Japan's independent kids

[Samurai_Jerk]

A short documentary about the relative independence of young children in Japan.

[wagyl]

Without having watched the video, I have the feeling this may well be "young children in big cities" rather than "young children in Japan," and even if Mom's taxi and the school run has become common overseas in these fear-laden times, and even if that is happening in megapolises like New york and London, I still think this might be more accurate as "Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya's Independent Kids." OK Fukuoka, I'll let you be in the list too, even though I don't think you belong there.

Now I have watched it. Since when did Jake Adelstein get to be rent-a-pundit?

[Coligny]

And they compare with australia of all places. The land nature uses as a testing ground to exterminate mankind, where even the trees are on a mission to kill you, where you are lucky if spiders only attack birds and the birthplace of Hitler...
Make sense..

Also Adelstein init... Somebody going to lose their shit aboot it in 3... 2...
Abort... Abort... Abort...

[Grumpy Gramps]

"Independence" is a big word for "walking to school" imo. Poor western (mainly anglosaxon?) kids; what are they, like dogs on leashes? Lamentable.

[yanpa]

Apparently it's now too dangerous in the part of Anglosaxonia where I come from for kids to walk/cycle to school because of the increased traffic due to parents driving their kids to school.

[Coligny]

Be afraid citizen, be vewy vewy afwaid...
Are you scared yet ?

Anytime an islamofasciste can crash a flaming Boing 666 of the beast on your children walking to school.

To be safe drive them and only in a Cougar MRAP...

image.jpg

And just when I was writing this gis brought dat article:

A School District Bought An 18-Ton MRAP Because The World Is Insane

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/a-scho ... 1634810604

Stop this planet, I want out...

[Takechanpoo]

in my high school days, i still remember saw a low-teen little girl, who was a little bit bigger than the vids girl and maybe studied in a combine-junior-and-high girls prep school according to her all dark navy uniform, grouped her hip by a 40-50 years old salary man oyaji on chuo line train. she made her face grimaced by fear and gross feeling.
but i did nothing to help her. and acted like i didnt see it.

[Coligny]

And after did you finally say hello to your dad or continued ignoring him all the way home ?

[Salty]

I viewed the video and believe the same case could be made for kids in many countries – particularly where public transportation has been well developed, laws are generally enforced, weapons are restricted, etc. You know, civilized.

[kurogane]

Ahhhh, those kind of places. I haven't watched it yet and may not, but I smell a touch of the "It Happens in Japan, so it must be unique" queef. Isn't Jake Adelstein that Yakooza Expert that used to have Girl Fights with #C%J&? Boy, he must really need rent money if he's digging that deep.

Having said that, the sight of an elementary student commuting to school on a major metro line always warms my heart, especially the way they ask me for help if they need it, but I would propose a much simpler solution: send the poor little bugger to the school he or she could walk to. If the kid's not a dork or a spaz they'll do fine, and if they are, well, they might need some help. Says the guy who chose his own postgrad schools specifically for The Name Value.................

[Samurai_Jerk]

Without having watched the video, I have the feeling this may well be "young children in big cities" rather than "young children in Japan,"

Yeah, that's definitely a factor. I heard some white girl at a cafe with an American (or maybe Canadian) accent droning on and on about how shocked she was young kids in Japan go to school by themselves because that would never happen in wherever-the-fuck-she-was-from to her Japanese companion. I remember thinking she must not have lived in a big city with public transportation and sidewalks. Hell even in you-need-a-car-to-do-anything Los Angeles I walked to school for the two years I lived there between ages 6 and 8 because my house was close enough to do so. I was a teen when I was in NYC but I used to see plenty of elementary school aged kids going to school by themselves. However, I do think it's far less common than it used to be at least in America and a lot of parents are definitely afraid of letting their kids do anything alone in the big bad streets. And that's being reinforced by overzealous child protections agencies and nosy neighbors who call the cops anytime they see a kid playing outside alone. The irony is that most parents won't think twice about putting their kids on the school bus when that's often the most dangerous place they could be.

[matsuki]

I would propose a much simpler solution: send the poor little bugger to the school he or she could walk to.

THIS x 9999999999999999999999999999999999999

I walked to/from school til high school, then took the bus and drove when I turned 16.

Independent Japanese? Now that's a myth!

[Mock Cockpit]

Fuck me I wish my olds would have driven me to school everyday, all I got was "you've got two legs and a heartbeat, walk".