WhiteElephants - Top 10 Japanese bondoogles

Ho-te-ru · Nov 14, 2006, 23:55

Nakasone, Koizumi and Mori have all tried to do something about Japan's pork barrel politics, corporate mishaps and look into Japan's public works projects that have produce so many 'Albatros'
There are many historical examples of white elephants around the world like the Millennium Dome which hurt the Blair gov, the Great Wall of China which never really stopped invaders or the Texas Superconducting Collider which cost the US economy billions of dollars.
But the Japanese also have many of these
So what do you think the top-10 are ?
Here's mine:
1 'Aqua Rine-Nu' bridge-tunnel
2 Kurobe Dam cost billions & claimed the lives a few hundred
3 Shinkansen of Hokuriku
4 Expensive art galleries nobody visits
5 Japan's mission 2 Mars : burnt up by a strong solar flare
6 2nd Tomei road
7 Canadian World resort rotting away in Ashibetsu Hokkaido dying theme park
8 Japanese Space Shuttle Hope-X crashed and burned
9 The 2nd Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, white elephant construction bridge
10 Narita Airport is totally useless

Ho-te-ru · Nov 16, 2006, 21:08

Could also include Oita stadium with basic running costs of 300 million yen per annum

Emoni · Jan 1, 2007, 10:55

... you consider Narita Airport totally useless? I'm aware of the background, but by no means is it totally useless. I'd say the one in Osaka pulls off that considering it is sinking and will soon be totally useless.

Have you been to Japan?

tampopo · Jan 4, 2007, 04:12

Would agree with Emoni about the Osaka airport. Saw the documentary on its construction. Already a metre or so sunk, adding steps to the bottom of stairs all over the buildings! A laugh. The Kurobe Dam is cool.Visited it last time I was there. Not familiar with all on the list. Narita is pretty okay, with the Narita Express a good way of getting in and out. Only know some of its problems with landowners.

xerxes99 · Jan 5, 2007, 20:05

The giant Orochi highway to nowhere out here in Shimane is another one.

TuskCracker · Jan 6, 2007, 23:01

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You have this in the United States. West Virginia has so many "Robert Byrd" highways. "Bridges to nowhere", almost built in Alaska. The bridge became such a national joke as an example of Repbulicans are big big big wasterfull spenders.

Museums for old railroad technology, in some place nobody goes to (some God-forsaken town that is dieing economically).

And the United States military is still building Nuclear Attack Submarines. Why more "Nuclear Attack Submarines", when the Cold-War left the United States with plenty

ArmandV · Jan 7, 2007, 01:50

Originally Posted by TuskCracker

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-
You have this in the United States. West Virginia has so many "Robert Byrd" highways. "Bridges to nowhere", almost built in Alaska. The bridge became such a national joke as an example of Repbulicans are big big big wasterfull spenders.

That's one reason why they're no longer in charge of Congress.

But you forgot one big boondoggle: Tip O'Neil's and Teddy Kennedy's "Big Dig" tunnel in Boston. It leaks and part of the ceiling fell on a woman motorist last year and killed her.

TuskCracker · Jan 7, 2007, 02:13

That's one reason why they're no longer in charge of Congress.
But you forgot one big boondoggle: Tip O'Neil's and Teddy Kennedy's "Big Dig" tunnel in Boston. It leaks and part of the ceiling fell on a woman motorist last year and killed her.

I drove in Boston several times in 1981-1982. In "theory" the Big Dig made a lot of sense ! Corrupt city officials, lazy incompetent contractors, a culture of sleaze-and-corruption was watch botched this.

I lived in Rhode-Island. Every year, half the state government officials of Rhode Island, and Providence Rhode Island city officials were arrested for kick-backs, corruption and just stealing !

That attitude seemed also apparent in the Boston-Massachusets culture.

.

TGI-ECT · Feb 4, 2007, 18:10

Originally Posted by Ho-te-ru

Narita Airport is totally useless

This is a very strange statement.

Just where would you have all those flights presently going into and out of Narita go?

Haneda?

Not even close to possible.

Yokota Air Base?

What a howl you'll hear from the residents around there then.

Same thing if you were to rebuild and expand the old Tachikawa Air Base.

Oh, I know. We'll send them to that new Osaka airfield, eh?

Get real!

.

