Recent Comments on All Posts

  • 0

    MumbaiRocks!

    She probably kissed her hubby as he left for work that morning with full knowledge that she would have the other guy's salami in her mouth later that day, with full intention to kiss her husband on his return in the evening.

    Posted in: Yaguchi apologizes for illicit affair

  • 0

    nandakandamanda

    The recruits in the barracks will now be warned what T-shirts not to wear in public! Sad, but perhaps common sense in 21st C Britain?

    PS zichi, no areas of London are depraved. Some might be deprived, though.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 0

    Exjapan

    Unfortunately, her husband is better looking than the model. She lose. (Her husband)

    Posted in: Yaguchi apologizes for illicit affair

  • 0

    jojo_in_japan

    How dare Nakayama come home in the middle of the day, SHAME ON YOU.

    Posted in: Yaguchi apologizes for illicit affair

  • 1

    tkoind2

    Abe is ignoring the fact that business has already clearly said they plan to reduce wages if any changes are forthcoming. It is extremely unlikely that most companies will raise wages in the reasonable future. And if they cut wages the problem will be intensified.

    Inflation across the economy is not there, but we already have new economic pressures on consumers. Energy costs are up. Taxes are rising. Cities are engaging hidden taxes like 840yen garbage bags in much of western Tokyo and more cities to come. Food prices are now higher as a result of the yen devaluation.

    The average family here is feeling the sting and not seeing the economic optimism that Abe is hoping for. Until they do feel optimism and security, they will continue to hold their money close and will not fuel a recovery.

    In short, this plan is doomed to failure unless consumers can be made to feel at ease. So far there is no evidence that such a day will come now or in the reasonable future.

    Posted in: There are two things that will indicate whether Japan’s policies are starting to have a real impact: rising inflation and wages. Both haven’t happened yet and the latter especially is critical to policy success.

  • 0

    ka_chan

    Ok, the adult in most countries, try to kill a girl that he doesn't know by whacking her with a metal bat from behind. Seems like a capital crime. Most murders or attempted murders are between people that now each other. For someone to try and murder as complete stranger makes him a psychopath. But this is Japan and it's a guy trying to kill a girl so he will probably be tried as a juvee and be out in a couple of years to succeed where he once failed with someone else.

    Posted in: Youth arrested for hitting 16-year-old girl with baseball bat

  • 0

    toshiko

    Tourists spedn money, This means more revenue to Japanese business. It is better than they spend money in Hong Kong or Singapore.

    Posted in: Cheaper yen attracts record number of visitors to Japan

  • -1

    OldHawk

    Sounds like your 'rights' take precedence over your family's safety.

    No, my rights secure my family's safety. You've made it plenty clear that you are incapable of understanding that concept, no matter how many times I remind you that I've already used a gun in self-defense with very successful results. And that wasn't in a gang-infested area. It was just a random street crime that happened without warning.

    You don't think it's selfish to make them live in a place you describe as invaded by gangs? You have no obligation to keep them safe, or to raise your kids in a healthy environment? They must live in fear because of your 'right' to choose where to live? How is that not chronically selfish?

    Make? In most cases, the innocent people lived there first, and the gangs moved in and/or recruited from poor kids in the neighborhood.

    What you don't get is that some people cannot afford to live wherever they please. If people could afford to move out of gang-infested areas, don't you think they would? Self-defense isn't just for wealthy people who can hire armed security guards. A safe environment isn't just for those who can afford to live in gated communities. Poor people have a right to defend themselves, something that posh elitists never comprehend. Probably because in reality, they just don't care about the poor.

    If it's a gang-infested hellhole, I don't see how you can afford not to take your family to a safer location, somewhere they can take part in an innocent parade without some looney firing shots at them.

    Because they're living on government assistance? Just a guess.

    And the looneys weren't firing at them, they were firing at each other. But because they emulate the gangers glorified in rap videos and movies, they were probably holding their guns sideways, and not taking care to properly aim the weapons. That's how innocent bystanders are often hurt in shootings, from ignorant criminals, not trained, licensed, and experienced citizens.

    Seems like a no-brainer to me.

    Void of deductive reasoning, clearly.

    The safety of my family is paramount.

    Good. THEN WORK TO GET RID OF THE GANGS. Then people won't have to move if they don't want to.

