Since half of 2026 has already passed, I thought I’d take this opportunity to briefly look back on the past six months. By the way, these are all my personal opinions, so depending on the topic, there may be parts I don’t fully understand. Please take this with a grain of salt, thinking, “Oh, so there’s someone out there who thinks this way.”
My trips to the U.S. and Europe fell through—all because of the U.S.
For details, please see “The Cancellation of The Royal International Air Tattoo 2026,” but due to the completely senseless and fruitless U.S. attack on Iran, my annual trip to RIAT and my European travels—which I always look forward to—have been called off. Of course, I also incurred losses such as cancellation fees.
In any case, it’s all the fault of the U.S. president, who was manipulated by Israel, and the American people who elected him.
That said, since next year’s RIAT is scheduled to feature a collaboration with “Tiger Meat,” I’ve decided to think of this year as a break.
Also, I’ve decided not to take my annual fall trip to the U.S. this year. Part of it has to do with the midterm elections, but more than anything, I believe the risk of traveling to the U.S. is potentially high because Iran is unlikely to just sit idly by. As a result, I won’t be able to buy the new iPhone there, but since my life is more important, I guess it can’t be helped.
I Can No Longer Watch the “Star Trek” Series Inexpensively
“Paramount+,” which I’d been subscribing to through Amazon Prime Video, is no longer available in Japan. Just to be clear, it’s not that I want to watch “STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY,” which has already been canceled. To put it bluntly, this series feels like a costume-drama-style coming-of-age show—its story is so different from the essence of Star Trek that I couldn’t get into it, so I only watched about two or three episodes. Personally, what I’m really sad to lose access to is “STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS.” There are still two seasons left, so I’d really love to watch them somewhere. Apparently, it’s become unavailable in Japan due to licensing issues—is there really no way to fix this?
The NHK President Mentions the Decline in TV Viewership—Why Now?
At a regular press conference, the NHK president apparently acknowledged the decline in TV viewership based on a survey that’s been conducted for over 60 years. But the very fact that he’s bringing this up at a press conference now just goes to show, once again, how out of touch NHK’s management is. Also, what’s the deal with this “60-year-long survey”? As I’ve mentioned in another TALK segment, NHK’s surveys have to be considered extremely unreliable since they don’t incorporate opinions from the internet—especially social media. Anyway, the shift away from TV is already common knowledge in the West, where television programming consists either of streaming services or channels that broadcast news all day long. NHK is not the only one—there are probably only a handful of countries where broadcasters continue to produce programs that can no longer attract ratings. In Japan, I think the very fact that NHK and commercial broadcasters still exist is extremely rare. That’s why I think it’s about time NHK scaled back on commercial-style dramas and variety shows, not only to review top executives’ salaries but also to stop collecting license fees. Neither of those justifications holds much weight, after all. What’s needed from NHK right now is a review of its salary structure to ensure it reflects employees’ contributions to the organization’s performance, along with a review of programs with high production costs. Only then, after demonstrating the results of these management efforts to the public, should the nation as a whole re-examine whether it’s truly necessary to collect license fees.
What do you think of NHK’s stance of demanding money even during disasters? Their reporting style doesn’t seem to take the situation into account, does it?
As an aside, I think that not only NHK but also JR should acknowledge that the “railway myth” is an outdated concept and halt the Maglev project—which continues to destroy nature—as soon as possible. After all, no matter how you look at it, there’s simply no demand for a railway between Tokyo and Nagoya, right?
Japan Should Immediately Enact Laws Banning Social Media for Those Under 16
If I’m not mistaken, Australia has already banned social media use for those under 16, and the UK is moving forward with similar legislation, targeting next spring.
I believe Japan should also move forward with this kind of legislation. When I say this, I expect the inevitable counterargument: “What about children’s rights?!” But don’t we see scenes all over town where parents—who are supposed to be protecting their children—are neglecting them while they’re glued to their smartphones? So, I feel it’s correct to interpret that the era when we could rely on parents to manage their children has already passed, and we’ve entered an era where we need laws to protect children. In Japan’s case, considering the reality of the never-ending stream of scam incidents, I think the age limit should be set at under 18. Of course, children need smartphones for social media, college entrance exams, and job hunting, don’t they? In those cases, even if parents may seem unreliable, it’s essential for them to implement tools to restrict or manage the social media their children use. In that sense, I think the child protection features Apple is currently rolling out for iOS are coming at the perfect time.
