[QUOTE=Mr Punch;866724]I was looking forward to your opinions.[/QUOTE]
I thought I already gave you my opinion when I pointed out that there is racism and discrimination everywhere. (remember?)
Live wherever you want but don’t be, in your own words, “silly.”
[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;866600]Car-Fu for the win, try to pull guard on a Subaru and see where that gets you ![/QUOTE]
Mas Oyama once punched one of those to death. 
[QUOTE=SimonM;866823]Mas Oyama once punched one of those to death. :p[/QUOTE]
And it wasn’t one of these new fangled crumple zone cars neither, oh no, it was a freaking 70’s car !!
What he said
[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;866828]And it wasn’t one of these new fangled crumple zone cars neither, oh no, it was a freaking 70’s car !![/QUOTE]
I heard it was a 71 Cadillac and not a Subaru.
I can’t really speak for your situation Punch. I just can say that I personally feel I have not been affected by racism in Japan. There could be a few reasons for this but it’d just be speculating.
For one I wasn’t nearly as reliant on the Japanese social structure as you are since I am military. And US has a pretty good SOFA with Japan.
It could have been location. I was in Okinawa. Its got its own cultural climate there. That may have had something to do with it. That and foreigners are common place there.
I don’t know. I can just say that I didn’t have your experience there in this regard. The other stuff though about walking free at night, yeah I know exactly what you mean there.
Funny little bit of irony though. Knife attack…you won’t find steel swords in Japan. At least not Okinawa. Go to the MA supply, all the swords are die cast metal. Although that being said I never had any issues when ordering my Combat Steel Double Broadswords
[QUOTE=SoCo KungFu;867568]I can’t really speak for your situation Punch. I just can say that I personally feel I have not been affected by racism in Japan. There could be a few reasons for this but it’d just be speculating.
For one I wasn’t nearly as reliant on the Japanese social structure as you are since I am military. And US has a pretty good SOFA with Japan.
It could have been location. I was in Okinawa. Its got its own cultural climate there. That may have had something to do with it. That and foreigners are common place there.
[/QUOTE]
Umm
Racism in Okinawa’s some of the worst racism in Japan.
It’s bad around any area near a military base.
http://www.debito.org
I was just in Okinawa last year.
Wasn’t allowed in a karaoke place coz I’m white.
Wasn’t allowed to get gas at a gas station because I’m white.
Wasn’t allowed in at least one store coz i’m white.
Wasn’t allowed in countless bars coz i’m white.
I speak Japanese pretty well and was pleading my case in each instance, but in each case it was policy, not even personal dislike by a particular employee.
If you only go off base once in a while, granted you’re not going to see it as much but if you knew what Okinawa was like before 95 and the first major rape, I doubt you’d have any warm fuzzies about it now. It’s gotten worse still since 2005.
That being said, I’m still going back in September.
[QUOTE=SoCo KungFu;867568]I can’t really speak for your situation Punch. I just can say that I personally feel I have not been affected by racism in Japan. [/QUOTE]
Well, it’s still a nice place to live in the main. Ironically, I don’ t feel affected by the racism: I like my job, but give me another few years doing the same job with ZERO chance of promotion, self-improvement (even assessment or research opportunities), pay rise, bonuses, etc, yet still having the accountability… and I may well do…
That and foreigners are common place there.
They are pretty much all over Kanto now, so I don’t think that’s it, though doubtless it’s contributing to attitudes changing.
I do still remember ‘No Gaijin’, ‘No Whites’ signs on some bars though, and well after that was legislated against. Nowadays you only really hear of foreigners getting refused in some of the sex industry places with any regularity, though some of my friends have been refused car rental (even with all their papers in place), entry into spas (even with no tattoos) and even a gym, not to mention frequent ‘no foreigners’ notes to be found on real estate.
Plus one of my friends whose (legitimate and within date) visa was summarily ripped from his passport when he was leaving the country so he couldn’t get back in and lost his job. No explanation and when he appealed on returning he was told that yes the guy had been wrong but no they weren’t going to do anything about it. No explanation, his assumption is it was because he is black.
