isabelle comments

wallaceToday 09:42 am JST

It would work out to less than ¥5,000 per person.

How on earth did you get this figure? It would depend on how much their holdings are worth (which we don't know yet), plus the cost of security, administration, etc. society would save by not looking after them around the clock.

Roy SophveasonToday 09:38 am JST

That's a fancy idea straight out of Star Trek, but where then do you stop? Expropriate the rich and distribute everything evenly?

Just the imperial family/royalty will be fine for me: that is, people who receive special treatment from the state for doing nothing other than being born into a particular family.

It's amazing that Nintendo is still consistently delivering top games after all these decades. Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4, and many other Switch games are awesome.

And they've done it simply by concentrating on making the best games they can, rather than following fads. Too many games companies "forget" the games, and pursue total crap like Loot Boxes and NFTs, which may make them some short term profit but destroys their fanbase and disillusions their developers.

Long may Nintendo continue.

Here's an idea: why not completely dismantle the imperial family system, and all royalty around the world, to help the people of those countries in the hard economic times?

Imagine how many mouths we could feed and electricity bills we could pay if we shared their money among the people?

Sheppard said Wei has made $10,000 to $15,000 in the past year from the arrangement with the unnamed Chinese inelligence officer. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.

Not much money to risk life imprisonment, is it?

Lock them up along with that other traitor, Trump.

Shame on you, China. The world simply can't wait any longer on climate change. Can you not see the damage it is causing even in your own country, right in front of your eyes?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/02/beijing-reports-heaviest-rain-140-years-china-g20-climate-talks

China, and all the other foot-draggers (including Japan) need to get real on this right now. Vested interests and rent-seeking are still dominating, and time is running out. COP 28 is even being run by the head of a UAE oil company for pity's sake.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/18/middleeast/cop-28-dubai-greenwashing-climate/index.html

I applaud Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, as it really is making a difference on clean energy. There are a whole host of projects ongoing thanks to this. Despite the US' hugely polarized society, I'm sure that history will look back on this act as a major milestone in saving the planet.

falseflagsteveToday 07:04 am JST

Too many tourists lately I’m afraid

Personally, I'm pleased to see people back on vacation in Japan, enjoying the many wonderful things the country has to offer.

Raw BeerToday 05:55 pm JST

The US keeps on taking about China being a threat, as they arm Taiwan.

Yes, that's right. China is a threat: Xi himself has said many times that China doesn't renounce the use of force to take Taiwan. So, the US arms Taiwan (with weapons that Taiwan itself requests) to deter the threat.

You've just highlighted the reason why the US arms Taiwan.

Xi saw how they started the conflict in Ukraine

Putin started the war in Ukraine. No-one else.

Fully agree with the demonstrators: No Olympics anywhere.

The Olympics breeds corruption in every country it touches, and the IOC is as corrupt an organization as they come. It will gladly hand the games to brutal regimes with zero human rights (China, Russia, etc.) as long as there are pieces of silver in it for Bach and co.

The IOC should be disbanded and the Olympics completely reset to become a sporting competition that is 100% about sport, not corporate sponsors and money.

Nice to see these seemingly small, but surprisingly significant, pieces of normality returning after years of COVID disruptions.

If you can stand the heat, Japanese summers are awesome, and really help to bring communities together: hanabi, matsuri, bon-odori, shotengai events, and more.

Those foreign ships and aircraft are operating legally, in international waters/airspace. In contrast, China's artificial islands are illegal; stealing its neighbors' islands and maritime areas is illegal; and fishing in other countries' waters is illegal.

TaiwanIsNotChina mentions Filipino fishing boats: the Chinese have even intentionally rammed such boats and left their crews in the water to die. For instance, if a Vietnamese crew had not helped these people they'd be dead:

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1288313/absence-of-justice-for-filipino-fishermen-rammed-by-chinese-vessel-1-year-and-counting

China brings nothing but bad wherever it goes, and we should all be very glad that the US and other countries conduct Freedom Of Navigation Operations.

MilesTegToday 07:20 pm JST

Have they? And here I am thinking they apologized by increasing rates for consumers essentially forcing them to pay for TEPCO's mistakes and incompetence.

