Alfie_in_Tokyo said...

Alfie_in_Tokyo at 07:41 PM JST - 13th April

If you pop down to the shopping arcade between Asakusa and Ueno, there is a shop on the corner with a furry blue toy whale in the window and stacks of whale-meat underneath. With the record levels of mercury in dolphin and whale, I would say that the scientific research…

Posted in Coast guard, police to inspect whaling fleet over activists' attacks at 07:41 PM JST - 13th April
Alfie_in_Tokyo at 04:58 PM JST - 11th April

Interesting that a lot of people find the politicizing of the torch relay sadenning. The torch relay itself was an event created for the 1936 Berlin Games as a way of upping the drama and expanding on the notion of the link the Nazis were making between aryan power, beauty…

Posted in Japan won't let Chinese security guards accompany Olympic torch relay in Nagano at 04:58 PM JST - 11th April
Alfie_in_Tokyo at 04:45 PM JST - 11th April

Maybe she is pointing to the islands that used to be part of Japan.....

Posted in at 04:45 PM JST - 11th April
Alfie_in_Tokyo at 01:26 PM JST - 10th April

Well, the DL did have one or two notable Japanese disciples in the recent past....

Posted in Dalai Lama supports China hosting Olympic games at 01:26 PM JST - 10th April
Alfie_in_Tokyo at 01:14 PM JST - 10th April

Thought it was a picture of the TMG's new plan to 'uncrowd' the streets after an earthquake.

Posted in at 01:14 PM JST - 10th April
Alfie_in_Tokyo at 10:43 AM JST - 10th April

Quarantine is quite normal at all ports of entry in most of not all developed countries. And a good thing too. The headline here has an inference that, as Wottock Hunt says, is bound to trip off the usual band of knee-jerks.

Posted in Japan may restrict entry of foreigners if new type of flu breaks out at 10:43 AM JST - 10th April
Alfie_in_Tokyo at 06:54 PM JST - 8th April

Jeez, I thought I had left behind in the UK the hyperbole of "rain causes travel chaos" when in reality it is a few strong showers and 2cm of water.

Posted in Haneda closes one runway due to flooding as storms pummel eastern Japan at 06:54 PM JST - 8th April
Alfie_in_Tokyo at 03:20 PM JST - 8th April

Odd picture to chose to highlight this festival as it sort of skews the whole inference of the event from its tradition towards it being just another street parade for knobbly-kneed, over-the-hill transvestites.

Posted in Fertility festival at 03:20 PM JST - 8th April
Alfie_in_Tokyo at 12:24 AM JST - 6th April

I think my statement above kind of says what I think about it: that it isn't exactly an intelligent exchange.

Posted in 2 sons of U.S. soldiers arrested for taxi holdup at 12:24 AM JST - 6th April
Alfie_in_Tokyo at 12:23 AM JST - 6th April

Life is expensive. Introducing other little people into the equation just adds to the costs. And in line with rjd jr's comment about what other wise investments one could use the money for, I'd be interested to see this article balanced out with one about how much money the average…

Posted in The high cost of kids at 12:23 AM JST - 6th April