ikemen's past comments

  • 1

    ikemen

    He's basically just publicly epousing the rightwing old lines.

    And lots of Japanese will come to like him, because they WANT to believe that Japan was only as bad as other countries during WW2.

    There is a incredible lack of knowledge about WW2 in Japan. The majority of Japanese I have met over 20 years (admittedly they aren't the English speaking types but the average Taro) think that there was a war, that war is bad, that Japanese did bad things like other countries, but that because they lost they had to put up with the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal which was unfair.

    Hashimoto holds the same opinion as the uyokusha and lots of LDP people, and then lots of other people who just don't know anything, but know all about Hiroshima, Nagasaki.

    The only good thing about this is that western people will finally find out Japanese attitudes to WW2. Most of them have no idea. Until they visit yasukuni and read the stuff in the museum.

    And hashimoto is picking the right time because the public is fed up with China and the two Koreas.

    What people should really be asking is - what exactly is this guy's job description? Is he the foreign affairs minister, or the PM or a history professor?

    He seems to have a lot of time for giving impromptu history lessons.

    Given that he is bashing the US and other countries, I suggest the US withdraw all troops and let Japan to themselves. Hashimoto and Ishihara probably won't be so tough without being able to shout insults behind their big brothers backs.

    But I would never allow my kids to be drafted here as Japanese soldiers to be sent to die because of a loudmouth like him. If this guy becomes PM, I'll be buying some plane tickets.

    Posted in: Hashimoto says S Korean troops guilty of wartime sex abuse

  • 1

    ikemen

    Many of you are totally underestimating this guy. He knows what he's doing. Because of his statements he can totally dominate the news and call for press conferences every few days. And from now on he can decide to soften his stance or bash on American bases or talk about rapes during the occupation etc. And he can give an emotional speech when he talks to the comfort women. Then later he can come out with something else. Also remember that most Japanese don't know much about the ianfu anyway. When Hashimoto (the lawyer) starts quoting Japanese academics on the subject many Japanese will want to believe him.
    And if 20% of people said that his statements were either appropriate or not-problematic, that's a pretty good base to start with. Notice that the 70 or more percent didn't say much about what they thought of the ianfu issue - they just said his statements were "inappropriate". Japanese will often say that a statement is inappropriate without disagreeing with it. From the TV I watch, there is a lot of focus on Hashimoto and what he'll say next, but you don't see much info about the ianfu and what they suffered.

    Let's hope the foreign press club journos have a little bit of bite and historical knowledge - and that it's appropriately covered in the media.

    The Japanese I know don't know anything about the ianfu anyway. One problem is the huge gap between information in Japanese and other languages.

    Do a search in Japanese on WW2 and atrocities and you get a very skewed idea. Hint - "we Japanese were the real victims"

    Which is why Hashimoto can say, "If you research the issue..." I wish he'd tell us which sites and books he did his research on.

    Posted in: Hashimoto hits back at polls showing majority disagree with his comments

  • -1

    ikemen

    "Tokyo Gov Naoki Inose on Tuesday apologized to the Muslim world after saying Islamic countries have nothing in common but Allah and “fighting with each other.”"

    How could be have possibly said such a crazy thing? How inept!

    He forgot to mention oppression of civil rights, anti-semitism, beating up people of other religions, and blowing people up all over the world.

    He needs to think before he speaks!

    Posted in: Tokyo governor apologizes to Muslim world for gaffe

  • 0

    ikemen

    Interesting that the ones saying that 14yr old girls don't know what they're doing are women, but the ones adamant that a 14yr old girl knows what she's doing are men.

    I think the women probably have the better idea. And they no doubt realize that when this girl gets to be the age of her customer she will totally regret what she did. Pathetic that this guy only regrets that he got caught and will probably still not think he did the wrong thing at double his age.

    As for the comment about buying and advertising... if there were no willing customers, there'd be no exploitation.

    Simple, the guy is a rat. What man at that age could pay a girl that age for sex and then have any respect for himself if and when he has a 14yr old daughter of his own.

    All we can say about the girl, is that 99% of 14yr olds DO have enough sense to not do what she did. At least I hope it's 99.

    Posted in: 39-year-old man arrested for paying 14-year-old girl for sex

  • 2

    ikemen

    I used to think that the Japanese way of a standard gift of 30,000 yen or whatever it is now was crass. But it sure simplifies things. And if you don't like it you can always just not go.

    And you don't have to worry about complaints of spouses rich relatives who drank up big and just gave a cheap useless present.

    But the main thing is to have a wonderful day and live happily ever after. Should be easy right?

    Posted in: Modern etiquette: Wedding dilemmas in the 21st century

  • 7

    ikemen

    This incident and the comments below it would make a good child safety lesson.

