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Fort Hood attacker's execution by firing squad will be livestreamed, Pentagon says

Regardless of politics or whether or not you think the execution itself is warranted, there are now words to describe how barbaric live-streaming an execution is. www.bbc.com/news/article... #barbarism #execution #wtf

bbc.com

Pete Hegseth says the execution will be public, but a legal expert says the "unprecedented" decision is on "uncertain legal terrain".

Japan considers having nuclear-powered-sub study in security documents

Japan's talking nuclear-powered subs now and arming subs with (non-nuke) strike capabilities. Nothing’s decided, but I haven’t seen anyone explain who’d command them or authorize a strike. Subs carrying strike missiles sit awkwardly with Article 9. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/10... #japan #subs

japantimes.co.jp

Supporters of the move argue that the vessels are essential for maintaining Japan’s deterrence and response capabilities.

I expect this to be commonplace soon.

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Guia-VD-international-english.pdf

Important, useful, and safe information (in English) if you're experiencing domestic violence in Japan, or know someone who is. #domesticviolence #neverknown #dv #japan

drive.google.com

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Four brewers. 90% of Japan’s beer. Between them they own Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, Jim Beam, and Australia’s Lion as well. All raised prices in Oct 2022, then again in Apr 2025. Now the Fair Trade Commission has raided every one. Coincidence... Hmm. Nothing proven... #Japan #Beer #collusion

MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Good grief, I knew I'd seen her somewhere before!

MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Autumn is in the air and my area has our autumn festival over the weekend. I've helped run it for the past 7 years and always look forward to it. Local festivals are a part of the community here but something that tourists skip—not sure if that's good or bad! #Japan #Hamamatsu #Matsuri #Festival

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MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Mate plays in one of the top improv jazz trios (except there's four of them in this one) in the UK. This is from their recent gig in Berlin. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWW9... #illconsidered #emreramazonglu #jazz #improv #berlin

youtube.com

ILL CONSIDERED feat. TAMAR OSBORN @ Jazzwerkstatt Peitz | LIVE FROM BERLIN

YouTube video by BERTA.BERLIN

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I have taken my dog for a walk most nights for the past 8 years. For the first 6 years, I would pass my elderly neighbor walking their old lab. She passed away, but he still walks every night, on his own, and we still pass him. Mortality is a sad thing. #quietthoughts #mortality #melancholy

Translator stuff. Japan has a word for autumn leaf hunting, "momojigari" — deliberately going out to seek and admire the changing colors, like "hanami" for cherry blossoms in spring. In English we just "look at leaves," but Japan built an entire ritual around it. #Japan #Language #Translation

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Positive News | Good journalism about good things

My Bluesky feed is full of news, and none of it seems good these days. It bothered me, but a random google search trawled up this. Does one good to look at the positive sometimes. #positivenews #goodthings #news #freshlook www.positive.news

positive.news

Positive News is the first media organisation in the world dedicated to quality, independent reporting about what’s going right

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MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

It's great... have been numerous times.

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Nine years since my corner of Japan had a real typhoon. Not proof of anything by itself, one city's too small a sample. But typhoons really are shifting further north as the Pacific warms, so it's not nothing either. Another click on the dial of climate change. 🌀🇯🇵 #Japan #Typhoon #climatechange

MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I came to Japan before email was a thing and wrote letters to stay in touch. Now I realize I can't remember the last time I used a pen, let alone wrote a letter. #change #letters #stayintouch #writing

MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Japan's 10-year bond yield hit its highest level since 1996, with public debt now 2.5x GDP. Difference:unlike other debtor nations, most is owed domestically, not to foreign creditors. Doesn't make the math painless, but it changes who's exposed when it bites. 🇯🇵📊 #Japan #Economy #Debt

🎃 Zack o' Lantern 🎃 @zackdavisson.com · 03/10/2026

Reposted by MarcJapan

I have heard people say that Bluesky has no reach. That authors cannot market books here with any measurable impact. That Bluesky is a social media deadzone. Those people are 100% wrong. Thank you Bluesky. I'm a little teary. #Booksky #Catsky #yokai #Japan #folklore #Catsofbluesky

