Abandon Ship! Foreigners Bail.

[matsuki]

Just yesterday I told her a face palming story that made her cringe and say: "We need to GTFO"


Jp person 1: Do you have "kahun-sho" in foreign countries? (hay fever)

Jp person 2: Of course they dont!

Me: errrr... yes we do....

Jp person 2: [death stare]

I always here FG talking about the whole 4 seasons thing but never heard that from a Japanese....though the Kafunsho question I get asked sooo many times every year that I've refined my reply to "Do you think Japan is the only country with flowers?"

[CrankyBastard]

How many of you are getting the "Why are you still here?", or "When will you be leaving Japan?" from Japanese.

In-laws been asking me that ever since I met them!

[AML]

I got the same shit from my parents:

AML's mom: "So, I was looking and there's this really nice 3 bedroom not 10 minutes from here. With a huge garden!"

AML's dad: "And I was talking to Mr. Gordon at the bank, he says you can start right away!!!"

WTF?

[cstaylor]

How many of you are getting the "Why are you still here?", or "When will you be leaving Japan?" from Japanese.

I tell them that fleeing Japanese (cough, Takechanpoo) bought all of the airplane tickets.

[Jack]

No kids yet, but we are working on it. (every single night:cool: )

The whole quake issue doesn't help. And neither did the hoarding.

I think shes afraid of having a baby here. (and I dont blame her)

Look, if you want to leave then leave. Don't give me that shit about Japan is this way or that way and so we had enough already.

Afraid of having a baby in Japan? Afraid of what?

Sayo fucking nara.

[omae mona]

Sayo fucking nara.

Sorry, Jack, could you remind us again exactly where in Japan you live?

[Coligny]

Afraid of having a baby in Japan? Afraid of what?

Hummm... don't get me started on this...

really...

don't...

[rooboy]

Look, if you want to leave then leave. Don't give me that shit about Japan is this way or that way and so we had enough already.

Afraid of having a baby in Japan? Afraid of what?

Sayo fucking nara.

Jack's a
There's just been a few fucking huge earthquakes, a huge tsunami and huge aftershocks that have disrupted life in Japan for millions as well as killed far too many people. Why wouldnt many people be scared about the damn future?

I don't live anywhere near the affected areas here but I think that's a cuntish thing to say Wack.

[AML]

Look, if you want to leave then leave. Don't give me that shit about Japan is this way or that way and so we had enough already.

Afraid of having a baby in Japan? Afraid of what?

Sayo fucking nara.

Afraid of people like you?

I dont need to explain my wife's fears to the likes of you.

If she wants to have our baby in another country, im all for it.

Why is it that when someones entertains the thought of leaving japan they get all deffensive?

I've been here over 10 years now, I've done my time!

I never intended to stay here forever.

Of course I will miss a lot of things about japan (jpussy)

But also a lot I most certainly won't.....

And I'll probably come back often. Because whether I like it or not, japan is now part of me through my wife and our future family.

[Mulboyne]

531,000 foreigners left Japan since quake; 244,000 in first week

A total of 531,000 foreigners left Japan in the four weeks from March 12 to April 8, including 244,000 in the first week after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the Justice Ministry said Friday. The number of foreigners who left Japan in the first week after the disaster increased sharply from the 140,000 who left in the week before the calamity, reflecting the recommendations of their home country governments, the ministry said. Of the foreigners who left Japan during the four weeks, 302,000, or almost 57%, obtained reentry permits. The total included 185,000 Chinese, 107,000 South Koreans and 39,000 Americans. The ministry also said 302,000 foreigners entered Japan during the four-week period, including 58,000 in the first week after the disaster in comparison with 157,000 in the week before.

A couple of points to bear in mind:

If 140,000 a week is normal then 531,000 in four weeks doesn't seem exceptional, notwithstanding the frontloading in the first week.

Then again, those MoJ numbers likely don't reflect foreign residents with valid re-entry visas who decided to leave. We won't know the trend in that data for much longer.

Also, the normal monthly exit number would reflect people who arrived on a 1-2 week trip and left. Since people cancelled those trips, the "net exit" number should be larger. In short, if people cancelled trips to Japan in March then the exit number in March should also be down.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Of course I will miss a lot of things about japan (jpussy)....

In which case, I would seriously recommend you stop trying to have a baby of course, you're already married so it's already too late to advise against doing that).

Render this comment obselete if the jpussy you're referring to is Hello Kitty.

[Mulboyne]

The keirin association has announced that no international risers will be competing in Japan between April and September.

Source (Japanese)

[Mulboyne]

[canman]

I do feel that there is a different attitude towards the US military up here Aomori. The people are honestly grateful for all the work the servicemen and women are doing, and all the food and other things they have given. I read that it was the US military that got the Sendai airport back up and running.
This past weekend two young service men both aged 19 had different incidents that would have had the locals howling, but so far the responses have been quite muted. One guy, was drinking and driving and crashed into a building, the other guy got into a fight with an older local ojisan at a convenience store and laid a beating on him. We will have to see what happens if any other incidents occur.

[Yokohammer]

I do feel that there is a different attitude towards the US military up here Aomori. The people are honestly grateful for all the work the servicemen and women are doing, and all the food and other things they have given. I read that it was the US military that got the Sendai airport back up and running.

