Anonymous comments

What was Japan doing in Asia (empire building) that France, the UK and the Dutch were not doing?

Change that to “had not already done”.

Harry, what are you doing?

No comment about a gesture foreign to Japan?!

This isn’t Thailand!

All of Asia must be the same.

Every time this unfortunate discussion comes up, you are left speechless again and again with no knowledge of history and zero appreciation for the context. You also have zero rebuttal to the historical fact that after the second bomb was dropped the war council was deadlocked over surrender, and when the Emperor personally intervened to break the dead lock, there was a full blown palace coup to assassinate “pro American ministers” and destroy the surrender message.

Well said.

The “about to surrender” narratives come from the Allies and their perspective. These are the same people who saw no point to “banzai” attacks.

How is putting a warning label on individual cigarettes going to reduce smoking?

Any evidence for it? Probably none.

Funny, Japan did not have this problem last year when there were no foreign tourist.

Are you saying there are foreigners who don’t respect what isn’t theirs?

Nothing new there.

Same as the exceedingly good cake-maker, Mr Kipling. But I do remember the summer of 1976. Phew! Scorchio!!

There was a drought in much of Europe and the UK through the summer of 1976. It broke in autumn, but, as I recall as a hitchhiking tourist, “stand pipes” were used in South Wales and while hiking along Offa’s Dyke I’d see sheep bones here and there.

When I returned the next summer, it was cool and rainy.

The PM visits a winery and all we get are platitudes?

Black walnut trees in the country were cut down and hauled off in Illinois not many years ago.

“Grow it and they will come.”

When was Japan made part of North America? Hell no to NATO!

”North Atlantic”… Okay, some members are on the Mediterranean and new ones on the Baltic, but the name incorporated “North Atlantic” as that was the ocean over which Canadian and American reinforcements would have travel to counter Soviet aggression.

But what is an “office”?

Hollywood just doesn’t make the kind of movies he can ride to stardom with. North Korea does.

Correction: The US has had an out-of-control crime problem for a long time now.

Correction: Democrat-run cities have had an out-of-control crime problem for a long time now.

The worst form of LGBT propaganda is the idea that men and women can change.

If you mean men can become women and women can become men, yes.

However, I’d call it T propaganda. Leave gays, lesbians, and bis out of it.

Solve the problem of the drunkards and the smokers. I assume drunkards don't hang around trash cans unless they are planning to throw up into them.

Not that I follow drunks around to see where they puke, but I don’t think they search for a trash bin to upchuck in. When it’s got to come out, they’ll spew anywhere.

Humidity is a big factor. I grew up in Chicago - just like Tokyo in July-August. Hottest? 40° with high humidity is dangerous.

When the writers go out a lot of other people in the industry (like my nephew) can’t work. I hope it’s settled soon.

I'm still having a hard time believing that this idiot carved his whole name with a fingernail.

As his fingernails are probably worn down, it’ll be harder for the police to pull them out.

Such vandalism is nothing new. Greek tourists carved their names in Egyptian temples in BCE. They became part of the history.

Volunteers would probably be more useful as hospital workers or ambulance drivers. I guess they don’t read Hemingway.

No, but I can sniff it out at quite a distance.

Avoided using the term prostitute. Very 2020s.

At minor junction with side road with stop sign 250 m north of Nodaoi (野田生) River bridge. The overall width of the roadway over the bridge is less than that of the roadway north of the bridge. The truck driver probably was making sure he was clear of the curbing of the elevated walk on his left on the bridge so was closer to the center line. The bus driver’s lane was narrower on the bridge so perhaps he moved slightly toward the center line. The combination of two such small movements could have caused the accident.

Probable location: 42° 13’ 01.5” N, 140° 22’ 59.5” E

… irreversible decline

So? If this is a bad thing, why? What do religions contribute to societies?

These negative comments about religion are so refreshing and welcome. Miracles? Rubbish! A man declaring himself a woman and …WHOOSH… becomes one just like that? (Okay, a little cut and pasting involved…) A miracle? If it’s part of the ideology of a new religion then, yes, it is.

Terrible uniforms. Reminds me too much of Yukio Mishima’s group.

You do not support LGBTQ+?

350 years ago this might have been phrased “You do not support the burning of witches?”

Toleration has not been sufficient and support has come to mean approval since the advent of strident activists (self-appointed leaders) on the street and in corporate DEI offices.

And people are surprised there is pushback? Corporations will start backtracking.

Didn’t another foreign woman who came to Japan a few years ago alone disappear under similar circumstances?

A French woman vanished in Nikko a number of years ago after setting out from her accommodation for a walk. No trace ever found.

Yes, before AI regulates government.

No appeal to “science” will be successful as long as anthropomorphic terms like “sick” are used.

In the United States, the Supreme Court overturned women’s right to abortion in June 2022;

No, it didn’t.

The court’s decision sent the issue to the states. The states’ responses were different ranging from no restrictions at all to no abortions after the 16th week. There will probably be, if not already, some states that ban it entirely.

Perhaps Ms. Beaulieu should restrict her comments to her area of expertise.

Chicago averages 30 shooting day. Not sure why this is news. International news?

Got to keep “mass” shootings in the news.