Does Japan Suffer Radical Islam Terrorism?

[Abraham]

If so, I've never heard of it.

Anyone know why?

Thanks!

[The Annoyed Man]

There is a Facebook meme to this effect circulating lately. I doubt it is true.

[Pariah3j]

My understanding is that Japan is a very closed society and doesn't have many foreigners that live there that are accepted. Between that and being mostly Buddhist, there isn't much room for radical Islam to take root. Just my .02 - that might not be completely accurate but I believe it has alot to do with it.

[baldeagle]

Japanese citizens have been beheaded in the war on terror.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/31/middleeas ... -hostages/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-hostag ... e-expires/

[Pariah3j]

They haven't been beheaded in Japan though - they were attacked abroad.

[SA_Steve]

Interesting, but not related: The Japanese have a WWII history of sacrificing their life for their cause, planned, on-purpose.

I can't think of any other group with this characteristic.

[SA_Steve]

Interesting, but not related: The Japanese have a WWII history of sacrificing their life for their cause, planned, on-purpose.

I can't think of any other of these two groups with this characteristic.

[WildBill]

My understanding is that Japan is a very closed society and doesn't have many foreigners that live there that are accepted. Between that and being mostly Buddhist, there isn't much room for radical Islam to take root. Just my .02 - that might not be completely accurate but I believe it has alot to do with it.

Some foreigners are allowed to work in Japan, but they do not become citizens or permanent residents.
When the work is gone, so are they.

Back in 1995 there was an act of domestic terrorism by members of a religious group who released Sarin gas in the Tokyo subway. I remember it well, because I was traveling in Japan at the time of the attack.
Everyday the subway and train stations in Tokyo are packed with thousands upon thousands of people. As the saying goes, they are "packed like sardines". It is amazing to me that more people were not killed.
Here is a picture of one of the less crowded subway lines at Kanda Toyko station. This was one of the few times that I actually had enough room to take a picture.

From Wikipedia - In five coordinated attacks, the perpetrators released sarin on several lines of the Tokyo subway during the rush hour, killing 12 people, severely injuring 50 and causing temporary vision problems for nearly 1,000 others. The attack was directed against trains passing through Kasumigaseki and Nagatachō, home to the Japanese government. It is the most serious attack to occur in Japan since the end of World War II.

[Abraham]

WildBill,

Aum Shinrikyo, a death cult, was responsible for the sarin gas attack.

They were a homegrown bunch of nutters.

I just now read a bit of why they don't have radical Islamic problems.

To very quickly sum it up, they don't allow them any room for their ghastliness.

They are very, very strict regarding the spread of radical Islam in THEIR country of Japan.

For details, Google it.

[WildBill]

WildBill,

Aum Shinrikyo, a death cult, was responsible for the sarin gas attack.

They were a homegrown bunch of nutters.

I just now read a bit of why they don't have radical Islamic problems.

To very quickly sum it up, they don't allow them any room for their ghastliness.

They are very, very strict regarding the spread of radical Islam in THEIR country of Japan.

For details, Google it.

The Japanese are very strict about reporting the news that shows them in a bad light. Not only outside of Japan, but internally.

One winter I went to Japan on a business trip.
After taking a train from Narita airport, we arrived at Shinjuku Station, the busiest train station in the world, 3.64 million people per day.
Our group was staying at a hotel near the train station. We walked from the train station to the hotel through an underground tunnel.
As we walked through the tunnel from the train station to the hotel I noticed that is was lined with shipping crates and cardboard boxes along side of the tunnel.
One of my co-workers commented that "They must be having a trade show."
I asked her why she thought that and she said "because of all of the boxes.They must be exhibits."
I told her "No, there are people in those boxes." She looked surprised and said "Why do you say that?"
I replied "I can see people sleeping in some of the boxes. Can't you smell it? The whole place smells like urine!"

After dinner we walked back to the tunnel and found it was closed.
There were Japanese policemen with riot gear blocking the entrance to the tunnel.
They wore helmets, face shields and carried long batons .
There were several hundred protesters, some with signs, as well as two trucks and camera crews from the local TV stations.
Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me so I didn't get any pictures. [This was pre-cellphone cameras]
The next day, when we walked through the tunnel, it was completely clear and clean. No evidence of boxes, crates or people.
I watched the local news for the next several days. Although I don't speak Japanese, I didn't see any pictures or video.
I asked a few of my Japanese co-workers and they had no knowledge of the event.
Nothing was reported on television or in the newspapers.
So, things may have happened that you will never hear about.

[Abraham]

WildBill,

Wow!

Do you think they were given a ride out in the country and dropped off or...?

[VMI77]

Because, well, it seems the Japanese government may actually represent to some extent the interest of Japanese people. Apparently they prefer to remain a 1st world nation instead of importing the 3rd world and descending into chaos in order to provide their oligarchs with cheap labor and new voters. It appears that it's mostly the west that has embraced national suicide.

[WildBill]

WildBill,
Wow!
Do you think they were given a ride out in the country and dropped off or...?

I have no idea.

[WildBill]

Because, well, it seems the Japanese government may actually represent to some extent the interest of Japanese people. Apparently they prefer to remain a 1st world nation instead of importing the 3rd world and descending into chaos in order to provide their oligarchs with cheap labor and new voters. It appears that it's mostly the west that has embraced national suicide.

They are very nationalistic. Japan's interests come first. They have very high import duties on foreign goods. The prices for Japan products are higher in Japan than in the US.
They are also protective of their farmers. They make sure all Japanese grown food is sold rather than importing cheaper product.

[bigity]

I don't know if it's true anymore, but I remember reading some research from the 80s-90s that Japan solves vastly more violent criminal cases than the US. The conviction rates are/were so high that criminal committing a crime actually expected to be caught. That, if still true, might have something to do with it as well.