    Why would you need to 'keep running' if you moved to a nice part of the country? Are you saying that there is nowhere in America where people are safe from gangs, drug-pushers and other people who live by the gun? Looks like the conversation has come full circle again.

    Because crime spreads. Especially if nobody stands up to it. That's how gangs have spread from inner-cities to once-quiet suburbs. Because people with your mindset just moved off and let them have it. Gangs are trying to move into my part of town, but some of us are working with the police to note "taggings" and other evidence of gang activity. Why? Because the safety of my family is paramount. And this is our home, not theirs.

    Posted in: Gunmen open fire at New Orleans Mother’s Day parade; 19 wounded

  • 1

    JeffLee

    JeffLee - "Muslims again, eh? I thought as much." This is an incredibly dangerous attitude and needs to be called out immediately.

    I need to apologize for being right?

    "I'll repeat that: the vast majority of Muslims do not go around killing people."

    The vast majority of any large group doesn't go around killing people. It's a ludicrous suggestion and simply wouldn't be practical for the group in question.

    However, nearly all the conflicts taking place in the world right now involve Muslims. When you consider the utter intolerance of their medieval ideology, I guess that's not surprising.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 1

    ka_chan

    So why isn't anyone from Japan Atomic Power Co going to jail? It isn't like the fault just now happened, it had to be there before they built it.

    Posted in: Nuclear watchdog agrees Tsuruga nuclear plant sits atop active fault

  • -2

    CGB Spender

    They are a nice sight for the eyes but not a good sound for the ears.

    Posted in: AKB marches on

  • 2

    ulysses

    Sickening. This is savagery, no other words for it.

    My thoughts are with the family of this innocent young man.

    There are a few radical preachers around who have been radicalising youth for too long. Its time we took action on them and ensured that these guys are put out of action.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 0

    oikawa

    Yubaru

    True, and how much is revenge and how much is terrorism can vary wildly, but this seems a much more focused attack on someone who could literally be fighting in the war than the WTC attacks which were on civilians innocent of any bloodshed but merely represented "the West", which is why they were seen almost purely as terrorist attacks.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 0

    WilliB

    So how did Hashimoto do at the Foreign Correspondents Club? No report yet?

    Posted in: Defiant Hashimoto says U.S. troops abused women during occupation

  • 0

    StewartJG

    These two guys did this to provoke the English Defence League and British National Party into retaliation and low and behold, the moronic apes in these two groups retaliate.
    A very depressing situation.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 1

    Laguna

    In the abstract, it makes sense as a sort of "Nixon goes to China" kind of thing - nobody would ever accuse this administration of being too liberal. To expect that it will lead to any real breakthrough, though, is foolish.

    Posted in: Japan considers talks with N Korea, surprising allies

  • 1

    Yubaru

    Everybody wins!

    For a tourist that is......and I am happy that it is so for you and yours. Personally speaking, it sucks royally.

    Posted in: Cheaper yen attracts record number of visitors to Japan

  • 1

    Exjapan

    My son plays video games, and I highly doubt he is brainwashed. That's just an excuse, perp needs to take responsibility for his own action. My son is a straight a student and volunteer at homes shelter. So these kind of acts from perp has no correlation to video games. Get real!!

    Posted in: Youth arrested for hitting 16-year-old girl with baseball bat

  • 0

    oikawa

    Probie

    If Japan try to bargain with them to get back the people who were kidnapped, NK are going to ask for something in return.

    Why does that disturb you? What's bad about that? Isolation clearly hasn't worked, and was never going to with an insular regime that cares not a job about it's people. The only way forward is communication, the spread of which could much more easily be used to spread dissent from within North Korea than by isolating them and giving them an easy out to use in propaganda against the west. If that doesn't work and NK is really such a threat by having nuclear missiles then there is no option but to go in like in Iraq.

    Posted in: Japan considers talks with N Korea, surprising allies

  • 0

    Kurobune

    Oh . . . Oh . . . c'mon Dragons ! C'mon !

    Posted in: Japanese baseball results

  • 0

    Yubaru

    That's why they attacked a soldier. That is of course assuming what the killers said was true but we don't know anything about their background as of now.

    And we also do not know if they knew he was a soldier either. That is based upon an assumption. But the two could very well be one and the same, a revenge attack and terror attack as well.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 0

    OldHawk

    Cheaper yen attracts record number of visitors to Japan

    Or maybe the cheaper yen merely facilitates traveling to Japan. It's the charm of Japanese culture that attracts tourists.

