lordoflys comments

I haven't been to a hostess bar in maybe 20 years. And I do not miss them at all. They are depressing places. I feel bad for those who get fleeced in them and the girls who work there for reasons of their own.

Great designs and notable historical figures instead of politicians. I'd say this currency change is well thought out.

In Okinawa, when large tracts of land become available from the US military giant corporations from the mainland have moved in, including large shopping malls. Small companies, local companies and the local Okinawa entrepreneur are always left out. Really, the same thing happens in the mainland. The zaibatsu continues to roll and the big corporations dominate society.....including the old Tsukiji property. No sign of any independent businesses. Just the big, rich guys.

After cooking throw away the peas and eat the scallops with a light dry white wine. A little fried rice to go along with this is also nice.

In the past I've been to a few but I find these places mostly depressing and reeking of loneliness. Unless, of course, you're with all your friends at the time.

Does anyone other than me see the irony of this?

Japanese officials only react when voters complain. Most of the locals in the area do not benefit from tourism so they just complain about tourists taking photos in the road. There is a simpler solution than just erecting a giant wall to block out Fuji-san. How about making a tourist platform where they can safely take their photos?

Foreigners poking holes in net fences to take photos! Foreigners taking photos of Geisha in Kyoto! Foreigners walking into buses in Shibuya! What is the world coming to? And what next? Foreigners dropping plastic onigiri wrappers in a combustible garbage receptacle? Japan needs "Foreigner Police" in all "touristy" areas to keep Japan safe!

Wow. The pro-whaling people are out in force down-voting like crazy. I'm against the govt. subsidizing the whaling fleet. The reason is that a market does not really exist, otherwise it wouldn't need subsidies. Several years ago a newspaper reported the existence of a dog food company at the whaling port that used as its main ingredient, whale meat surplus, of which there was quite a bit. Negative publicity forced it to shut down. Let's not hunt whales for pet food or political handouts.

One more thing. Don't assume that the assassin was a left-winger. The Russians could easily have set this up to make room for their pick of the fascist litterbox and/or to place blame on the Ukrainians.

Sure. Give him 3 stars for eating space junk. Personally, I believe that this situation is an exercise in futility. But, yeah, wealthy people will always think of something new to elevate their egos.

Really? I suppose that there are unlimited combinations you can make using individual selections. This pretty much sounds like an Ichiran fanboy commercial. Seriously, add whatever to whatever and make it your own creation. Then post it on reddit.

Lula is a good man, certainly in comparison. And, Brazilian beef is very good, primarily the grass-fed range beef although some would consider it a bit tough. Water shortages will eventually shut down Brazil as with most of South America with a few exceptions. Get ready for the world's population to go into "climate change shock" when things start going south quickly.

Well, I bought my house at Y89 to the dollar so I'm not celebrating. But I do appreciate going into 7/11 and buying fun food at low prices. Beer doesn't even seem so expensive now unless you are drinking a good West Coast IPA from Bend, Ore.

The economic fallout would be immediate. Besides the thousands that work on US bases the govt would also halt base land leases and off base housing would dry up. Not to mention the hundreds of associated businesses that rely on the bases. Mitigation by the mainland govt would probably be well-intended but fall short of the mark. Does Okinawa really need any additional shopping mall complexes that are controlled by mainland companies? No. Then there is the political fallout. China would be quick to fill in any military vacuum. This would put Taiwan in immediate danger and possibly draw Japan into a war. There are ways to reduce the footprint w/o throwing the baby out with the dishwater.

I am truly surprised that there aren't more pedestrian injuries and deaths. I live in Yokohama and cars around here, including taxis, drive way too fast. It is an obstacle course on the streets.

The Israeli govt. knows that the politically strong Jewish presence in the US will keep the money tap going every year and the undeniable backing even with a nasty ultra-right criminal like Netanyahu leading.

He stayed 80 and he should have talked his way into another 30 or even 60 days. After 80 days the hotel staff have realized that they may have made a mistake. But the poor guy had nowhere else to go and it's still cold up there. Another month and the weather would have turned.

There really isn't "one size fits all" situation remedies for expats. Whether you're from Europe, the USA, Asia, South America, Africa or ? will determine your solutions to the problems outlined above. Add to that your visa status, whether you were SOFA at one time or not, whether you are married to a Japanese national now or previously, your language ability, and where in Japan you reside or wish to reside. All of this will affect your success at assimilating.

As China's economy sputters, and the population starts fidgeting Xi will go to his "next best thing" and start bullying it's South China Sea neighbors to foment nationalism and keep the hordes content. The biggest threat, of course, is not China but Russia, who threatens the entire European continent and likes to make idle nuclear threats to dare any country to strike back. The US needs to arm Ukraine and also to "double-down" on China which is intent on causing trouble outside it's borders....like it's good buddy Russia. These are countries run by dictators, who are locked into power without any controls. The world is a dangerous place.

I credit the book by Clavell for getting me interested in Japan back in the '70s. Later, I was a college exchange student to Japan and then after that a Monbusho grad student in Tokyo. I spent my career in the Far East and live in Japan today. The new series is spectacularly entertaining for me. I have watched and rewatched the episodes so far.

When I first arrived in Japan in the '80s as an exchange student in Shizuoka-ken I was asked repeatedly by police for my passport, which was required for non-citizens at the time. I was 2 blocks from my home once taking photos of the rice fields when a patrol car stopped, made me get in and called the school to verify my enrollment. Several years later when I was a graduate student in Tokyo I was at Suidobashi just outside my school listening to the world series which was being played on an outside speaker. The cops saw me loitering and, again, demanded to see my passport. Luckily, I had it on me. Those days are gone and believe me, all foreigners in Japan are better off as a result.

Red Cross is so ubiquitous it is displayed in wartime to identify it to enemy forces...thru wars over the last one hundred years at least. There is probably no one on earth save the some native tribes that do not recognize the red cross immediately.

Great article. Most eggs, despite different retailers, are pretty uniform here in Japan and of high quality. I love onsen tamago. But I make my own with the Yen 100 store onsen tamago maker. Just add eggs, hot water and let it drain. Perfect. You learn where the best water level is depending on your taste preference.

No. These are cabbage burgers. MOS strikes out on hamburgers though I do have a shrimp croquette burger once in a blue moon. In fairness, I'll try the gochujang burger once I learn how to pronounce it.

I haven't tried these yet, and I probably won't but I did try the chicken on a stick at 7-11 on a recommendation I picked up on this site. Amazingly good.

The next 50 years will determine whether humans will remain the dominant species on this planet. In the midst of a rapidly changing environment caused by global warming lies the possibility of unlimited cheap energy via fusion. Fresh water availability will precipitate the mass migration of people to areas where water is available. Food production will falter, species will disappear. As quality of life declines politics will enable ultra-nationalists and dictators to thrive. World population will decline as the death rate soars and the birthrate drops. Carbon credit market? This will be all but forgotten soon as oceans rise, water tables sink, and people take to the streets.

Lets see...Believe in yourself, stay true to yourself and don't try to be someone you're not. Anything else? And congratulations for the GM job. Obviously, IHG doesn't have any cultural gender barriers.

I attended Nichidai for several years, both undergraduate and graduate at two different campuses. The system their is just too untenable...too huge for an academic institution.

It is also worth noting that people here seem to be convinced that the teacher was an American. Not necessarily. Just the joke.