Japanese -
While Tokyo is a "true metropolis" of skyscrapers and bustling crowds, rural areas like Hokkaido offer "green farms, abandoned mines," and a slower pace of life where tradition is preserved in daily chores and local festivals.
To understand the Japanese experience is to appreciate the "staccato-sounding syllables" that sound like music to a learner's ear and the "warm atmosphere" that welcomes a stranger into a seemingly closed world. It is a culture that demands much from those within it—long work hours and strict social codes—but offers in return a level of safety, beauty, and mutual respect that is rarely matched elsewhere. Throwback: My Japanese college application essay japanese
Japan is renowned for its public order and safety, often cited as having one of the lowest crime rates in the world. This safety is a byproduct of a collective social contract rather than just policing. While Tokyo is a "true metropolis" of skyscrapers
The Japanese language is frequently described as both perplexing and fascinating. It is a system built on social hierarchy and intimacy. Unlike English, where "I" and "you" remain relatively static, Japanese requires speakers to constantly evaluate their relationship with others to choose the correct level of politeness. Throwback: My Japanese college application essay Japan is
Muse pled guilty to six felony counts of kidnapping, hostage-taking and hijacking maritime vessels in May 2010, more than a year after his capture.
Click Here for the Blotter Homepage.
","publishedDate":"2009-04-17T01:58:25Z","contributors":[{"name":"ABC News","url":"","role":"","logo":"","logoAlt":"","urlTarget":"_self"}],"authorsStr":"ABC News","modifiedDate":"2011-02-16T21:24:15Z","section":"Blotter","wordCount":308,"relatedTags":{"heading":"Related Topics","tags":[],"className":null},"taxonomyTags":"","lead":{"ratio":"16x9","disableForMobile":false,"type":"xl","mediaType":"image","alignCaptionToBody":true},"ads":{"Sticky":{"kvps":{"test":true}},"RightRail":{"kvps":{"test":true}},"InlineBox":{},"InlineOutstream":{"disabled":false},"Taboola":{"headerText":"Sponsored Content by Taboola","position":"bottom","pageType":"article","config":{"network":"abcnews-abcnews","mode":"thumbnails-a","container":"taboola-below-article-thumbnails","type":"article","targetType":"mix","placement":"Below Article Thumbnails"}}},"featuredVideo":null,"featuredImage":{},"dateline":"NEW YORK Feb. 16, 2011 —","seo":{},"LivePromotion":{},"PersonalizedRecommend":{}},"autoUpdate":{"enabled":true,"topics":["general-elections-2025-balance-of-power","general-elections-2025-national-map-electoral","general-elections-2025-race-feed-all"]}},"upw":{"configuration":{"key":"2025_general_election_configuration-117167703","fastcastEnabled":{"all":true},"dropdown":{"alt":"Your Voice Your Vote","showDropdown":false,"tag":"https://s.abcnews.com/assets/dtci/elections/index/tag_2024.svg"},"showLeading":false,"type":"GENERAL_ELECTION","ballotInitiatives":{"config":{"showPollsClosing":true,"tooltipText":"Vote data from the AP
"}},"countyResults":{"config":{"tooltipText":"Vote data from the AP
"}},"stateResults":{"config":{"customCandidateColors":{"1506":{"color":"yellow","name":"Andrew Cuomo","lastName":"Cuomo","customImgFallBack":"https://s.abcnews.com/assets/dtci/elections/headshots/YELLOW_DEFAULT.jpg"}},"nationalLink":"https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/exit-polls-2024-us-presidential-election-results-analysis?_apiEnv=qa","tooltipText":"Vote data from the AP