    Speaking of which, I'll be back again this year. When I visited last year, US$1 bought only 77JPY. The past few days, it's been 102-103JPY. Which means I'll see more sights and bring back more omiyage this time. Haha, most of my check-in luggage will be gifts for friends in Japan from the U.S., and then going back it will be crammed with gifts for family and friends in the U.S. from Japan. Everybody wins! :-)

    Posted in: Cheaper yen attracts record number of visitors to Japan

  • 0

    waltery

    Un wants a free pass to Disneyland.

    Posted in: Japan considers talks with N Korea, surprising allies

  • 0

    TumbleDry

    TheQuestion: you bought a DVD but you didn't buy the movie itself. You bought a license to watch it. Not to copy it.

    Posted in: U.S. report urges action on intellectual property theft

  • 0

    twinans

    Researchers will prove Hashimoto incorrect thus highlighting the truth of the abuses that took place. This was his plan all along.

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

  • 1

    Get Real

    Introduced species are like a virus that an environment's immune system cannot control.

    Posted in: Australia to cull 10,000 wild horses

  • -1

    twinans

    Like I said before, Hashimoto is NOT stupid. He is using his comments to highlight the sex crimes and abuse that took place by both the Japanese and Americans during the war and after. He is bringing it all out in the open and slowly, his agenda is building momentum. He is not for what he is saying -- quit the opposite. Shock the world as he did to bring out the true savage nature of man; especially Americans. Watch, it's already unfolding.

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

  • 1

    NZ2011

    Zichi, this is my point,

    Which Christians now promote slavery or the stoning of naughty children? Not many I would guess, but the book, which they are suppose to believe and follow says that those exact things are allowed and tells you how to go about it. And Jesus... do they have bank accounts or insurance.. sparing some "thought for the morrow" thats against "his" teachings too. I'm purposefully going to the more extreme examples but my point stands, who decides.

    No one can, when you are baptised, or brought into a church in any fashion.. nothing changes, nothing detectable by anything we can measure in reality.

    So then we must refer to the teachings of people of power of those religions, clearly that doesn't work else we wouldn't have 30,000 or so different denominations of christianity alone.

    So by who's rules must we determine what religion someone is, simply we can't, and the really frightening thing is if people are being true the brutal stone age thinking that gave birth to these religions then what happened is probably "ok" by them remembering the major two both document and promote genocide and death to infidels.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 0

    yabits

    I wonder if you would feel the same if the IRS added the word "Progressive" to their BOLO list? The hypocrisy of some people truly astounds me, and the desperation they demonstrate in their pathetic attempts to excuse the President and his administration.

    There are several fundamental problems and differences in the scenario: First, as a liberal/progressive, it would not bother me a bit if those terms were added. One major reason is that liberals generally don't see government as "a problem" the way right-wingers do. We would expect government officials to do their jobs -- that is why we pay them.

    Secondly, anyone who turns on the news since the early part of Obama's first term has gathered the perception that the "Tea Party" groups are extremely political in nature -- and thus their status as tax-exempt, non-political organizations would be dubious. The fact that there are people running for office who are referred to as "Tea Party Candidates," solidifies the perception. The fact that many hundreds of these groups suddenly flooded the IRS with applications for tax-exempt status had to seem very odd, if not suspicious. (I have not heard of any "Occupy candidates," but I am also not opposed in the least to any progressive group being subject to the same scrutiny as a right-wing organization.

    A group of between 100 to 200 employees have to process tens of thousands of tax-exempt organization requests per year, and the rules underlying these applications are the most simple and clear-cut. Combined with high turnover, the team got over-whelmed.

    But the bottom line is that I would not want any organization that is not entitled to tax-exempt status to receive it. I do not approve of President Obama's knee-jerk reaction to go after the people of the agency. It smacks too much of the Shirley Sherrod affair, when he and his people jumped the gun on what turned out to be a competent and dedicated employee.

    Posted in: U.S. Congress grills former IRS boss over tax scandal

  • 0

    oikawa

    Yubaru

    Quite easily. As I said terrorism is the use of terror to intimidate others or further certain ends above and beyond the act itself. The attack on the WTC was a threat to the US to remove soldiers from Saudi Arabia, and warn the general population, not only an intention to kill 3000 people. Here I see it just as "you kill us, we kill you", just as in war. That's why they attacked a soldier. That is of course assuming what the killers said was true but we don't know anything about their background as of now.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 1

    A Realist

    Seeing as how both Obama's and Bush's pledges to help Japan solve the abduction issue were as meaningless as all the other empty words coming from the US, it is quite obvious Japan has to act on its own.