Nov 14, 2006, 23:55	#1
Ho-te-ru Junior Member Join Date: Nov 12, 2006 Posts: 8	WhiteElephants - Top 10 Japanese bondoogles Nakasone, Koizumi and Mori have all tried to do something about Japan's pork barrel politics, corporate mishaps and look into Japan's public works projects that have produce so many 'Albatros' There are many historical examples of white elephants around the world like the Millennium Dome which hurt the Blair gov, the Great Wall of China which never really stopped invaders or the Texas Superconducting Collider which cost the US economy billions of dollars. But the Japanese also have many of these So what do you think the top-10 are ? Here's mine: 1 'Aqua Rine-Nu' bridge-tunnel 2 Kurobe Dam cost billions & claimed the lives a few hundred 3 Shinkansen of Hokuriku 4 Expensive art galleries nobody visits 5 Japan's mission 2 Mars : burnt up by a strong solar flare 6 2nd Tomei road 7 Canadian World resort rotting away in Ashibetsu Hokkaido dying theme park 8 Japanese Space Shuttle Hope-X crashed and burned 9 The 2nd Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, white elephant construction bridge 10 Narita Airport is totally useless

Jan 1, 2007, 10:55	#3
Emoni The sinister Dr. Quake! Join Date: Sep 20, 2003 Location: Tokyo Age: 29 Posts: 1,359	... you consider Narita Airport totally useless? I'm aware of the background, but by no means is it totally useless. I'd say the one in Osaka pulls off that considering it is sinking and will soon be totally useless. Have you been to Japan? __________________ -Emoni "Been there, done that, came back, going again."

Jan 5, 2007, 20:05	#5
xerxes99 Robot/Ninja Join Date: Aug 28, 2005 Posts: 244	The giant Orochi highway to nowhere out here in Shimane is another one. __________________ "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde

Jan 6, 2007, 23:01	#6
TuskCracker AmericaFlorida Join Date: Jan 17, 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 528	- - You have this in the United States. West Virginia has so many "Robert Byrd" highways. "Bridges to nowhere", almost built in Alaska. The bridge became such a national joke as an example of Repbulicans are big big big wasterfull spenders. Museums for old railroad technology, in some place nobody goes to (some God-forsaken town that is dieing economically). And the United States military is still building Nuclear Attack Submarines. Why more "Nuclear Attack Submarines", when the Cold-War left the United States with plenty __________________ NewYorkCity/WashingtonDC/Bonn/London/Tokyo, the rest is mullet wrap

Jan 7, 2007, 01:50	#7
ArmandV Five times to Japan. Join Date: Oct 18, 2004 Location: Tarzana, California Posts: 2,327	Originally Posted by TuskCracker - - You have this in the United States. West Virginia has so many "Robert Byrd" highways. "Bridges to nowhere", almost built in Alaska. The bridge became such a national joke as an example of Repbulicans are big big big wasterfull spenders. That's one reason why they're no longer in charge of Congress. But you forgot one big boondoggle: Tip O'Neil's and Teddy Kennedy's "Big Dig" tunnel in Boston. It leaks and part of the ceiling fell on a woman motorist last year and killed her. __________________ Armand's Rancho del Cielo

Nov 16, 2006, 21:08	#2
Ho-te-ru Junior Member Join Date: Nov 12, 2006 Posts: 8	Could also include Oita stadium with basic running costs of 300 million yen per annum

Jan 4, 2007, 04:12	#4
tampopo Regular Member Join Date: Dec 19, 2006 Location: Dublin Age: 44 Posts: 68	Would agree with Emoni about the Osaka airport. Saw the documentary on its construction. Already a metre or so sunk, adding steps to the bottom of stairs all over the buildings! A laugh. The Kurobe Dam is cool.Visited it last time I was there. Not familiar with all on the list. Narita is pretty okay, with the Narita Express a good way of getting in and out. Only know some of its problems with landowners.

Jan 7, 2007, 02:13	#8
TuskCracker AmericaFlorida Join Date: Jan 17, 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 528	White Elephants, Big Dig, No but !!!! That's one reason why they're no longer in charge of Congress. But you forgot one big boondoggle: Tip O'Neil's and Teddy Kennedy's "Big Dig" tunnel in Boston. It leaks and part of the ceiling fell on a woman motorist last year and killed her. I drove in Boston several times in 1981-1982. In "theory" the Big Dig made a lot of sense ! Corrupt city officials, lazy incompetent contractors, a culture of sleaze-and-corruption was watch botched this. I lived in Rhode-Island. Every year, half the state government officials of Rhode Island, and Providence Rhode Island city officials were arrested for kick-backs, corruption and *just stealing* ! That attitude seemed also apparent in the Boston-Massachusets culture. .

Feb 4, 2007, 18:10	#9
TGI-ECT Junior Member Join Date: Jan 6, 2007 Posts: 13	Originally Posted by Ho-te-ru Narita Airport is totally useless This is a very strange statement. Just where would you have all those flights presently going into and out of Narita go? Haneda? Not even close to possible. Yokota Air Base? What a howl you'll hear from the residents around there then. Same thing if you were to rebuild and expand the old Tachikawa Air Base. Oh, I know. We'll send them to that new Osaka airfield, eh? Get real! . __________________ Not TGIF. Not TGIM. It's TGI "ECT". Pronounced "ekt".

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