fireant said...

fireant at 08:34 AM JST - 30th April

I like the big sign in the background: Temps.

Posted in Naoto Kan at 08:34 AM JST - 30th April
fireant at 11:41 AM JST - 28th April

lipscombe,

And after Budokan, they break up, their manager pockets millions, and they find themselves working at Mickey D's. Typical scenario, actually. Except for SMAP. And a few others.

Posted in Techno hop trio Perfume kicks off national tour at 11:41 AM JST - 28th April
fireant at 11:36 AM JST - 28th April

papasmurfinjapan,

no-one who was there to help this woman.

Well, she is 33 years old. Old enough, I presume, to take care of herself. But apparently not capable of understanding labor pains - pity she didn't go to a hospital with the onset of labor. Pity more that the poor…

Posted in Woman arrested after trying to flush infant down toilet in Nagoya at 11:36 AM JST - 28th April
fireant at 09:15 PM JST - 22nd April

Tatanka,

Very compassionate of you. I take it you are far from being 75. Since the pension isn't much to write home about, every yen counts and even 2,000 yen might mean the difference between enjoying life a bit and being extra miserly. Plus, after working for 40 years or…

Posted in Man, mother in Yamagata dead after trouble over medical insurance at 09:15 PM JST - 22nd April
fireant at 07:59 PM JST - 22nd April

I enjoyed Norwegian Wood. I picked up a few of his books in the bookstore but didn't buy any because, well, read the review above.

Oe Kenzaburo's novels are similar, I think. I read one. Liked it. Read another one and thought I had re-read the first novel but no,…

Posted in Japan’s best-known novelist fails to deliver—again at 07:59 PM JST - 22nd April
fireant at 12:58 PM JST - 22nd April

Keech2,

There you go again, using western logic. I saw that when he was prime minister, Koizumi walked to the shrine. (Much to the chagrin of his ministers, who had to walk, too.) Personally, I think attending this particular shrine on the government's dime is unconstitutional but that's just me…

Posted in 62 lawmakers visit Yasukuni Shrine at 12:58 PM JST - 22nd April
fireant at 09:47 AM JST - 22nd April

I wonder how this meeting will effect negotiations later; Carter has a history of inching things along between rivals: Egypt and Israel, for example, that don't have immediate results. It's intriguing and perhaps important that someone rise above the fray to inform and learn from both sides of a conflict.

Posted in Hamas rejects Carter's call to halt rocket fire on Israel for 1 month at 09:47 AM JST - 22nd April
fireant at 09:38 AM JST - 22nd April

or getting 8 hours sunlight on the bottom floor.

It's not 8 hours of sunlight on the bottom floor. It's 2 -3 hours of sunlight in the summer on the second floor. At least in my prefecture. Each prefecture has its own rules on housing construction. What is true in…

Posted in 200-year rabbit hutches at 09:38 AM JST - 22nd April
fireant at 09:11 AM JST - 22nd April

identity is withheld because he is a minor

If he's old enough to join the army and, presumably, fight to the death for god and country, he should be old enough to have his name splattered across the front page. Even if he is innocent.

Posted in 19-year-old SDF member arrested for alleged murder of taxi driver at 09:11 AM JST - 22nd April
fireant at 01:31 PM JST - 21st April

except bars that have id checks for entry.

Bars have id checks? In Japan? Where? Every year you see reports of a teacher arrested for inappropriately touching a student While In a Bar celebrating the end of the year with his class.

There was a porno magazine vending machine…

Posted in Cigarette vending machines to accept driving licenses for age checks at 01:31 PM JST - 21st April