","showPollsClosing":true},"nj":{"abbrev":"nj","displayName":"New Jersey","storyId":126345341,"link":"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/new-jersey-2025-governor-election-results-sherrill-ciatterelli/story?id=126345341","threshold":30},"ny-se":{"abbrev":"ny-se","displayName":"New York","storyId":126345335,"link":"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/new-york-city-2025-mayoral-election-results-mamdani/story?id=126345335","threshold":30},"ny":{"abbrev":"ny-se","displayName":"New York","storyId":126345335,"link":"https://qa.abcnews.go.com/Politics/new-york-city-2025-mayoral-election-results-mamdani/story?id=126345335","threshold":30},"ca":{"abbrev":"ca","displayName":"California","storyId":126345346,"link":"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/proposition-50-live-election-results-california-voters-weigh/story?id=126345346","threshold":30}},"showUniversalWidget":false,"defaultChambers":{"generalStateResults":"governor"},"supportedElections":{"governor":["nj"],"senate":[],"house":[],"electoral":[],"mayor":["ny"]},"excludeIndependentCount":false,"candidates":{"democrats":[{"bio":"","cmsId":null,"displayName":"Zohran Mamdani","dropped":false,"firstName":"Zohran","id":159234,"lastName":"Mamdani","order":3,"shortDisplayName":"Z. Mamdani","patternId":"","title":"","issues":[],"blurb":""}],"republicans":[{"bio":"","cmsId":null,"displayName":"Curtis Sliwa","dropped":false,"firstName":"Curtis","id":158881,"lastName":"Sliwa","order":3,"shortDisplayName":"C. Sliwa","title":"","issues":[],"blurb":""}],"other":[{"bio":"","cmsId":null,"displayName":"Andrew Cuomo","dropped":false,"firstName":"Andrew","id":1506,"lastName":"A. Cuomo","order":3,"shortDisplayName":"A. Cuomo","patternId":"other_01","title":"","issues":[],"blurb":""}]}},"generalData":{"electionsToday":{"title":"Voting Ends At","headingURL":"https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2025-us-presidential-election-results-live-map","headingAria":"Voting Ends At","pollTimes":[],"somePollsClosed":false},"balanceOfPower":{"title":"National Election Results: presidential","headingURL":"https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2025-us-presidential-election-results-live-map","headingAria":"National Election Results: presidential","balanceOfPower":{"balanceOfPower":{"electoral":{"winningParty":null,"candidates":{"democrats":{"displayName":"Democrat","shortDisplayName":"Dem.","icon":"party-democrats","votes":0},"republicans":{"displayName":"Republican","shortDisplayName":"Rep.","icon":"party-republicans","votes":0},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":0}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans","other":"other"},"type":"electoral","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{},"total":0,"difference":{},"popular":{}},"republicans":{"available":{},"total":0,"difference":{},"popular":{}},"other":{"available":{},"total":0,"popular":{},"democratCaucus":0,"independentCaucus":0,"republicanCaucus":0},"total":0},"needed":{},"lastUpdated":{},"typeDisplay":"President"},"senate":{"winningParty":null,"candidates":{"democrats":{"displayName":"Democrat","shortDisplayName":"Dem.","icon":"party-democrats","votes":0},"republicans":{"displayName":"Republican","shortDisplayName":"Rep.","icon":"party-republicans","votes":0},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":0}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans","other":"other"},"type":"senate","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{},"total":0,"difference":{},"popular":{}},"republicans":{"available":{},"total":0,"difference":{},"popular":{}},"other":{"available":{},"total":0,"popular":{},"democratCaucus":0,"independentCaucus":0,"republicanCaucus":0},"total":0},"needed":{},"lastUpdated":{},"typeDisplay":"Senate"},"house":{"winningParty":null,"candidates":{"democrats":{"displayName":"Democrat","shortDisplayName":"Dem.","icon":"party-democrats","votes":0},"republicans":{"displayName":"Republican","shortDisplayName":"Rep.","icon":"party-republicans","votes":0},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":0}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans","other":"other"},"type":"house","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{},"total":0,"difference":{},"popular":{}},"republicans":{"available":{},"total":0,"difference":{},"popular":{}},"other":{"available":{},"total":0,"popular":{},"democratCaucus":0,"independentCaucus":0,"republicanCaucus":0},"total":0},