    First let me say that the parents don't need to be punished - neither does the driver probably. I'm sure all are sad beyond words right now.

    But -yes, this accident didn't need to happen.

    @Yurie Yoshida. Your thinking is exactly what leads to injuries and death.

    You said that maybe the mother just went in to the house for 20 seconds and that would be okay. Well I would NEVER leave a 3yr old and a 1yr old on the street for 20 seconds.

    Why? Because 20 seconds is all it needs for a car, or a weirdo, or heaven forbid - a garbage truck to turn the corner.

    If I were baby-sitting someone's kids, I wouldn't let them out of my sight on a road. That's common sense, and it's why so many people are making the comments they are.

    It's called imagining the worst case scenario. So if I had that age kids playing on a road I wouldn't be going anywhere because I'd be thinking that whether it's 20 minutes or 2 minutes or 20 seconds is immaterial. THe only thing that changes is probability.

    And most child deaths sadly take place in those few minutes or seconds. It's not usually "my back was only turned for an hour", or I just left them in the bath for 30 minutes - it's "I only went to check on the stove..." Famous last words.

    And no matter what you say about the driver - the parents weren't there.

    He's my philosophy as a parent and I'll use your example. I'd rather have my kids alive, and put up with bringing them with me for 20 seconds to check the phone, or tell them to stand at the door for those 20 seconds, then to have my one year old die, and me to be blaming some garbage truck driver for the rest of my life, and having my 3yr old grow up always thinking - maybe if i did this or that my little brother would still be alive.

    Please, until you realize the incredible danger of leaving a kid less than 2 on the road without your being there, don't have kids.

    And now thanks to you, I have the perfect baby sitter selection test question. " Would it be negligent to leave the two kids on the road while I went to get my phone etc?"

    If they answer like you, they wouldn't be looking after my kids.

    Now, get angry with me, but I won't bother answering. But hopefully before you have kids or get a babysitting job you'll remember the poor little kid.

    And yes, I'm another one who sees potential accidents almost everyday in Japan. People say it's tough because the roads are small and there aren't yards, and sidewalks etc. Exactly, that's why you have to be MORE careful with kids in Japan.

    Don't worry - there are lots of Japanese women who think like you. I'm married to one, so I've had to teach road safety and child safety to her like I'm dealing with a 13yr old.

    We have to start thinking!! There's always a bad driver or a new driver or someone who just for those incredibly important 10 seconds is distracted.

    Let's look after our kids until they can look after themselves. Please.

    Posted in: 14-month-old boy dies after being hit by garbage truck

  • 0

    ikemen

    If the two on the right are obachan I think I'll definitely join the ochan supporters group.

    But what will our responsibilities be....?

    @Peter Payne. Good one. "Yet Another Party". Never a truer word...

    Posted in: Older women form 'Obachan' Party

  • 1

    ikemen

    All we need is the ikemen party, the AKB48 party, and the Chikan Party.

    I've never had a problem with obachans. I usually find them the best group of people in Japan. They are the most likely to give their seat up for a pregnant woman.

    And I love the way when you offer them your seat they refuse the first two times then are so happy, and take the time to thank you when they get off the train.

    But is it really a political party, or just as excuse to get together for lunch?

    Posted in: Older women form 'Obachan' Party

  • 3

    ikemen

    Mr Chibachick sounds like a lucky guy

    Posted in: Tokyo store concierge service helps clueless men shop for girlfriends

  • 6

    ikemen

    Not sure which is sadder. Three unmarried siblings believing the staying with their mother's skeleton while she becomes a god, or three unmarried siblings being so hard up for money that they stay with their mother's skeleton to collect pension money.

    Put it this way, living with my two unmarried sisters and my mother's skeleton is pretty much my idea of hell.

    As much as these three sound completely weird, you have to wonder how they were brought up.

    Maybe the mother bad brainwashed them?
    I love Japan. 90% of the people are completely normal and boring. But the other ten percent are off the planet crazy.

    Posted in: 3 adult siblings arrested for living with mother's skeletal remains

  • 5

    ikemen

    This is ridiculous.

    It's common decency for both men and women to leave a toilet just as clean, or preferable cleaner that it was before you used it. Actually, if I used a toilet (esp one that women also used) and it was dirty, I'd clean it for the next person. Have people no shame?

    As for standing up or sitting down, that's nobody's business. Do cartwheels if you like, but common decency means you would keep a toilet clean. This woman has every right to be mad with her husband.

    As for this silly problem about leaving the seat up or down - if women want the seat left down, why is that such a bid deal? Put the damn seat down.

    And as for cleaning the toilet, I married a beautiful princess so I wouldn't want her doing that. Let me do the dirty work.

