frontandcentre said...

frontandcentre at 11:57 AM JST - 3rd April

Has television had its day?

Judging by the abysmal standards of the freakshow that is Japanese commercial television, TV is trying to kill itself

Posted in Is television going the way of other obsolete media? at 11:57 AM JST - 3rd April
frontandcentre at 11:46 AM JST - 3rd April

He should have been rather more specific - the system here crucifies those rich and famous who refuse to play by the "rules" of 'normal' corporate malfeasance in Japan. He didn't buy off the right politicians and civil servants. Game over

Posted in Horie says legal system unfairly crucifies rich and famous at 11:46 AM JST - 3rd April
frontandcentre at 11:11 AM JST - 3rd April

Claire was the only woman at a managerial position at a large international corporation in Tokyo. She told me how her male boss refused to acknowledge her presence. For instance, he never looked directly at her, or greeted her in the corridor. In fact, he hardly ever spoke to her.…

Posted in Dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace at 11:11 AM JST - 3rd April
frontandcentre at 11:02 AM JST - 3rd April

smith - it was actually a conductor on the train (presumably the guy opening the doors and sounding the alarm on the platform) as he got assaulted twice at two different stations.

Sounds like the station staff were in their office eating donuts or something

Posted in Saitama train conductor assaulted after asking man to smoke in designated area at 11:02 AM JST - 3rd April
frontandcentre at 11:00 AM JST - 3rd April

Yes, I find this annual tradition rather sad... more fresh-faced meat for the corporate sausage machine which will turn many of them into the drink-sodden, tobacco-odoured, balding, fat, sweaty sararimen we have to endure the 'company' of on the subway every morning and evening.

And as for the jockeying for…

Posted in 820,000 recruits mark 1st day of work in Japan amid economic fears at 11:00 AM JST - 3rd April
frontandcentre at 10:24 AM JST - 3rd April

what an a**ehole. Fine him into penury.

The smoker's reaction, however, is typical in a country where the natural instinct (and people's expectation) is to look the other way. Several times I have told drunks to stop smoking when on a platform in the Tokyo subway - and rest assured…

Posted in Saitama train conductor assaulted after asking man to smoke in designated area at 10:24 AM JST - 3rd April
frontandcentre at 03:21 PM JST - 24th March

17? Not even old enough to properly understand the prejudices that motivated the crime he's accused of

Posted in 17-year-old charged with policeman's murder in Northern Ireland at 03:21 PM JST - 24th March
frontandcentre at 03:19 PM JST - 24th March

Perhaps the guy had been shoved one too many times by an Obasan rushing for a seat and was expressing his pent-up anger and frustration

Posted in Man arrested for attempted murder after pushing woman off platform at Tokyo station at 03:19 PM JST - 24th March
frontandcentre at 03:15 PM JST - 24th March

If indeed he was in a state of diminished responsibility, why wasn't he guilty of manslaughter rather than murder? This doesn't make sense to me. People who are insane at the time of killing are, by definition, not guilty of murder because they are not consciously responsible for their actions.…

Posted in Ex-cram school teacher gets reduced sentence for killing 12-year-old student at 03:15 PM JST - 24th March
frontandcentre at 02:01 PM JST - 23rd March

Picture of the Day need not necessarily involve cosplay, grabia idols or famous models - sometimes the real world, full of triumph and tragedy, gets a look in as well

Posted in FedEx plane crash at 02:01 PM JST - 23rd March