Ishihara "Just say 'No' to Hanami"?!?

[Caustic Saint]

[cstaylor]

We cancelled ours... the last thing I wanted to do is drink with my employees (for business owners with Japanese employees, it's more like forced babysitting than fun).

I'll be spending the day at the park with my family instead.

[Coligny]

rahhh... choices, choices...

This retard or the other one who want to expell all foreigners from japan...

[cstaylor]

This retard or the other one who want to expell all foreigners from japan...

There's only one? I suggest we start with the non-seafood eating foreigners.

[Mulboyne]

He can't actually ban anything but he has ordered public parks not to make any special preparations such as putting out extra bins and toilets. If the parks apply their usual ordinances then, in theory, they could expel any parties.

I don't think people are clear one way or the other on this. No doubt some lavish corporate events will be cancelled and its probably right that they should be. I don't think all hanami celebrations should be considered inappropriate or disrespectful,however. They can encourage a sense of community which is no bad thing to have right now. I can understand why some people won't feel like having a party but it seems to me there are also quite a few people who could do with one.

[legion]

Blinky's just sore cos he never gets invited to the good ones

[legion]

Having thought this over a while I have come to the conclusion Blinky is being a bit obstructive here. Sure people don't feel like partying, but getting together, having a few drinks and contemplating the blossom will probably help a lot of people come to terms with things.

A guy I work with who lost two relatives in the tsunami (missing presumed dead) told me he feels guilty having a drink right now, but there isn't a lot he can do about it, so he still wants to be able to go to his favourite watering hole even if he can't really enjoy it right now.

Just make sure they ship a few crates of booze to the affected areas in time.

[Iraira]

Maybe this is just a way to balance the "tenbatsu" scud he launched after the tsunami. "Now, I am so consumed with heaviness about this tragedy, I cannot conceive of anything that involves merriment. Remember to vote for me next election!!" -Your humble servant with a tortured soul.

[legion]

Maybe this is just a way to balance the "tenbatsu" scud he launched after the tsunami. "Now, I am so consumed with heaviness about this tragedy, I cannot conceive of anything that involves merriment. Remember to vote for me next election!!" -Your humble servant with a tortured soul.

Quite probable

[cstaylor]

Maybe this is just a way to balance the "tenbatsu" scud he launched after the tsunami. "Now, I am so consumed with heaviness about this tragedy, I cannot conceive of anything that involves merriment, and neither should you!. Remember to vote for me next election!!" -Your humble servant with a tortured soul.

FTFY.

[plaid_knight]

I may not feel much like celebrating. But after everything that happened the idea of having lunch and drinking with family and friends and talking for a while sounds okay.

Ishihara shouldn't go around pretending to have feelings. He's not very good at it.

[Yokohammer]

Hanami is going to be balm for the broken spirits of many of the people here in the Tohoku region.

Ishihara can go fuck himself.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I can't think if anything more healing than a sunny spring afternoon in the park with my buddies and a few bottles of booze.

I'm with Iraira that this is probably just an attempt to look like he has feelings after the outrageous tenbatsu rant. The sad part is it'll probably work.

[dimwit]

I have seen few of the usual anticsat Dogo park this year and most seem to be rather somber affairs or small family get togethers.

[matsuki]

So....when is the FG Hanami? We can mark our area with a plethora of printed and photoshopped blinky pics and some of out more favorite quotes.

[cstaylor]

Looks like it's backfiring:

Tokyo gov't seeking cherry viewers' self-restraint, drawing criticism

The Tokyo metropolitan government has asked visitors to its parks to voluntarily refrain from holding parties under blooming cherry trees, in the Japanese seasonal tradition of ''hanami,'' in light of the March 11 quake and tsunami and power shortages, drawing some criticism for excessive restraint.

At Ueno Park, one of the major beauty spots in Tokyo whose roughly 1,200 cherry trees draw more than 1.5 million visitors each season, some 30 signs put up by the Tokyo government read ''We ask for voluntary restraint on parties within the park in the wake of the earthquake.''

[Samurai_Jerk]

Looks like it's backfiring:

I'll be in Ueno Park getting shitty in a couple of hours. If you see a small group of unusually abrasive FGs there it's me and my friends.

[cstaylor]

Let us know if the fun police are out there enforcing jishuku.

[Ganma]

Looks like it's backfiring:

Let's hope it's enough to ruin his chances for reelection.

[Caustic Saint]

Let's hope it's enough to ruin his chances for reelection.

If the turnout in Yoyogi today was any indication of what people think of Ishihara and his ideas, there might be a chance of that.



[SIZE="1"](Let's be real, though. You know he's getting reelected.)[/SIZE]

[Ganma]

[dimwit]

I can't fathom all these pointless sacrifices. We had a couple of festivals already cancelled in Matsuyama. Wouldn't be better to hold the festival and use it to encourage fund raising for the victims of the earthquake?

[Samurai_Jerk]

There were definitely people out in Ueno Park this weekend but it wasn't the usual cluster fuck. Of course the cherry blossoms aren't supposed to be in full bloom till the middle of this weekend so maybe it was just too early.

Blinky can suck a dick.

[wagyl]

Blinky can suck a dick.

Well he can't actually. Didn't you see Ganma's post above?

[legion]

Blinky can suck a dick.

Down at the Kanamara Shrine by the sounds of it

[Mike Oxlong]

[Ganma]

[cstaylor]

Damn... he's just been declared the winner

[CrankyBastard]

Damn... he's just been declared the winner

That's what I said back in 1999!

[legion]

I guess all the people out at the hanami today should have cast their votes first.

The guy is proof that it doesn't matter what you say, so long as you get your name in the paper people will vote for you. He's like the political answer to Donald Trump, a total train wreck, but people keep jumping on board.