Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2009

Being a musician myself, it has been nice to see so many articles about local/independent music in Japan (“Rock the House,” Feature, September 18).

While it can be frustrating to not be able to “make a living” from playing in a band, I believe that keeping shows intimate makes it worth it in the end. Sure, I would like to make mountains of money from playing gigs, but I know what it’s like to stand behind thousands of people at an arena show to watch a band that looks like ants. (I don’t want to do that to people). It takes a lot of passion to carry on even when the cost is coming out of your own pocket. I’ll keep supporting these musicians.

I’d also like to mention that I attended the Japan Nite concert in SF, and I had a blast. Red Bacteria Vacuum put on an impressive show, as did the rest of the bands. Well worth it.—“miledrive,” via the Metropolis comment threads

C.B. Liddell writes that Japan could resemble “blue ribbon democracies such as Britain and the United States” (“Two-Headed Monster,” The Last Word, September 18). Well, if that’s blue ribbon, Japan doesn’t have much to work at. The US political system is a sham and hardly grown-up. The Democrats and Republicans voice their positions in sound bites and slander their opponents.—“usaexpat”*

At least parties in the US actually get the chance to voice themselves. Campaigns in Japan are so short, and so restricted, that all most people see is a white glove emerging ghostlike from a white van while listening to a leather lunged harridan scream the politician’s name over and over, followed by “onegaishimasu.” Japan has no candidate debates at the local level (or any at the national level that are publicized), a horrible nepotism problem, and an amazing gerrymander with regard to the relative strengths of urban and rural voters.

Yes, Japan has a LONG way to go.—“DS”*

This book sort of reminds me of the “Lee Harvey Oswald as sole assassin” conclusion of the Warren Commission versus the 2,000 or so conspiracy books written about the Kennedy assassination (“Occupied City,” Books, September 18). The Warren Commission is the Japanese courts and Justice Minister, which convicted and upheld the murder charge against Sadamichi Hirasawa and put him on death row for 40-something years without executing him. Hirasawa’s defenders put forth a persuasive case that he was not the one who poisoned the bank workers. What Peace has tried to do is answer the question, “If not Hirasawa, then whodunnit?” It was a very ambitious book, and no Japanese writer has ever come up with a satisfactory explanation either—except to blame the Americans, which they do for practically everything that occurred during the Occupation.—“Beelzebub”*

Kit-Kat in Japan never ceases to amaze me (“Snack Time,” Upfront, September 11). Most of them are pretty good. Let’s see, what’s in my freezer… Oh, look! Apple-Vinegar Kit-Kat and, uh, looks like Ume Soda Kit-Kat. Full marks for creativity.—“Ranger_Miffy”*

Is this an experiment in new flavoring methods or is it for health purposes? You have to cover the veggies with chocolate before people will eat it? Thanks for nothing!—“jackseoul”*

*Via the Japan Today comment threads

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