Also, and this relates to what I’ll discuss later, I believe certain restrictions are necessary regarding children’s use of AI. Current AI lacks the ability to filter conversations based on indicators such as the user’s maturity, comprehension, or judgment. Therefore, even for complex issues, the standard approach is to provide the most generic response possible to satisfy the user. Consequently, in some cases, this can lead to incidents or accidents. At the very least, I believe we’ve reached a stage where it’s essential for parents to have the ability to periodically review summaries of their children’s AI usage history. Shouldn’t we also establish laws that prohibit the use of AI chatbots that lack such monitoring features?
We must not allow scandals and gossip to create a political vacuum
I’m not sure if it’s the Constitutional Democratic Party or the centrist parties—I’m not exactly sure which—but I’d really like them to stop wasting precious taxpayer money on activities based on trivial stories from weekly magazines, wouldn’t you agree? It’s precisely because they keep doing such childish things that the public ends up saying “No!” to them at the polls. Why can’t they seem to understand that? The things the people in Nagatacho do are sometimes completely baffling. That said, since they’re politicians, they should focus on matters related to running the country!
It is no longer acceptable for the elderly to drive commercial vehicles
Recently, there have been prominent news reports of accidents involving elderly drivers, such as those operating minibuses for shuttle services. While it’s true that many elderly people are healthy and have good cognitive abilities, I have absolutely no intention of making a blanket statement that all elderly driving is dangerous. However, in cases where drivers are transporting multiple passengers—even if it’s for volunteer work—shouldn’t we urgently implement measures to prevent accidents by setting specific age limits? Of course, even stricter restrictions should be imposed on taxi drivers. While these incidents may not make the news, there must be a certain number of accidents involving elderly taxi drivers. At the very least, I think we should start by implementing measures that can be done at the administrative level, such as requiring stickers that indicate the driver’s age.
Also, as an aside, don’t you think the prison sentences for drivers who cause accidents resulting in personal injury are ridiculously short? Causing an accident that can completely change a person’s life—and that of their family—and then receiving a sentence of just two to three years—what on earth is going on here? I just don’t get it.
Whether it’s child welfare services or the police, why are they so eager to rush through these cases?!
The issue surrounding Giants manager Abe’s resignation. I don’t know the details, so I can’t speak irresponsibly, but if I were to summarize this incident broadly, an outsider would likely think: “Isn’t this just an AI that can’t read the room, child welfare services that suddenly dumped all responsibility onto law enforcement, and the police making an arrest that impacts a person’s life without carefully analyzing the situation?”
As for the AI mentioned first, its basic function—responding to user inquiries in a friendly manner and guiding them toward solutions—is fine. However, the point users themselves must be most wary of is that, since AI is a machine, it can’t read the room and doesn’t understand how much its suggestions could derail a person’s life.
As for the Child Guidance Center, the mistake stemmed from a mindset among frontline staff—working in a low-paying job where they can’t afford to spend time listening to every child’s whim—that essentially said, “Just get it over with already!” That said, the Child Guidance Center isn’t an enforcement agency; it’s supposed to be an organization that supports the creation of a safe environment for children. It seems to me that part of the problem behind incidents like this lies with irresponsible media outlets that hold these agencies to an unreasonably high standard of accountability for their blunders.
The reality of beat officers who make arrests and issue citations without judging the situation fairly and with common sense. To be honest, I personally have the feeling that the quality of beat officers is declining day by day. No matter what the case may be, it is not easy to overturn a decision made by a single officer—even if it was wrong—and even if charges are dropped, the record remains on their file for life. Do the officers themselves not understand the weight of the responsibility they bear?
A country cannot be called a democracy unless the right to request a retrial applies even to traffic tickets issued by police officers.