BTW, as a somewhat surreal footnote, the most immediate action that has so far been taken in the aftermath of Akihabara, is the Pedestrian Only Day has been banned. :rolleyes:
The citizens of Akihabara should think themselves lucky that they still have Sundays, and the freedom to rent trucks! 
[QUOTE=Mr Punch;867739]BTW, as a somewhat surreal footnote, the most immediate action that has so far been taken in the aftermath of Akihabara, is the Pedestrian Only Day has been banned. :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
It may come back some time in July. Anyway, taking some time to consider the security of the area and if the authorities can be confident about ensuring the safety of all the people there in the event there is another such incident (copycat crime?) doesn’t seem so unreasonable to me.
[QUOTE=unkokusai;867740]Anyway, taking some time to consider the security of the area and if the authorities can be confident about ensuring the safety of all the people there in the event there is another such incident (copycat crime?) doesn’t seem so unreasonable to me.[/QUOTE]A copycat crime in the same area? Possible I suppose.
Or they could just drive into Shibuya’s Senta-gai, any of the Pedestrian Only Days in Shinjuku, or any other of the major cities that have them… or if they wanted to hit a primarily otaku area there’s always Nakano Broadway… the bridge at Meijijingumae (although that’d be harder to get to… but hey, they’re no bollards at either end of Takesh ita Dori either…) or just go back to the still-just-as-popular (but now with increased population density since according to NHK news the same number of people are now crammed onto the normal pavements…).
Nah, it’s a typical response of wanting to be seen to do something without actually doing anything. And no, I’m not saying that that kind of reaction is limited to Japan.
[QUOTE=Mr Punch;867752]
Nah, it’s a typical response of wanting to be seen to do something without actually doing anything. [/QUOTE]
Thank goodness there is someone like you to pass judgement and provide all the answers then.
Lucky aren’t you?!
Yeah, it’s the human condition… met humans haven’t you Unk? They’re kind of like you but they judge people… oh wait a minute… oh snap!
Be a terrible thing if people expressed an opinion, especially on an emotive subject that partly affects us all eh?
I know my place, I’ll shut up now.
Maybe.
So Mr Kusai, what do you think would be sensible knife laws? Or how would you endeavor to protect the public from such future attacks?
I may well regret this…
So Mr Kusai, what do you think would be sensible knife laws?
And how would you endeavor to protect the public from such future attacks?
[QUOTE=Mr Punch;867776]So Mr Kusai, what do you think would be sensible knife laws?
And how would you endeavor to protect the public from such future attacks?[/QUOTE]
Dunno. My training is not in policing or criminal justice. That’s why my first reaction isn’t to immediately assume I know better than people who are charged with keeping the public safe. I guess I missed out on whatever emotional damage you suffered as a teenager that makes you feel so insecure in the face of authority that you are compelled to hide behind a knee-jerk opposition to anything that represents power or responsibility that you can’t personally control. However, it doesn’t strike me as unreasonable to put a hold on the exact kind of gathering of large numbers of people in the area that made it possible to hurt lots of people in little time until security there can be improved somehow. Maybe that will mean more police patrols during times of high traffic in the area, maybe it will mean installing conspicuous surveilance equipment around the area, maybe it will mean organizing vendors and residents in the area to watch out for each other in some fashion. I reckon there are lots of possible courses of action, but I’m not so intimidated by ‘da man’ that I will automatically scoff at any and every thing the authorities might propose or enact.
No such thing as “sensible knife laws”.
What’s next, sensible stick laws?
Sensible car laws?
Sensible chop stick laws?
To me, what got me about this rampage was the fact that the killer didn’t NEED a gun, also the effectiveness of a edged weapon VS multiple targets.