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Japan always finds ways to bemuse me. Still 30C and the stores are full of thermals and heavy jackets. #japan #winter #notcold

This has slowed significantly, unfortunately, but sill worth watching. Bluesky user count: bsky-users.theo.io #bluesky #usercount #alternatives

bsky-users.theo.io

Bluesky User Counter

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Kyoto University built an AI robot monk called "Buddharoid," partly to address Japan's shrinking number of actual monks. Spiritual guidance, now with a firmware update. I guess it's not just my local festival that is lacking people. 🤖🙏 #Japan #AI #Buddharoid #populationdecline

MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Looking forward to this. Loved the first one.

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Actually that's in Mori, the town to the northeast of Hamamatsu! (but it's a beautiful area...)

MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

TikTok made matcha a global obsession that drained Japan's tea farms dry. Prices up 170%, producers rationing sales, and demand outpacing a harvest that can't scale up quickly. Tried sourcing some for a client the other day.... VERY difficult to find good stuff. #Matcha #Japan #overdemand

Very true, but fortunately I don't HAVE to use Copilot. Meanwhile, it feels like Gemini has weaseled its way into almost every corner of the OS.

For what it's worth, the old Assistant IS on my phone, and show as so in the Play store. Opening it automatically sends me to Gemini, and there is no option to switch back anywhere in the phone (have tried). Well done Google, I'm actively looking around for other options.

True, but my understanding of it is that that is only a temporary measure...

Is that all?!? I caught Gemini out twice in about twenty minutes...😁

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MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Google replaced its phone assistant with Gemini AI. Siri is probably going to be replaced by something similar. Tried Gemini on my Android phone this morning. Horrific experience—basically a non-starter. Can't remove it. What's left, Linux?!?! #gemini #phones #android

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Toyota just posted its seventh straight monthly sales decline in China as domestic EV brands erode its share of the world's biggest car market. Toyota set the pace in Asia. Now it's playing catch-up. No time left for complacency... 🇯🇵🇨🇳🚗 #Japan #China #APAC

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MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Japan just ended its ban on lethal weapons exports — a policy in place since the postwar era — and can now arm 17 countries including the Philippines, Australia, and India. Framed as regional stability. Reads like an arms race starter kit for the South China Sea. 🇯🇵🌏 #Japan #IndoPacific #Defense

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Reposted by MarcJapan

mulboyne.bsky.social @mulboyne.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

On Twitter, Elon Musk responded to a question about buying a Japanese TV network, exciting his fans. Rupert Murdoch already tried to do that 30 years ago.

Musk responded "Would the government in Japan allow me to do so?" to an appeal for him to buy a Japanese TV network.

A user posted a Grok-made image of Musk in Samurai armour with a katana. The caption reads "Make Japan Great Again"

Grok is asked if Musk can buy a Japanese TV network. Grok says categorically no. The user responds by saying it "Sounds like a problem X can solve".

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MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Japan's foreign visitor numbers hit a record 42.7 million in 2025, chasing a government target of 60 million by 2030 — even as Chinese arrivals cratered amid a diplomatic spat. Big win, real strain. Overtourism isn't a side effect anymore, it's the main event. 🇯🇵 #Japan #Tourism

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MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Japan's making PR harder: fees up 20x, stricter income/visa rules, revocable over tax lapses. But the ones with real commitment here — spouse, kids, years of taxes paid — are exactly who Japan should want to keep. Instead it's pricing out commitment. 🇯🇵 #Japan #Immigration

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MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I have little opinion regarding him either way, but was bemused/disappointed at the lack of vitriol initially directed towards the stadium owners who insisted on Macklemore being dumped—sure that came later, but the initial outrage seemed somewhat misdirected.

MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Microsoft: Our future is not fuel for your AI empire! action.eko.org/a/microsoft-...

action.eko.org

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MarcJapan @grumblejpn.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Seeing a lot of people complaining about how crowded and touristy places like Tokyo and Kyoto are getting. There are other places in Japan to see! #japam #japantourism #japantravel #destinatuonjapan