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Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 10, 2004

Tourists get cheaper shinkansen tours

Budget-minded travelers from overseas wanting to ride Japan's famous but pricey bullet trains can now get a break from Tokaido Shinkansen Line operator Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) and leading travel agency JTB Corp.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2003

Narita is deluged with calls over SARS

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's quarantine office at Narita airport was flooded Thursday with inquiries over the outbreak of a new type of deadly pneumonia virus, officials said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CLOSE NEIGHBORS
May 31, 2002

Tourism offers one path to better understanding

The pamphlets lined up at tourist centers scream, "Experience the real Korean-style aesthetic treatment and make your skin smooth!" "Spend three full days in Seoul sightseeing and shopping!"
CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Nov 18, 2001

Aiming for the heart

ONE FOOT IN LAOS, by Dervla Murphy. Overlook Press, 2001, 284 pp., $27.95 (cloth) Dervla Murphy's journeys as a travel writer, usually in the remoter, poorer parts of the world, are made, appropriately enough, in the old manner -- on foot, by donkey or mule, or on decrepit trucks or buses on their last...
JAPAN
Nov 5, 1999

Y2K fears boost cruises over New Year's

Staff writer
JAPAN
Jun 12, 1998

Ticketless Cup fans still have high hopes

As hundreds of tourists left for France with hopes of attending Japan's World Cup opener, travel agencies on Friday continued to face difficulty securing tickets.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Women at Work
May 9, 2023

Breaking ground for women in Japan's bureaucracy

Yasuko Gotoh braved the attitudes and aggressions of Japan's government ministries early in her career before thriving in later roles and in the private sector.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2023

China's tourism sector shows signs of strength ahead of key holiday

While there has been a surge in bookings and searches for domestic trips for the five-day period, outbound tourism remains sluggish.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 8, 2023

China’s open borders mark end to 'zero-COVID,' sparking homecoming rush

Starting Sunday, China no longer requires quarantine for arrivals after authorities ditched the policy that was a major deterrent for travelers.
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2022

Japan weighing end to pre-departure COVID testing, report says

An exemption for those who have been vaccinated is among options the government is considering.
A major bonus of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme is the time it offers you to be able to plan for long-term goals. Writer Erik M. Jacobs was able to map out what he needed to pursue a career in U.S.-Japan relations, for example.
COMMUNITY / Issues / Learning Curve
Aug 8, 2023

Every situation is different on JET, but they're all similarly rewarding

As a new wave of JET Program participants arrives in the country, a program alumni shares tips on getting the most out of the experience.
Kimono-clad visitors take selfie photographs at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto on Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2023

In July, Japan welcomed most overseas visitors since pandemic hit

The weak yen is helping to boost tourism and contribute to a surge in growth for the world's third-largest economy.
An Air Koryo plane is reflected in a glass structure of the airport in Pyongyang in April 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 22, 2023

North Korea sees first passenger flight in three years

An Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang landed in Beijing early Tuesday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began in 2020.
JAPAN
Aug 24, 2023

Local governments tap big data on spending by foreign visitors

Such data allows authorities to analyze consumption trends in detail, "visualize" markets and place targeted advertisements.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen during a practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix. Saudi Aramco has perhaps the most visible presence among fossil fuel giants at Formula One races as one of the series' top sponsors.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Sep 30, 2023

F1 says it will reach net zero by 2030. But can it shake its polluting image?

Formula One's pledge faces myriad challenges, including its long-standing ties to some of the world's dirtiest fossil fuel companies.
Chinese tourists watch the North Korean border on the Yalu river in the Chinese border town of Dandong, in China's northeastern Liaoning province.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 2, 2023

China's gateway to North Korea waits in vain for border opening

The bustling northeastern city of Dandong offers a window into isolated North Korea.
Passengers line up to board a bullet train at Tokyo Station in August.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2023

Shinkansen rail pass prices soar 70% for tourists

Even with the big increase, demand is likely to stay strong thanks to a cheaper yen and steady flow of inbound visitors.
Foreign tourists in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Wednesday
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2023

Foreign visitors to Japan hit 96% of pre-COVID level in September

The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure was 2.18 million last month, up slightly from 2.16 million in August.
The Israel-Hamas war is complicating Saudi Prince Mohamed bin Salman's efforts to focus the neighborhood on economic development rather than old feuds.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 23, 2023

War leaves Saudi prince’s dream of a new Mideast in tatters

The Israel-Hamas war is bringing political fissures back to the forefront, complicating the prince's efforts to focus the region on economic development.
Blair Masters and Talisker Scott Hunter pose for a photo with their kei truck, nicknamed “KT,” outside Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima Prefecture.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Nov 6, 2023

The little truck that could: A fresh way to tour Japan's north

Travelers have documented almost every corner of Japan. Perhaps a new kind of adventure would be doing those same journeys by different means.
Tunnel construction for the Hokkaido Shinkansen has proved slow in some areas due to geological reasons and the difficulty of blasting through the earth.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Nov 20, 2023

Tight labor market puts Hokkaido Shinkansen 2030 goal in doubt

The 212-kilometer route now under construction will link cities between Hakodate, at the southern tip of the prefecture, and Sapporo.
A worker uses a vacuum cleaner inside a bullet train at Suseo Station in Seoul on Nov. 13. South Korea is launching a four-week campaign against bedbugs after multiple reports of infestations sparked widespread public anxiety.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Nov 19, 2023

Bedbug anxiety comes for Asia, and the pest killers are here for it

Outbreaks in France and South Korea have people across Asia on high alert for bedbugs. Exterminators in the region say business is booming.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with Angolan President Joao Lourenco during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 1, 2023

Biden’s unfulfilled vow to visit Africa renews fears of neglect

Work to revitalize U.S.-Africa ties to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence may be taking a back seat to the Ukraine war and Gaza conflict.
As Japan’s borders opened back up and tourists eager to document their long-awaited trips to the country streamed back in, 2023 saw a handful of prominent content creators stir up trouble with local residents to grab attention online.
LIFE / Digital / 2023 in Review
Dec 29, 2023

Social media binged on bad behavior in 2023

Mischief makers like Johnny Somali and "sushi terrorism" instigators gained attention online amid a deluge of Japan-related content this year.
The entrance lobby of Accor's Mercure Tokyo Hibiya, which recently opened in the capital
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 2, 2024

Backed by tourism potential, hotels keen to cultivate Japanese market

Because Japan was slow to reopen its borders, there appears to be robust, pent-up demand to visit the country.
Sensoji Temple, a popular tourist location, in Tokyo on Jan. 18
JAPAN / Society
Jan 26, 2024

Japan aims to direct Asian tourists to places less traveled

The tourism body is attempting to direct visitors to places outside Tokyo in order to prevent over-tourism, specifically by appealing to “light repeaters.”
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is seen on the surface of the moon in an image released Jan. 25.
PODCAST / deep dive
Feb 2, 2024

Japan’s historic moon landing was right on target

Japan made history last month when it became the fifth nation to soft land on the moon.
Diagnosed at a young age with a rare variant of glycogen storage disease type IV, Mark Bookman went on to distinguish himself in academia in both the United States and Japan.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Feb 19, 2024

New film honors life and legacy of disability pioneer Mark Bookman

Free screenings of THE new documentary on Japan-based disability rights advocate Mark Bookman will be held around Tokyo on Feb. 24, 25 and 27.

Longform

Wealthier women in the prewar era had been the targets of various media-related health campaigns that mistakenly encouraged them to avoid everything from riding bicycles to reading novels when their monthly cycles came around.
Menstruation in Japan: Breaking the silence, slowly