"needed":{},"lastUpdated":{},"typeDisplay":"House"},"governor":{"winningParty":null,"candidates":{"democrats":{"displayName":"Democrat","shortDisplayName":"Dem.","icon":"party-democrats","votes":0},"republicans":{"displayName":"Republican","shortDisplayName":"Rep.","icon":"party-republicans","votes":0},"other":{"displayName":"Other","votes":0}},"parties":{"democrats":"democrats","republicans":"republicans","other":"other"},"type":"governor","votes":{"democrats":{"available":{},"total":0,"difference":{},"popular":{}},"republicans":{"available":{},"total":0,"difference":{},"popular":{}},"other":{"available":{},"total":0,"popular":{},"democratCaucus":0,"independentCaucus":0,"republicanCaucus":0},"total":0},"needed":{},"lastUpdated":{},"typeDisplay":"Governor"},"autoUpdate":{"enabled":true,"topics":["general-elections-2025-balance-of-power"]},"electionsConfig":{}},"types":["electoral","senate","house","governor"]},"chamber":"electoral"},"recentProjections":{"electionsConfig":{"key":"2025_general_election_configuration-117167703","fastcastEnabled":{"all":true},"dropdown":{"alt":"Your Voice Your Vote","showDropdown":false,"tag":"https://s.abcnews.com/assets/dtci/elections/index/tag_2024.svg"},"showLeading":false,"type":"GENERAL_ELECTION","ballotInitiatives":{"config":{"showPollsClosing":true,"tooltipText":"Vote data from the AP
"}},"countyResults":{"config":{"tooltipText":"Vote data from the AP
"}},"stateResults":{"config":{"customCandidateColors":{"1506":{"color":"yellow","name":"Andrew Cuomo","lastName":"Cuomo","customImgFallBack":"https://s.abcnews.com/assets/dtci/elections/headshots/YELLOW_DEFAULT.jpg"}},"nationalLink":"https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/exit-polls-2024-us-presidential-election-results-analysis?_apiEnv=qa","tooltipText":"Vote data from the AP
","showPollsClosing":true},"nj":{"abbrev":"nj","displayName":"New Jersey","storyId":126345341,"link":"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/new-jersey-2025-governor-election-results-sherrill-ciatterelli/story?id=126345341","threshold":30},"ny-se":{"abbrev":"ny-se","displayName":"New York","storyId":126345335,"link":"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/new-york-city-2025-mayoral-election-results-mamdani/story?id=126345335","threshold":30},"ny":{"abbrev":"ny-se","displayName":"New York","storyId":126345335,"link":"https://qa.abcnews.go.com/Politics/new-york-city-2025-mayoral-election-results-mamdani/story?id=126345335","threshold":30},"ca":{"abbrev":"ca","displayName":"California","storyId":126345346,"link":"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/proposition-50-live-election-results-california-voters-weigh/story?id=126345346","threshold":30}},"showUniversalWidget":false,"defaultChambers":{"generalStateResults":"governor"},"supportedElections":{"governor":["nj"],"senate":[],"house":[],"electoral":[],"mayor":["ny"]},"excludeIndependentCount":false,"candidates":{"democrats":[{"bio":"","cmsId":null,"displayName":"Zohran Mamdani","dropped":false,"firstName":"Zohran","id":159234,"lastName":"Mamdani","order":3,"shortDisplayName":"Z. Mamdani","patternId":"","title":"","issues":[],"blurb":""}],"republicans":[{"bio":"","cmsId":null,"displayName":"Curtis Sliwa","dropped":false,"firstName":"Curtis","id":158881,"lastName":"Sliwa","order":3,"shortDisplayName":"C. Sliwa","title":"","issues":[],"blurb":""}],"other":[{"bio":"","cmsId":null,"displayName":"Andrew Cuomo","dropped":false,"firstName":"Andrew","id":1506,"lastName":"A. Cuomo","order":3,"shortDisplayName":"A. Cuomo","patternId":"other_01","title":"","issues":[],"blurb":""}]}},"title":"Recent Projections","headingURL":"https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2025-us-presidential-election-results-live-map","headingAria":"Recent Projections","chamber":"all","recentProjections":{"autoUpdate":{"enabled":true,"topics":["general-elections-2025-race-feed-all"]},"chamber":"all","pending":{"raceCount":0,"pendingStates":[],"pendingRaces":{}},"races":[]}},"nationalMap":{"title":"National