Olympic flame arrives in Japan; Nagano mayor appeals for calm

Friday 25th April, 06:43 AM JST

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Kwaabish at 02:06 PM JST - 25th April

Hmmm... I see that the protests are already starting with the Falun Gong assembling near the hotel.... (NTV news)
telecasterplayer at 03:16 PM JST - 25th April

I could give a crap about the olympics, but I sure hope some nationalists in a black van give plenty of grief to those chinese security thugs in the blue running suits who've been causing so much trouble at the torch runs. The nationalists could finally do something useful.
thedeath at 03:22 PM JST - 25th April

on my second thought, so far, it has only seen a reinforce to the Chinese Government support within China by the younger generation of Chinese people. this communist government says, see the West is biased against us. And by the actions of extremist in the West, younger people are throwing their supports behind their government in agreement. I think it has backfired on those who thought that this Anti-China rally might have weakened China's hold on power.
Altria at 03:25 PM JST - 25th April

Riot police gathered around the main train station on Friday in a former Winter Olympics site, Nagano, where the flame arrived for the Japanese leg of the torch relay on Saturday.

It was greeted by several right wing activist trucks roaming around the central Japanese city, displaying huge Japanese flags and blaring "go away."

Ah yes, I thought they'd make and appearance. Wonder if they're going to descend on Nagano tomorrow?
some14some at 03:35 PM JST - 25th April

WhatJapanThinks: The information i have had on tv news is that Mr. Hoshino the former manager of Hanshin Tigers (baseball team) will be leading the squad of 80 Japanese (including former gold medalists). Boycott or voicing opinion is rare in Japan, as we all know. However, i am glad that inspite of all out war by j-media, the Government of Japan is taking adequate measures that will ensure successful torch relay in Nagano.
Blue_Tiger at 03:54 PM JST - 25th April

Red China is getting EVERYTHING she deserves form this world-wide torch relay. I am disappointed, yet not totally surprised, that the mayor of San Francisco had a hand in changing the route of the torch: he is one of the biggest cowards in the USA, especially when it comes to personal rights issues. I do hope that the Mayor of Nagano will not be so cowardly,and I applaud the Buddhist Temple where the relay was supposed to tstart for standing up and sticking to their guns. I may get chided for saying this, but I hope that protestors continue to come out in force to protest this Olympic Torch Relay and the Beijing Games. Red China has human rights issues she is not answering and has not corrected. Were the relay in Tokyo, and were I single, I might very well have a huge sign in protest myself.....
capone at 03:54 PM JST - 25th April

when we start rooting for the j-thugs in the black trucks over the c-thugs in the tracksuits, it's a scary day for everyone
Tricknsam at 04:39 PM JST - 25th April

We the people of the world need to leave the Chinese people alone and wish them a good! Olympics. If someone wants to protest, go to America and protest the "Take Over of the United States of America" by gangsters killing millions around the world, while they steal trillions for others death,rape,murder and suffering. We have a government that not only condones torture but advocates it! with Bush taking credit for it. This torture is not about Al-Quada but getting false confessions for a phony war on the people of the world. It is all about control of us people in the world! A attack on Iran will lead to the end of America and a Bush Dictatorship, the world cannot afford to let this tyranny and fascism to happen. China is not the leader or even near the leader of pain in the world, There are more prisoners in USA then in the next seven countries combined being used as slave labor. Illegal weapons are being used to torture Americans worldwide. The Olympics is a sporting event, there are not any Free countries, this operation against China is to create a NATO on Chinese border, and counry that gets independence is first awarded NATO oppurtunity before Tibet can join EU? is it a joke? probably not. Why! is it that white men keeping attacking flag runners? Does not look like monks to me1
boycottolympics at 06:16 PM JST - 25th April

I think any country that invades & occupies another without giving the people freedom of thought or religion should be looked down upon by the people of the world.

Protestors can be black, white, asian it doesn't matter. People should have the right to makeup their own mine about what is right or wrong. I do not blame the chinese for having such views & behaving like thugs trying to drown out anyone disagreeing with their government as they have all been brainwashed throughout their lives & do not know any better.

Trying to take over the internet opinion sites & blast nationalist propaganda is just their way of saying we don't value anyones opinion but that of the state of China.

This is absolute crap just like the 1936 Olympics & the people of the world should be stronger.

Politics & sports do mix look at the Boycotts of South African sports teams in the 1970's & 80's. Nelson Mandela cited that such processed played a big role in bringing about the end of apartheid!

So I hope the protestors in Japan let the Olympic torch relay people(thugs, chinese fans & all) know that what their country is doing in Tibet is wrong!
Athletes at 07:56 PM JST - 25th April

In 1980, USA team boycotted Soviet Olympic. In 1984, Soviet team boycotted USA Olympic. It was noting fruitful. Athletes has been training hard for competing in this major event. For them, this is once in life time opportunity. After four years, they can not perform like what are they now. Cold war has been prolonged.