The guy who lives across the street from me works at Sendai airport, and he was telling me the same thing. If it wasn't for the US military there's no way they could have got to airport to even a semi-functional level in such a short period of time.

This past weekend two young service men both aged 19 had different incidents that would have had the locals howling, but so far the responses have been quite muted. One guy, was drinking and driving and crashed into a building, the other guy got into a fight with an older local ojisan at a convenience store and laid a beating on him. We will have to see what happens if any other incidents occur.

And then all it takes is a couple of sauced-up hotheads like this to ruin all the goodwill created. What a shame.

[AML]

Why the hell is it the US military's duty to clear a Japanese airport?

Shouldn't it have been the Jp government and JSDF who did that?

I know the Jp are unable to have an original thought or act quickly or decisively, but that's just ridiculous....

[Yokohammer]

Why the hell is it the US military's duty to clear a Japanese airport?

Shouldn't it have been the Jp government and JSDF who did that?

I know the Jp are unable to have an original thought or act quickly or decisively, but that's just ridiculous....

The SDF are all over the damn place up here, working their asses off to clean up the rubble. I'd say they're spread pretty thin.

The US military concentrated on specific tasks, one of which was Sendai airport. The JSDF have to be everywhere.

[TennoChinko]

Why the hell is it the US military's duty to clear a Japanese airport?

Shouldn't it have been the Jp government and JSDF who did that?

I know the Jp are unable to have an original thought or act quickly or decisively, but that's just ridiculous....

The J-SDF probably could have cleared the Sendai Airport themselves but probably not as quickly as the US military. Specifically, it was the 353rd Special Operations Group (353 SOG) which is an operational unit of the US Air Force Special Operations Command. They have special experience in clearing out messes and getting airfields operational around the world that a typical J-SDF group probably lacks. More here. They also had, according to the statement put out by COL Toth, the United States Marine Corps Task Force Fuji, Marine Logistics Regiment 35 and Army Logistics Task Force 35. An account published by USAF here.

What would have been 'ridiculous' would have been the J-Government repeating the same mistakes of the PM Murayama's Socialist administration during the 1995 Kobe Earthquake when they refused almost all offers of US aid throughout. That kind of nationalistic pride ended up killing people who might have otherwise been rescued.

Getting the Sendai Airport open faster helped get the rescue efforts going and the supplies moving where they were needed. I don't think any of the survivors or evacuees will complain or indicate they would have preferred waiting longer for pure-Japanese assistance.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Why the hell is it the US military's duty to clear a Japanese airport?

Shouldn't it have been the Jp government and JSDF who did that?

I know the Jp are unable to have an original thought or act quickly or decisively, but that's just ridiculous....

Who said it's their duty, douche bag?

[matsuki]

[AML]

Who said it's their duty, douche bag?

Sounds like SJ hates me

Its cool that they could assist in such a big way. I applaud it. Im just surprised they had to.

Japan rarely admits needing help and even when they ask its never advertised because they are afraid to look weak.

[Mulboyne]

Near hysteria at Kansai International Airport as a 17-strong tour group arrives from Hong Kong.

Video here.

[Mulboyne]

[YThd]H716n-X2gLQ[/YThd]

The blogger Hikosaemon speaks about experiencing the quake and the aftermath. I suspect many of you won't have time to watch a 70 minute video but, even if you don't agree with some of his judgements, I think he accurately captures the uncertainty, stress and exhaustion of the last month for a lot of Tokyo's foreign residents.

[Mulboyne]

The hotel Green Tower Chiba has decided to close until the end of July owing to a shortage of guests. About 50% of their business comes from Asian and South East Asian tour groups.

Source (Japanese)

[Mulboyne]

Friends of my parents have been telling them how they wouldn't let their children live in Japan now.

"Tell your lad he can come down here to work instead," said one couple.

They live in Christchurch.

[canman]

Well, I guess the feeling of friendship and togetherness has gone out the window. As I told you before, last weekend two 19 year olds got into some trouble, one on a DUI, the other with assault. Now both the city of Misawa and Aomori prefecture have filed official complaints with the US military. I guess it was nice while it lasted, about one month.

[American Oyaji]

Up in Misawa, it's always the ones fresh of the tarmac, or the older kids of airmen.

Admittedly, there isn't much to do but drink and screw if you can't speak Japanese and don't have any J-pals. (Coming from a Misawa newbie perspective)

[Bucky]

Japanese with small children are bailing out too.

As many Japanese parents look for ways to take young children away from the country's tenuous nuclear situation, one place they're turning is Western Washington. Chihiro Huruzono flew into Seattle Tuesday with her 8-month-old daughter Yuri.

"There are people who believe what the government says and they're not concerned," Huruzono said through a translator, "but I'm really concerned, I'm glad that I'm here."

Mother and daughter are staying in Snohomish through the summer on tourist visas at the home of host Midori Clarke. They were matched through an international non-profit agency called "Open Your Heart, Open Your Home" which connects volunteer host homes and concerned parents

[Doctor Stop]

Admittedly, there isn't much to do but drink and screw if you can't speak Japanese and don't have any J-pals.

I guess they're not really into stabbing to death and robbing taxi drivers up there in Misawa, huh.