[QUOTE=unkokusai;867789]I guess I missed out on whatever emotional damage you suffered as a teenager that makes you feel so insecure in the face of authority that you are compelled to hide behind a knee-jerk opposition to anything that represents power or responsibility that you can’t personally control.[/quote]LOL, and I missed out on the emotional damage you suffered as a teenager that makes you give out cod psychology like that…
However, it doesn’t strike me as unreasonable to put a hold on the exact kind of gathering of large numbers of people in the area that made it possible to hurt lots of people in little time until security there can be improved somehow.
If that makes sense the police should stop the vast numbers of people who are thronging the area to leave votive offerings of drinks and flowers then, right?
Maybe that will mean more police patrols during times of high traffic in the area, maybe it will mean installing conspicuous surveilance equipment around the area, maybe it will mean organizing vendors and residents in the area to watch out for each other in some fashion.
Those are probably good ideas and I hope that they’re being looked into too.
…but I’m not so intimidated by ‘da man’ that I will automatically scoff at any and every thing the authorities might propose or enact.
LOL, it really is very strange to extrapolate that, but hey, you’re obviously having fun.
Thanks for your answer.
[QUOTE=sanjuro_ronin;867793]No such thing as “sensible knife laws”.
What’s next, sensible stick laws?
Sensible car laws?
Sensible chop stick laws?[/QUOTE]So, what you’re suggesting is everyone should be allowed to carry whatever they want?
[QUOTE=Mr Punch;867801]So, what you’re suggesting is everyone should be allowed to carry whatever they want?[/QUOTE]
Because its a case of either/or right?
Either its the wild, wild west or its Shangri-la?
Only a Sith believes in absolutes !!
LOL !
On a serious note, the issue is NOT the wepons and their availibility, as this tragic case shows, its the CAUSE of it that has to be dealt with, what drives someone to do this , or a Columbine or a Texas Tower or a Green River.
Banning the tools is a superficial solution to a very deep problem.
[QUOTE=Pork Chop;867695]Umm
Racism in Okinawa’s some of the worst racism in Japan.
It’s bad around any area near a military base.
http://www.debito.org
I was just in Okinawa last year.
Wasn’t allowed in a karaoke place coz I’m white.
Wasn’t allowed to get gas at a gas station because I’m white.
Wasn’t allowed in at least one store coz i’m white.
Wasn’t allowed in countless bars coz i’m white.
I speak Japanese pretty well and was pleading my case in each instance, but in each case it was policy, not even personal dislike by a particular employee.
If you only go off base once in a while, granted you’re not going to see it as much but if you knew what Okinawa was like before 95 and the first major rape, I doubt you’d have any warm fuzzies about it now. It’s gotten worse still since 2005.
That being said, I’m still going back in September.[/QUOTE]
Dunno…I can only speak for my experiences. In the four years I lived there…
I got into any karaoke place I wished
Received gas from numerous places around Kadena, Mihama (i think that’s the name) and Naha. Never had so much as an off look. In fact its the only place I ever experienced where they actually did all the work for me
I was allowed in every store/restaurant I stepped up too. My favorite is the Ramen shop in Chatan by the seaside bowl and arcade. And Fab…all you can eat curry. Soooo much better than Cocoichiban. And I heard they opened up a couple Yoshinoiya here in the US too. Yummmm!
Not only have I gone in any bar I wished but was actually friends with a few of the owners and DJ’s. I got to know some of the bands in the area. For example Mongol 800.
I was welcomed and trained in a couple different dojos while there. A number of my friends as well.
I got friends that played on the local Chatan baseball team. We had regular games with the hockey team in Naha…believe it or not they got a pretty kickin hockey team…and football team too (American football).
I can’t say more than that. I didn’t stay on the base. I in fact did everything I could to get AWAY from that place
Some of my best friends are Okinawan. I’m sorry you had such negative experiences. I can’t say that I experienced any of that. And I went anywhere and everywhere on that island between Okuma and Naha…
By the way there is a really awesome health spa/ steam house out there. I’ll see if I can dig up the name. It was really affordable too!