A close shave in Japan.
My experience of Japanese the ATC'ers is a quite favorable one overlall.
Yesterday (Thursday) morning we were following a domestic Japanese 747 aircraft into Fukokoa and had them clearly identified on TCAS. To the absolute amazement of all of us on our flight deck, we observed this B74 descend to within 200 to 300 feet and within an estimated less than 5 miles of unidentified TCAS traffic, before the Approach Controller ordered the 747 to "Turn left, heading 220", in what can only be described as "urgent" intonations.
Why the crew of either aircraft allowed themselves to be compromised to this degree is not for me to querie. Nor that the controller might have been fully loaded up, but more, that just that this type of scenario can still be a part of our everyday life as a professional - whether we are Air Traffic Controllers, or pilots - we don't need to let complacency creep in.
Lotsa questions I know, and all credit to the Japanese controller who took the initiative to actively intervene!