In the Ancient Greece, rival states even made the truce for celebration of this extraordinary event. Olympic is not about politics and hatreds. It is about peace, harmony and sports. Chinese government has some problems with their minorities. They have to improve their image for hosting as friendly nation. Otherwise, it will be their public relation disaster. Some students have already over reacted in Canberra. They like primary school students.

Comparing 2008 Olympic with 1936 Olympic was immature and unwise. It is just inflaming their national sensitivities and anger. Matured people need to be sensible and fair. Promoting hatred is against the spirits of Olympic. In the Phillipine, they changed many presidents however they still can not change their hunger and poverty. Human rights is not only about screaming on the roads but also food and shelter too.
Hikozaemon at 08:12 PM JST - 25th April

Athletes - how about comparing PRC's boycott of the Olympic in 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964 (yes, they boycotted Tokyo), 1968, 1972, 1976, over Taiwan using the name "Republic of China" and in 1980 over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

In the end, China's sustained use of the olympics for political ends paid fruit. Taiwan finally gave up and since 1980 agreed to representation in the IOC as "Chinese Taipei".

China's 32 year campaign of hate against Taiwan ended with Chinese victory when China joined the Los Angelese olympics in 1984, with no other country using the name "China".

Was China right to boycott the Olympics for 32 years because of Taiwan's name?

In this case, there are no boycotts, only protests - no athletes are prevented from joining. Yet even protests are so disagreeable - the Falung Gong, Taiwanese, Tibetan and pro-democracy activists that these protests are in those foreign countries protesting because of the crimes that the Chinese government committed against them. When the Chinese government calls the world's attention without addressing these issues of justice and criminal acts against Chinese citizens, of course this is the result. I think that China owes a debt of gratitude to the world that in spite of the strong public feeling that China needs to behave more responsibly, governments are not taking more extreme action, like that China itself took for so long.

Chinese people should try to understand the merits of the protests, and be thankful to all governments, including that of France, who are taking part to make the Beijing Olympics a success.

Peace
tclh at 09:26 PM JST - 25th April

I think the mentality of China under CCP is just like the emperor of ancient Middle Kingdom to its surrounding smaller neighbours:I am the King,my order is the first,the last and the only one;you have to kneel,kowtow and honourly receive the order!No if no but no arguement. With such mentality ,it is very hard for it to accept that others should have rights and opinions as well.We can see that phenomenon in Canberra,the pro Beijing students did use their loud voices from their dominant numbers to "slaughter" the voices of others,or steal and throw away Tibet flags from other pro Tibet protestors.Australians are not chicken-hearted,they just used to live in free and democratic system where everybody is entitled to his/her own opinion.
OssanULTRA at 10:25 PM JST - 25th April

"However, i am glad that inspite of all out war by j-media, the Government of Japan is taking adequate measures that will ensure successful torch relay in Nagano."

On what planet do you reside? The J-Media has been and continues to be the most objective compared to American, Canadian, European media. Probably has alot to do with the Human coming to play ping pong shortly.
usaexpat at 11:04 PM JST - 25th April

Well Well, The PRC isn't quite getting the coming out party she hoped for, what a shame. I do have to say that the brainwashed legions of young Chinese feed off these protests however and in the end that will make change in China even more unlikely. I am really torn, I love that the PRC is being smeared but when that causes the Chinese populus to support the government in a fever of national pride that's not good.
TonyUS at 01:03 PM JST - 27th April

All this talk about nationalism of the younger generation... well let them show their nationalism because all this will do is even isolate them further from the world rather than the Chinese becoming part of the international community... who cares! This is bad for them and maybe finally people will think twice when picking up an item from the shelf with the words " made in China"

Then we all are better off! China economy goes down from lack of production, jobs lost, less people with money to buy cars then the drive up of oil prices comes back down and the world can have cheaper gas again.

Wouldn’t that be nice 

I agree very much with the protests going forward and at every stop and every point the torch passes or stops. China’s all about FACE, well they have had it slapped many times recently just as they should have. Their stance on so many issues is against, not for people around the world including their own and when I say their own I am not in the least including Tibetans or Taiwanese, but Chinese of China. All China stands for is instability not only in the Taiwan straights but standing with governments that abuse their own people just as China has done. Why does China stand for and support such measures???

This is what the protests points out and brings to the forefront of what China stands for and this needs to change if we are looking at China as the next power. Not a China of suppression of its own and support of suppression of others.

I do believe over time although,as we may see the nationalism coming out now, the people of China will want to be liked and be seen as friends with the rest of the world’s population and eventually have to face up to the wrongs that has been committed by their leaders against themselves and against others.. It can not be a continual blinding fact that can keep being ignored by a people of such numbers. If this issue is continually ignored by so many Chinese then just how far has China come, not only as a country but as a people???? Just takes time,,,, atleast that is what I am hoping!