    Come on guys, lift your game.

    Posted in: Standing up to pee 'a matter of honor' for one man

  • 2

    ikemen

    FOr those who don't know who this guy is, read this and weep.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-23/fukushima-engineer-says-he-covered-up-flaw-at-shut-reactor.html

    Posted in: TEPCO accused of blocking probe into nuclear crisis

  • 3

    ikemen

    There needs to be a major public campaign and quick.

    This is ridiculous

    Posted in: Woman arrested for stabbing her child to death in Saitama

  • 2

    ikemen

    Just remember that guns don't kill people - people kill people. And that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

    So can solve the problem.

    Armed guards in every school, and every teacher and firefighter needs to have a loaded gun at all times.

    And maybe doctors and nurses. And priests.

    Okay - back to sanity. American, we have a problem!

    Posted in: 2 U.S. firefighters shot dead, 2 wounded in arson 'trap'

  • 0

    ikemen

    Obviously a silly question - but why do people do that?

    Posted in: Two women slashed on trains in Yokohama

  • -2

    ikemen

    Are there men looking to have a family who are willing to be more engaged with the effort? Sharing more in the household maintenance and upkeep. Looking after the kids?"

    Enough with this outdated late 20th century feminist whining!

    Posted in: What single women in their 40s want out of life

  • 3

    ikemen

    To me the result wasn't unbelievable at all. Those who are surprised about this don't know Japanese people.

    So, if you were honestly surprised about this result, then maybe you should think twice the next time you proudly pontificate about what Japanese are thinking.

    The result was totally as I expected.

    I might add that I think the result is terrible unfortunate. But, it went the way I thought it would.

    If you are a foreigner in Japan, I would be prepared for Japan to become increasingly right-wing and anti-foreigner. Because the economy is not going to get better. There will no doubt be another big earthquake somewhere in Japan in the next few years. LDP has no fresh good ideas about how to fix Japan. That should be obvious. But, the more Japan sinks, the one thing LDP and Isshin no Kai will be able to say that will resonate with the Japanese public is that the old days were better and Japan has to go back to it's roots.

    Look at how Tepco was not held to account, and still isn't. Japan isn't fixing the fundamentals, and LDP getting in means there is no hope for that now. Japanese people have poor memories.

    I suggest....if you want to know the way Japan will go - just keep watching Japanese TV. It's the best indicator.

    The simplest way to influence people who don't think deeply is with TV. And TV still rules in Japan.

    btw Yuri. I love Japan. Unlike you, I live in Japan and are raising my children as Japanese. I encourage them to sing kimigayo and wave the hinomaru, I send them to public school here. and I want them to love Japan.

    And I wouldn't mind if they went to Yasukuni.

    After the earthquake was the best time in since WW2 to change for the better. After harassing Kan, and this election, it should seem obvious to anyone that Japan has missed it's chance.

    But, Japanese will can come back. Japanese are great people. They just deserve better leaders.

    Posted in: Abe to become Japan's 7th PM in 6 years after landslide LDP win

  • 9

    ikemen

    "“One main reason why we don’t vote is that we don’t have any information. We don’t know what they say at their meetings,” she said. “And when they do tell us, we don’t really grasp the meaning of what they say.”

    If you're 20 years old and can't bother buying and reading a newspaper, and can't understand Japanese, then maybe you shouldn't vote.

    Posted in: Japan's alienated youth overlooked in elections

  • -1

    ikemen

    "While mostly of my relatives were bayoneted and may have experienced terrible things and one of my grandmother was raped & got pregnant and my Japanese uncle is still with us. We have forgotten those things already and I never heard anything bad against towards the Japanese people from my family."

    I would say that your family is exceptionally forgiving. If a Chinese said the same thing, there would be many rightwingers who would accuse you of lying.

    If North Korean invaded tomorrow and did the same thing to Japanese families, do you think they would just forget it, say that in war stuff happens, and never criticize North Koreans?

    Like I said, you have an amazing family. I hope you realize it.

    Posted in: Taiwan urges Japan to apologize over sex slaves

  • 0

    ikemen

    I'm no engineer so maybe someone can correct me.
    Shouldn't those bolts be actually replaced every so often? Is that routinely done?

    It probably should be obvious that things don't stay up forever, so let's hope bridges and tunnels etc around the world are being reinforced or replaced regularly.

    My guess is that probably many times the bolts and concretes were checked by someone with little experience. Probably someone was shown a few times how to check them and then they were on their own. And probably most people had a look, hit a few times with a hammer and thought "sounds ok. This one's sounds a little different ...nah, ok, It's getting late".

    Water seepage and regular earthquakes probably aren't great for steel bolts.

    Hope the subways in Tokyo are looked after a little better.

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