The illustration above depicts an actual incident involving a local police officer at “Showa Memorial Park.” The illustration is small and may be hard to make out, but because a large vehicle suddenly emerged from the left side of my car’s path of travel, it was impossible for me to see the pedestrian behind it from my vehicle. Despite this, a local police officer who was behind the pedestrian attempted to issue a 2-point traffic ticket for obstructing a pedestrian. Naturally, since the large vehicle that pulled in was the cause of the obstruction—making the pedestrian invisible to me—I spent an hour and a half arguing with the officer. That officer was a rookie who, in reality, was so inexperienced he didn’t even know the proper procedure for issuing a traffic ticket. During this time, patrol cars came by repeatedly to assess the situation, and eventually, a motorcycle patrol officer arrived. Ultimately, I refused to accept the ticket, so the case is now in the hearing stage.
What I want to point out here is that there is no procedure in place to resolve the matter on the spot if a single inexperienced officer declares a violation. Ideally, an experienced motorcycle patrol officer should have mediated and, depending on the circumstances, refrained from issuing a citation. However, the motorcycle patrol officer stated that since he hadn’t witnessed the incident himself, he could only explain the standard procedure. I believe the police’s approach—where the judgment of a single, inexperienced officer takes precedence—needs to be corrected. To put it dramatically, this is also a form of wrongful accusation.
In this case, given that the road conditions are complex to begin with, the reality is that an environment where first-time drivers are easily ticketed has been left unaddressed—and this needs to be rectified immediately. During my statement, the official in charge even went so far as to say, “That said, we don’t have the funds to install traffic lights,” which made no sense at all. I really hope the media (preferably on a morning show) will shine a light on the fact that the government’s negligence in allowing this situation to persist is effectively being passed off as driver violations. It’s almost certain that this kind of misleading administrative practice is being carried out openly.
Also, as an aside, haven’t you noticed that in recent years, even for minor incidents, an absurdly large number of police officers tend to gather at the scene? A recent incident that comes to mind is when a large number of officers had cordoned off the area, yet by the time the Special Assault Team (SAT) arrived, the suspect was nowhere to be found. Also, when driving by, I’ve seen an overwhelming number of patrol cars, police motorcycles, and officers gathered, making me wonder, “What happened?” Then, when I checked the news later, it turned out to be just a minor scuffle. What I’m trying to say is: no matter how many police officers gather, aren’t they ultimately serving no purpose? Doesn’t this reflect the reality of a law enforcement agency that has become nothing more than a crowd—one that simply gathers in response to a call without any central command? I suspect that it’s not just that few people want to become police officers, but that personnel with the necessary qualifications for the job—especially those needed on the front lines—aren’t being deployed in the first place. Furthermore, since there are no commanding officers capable of managing the situation on the ground, isn’t this just a case of gathering a large number of people for the sake of it? I really hope the media will investigate this aspect as well.
The United States is clearly adrift and lacks both the qualifications and the character to act as the world’s policeman.
First, as a clear fact, the United States’ system of government based on the separation of powers is dysfunctional. I was once again shocked by the reality that the United States is a country where the government can arbitrarily carry out despicable military actions—such as trampling on the sovereignty of other nations and assassinating their heads of state—without congressional approval. Moreover, the fact that the judicial branch is taking no action against this unilateral act of aggression leaves me wondering, “Wait, why?” I want to make it clear that a country that resembles a Western movie has no qualifications to act as the world’s policeman.
Another thing I’d like to say about the U.S. is that, as a result of driving so-called “minority” ethnic groups out of the country, the nation’s IQ has plummeted, and we’ve ended up in a truly pitiful situation where white people—who can’t even hold down a job at Starbucks—are making a fuss without understanding the situation at all. Americans—or rather, white people—are loudly proclaiming “America First,” but in what way are white people superior to other ethnic groups? Can they actually explain that specifically? They are literally trying to repeat the history of Nazi Germany’s persecution of the Jews. I suspect the current president feels like Hitler, continuing to squander resources while governing as he pleases, and convincing the public of the delusion that “we are the superior race and nation.” In any case, many Americans are ignorant of the world. Furthermore, they are by no means intelligent. As long as the country is ruled by a large, ignorant populace that is very easy to manipulate, America will never become “great.” What is missing to make this a country where people can live in prosperity and security? Isn’t it time for Americans themselves to pause and reflect? Will a president ever emerge who can lead the nation based on these truths?