Yes, apologies are very often in their press releases, interviews, and company materials. You can take a look through here, for instance (or anywhere on their website, etc.):

https://www4.tepco.co.jp/library/movie/index-j.html

The guy apologizes right at the start of this one, from just yesterday:

https://www4.tepco.co.jp/library/movie/detail-j.html?catid=61697&video_uuid=15030

I don't know how the rate system works, but yes the public definitely is paying for part of the decommissioning/compensation, and yes - it's clearly TEPCO's mistakes that caused this. That said, they do still regularly apologize, for what that's worth.

RodneyToday 06:04 pm JST

I know a Todai professor who told me that the radioactive waste is already being used for concrete and spread all over Japan.

Please provide proof for this claim. Otherwise, there's no reason for anyone to believe it.

Stephen ChinToday 04:53 pm JST

Why does not Japan leave the nuclear poisonous water in storage where they are now ? WHY?

Because the amount of water is constantly increasing, and they're running out of space.

Per my above comment, other places are unlikely to store Fukushima water even if it's safe and verified independently by the IAEA, and it wouldn't solve the problem of the constant increase in any case, so releasing into the sea is the best option.

So those water will be release won't they, when the exact date for that?

Another article that doesn't tell us when this is supposed to start happening.

I believe it's up to the government to decide, not TEPCO, and they haven't decided yet.

Definitely a milestone to destroying World ecosystem by releasing tons of radioactive water hour after hour, day after day until whole Pacific is poisoned.

I take it you haven't read the IAEA's analysis? The idea of the whole Pacific being poisoned is simply nonsense.

It doesn't look that they know what they are doing.

I think TEPCO and the IAEA know better than anyone else on the planet what the situation is, and what is to be done.

Japan has enough land for on shore storaging contaminated water

Who would host this? Municipalities and private landowners aren't exactly crying out to handle water from Fukushima, even when it's treated to very safe levels via ALPS. And it wouldn't solve the problem of the constantly-increasing amounts of water: you'd need constantly-increasing onshore tanks and space for them.

They should be contrite, humble, and apologize for having to resort to this action

TEPCO has apologized many times, and continues to do so - as they well should, since they caused all this.

Sven AsaiToday 10:38 am JST

I have doubts that he can take care of children. Obviously he isn’t even capable of keeping the son nearby otherwise she couldn’t have taken him and flee or travel back from Taiwan to Japan with the son.

They were supposed to be going on vacation. It would've been a good thing for the son, not a bad thing, and it was (seemingly) the right thing for a father to do.

The article says: The plan was for the boy to spend the summer with Fukuhara in Japan

Unlike many other countries, Japan doesn't allow dual custody of children for their divorced parents.

This is a truly awful situation, and like many other posters have said, it needs to change now.

Children benefit immensely from being able to see both parents regularly, even if divorced. And there's an even greater effect if one of the parents is from overseas, as the children will learn about a whole different culture too. Experience like this is so important for childrens' development.

Japan is hugely loved and admired all over the world in terms of its pop culture and traditions, but it is still in the Dark Ages with things like this, and other areas like inclusivity issues.

Come on, Japan: we need a Meiji-like/post-war-like, leap into modern times again.

Here we go again: Chinese political games and economic aggression. The findings of a team of IAEA international (including Chinese) experts mean nothing next to the almighty Xi Jinping Thought.

Japan should concentrate on finding other markets, like Australia, Taiwan and others did when pressured by China, as trying to discuss matters reasonably with China will never work.

because of TEPCO profits to throw all japanese economy in deeper/you know what/?

Actually, it would be much better for the Japanese economy if TEPCO does make a profit, despite how unsavory this would be for many people. If it does, it can pay for more of the decommissioning costs; if it doesn't, more of the burden will fall to the taxpayer. It's a bad situation, but it's the actual situation.

Great work! Let's have a repeat of the 2011 tournament result, please!

Legendary musician

Wow, the bar for "legendary" is pretty low these days.

Both of them are awful, and TikTok is a dangerous vector for Chinese Communist Party disinformation and data collection.

Humanity would benefit greatly were they, and others like them, to disappear.

deanzaZZRToday 01:08 pm JST

@isabelle Show us this National Assembly resolution you speak of.

Tsai has already said Taiwan is de facto independent, and she doesn't claim to rule mainland China, but she doesn't have the power to change the constitution. And Tsai wouldn't attempt it anyway, as it would cause Taiwan to be attacked by a rabid China.

https://thediplomat.com/2021/09/taiwanese-presidents-will-not-and-can-not-unilaterally-change-taiwans-status/

“We don’t have a need to declare ourselves an independent state. We are an independent country already.”

