nihon popular in pop videos again?

[FG Lurker]

You have to understand the differences between a city like Tokyo (large amount of organized crime) and a city like Portland. There is *bound* to be violence when you put a lot of powerful criminals in a small area.

The thing is most of this crime is between criminals. Yes, occasionally someone else ends up shot too but this is a very uncommon event, especially when you consider the population of Tokyo. The chances of being "caught in the crossfire" in Tokyo are much smaller than Portland. Run the numbers -- on a per capita basis of course.

I don't like Tokyo myself and have no desire to live there. However if given the choice between Tokyo and Portland it would be a no-brainer. Even if the pay/job in Portland was better I would not move my family to the US. I have no desire to live in the current American climate.

[Lupin4]

"I have no desire to live in the current American climate."
You got that right. Politics aside, the economy could be a lot better. And the financial stress (more than the political whining) is raising the tension level. Watch the USA stumble some more in the next 5 years as more folks like United Airlines are able to stop paying on their retirement plans and the boomers go ape-sh!#.

"You have to understand the differences between a city like Tokyo (large amount of organized crime) and a city like Portland."
Even though Portland doesn't have the money to keep the police stations open on weekends (or evenings), the City Council is spending $40-million on a tram to service a hospital parking lot. *Our* organized crime is elected
javascriptemoticon(':D')

So yeah, living in Japan is a no-brainer. And except for the unsettling feeling of walking through Roppongi at night, Tokyo does have it's special (yet 'turned to 11') charm.

Folks in the USA are always surprised when I fill in their half-heard stories of schoolgirl prostitution and other weird (but world-wide) behavior. They aren't surprised at the behavior...just that it goes against their perception of Japan. Then I remind them that the PDX Yakuza is building a tram...then they wonder why they don't move abroad themselves......And I can't think of any good reason not too.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Seeing the news report more folks getting shot in Tokyo than in my nationally-hyped hometown cut too close to the bone. After all the anti-gun whining in the USA, it was an uncomfortable example of what keeps happening around the USA (Washington, DC being the best example).

What the fuck is your point? Man, you are all over the place. Try to focus.

[FG Lurker]

Uh, so your point again was...what?

[Lupin4]

The point was actually something I've told my western friends. Being in Japan, it's just an obvious rehash of what you already know. Japan's weird in a way that folks not there don't grasp.

[Pencilslave]

Lupin sounds to me like one of those guys who came with rose-tinted glasses and was shocked to find that, yes, Japan has some crime and social problems too. It's not all high-tech gadgets and giggling animated school girls. Now he wants to convince the world that Japan is fucked because his dream is shattered. Most Americans I know don't think Japan is a wonderland. Just the otaku that have been rubbing 'em out to Sailor Moon since junior high.

Roflmao!! My own rose colored glasses got smashed all to hell since I started reading and posting here, but despite knowing Japan's not the wonderland I thought it was, I'm still going to visit one day. I still love Japan, warts and all.

[FG Lurker]

The point was actually something I've told my western friends. Being in Japan, it's just an obvious rehash of what you already know. Japan's weird in a way that folks not there don't grasp.

And how is this in any way related to gun killings in Tokyo?!?

Most countries share many of the same problems... That's cause they're all full of humans. And being the idiots that we are (human race in general) we tend to all fuck up the same sorts of things.

[FG Lurker]

Roflmao!! My own rose colored glasses got smashed all to hell since I started reading and posting here, but despite knowing Japan's not the wonderland I thought it was, I'm still going to visit one day. I still love Japan, warts and all.

Japan is a wonderland all right, just not in quite the ways that many people expect...

[kotatsuneko]

sorry, correction, just saw that vid with the volume ON and the basement jaxx vid is , in fact, several years old

[Buraku]

http://www.hektik.org/various/media/tokyo_breakfast.mpeg

I was hoping for a report and pictures of the crucified upsidedown Santa-Jesus in a Tokyo store window display for Christmas.
Yes, yes I know it is the stuff ofurban legend. Nobody will believe me, but I swear on stack of Korans that I saw one in 1986 in the open mall walkway of south Shinjuku station.

[/quote]

and this is a good thing ?
http://pages.prodigy.net/mshimkus/mr_yellow3.gif