    Posted in: Japan considers talks with N Korea, surprising allies

  • 0

    therougou

    Hence my remarks, I agree to a point, yet if more visit Japan, it will help dispel many of the misconceptions and their views of people from around the world. I will never forget the effect of seeing children interact with some foreign visitors that they met on the street, a chance encounter, it was something that will stay in their minds (hopefully) for a long time. They took pictures together and tried communicating with each other with the help of dictionaries and gestures and broken Japanese and English. But it was fun to watch, and a great experience for everyone involved.

    That's all nice and cute, but its still not going to make them understand foreigners. It will only add to their belief that all foreigners speak English. I had a French friend that didn't (or refused to) speak English and spoke good Japanese, but he was constantly Engrished by kids and adults alike. Just having foreigners around isn't going to make them understand.

    Posted in: Cheaper yen attracts record number of visitors to Japan

  • -1

    Probie

    So ... like...what? Has NOT talking to them done all that much good? I don't notice any change in North Korean, except maybe for more cool adjectives and nouns on their website - thrice cursed, military provocateurs, etc.

    If Japan try to bargain with them to get back the people who were kidnapped, NK are going to ask for something in return. Which is what always happens. If you always do what you always do, you'll always get what you always get.

    This is a perfect example of Japan, and Abe in particular, being selfish. Abe has said he want's to solve the kidnapping problem while he is in office. He want's results so he looks good. He's not concerned about the big picture.

    Posted in: Japan considers talks with N Korea, surprising allies

  • 2

    zichi

    WilliB

    zichi:

    " But this event does not fit the profile of a Jihad Terrorist attack. "

    It absolutely does. Attacking soldiers to shouts of Allah Akbar and declaring that this is revenge for the supposed attacks on muslims in muslim lands is almost a textbook definition of jihadist terrorism.

    How did these killers even know the guy they killed was a young army cadet? They drove a car onto the sidewalk pinning him to a signpost, then jumped out and attacked him. The army cadet wasn't in uniform? If they had waited outside of the Woolwich army barracks and waited for someone to leave and then decide to follow them and kill them. Well all of that will be on CCTV footage, because all barracks and the streets around them have CCTV as do all the main streets in Britain.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 1

    Get Real

    “Also by his own admission Todashev was recently a former mixed martial arts fighter,” the arresting deputy said in his report. “This skill puts his fighting ability way above that of a normal person.”

    ..so we shot him.

    Posted in: Man shot to death while being questioned in Boston bombing probe

  • 0

    stuarto

    Nothing special, just well known, relatively good at variety TV muppetry and wealthy. Disgusting that she did it in their bed. Yuk!

    Posted in: Yaguchi apologizes for illicit affair

  • -2

    Yubaru

    This was a revenge attack, pure and simple, just like in war.

    But how can you differentiate between the two? The attacks on the twin towers were an act of revenge and terror as well. The same could be said here too.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 0

    Magnus Roe

    habidaccusMay. 23, 2013 - 10:38AM JST @the chronic: When did he mention the west in his reply? Or make it a comparison?

    When you say that something or a place is horrible, most people will assume you're comparing it negatively to some other place. Japan still happens to be one of the safest countries on the planet, and as someone from a country considered even safer and with 1/30th of the population on roughly the same landmass, I'd like to say that while there seems to be a fair share of loonies around lately, there have been more knife incidents in my country so far this year than in Japan. Unfortunately I don't think they'll lock this guy up for very long, 5 years tops.

    Posted in: Youth arrested for hitting 16-year-old girl with baseball bat

  • 1

    Yubaru

    Not true. If a religion wants to replace secular law with religious law and re-create the society that its founder created, it is absolutely political.

    Religion wants to replace nothing. It's peoples interpretation of "religion" that causes the problems.

    If religion were so bad then pray tell why are the overwhelming majority of the followers of Islam so very peaceful and similarly outraged that others in the name of "their" religion are terrorists? It's the same "religion", just different interpretations made by man.

    You really should make broad generalizations like that.

