Regarding the brief story "Ten climbers perish in Hokkaido" (July 25 issue), these were not "climbers," but weekend hikers usually found exploring gentle trails on minor peaks. Whoever organized the two casual tours into the Taisetsu mountain range sent these poor people to their deaths.

Anyone with any knowledge of mountain climbing would have known that there are sudden climate changes at high altitude and that a warm, sunny day can swiftly become a freezing hell, with wind and rain. Most likely the tour organizers, based in the flat regions of the Kanto Plain, had little understanding of mountain hiking and the very real life-threatening risks involved.

The tour organizers are guilty of far more than "professional negligence"; they are guilty of cynical stupidity. Why wasn't there an experienced mountain tour guide accompanying these hikers (said to be mostly in their 50s and 60s)?

The article that local governments are offering cheap tours for bloggers to boost tourism (July 4 issue) caught my eye.

I doubt if we could get frank and unbiased assessments from the bloggers who enjoy tours sponsored by local governments. Because most of the expenses are covered by regional tourist associations, the participants might make comments in favor of the associations.

If local governments really want to attract tourists and boost tourism, they should put more weight on the quality of their attractions.

Recently, more and more young Japanese are getting addicted to cannabis. It is surprising to learn that not only students but also sumo wrestlers are drug addicts. I'd like to know the background to this phenomenon. And I hear some countries tolerate such drugs. I can't understand why the drugs are not prohibited because they are harmful to everyone's health. I would like to know the downside and side effects of taking drugs.

As a foreigner married to a Japanese national and living in Japan legally, I find the new laws with regard to immigration quite troubling. I do not disagree with the government's desire to have a more effective system for visas and immigration of foreigners. However, I do have an issue with the tone and opinion that seems to be motivating these new policies — which is that foreigners are troublesome and need to be more closely monitored.

These new laws make me realize two things. First, Japan has a long way to go with regard to accepting foreigners, and becoming an open-minded and welcoming society. Second, my home country suddenly seems like a much more desirable place for me and my Japanese wife to spend our lives together.

The only thing being achieved by these types of laws is making law-abiding, tax-paying foreigners like myself lose respect for Japan as a country and begin to plan their exit, which will not be good for Japan now or in the future.

The Japan Times Weekly: Aug. 1, 2009
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