koiwaicoffee comments

Yet they seem to have money to increase the military budget every year. 1.8% of the GDP this year, with a planned 2% in sight. A 2% of the GDP is ¥12.18 trillion, or about $78.9 billion USD. 

In comparison, education budget is about a 3.5%. Way lower than other developed countries, ranking 129 in the world. Behind El Salvador or Iran. Iran!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_spending_on_education_as_percentage_of_GDP

Who have had all their lives to prepare for their old age but some just chose not to.

Such a cruel comment, you may believe that everyone has had a life as easy as yours.

He’s 40, an office worker, and says, “A (nonvirtual) woman won’t look at a man who makes less than 10 million yen a year and is less than 170 cm tall.

This is a sad reality in Japan.

In general, I see that personal relations in Japan are complicated by rules, social norms and work circumstances. And people is extremely hermetic to anyone outside their inner circle. It's not the best scenario to find a partner, not even friends.

All you need to know that the military industrial complex is thriving in Japan, blissfully unaware it seems about how those trillions of yen put away for defense could be used to improve the lives of citizens

Exactly,

A 2% of the GDP is ¥12.18 trillion, or about $78.9 billion USD.

In comparison, education budget is about a 3.5%. Way lower than other developed countries, ranking 129 in the world. Behind El Salvador or Iran.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_spending_on_education_as_percentage_of_GDP

They will soon want to spend more in weapons than in education. Why Japanese people is not informed of this, you would ask.

Isn't about time Korean youth ask for no compulsory military service? It's 18 months of their youth! It's surprising there are no protests against it.

The man SHOULD be the strong foundation, leading with strength, responsibility, courage, and moral clarity. But if for any reason he can't or is absent, then it falls to the woman to carry that weight -

That's very misogynist, and you have no idea how Japanese families work.

bullying

Yeah, because bullying is frowned upon and severely punished in every other Japanese congregation; like the police, the army, schools, sport clubs or offices.

""Japan's 1947 Imperial House Law stipulates that female members of the imperial family lose their royal status upon marrying commoners.""

Exactly, she didn't "leave", she was expelled.

and have requested that people stand on both sides of the escalators and no one walk. 

It's painfully slow to stand in the escalator in the rush hour. Obviously, the oyajis at the government that decided this rule never commute.

Eugene's post was far more relevant than Aaron's and Gr's, who were harsh for no reason. Myself I found it amusing that he may have been in Japan for that long.

The "foreign" bit is being mentioned by all media. Is it a marketing strategy or pure racism?

Doesn't he have a Japanese passport? I bet he does.

I actually liked it when Koizumi introduced the 3 and 5 yen charges for plastic bags. It brought into consciousness the mindless giving out and usage of way too many unnecessary plastic bags, which is a major disease here.

But, these super bags were used later on as rubbish bags. Now people have to buy plastic bags in order to dispose of their rubbish at home. So people use the same amount of bags only that now they have to pay for them. Which in the end is very profitable for plastic factories.

Has any LDP diet member ever done the family shopping? Cooked a meal? Done the washing up? Had a real job?

So true.

 DSEI Japan exhibition near Tokyo showcased Japanese missiles, warships and research into lasers and electromagnetic railguns. The event, double the size of the 2023 show, drew 471 firms from 33 countries, including 169 from Japan 

Ain't killing humans a profitable business?

I once saw Koizumi in a variety tv show where they had to guess common people daily life chores and activities. He had no clue about how normal people think or live.

He is another nepo-baby that has inherited the position and has never struggled to navigate life.

I was going to say. The TV commercials are so fake they should not be allowed as a representation of the experience.

support rate hits record low at 27.4%

It does not matter since they will be re-elected again and again.

 IMHO Koizumi fits the bill, 

Another nepo-baby out of touch with real life.

Please dear reporter enlighten me;

Why is it illegal?

Who can actually fish them?

Is a license needed?

Gold standard? affordable?

No, it's not.

This is where you can see that this Expo makes no sense. They will display random prototypes, the occasional robot and lots of fancy videos about a shiny future, it seems. But when a practical implementation is needed -to make the hot weather bearable- they don't have a clue. Same old "embracing" and "gambarou".

Factors behind the shortfall include poor harvests due to hot weather in 2023 and panic-buying prompted by a "megaquake" warning last year.

Still using 2023 as an excuse?

Record numbers of tourists have also been blamed for a rise in consumption

suuuuure..

while some traders are believed to be hoarding the grain.

There you go! It's just pure speculation and a few are getting richer.

Too much stress and probably psychological damage from working for the police. Not that the job is dangerous, but because it seems to be a very abusive work place to work in. Heck, if a normal business office is already toxic I cannot image how working for the police or the army has to be over here.

Why not control the prices instead? There's a lot of corporative greediness in all of these "surging prices".

Is the Osaka Expo worth the travel, accommodation, and entry-ticket expense if you are outside the Osaka area?

I live in Osaka and I'm not planning to go. Too much expensive (5 tickets + day expenses) for a relative nothing interesting to see.

Btw. All of the schools in Kansai are bringing the students to the expo, and most probably other schools around Japan will also do the same. These are thousands of free tickets and will be counted as "visitors".

Senior members submitted a letter in person to police 

That's very rich.

They are involved in a variety of activities, from drugs and prostitution to protection rackets and white-collar crime.

And for some reason they are allowed to remain a legal organization. Bribes anyone?

Starbucks releases new Frappuccino in Japan to help us 'forget about everyday life'

Starbucks, the new highball. This company is starting to understand this market.

Japan used to open up consumer's wallets with incredible products based on advanced and unique technologies. Now it's... Idols and mascots. Not sure it's very sustainable long-term.

Right?

Not to mention that they are relying on

now, when many companies are planning their biggest pay rises in 34 years,

and

"The 20-somethings, who'll probably receive another big pay rise in this spring's wage talks, 

which is simply not true.

 $449,99 in the United States, 49,980 yen in Japan for a Japanese-only version of the machine (69,980 yen for a multilanguage system)

That's a bit of a WTF.

And 一万 games too.

I prefer the green one better than the red.

Talking about the second pic, isn't about time for auto-makers to stop using models as decorative accessories?

Build apartments, give them for cheap (or free) to people in their 20s with the condition of living there. It would revitalize the area and business would come back.

Don't give the land away to corporations, they'd just seek profit without caring a bit about the city.

Or do the Japan way, and do northing about it.

I'd go for the tariffs boycott, but Japanese are never going to take a stake about anything. Ask them to change their iphones to whatever Sony is making these days.

Don't lash out at people for what their governments do. They have no control over their government, just as you have no control over your government.

Yes they do. It's the majority of USA people the one that elected him.