mountainpear comments

Of course, they're crowded. With the low yen nobody can afford to go abroad! You keep trying to put a good spin on it!

It seems to be more transmissible than other circulating variants, likely due to a mutation in its spike protein.

If that is the case, then all the vaccines you've had up to now will be null and void!

@Paul So sorry to hear about your illness. Hope you get good news on Monday!

Sawada was serving his second term as deputy mayor of the ward and also had experience working at major advertising agency Hakuhodo Inc.

This is more than enough to tell us what kind of person he is!

Another totally unnecessary gadget that is going to be sitting on the shelves of House Off in a year or two!

All those unnecessary CT scans people have every year might be a contributing factor. Exposing yourself to the equivalent of hundreds of ordinary x-rays cannot be good.

God knows why anybody in Japan would need a vehicle like this!

Could be sabotage by a disgruntled employee! Wouldn't be the first time!

In Japan anyone with common sense knows the entertainment industry is rotten. Do you think anyone thinks groups like AKB48 are there for their dancing and singing skills?

I heard it was because he had an extramarital affair and baby with a Chinese TV journalist.

Yet the tax on a litre of gasoline is 53,8 yen. The government is robbing its citizen's blind and then pretending to be altruistic by giving a subsidy (to oil distributor's).

@Blacksamurai The biggest tax avoiders are big businesses like Toyota, not some guy DJing in Shibuya! And do you seriously think the government is going to use increased tax revenue to help the citizens of Japan! Lol!

Strange how your off topic comments about tax evasion aren't moderated considering the original article is about the merger of the health insurance card and the My Number card,

Would be very convenient if they wanted to conscript people! The government would already know the health condition of conscripts without a health check!

@Blacksamurai

Countries like Canada Australia and the UK have rafts of benefits and special payments that the Japanese will never have so long as they snivel about not wanting My Number. Plus health systems that are far cheaper or free. Keep whining about My Number and avoiding tax - couldn't believe a non-critical story here last year about Japanese people connected with the semi pro music industry refusing to give details of My Number and bleating about it.

The countries you mentioned above don't have national identity cards.

28 degrees Celsius with 50% humidity in my location! A lovely summer's day!

Am I only one who thinks this sentence is too heavy?

@travelbangaijin Which countries are using such sophisticated monitoring systems for their old people?

The government trying to get their hands on the money before other scammers do!

@Yrral- Why use the word grip? Why don't you just say cash? Not everyone is familiar with this term.

Rest in Peace Morimura san. People on JT have a lot to say about Japanese not facing up to wartime atrocities but when a great man like this dies there are hardly any comments. Because they have never heard of him. Because for the most part they are ignorant about Japan even after living here many years. Here is a link to the theme song for 'Ningen no Shomei' sung by Joe Yamanaka. It is a good song and a reminder that Japan made lots of great music before AK48 came along. Give it a listen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqBduSFqjhU

How about Senso to Ningen? Made from 1970 to 1973, a trilogy of 3 movies running at over 3 hours each. Very critical of the war and includes graphic scenes of rape and torture of Chinese civilians. Surprised it wasn't mentioned.

@WA4TKG

Watching that North Koreans escape gives me chills every time I watch it. The accompanying music on that really ups the tension!

@Alan Bogglesworth You don't know Japanese. They've been screwed over by the LDP for over 70 years and they still remain in power. The LDP is a cult. Also, Japanese have very short memories. They will soon be munching away on fish from that area without a second thought.

@opheliajadefeldt Obviously only for highways!

@Bofington Lots drivers sleep in their cabs at the michi no ekis and even use the adjoined onsens. Some gas stations also have shower facilities. Japan is smaller than California so distance between destinations is no comparison to the U.S!

Don't see a problem with it, 100km per hour and up is standard internationally on highways.

@Mike Hunt If a truck is tailgating you, it's because he is in a hurry. Just pullover and let him pass. My husband does this all the time.

@itsonlyrocknroll Wonder how much money the parents took for this story.

@Yrral You know there are other countries with different laws to the U.S.!

The whole thing sounds like a witch hunt! Being human is a crime these days!

@Bertie Wooster That is by design.

@tora Websites in Japan (and Korea and China for that matter) are different to Western websites because they are made for Japanese, not foreigners.

The more problems this card has the happier I am!

Not a fan of melons and always add lemon and some honey to make it palatable. Wouldn't even consider buying such expensive fruit!

@Marc Lowe So you have no problems with a camera installed in a hotel room where you are going to be naked, having sex etc. Are you joking?