In any case, I hope the midterm elections will serve as an opportunity to reexamine the fact that the American people bear responsibility for electing a deranged president who is focused solely on his own self-interest. Rather than choosing a president based on momentum or personal likes and dislikes, what kind of president can maintain order not only for their own citizens but also for the world? I believe America needs the resolve to clearly define the qualities required for such a leader and to thoroughly reform the electoral process over the remaining two years—ensuring it is free from manipulation by social media and other influences.
Since this is a good opportunity, let me summarize the achievements of the great Trump administration.
I’ll skip over the countless scandals and instead offer my personal assessment of some of the policies the administration officially pursued. How will Americans evaluate this report card, and how can they use it to guide their next steps? Ultimately, it seems not only that not a single one of these initiatives succeeded, but that it was a chain of blunders—at the level of the national budget—that failed to return even a single dollar to the American people. At the very least, this is how many non-white Americans view the United States.
- The “America First” policy, which began with the president proudly dubbing himself the “Tariff King”
In the end, it resulted in a ruling from the courts that the policy was illegal, culminating in an unprecedented situation where the administration had to refund the tariffs collected from various countries at enormous cost. - Fiscal austerity measures that drastically cut wasteful spending
It started off well, but it began with an internal feud with Mr. Musk, and ultimately, not only were the budget cuts not passed on to the public, but they also led to a decline in government services. - A baffling policy of persecuting intelligent organizations to keep ignorant Americans in the country
A policy reminiscent of the Nazis—cutting university budgets and deporting outstanding international students—to eliminate talented individuals with the intellect to challenge the administration, leaving only “dumb” white people in the U.S. Furthermore, the administration eliminated the organizations and personnel that the U.S. prided itself on for disease control. As a result, if a biological weapon or a second COVID-19 pandemic were to occur, the U.S. would face the risk of extinction. - The ruthless ICE task force cracking down on undocumented immigrants and the illegal mobilization of state National Guard troops
Undocumented immigrants made up the majority of workers in social services, convenience stores, Starbucks, and similar retail jobs. While the exact figures are unclear, the crackdown on undocumented immigrants has resulted in white Americans filling those positions, reportedly sparking a storm of complaints on the ground. Ultimately, this policy has only served to prove that white Americans were incapable of doing anything on their own. - The Illegal Arrest of the Venezuelan President in a Surprise Attack
Launching a surprise attack to arrest the president of a sovereign nation is by no means a strategy a sane president would ever decide on. It’s a sovereign nation, for heaven’s sake! And to think that the U.S. military would carry out the very kind of surprise attacks that Americans have been loudly condemning all along. What on earth is going on? - The Attack on Iran—I Can’t For the Life of Me Understand Why It Was Started
A president duped by Israel launched a large-scale airstrike against Iran—also in a surprise attack. Why Iran, a country that poses no threat to the U.S.? Despite spending trillions of dollars on the attack, the U.S. ended up having to use reconstruction funds to restore the cities it had bombed. The responsibility for starting a war without just cause and causing negative repercussions worldwide is immeasurable, and above all, Americans need to face the fact that innocent people died in those airstrikes. - The president’s inauguration party, held at the White House at enormous cost
I don’t know who came up with the idea, but a president who squanders so much public money for his own sake… - The gaudy, gold-plated guesthouse currently under construction on the White House grounds
The White House is the home of the American people. It is supposed to be a symbol of America’s freedom and prosperity. To build a gaudy, gold-plated guesthouse on its grounds can only be described as shameless. It is truly a symbol of politics for the wealthy, not a building for the people. - A Boeing aircraft—presumably acquired from some other country—has been refurbished as Air Force One
At this point, it can only be described as a rich man’s whim; I’m so dumbfounded I can’t say anything more.
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