Map","headingURL":"https://abcnews.go.com/Elections/2025-us-presidential-election-results-live-map","headingAria":"National Map","nationalMap":{"racesToWatch":{"autoUpdate":{"enabled":true,"topics":["general-elections-2025-race-feed-all"]},"chamber":"all","pending":{"raceCount":0,"pendingStates":[],"pendingRaces":{}},"races":[],"electionsConfig":{}}}},"interactiveMap":{"title":"Interactive Electoral Map","headingURL":"","headingAria":"Interactive Electoral Map","interactiveMap":{"pollsOpen":{},"states":{},"districts":{},"idMap":{},"baseMaps":{},"candidates":{},"displayAdKeyValues":{"tag":"fantasymap","pgn":"fantasymapindex","pgtyp":"index","lang":"en","sp":"abcnews","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews","level":"elections/fantasy-map-index"},"currentElection":{"candidates":{},"parties":{}},"config":{}}},"recentNews":{"isLiveblog":false,"title":"Latest Election News","headingURL":"","headingAria":"","stories":[]},"liveBlog":{"isLiveblog":true,"title":"Latest Election News"},"breakingNews":{"isLiveblog":true,"title":"Latest Election News"},"lastUpdated":{},"somePollsClosed":false,"shouldOverrideModules":false,"precloseOverrideModules":[],"postcloseOverrideModules":[],"isOTV":false},"autoUpdate":{"enabled":true,"topics":["general-elections-2025-balance-of-power","general-elections-2025-national-map-electoral","general-elections-2025-race-feed-all"]}}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewabcnews,wdgasec,wdgnewabcnweb,wdgnewabcnewsrollup","ns":"abcnews","pageName":"abcn:blotter:story","pageType":"story","pageUrl":"abcnews.go.com/Blotter/somali-pirate-muse-sentenced-34-years/story?id=12930166&userab=abc_web_player-460*variant_a_abc_control-1900,otv_web_player-461*variant_b_otv_dmp-1903,otv_web_content_rec-445*variant_c_trending-1851,hp_banner-426*variant_b_arrow-1778","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"abcn:site","tagID":"apage_news01","takeoverId":"none","takeoverStatus":"none","bannerStatus":"false","userABCookie":"abc_web_player-460*variant_a_abc_control-1900,otv_web_player-461*variant_b_otv_dmp-1903,otv_web_content_rec-445*variant_c_trending-1851,hp_banner-426*variant_b_arrow-1778","alertTag":"none","authors":"ABC News","authorsBureau":"none","authorsUnit":"none","dateline":"NEW YORK Feb. 16, 2011 —","id":"12930166","modDate":"2011-02-16","mediaOnPage":"image","modTime":"16:24","provider":"ABC News","pubDate":"2009-04-16","pubTime":"21:58","section":"Blotter","subBrand":"none","taxonomyTags":"none","title":"Somali Pirate Asks Forgiveness, Sentenced To Nearly 34 Years In Prison","videoId":"none","videoName":"none","wordCount":308,"videoPlayer":"Unified_TMS"},"taboola":{"config":{"network":"abcnews-abcnews","mode":"thumbnails-a","type":"other","targetType":"mix","placement":null,"pageTypeOverrides":{"story":{"mode":"thumbnails-a","type":"article","targetType":"mix","placement":"Below Article Thumbnails"},"home":{"mode":"thumbnails-b","container":"taboola-homepage-thumbnails","type":"home","targetType":"mix","placement":"Homepage Thumbnails"},"section":{"mode":"thumbnails-b","type":"category","targetType":"mix","placement":"Section Front Thumbnails"},"liveBlog":{"mode":"thumbnails-d","type":"other","targetType":"mix","placement":"Blog"}}}}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/Blotter/somali-pirate-muse-sentenced-34-years/story?id=12930166&userab=abc_web_player-460*variant_a_abc_control-1900,otv_web_player-461*variant_b_otv_dmp-1903,otv_web_content_rec-445*variant_c_trending-1851,hp_banner-426*variant_b_arrow-1778","vary":{"host":"abcnews.go.com","cached":true,"path":"/Blotter/somali-pirate-muse-sentenced-34-years/story","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","country":"pl","userab":"abc_web_player-460*variant_a_abc_control-1900,otv_web_player-461*variant_b_otv_dmp-1903,otv_web_content_rec-445*variant_c_trending-1851,hp_banner-426*variant_b_arrow-1778","region":"gdpr"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};