    I do believe you meant to say "shouldn't" correct? I do believe that you should learn to separate religion and how people interpret it to mean.

    Religion does not kill people, religion does not maim people. Simply put religion is a belief in or worship of God, religions are bastardized by man and an individuals interpretation of it. That is not a generalization, that is a fact.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 0

    dcog9065

    Good to hear, the more tourists always the merrier.

    Posted in: Cheaper yen attracts record number of visitors to Japan

  • 3

    zichi

    NZ2011

    Zichi, so often you make very insightful and great comments, but I have to disagree with you on this one, who says that these are the requirements of being muslim?

    All religions have requirements that their followers must meet. You can't just wake up one morning and decide from then on you are a Roman Catholic, you would first have to be have a batistism and agree to follow the teachings of Christ. You can't suddenly decide you are Jewish without meeting their requirements. A Muslem must first convert, join a Mosque and follow the teachings.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • -3

    WilliB

    zichi:

    " These two killers could also just be on the fringe of the Muslim story without being full blown ones. "

    How do you define the difference between the "fringe of the muslim story" and "full blown ones". Your terminology is a bit confusing.

    It would seem to me that by definition, religious fundamentalists who go so far as to commit murder are more than "full blown" believers.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 0

    calr751

    Yaguchi apologizes for illicit affair

    that doesn't make any sense. i thought the japanese can't apologize for anything.

    i don't know. a lot of things don't make sense in japan...

    Posted in: Yaguchi apologizes for illicit affair

  • 1

    Ali Ahmed

    i just wants to say something @japantoday please get the news correct British council didn't say that these to sikos was motivated by their faith .. it was an eye witness who said that ..

    http://www.mcb.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2333:pr-template&catid=40:press-release

    and about this act .. its an act of insanity and terror ,and i mean not only killing this poor man but also killing all innocent people caused by the British government . @japantoday please stop stereo typing against Islam . and for all the followers here ..i tell you ..even if this siko has a point he is wrong and Islam teachings never asked him to do so .. my only guess is that he did it because he went crazy or had some tragedy happened caused of some of the foreign policies of UK government or he is just siko .

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 1

    toshiko

    Dog: 5 am comparing Abe and Obama. Abe will lead Obama who is not competent in handling N, Korea. Abe will be the leader of Obama and S. Korea.

    Posted in: Japan considers talks with N Korea, surprising allies

  • -1

    SushiSake3

    Yubaru, I wholeheartedly agree with your first comment on this thread but do no agree with this one:

    "Religions aren't the problem, people are!"

    Both are, in my view.  Without religions, people would have a few less ideologies to misinterpret and use to justify killing people in the name of whatever god their religion follows.

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • -1

    dcog9065

    I doubt anything will get resolved from this, but if Japan can frame itself as an involuntary belligerent, hopefully NK's nukes will only hit SK instead of coming to Japan.

    Posted in: Japan considers talks with N Korea, surprising allies

  • -3

    WilliB

    zichi:

    " But this event does not fit the profile of a Jihad Terrorist attack. "

    It absolutely does. Attacking soldiers to shouts of Allah Akbar and declaring that this is revenge for the supposed attacks on muslims in muslim lands is almost a textbook definition of jihadist terrorism.

    How is this different from e.g. the Fort Hood shooting by Col. Hassan? (Unless you buy into the administration line that that was a "workplace incident".)

    Posted in: Anti-Islamist protests flare after British solider butchered near London barracks

  • 0

    MumbaiRocks!

    there certainly ain't no rising wages in eikaiwa!!! money is less than in early 90's.

    Posted in: There are two things that will indicate whether Japan’s policies are starting to have a real impact: rising inflation and wages. Both haven’t happened yet and the latter especially is critical to policy success.

  • -1

    Molenir

    Bush 2 never went after media records, despite many damaging leaks that occurred under his watch. In fact, now that I think about it, I can't recall a single similar instance where the DOJ has sought media records, particularly not on such a scope and scale as this. Perhaps you can't point me to a link that shos the precedents?

    I did a bit more research. DOJ has gone after reporters records in the past, just not on this scope, or scale. That has never happened before. Additionally, I take back what I said about it not happening under Bush 2. FBI went after Washington Post and NYT records, though it was in their Indonesia Bureau, not in the US.

    Posted in: U.S. Congress grills former IRS boss over tax scandal