
But you? You can eat cake.
8 ( +13 / -5 )
Posted in: IOC hits back at Putin claim of 'ethnic discrimination' against Russia's potential Olympic athletes See in context
But, of course, other nations invading territories don't result in this treatment.
I mean, China invaded Tibet decades ago, but.....
-4 ( +2 / -6 )
Posted in: White House asks Congress for $106 billion for Ukraine and Israel wars See in context
But no billions for:
-- Maui.
-- East Palestine, Ohio.
-- Injured veterans who scrape to get by.
-- Communities decimated by illegal drugs.
Which makes perfect sense, because those don't involve kickbacks to politicians in D.C.
1 ( +12 / -11 )
Posted in: The Rolling Stones show time’s still on their side with crackling ‘Hackney Diamonds’ See in context
I am a huge Stones fan, but there comes a time when all good things must come to an end.
The Stones without Charlie Watts is not the Stones. It's just not.
I had the pleasure of meeting Charlie Watts one evening in Tokyo many years ago. At a well-known Roppongi shot bar.
I was stopping by after work, early, on my way to a dinner, and there is this guy there, behind the front bar, rolling a cigarette. He looked up and said "Do you want a drink?"
I looked to the left at the head bartender, my friend, and he nodded. So, I said yes and told him my drink. Up it came and then he asked me if I wanted a cigarette which I said yes and he proceeded to roll me a cig.
We chatted a bit and then he said he was heading off. He said that he had a gig in Tokyo and to talk to the bartender if I wanted to go.
He walked out and the head bartender walked up and asked "Do you know how that was?"
My answer was simply... "Charlie Watts."
What an honor and a pleasure it was. The glue that bonded the Stones!
-8 ( +1 / -9 )
You don't have to comment on every US story as much as you want to. Everything US lives rent free…
Posted in: Detroit scores on a wild pitch to beat Texas
Posted in: China sends fighter jets to shadow U.S. Navy plane over Taiwan Strait
Posted in: 3-year-old girl falls to her death from balcony of high-rise apartment in Hiroshima
If KFOR can change borders, so can RFOR.
Posted in: Germany's Scholz lobbies Xi to improve market access, pressure Russia