bobby12

yes they find some real characters on that show. i often wonder how much time they spend preparing and finding people to invite them into their homes. it looks sponteneous but sometimes i wonder if it isnt all pre-arranged. once they did a behind the scenes show, and they got the guys in who do the camerawork and showed off how they do it. the voiceover is really OTT, but it wouldnt be japanese tv without something OTT in it.

I love that show! I think it is called MACHI NO ARUKI or something. You get a good feel for the atmosphere of the town.

Just my opinion based on a few business trips there, but Australia is massively under populated and it could really benefit by increasing immigration much more. I noticed people there are quite openly racist (this is just based on my personal experiences but other people have said the same thing to me) so I think it may be difficult for the government to increase immigration much more.

We used to use Japanese youchien when my son was 3, it was like a school really - very big, full time hours, they even took them for half day on saturdays too. That cost only 15000yen a month or so if I remember rightly. I think that is available for 2 years until they start regular Japanese school which is free. So it is quite cheap here, however in Tokyo it is difficult to get into the youchiens because of too many people. re. UK: yes it is totally messed up but the Tories are starting to sort it out. There is plenty of work needs doing in the UK, look around the filthy street

They can't let it go, or else it would set a precedent and all the players would be at it, animals that they are.

Totally off topic but I went on the A380 for this first time today. Was completely unimpressed! The only thing new on it is a box next to the window to put bags in.

Yes everything must be new, and all bags must have LV logo on the side. Jesus, lets get with the program. I heard stories of people not having a bath for a week, freezing every night. Let's just get them the essentials and stop this stupid pickiness.

I am using Japan Today for latest info, but they release a story usually only twice a day or so about Fukushima recently. I think Kyodo has more frequent updates if you are into finding needles in haystacks.

I reckon this might be a job for Sea Chicken.

Any creative solutions to the Fukushima problem? My idea: Cut away all the land from around the plant, so it becomes a floating island. Then use a tug-boat to push it up to those disputed islands (Kurils?). Then let Russia take care of the problem. Jobs a good un!

He will end up at Barca in a year or two, sick of english weather etc.

Yes i agree BA are exploiting and I hate them for some reason even though I have never flown them. A lot of businessmen and expats fly economy. A lot of Japanese companies, even huge ones have a policy to use economy class for most people except the real elite Directors and so on. On the opposite side, I know some tiny companies that will use business class every time.

re. "expensive flights" usually it is expat companies paying for their pampered execs to fly back, therefore BA can charge what they want. re. "Suppose the Nuclear disaster was apocalyptic " Your embassy would pay for your flight. e.g. British Embassy gave free flights to those who were directly affected by this earthquake. And in small african countries that suddenly go into to civil war, you hear about embassies sending in the army to get their civilian countrymen out. They are not going to just leave you, thats what all those visa fees are saved up for! And that is g

Do you guys know many people that have fled Japan? Loads of families have left from my kids school, I am worried if the school will even be able to survive the next year or so. Hopefully non of the teachers have gone. Basically all the families without a Japanese parent have left. A lot of them went for a month temporarily but many of them have just said its like the straw that broke the camels back, ie. they have been thinking to move back anyway for a while and this was the trigger to force them into a decision.

"Have seen that many supermarkets are restricting essential purchases to one item per person, ie one loaf of bread per person." Well this seems like the sensible answer to the hoarding that apparantly is happening in Tokyo. Funny thing is more hoarding seems to be gong on in asia, all these stories of people hoarding the dodgy chinese salt that is full of iodine!

Its good tv and has some safety benefits too, so everyones a winner.

"So right now in Tokyo people are recieving double the radiation you'd get from eating a banana.......doesn't really sound THAT bad, does it?" Personally I always eat two bananas at a time, so for me there is no appreciable increase in risk.

In my company there are about 10 non Japanese. One of them today wangled a flight home to 'work from home'. Guess which country he is from? Damned French, grow a pair!

France is advising all its nationals to evacuate Tokyo.

"A French friend of mine just emailed me that flights home are in the neighbourhood of 5000$. Greedy bastards." When you read it on the news, it sounds like France is offering free flights home for it's countrymen. In reality they are just saying 'you should come home' and they are sending over two extra planes but you still have to pay for it. This just seems stupid and irresponsible (because it induces panic) of the French gov. to me. Grow a stiff upper lip!

The French are evacuating their people and have sent two Air France planes to help. Not clear if it means from Tokyo to Kyushu etc, or all the way to france. Looking at the original, it seems like they are taking them back to France? http://www.ambafrance-jp.org/

By the way I am fairly thankful Kan is in charge. At least he seems to have half a brain unlike a lot of the predecessors. I think Kan should utilise good old Japanese 'group decision making' (AKA: reduction of liability in case something goes wrong) by allowing foreign nuclear experts to come in and get full info access and advise on how to stop the reactors melting down. Maybe now it is too late though ("after 4 days the Americans came in a sorted the problem out").

"What can I do?" is the question I think the media/government needs to start answering now. Tell us what is needed and how to provide it. Saying that Kan is finally starting to show a bit of leadership, maybe things will start to come together soon.

Thats the one with the guys having a leisurely picnic in the bottom left corner while everyone else is sprinting up the hill.

uniclo sent up a ton of heattec stuff according to their website. so i guess clothes must be needed, but perhaps not in dribs and drabs. there doesnt seem to be anything on japanese tv about 'how you can help'. maybe the publics help is not needed yet.