China will even build you a parliament for free (Zimbabwe).

Zimbabwe had better sweep it thoroughly for listening devices. Look what China did when it built the African Union building:

https://www.cfr.org/blog/african-union-bugged-china-cyber-espionage-evidence-strategic-shifts

quercetumToday 02:52 pm JST

Again where?

Vietnam, India, Brazil, Australia, the US, etc.

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/rare-earth-elements-where-in-the-world-are-they/

Longer term, even places like Sweden have them:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/13/rare-earth-metals-sweden-discovery/

Even though such countries don't have the mining/refinery operations that China has, this can be built. The technology is well-known, and there is nothing difficult about it. It may take time, but as a high-priority area it's eminently achievable with the combined efforts of the US and her many allies.

Countries have been well aware of the dependency on China for a long time, and are taking steps to address this.

Just don't out people, or divulge other highly personal info, without that person's consent. It's quite simple, and it doesn't only apply to sexual orientation.

Project 5150 NumbskullToday 11:43 am JST

Furthermore Taiwan still lays claim to being the rightful government of the whole of China.

No, it doesn't. It did previously, but now doesn't under Tsai.

The civil war is finished. The two countries are separate.

deanzaZZRToday 09:57 am JST

The problem is that Taiwan is not a country. I was not aware that one side in a civil war can call time out.

The civil war is long over, and Taiwan and China are de facto separate countries, even if Taiwan is not "officially" recognized due to Chinese diplomatic pressure.

This fiction that it's Taiwan first and then Okinawa (or whatever imaginable place) is pure fiction pushed by the US military industrial complex.

Given China's attitude, posture, massive military build-up, and stated aims, it's best for everyone to be prepared. It's certainly not "pure fiction" that Xi would love to control Taiwan, Okinawa, and the whole of the South and East China seas (and more): it's very obvious for anyone to see.

Whether he actually tries to take them depends on how well the rest of us can deter him.

EastmanToday 09:52 am JST

this is how it looks like when Japan is pushed by US to act against its own national interests and act in name of US interestests ONLY.

Preventing China from building up its military and taking Taiwan is 100% Japan's national interest.

It's also in the national interest of every other country in the region other than North Korea (and possibly Russia), and across the world, due to the sheer amount of shipping that passes through the Taiwan strait.

Project 5150 NumbskullToday 09:33 am JST

China is way ahead in the chip/wafer building technologies and they are full steam ahead

Shows just how pathetic and desperate the US is.

No, Taiwan has the most advanced tech and foundries. In terms of the supply chain, Japan has key materials, the Netherlands has key machinery and the US has key R&D. China doesn't have key anything, apart from rare earths, which can be sourced elsewhere.

https://cset.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/The-Semiconductor-Supply-Chain-Issue-Brief.pdf

The United States and its allies specialize in different supply chain segments. The United States dominates R&D and has strong capabilities across all segments. However, it lacks firms in certain key subsectors, especially photolithography tools (the most expensive and complex form of SME) and the most advanced chip factories (especially “foundries,” which manufacture chips for third parties). South Korea specializes in all production steps, but also produces significant amounts of materials and some SME.

Taiwan is dominant in the most advanced manufacturing and ATP, and produces some materials. By contrast, Japan specializes in SME and materials, and it produces many older technology semiconductors. Europe (especially the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany), meanwhile, specializes in SME (especially photolithography tools), materials, and core IP.

Is a war looming as large as to have to build shelters?

Given China's growing bellicosity, yes we should be prepared.

How many people believed Russia wouldn't actually invade Ukraine? If preparations had been more thorough the invasion may have been prevented, or quickly stopped.

It's very simple, actually. Stay out of it and be at peace.

Japan, Taiwan, and all the other countries threatened by China would like to be at peace. The problem is that Xi doesn't.

Good - let's not make the same mistake we did with Russia. Cut off the Chinese dependencies now, before it's too late. A few companies will lose some sales but:

1) there are many other markets

2) the impact will be much, much worse later down the line if we allow China to build up its military with the latest tech, and take Taiwan (its stated aim)

Presently the U.S. has only one active rare-earth mine

There are deposits in a lot more places than the U.S., even if they're not currently active in processing. You can bet these will be developed and ramped up as necessary. The U.S. has a lot of friends for friendshoring; China only has fair-weather friends that it keeps onside through bribery and intimidation. These fair-weather friends will fail it when the time comes.