The government has decided to launch an online service to allow foreign nationals to apply and update their residency status in Japan from fiscal 2018, one of a series of measures aimed at improving business efficiency in order to attract more foreign investment. It will also ease requirements for foreigners with highly-specialized knowledge to gain […]
Events were held on Tuesday morning to mark the 22nd anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Hyogo Prefecture. The earthquake, which struck at 5:46 a.m. on Jan 17, 1995, killed 6,434 people in Hyogo Prefecture and neighboring areas. A ceremony was held in Higashi Yuenchi Park in Kobe where lanterns were lit and placed […]
A powerful winter pressure pattern has prevailed throughout Japan and brought heavy snow to the mountainous regions along the Sea of Japan. The Meteorological Agency says that as of 11 AM on Monday, the snowfall reached a depth of 2.04 meters in Hinoemata village in Fukushima Prefecture and 1.71 meters in Tsunan town in Niigata […]
Japan’s Calbee has introduced a potato chip product about 70% cheaper than what’s already on sale in the Philippines. The chips will be sold at sari-sari stores, very small mom-and-pop shops that deal in a variety of daily products, a company source said. The new strategy is to focus on middle-income consumers. The snack maker […]
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced a trillion-yen aid package for the Philippines, spread over 5 years, to help with the country’s infrastructure projects. Abe announced the package, worth about 8.7 billion dollars, at a meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in the country’s capital Manila on Thursday. The money comprises official development assistance […]
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has set foot in Manila for a two-day state visit in the country. Abe landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 around 2:50 p.m. aboard a Japanese Air Force plane from Tokyo. He was accompanied by his wife Akie Abe. The Japanese prime minister, his wife and his […]
The government plans to let Emperor Akihito abdicate on Dec. 31, 2018, and switch to a new era with Crown Prince Naruhito’s ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne the following day, sources said. The start of the new era on Jan. 1, 2019, is intended to minimize confusion in people’s lives, the government sources said. The […]
US President Barack Obama has delivered his final speech as president. He called on people to keep on respecting diversity and helping democracy function. Obama gave his farewell speech on Tuesday in Chicago, where he has worked for many years as a lawyer and lawmaker. He was elected in 2008 as the first black president […]
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Philippines, Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam on a six-day trip from Thursday, the Japanese government said. “This trip will further strengthen (Japan’s) cooperative relations with each country as well as emphasizing the importance of building coordination with countries in the Asia-Pacific (region) for a free and open world order based […]
The transport ministry says Japan had a record high 24.03 million foreign visitors last year. The figure rose by 21.8 percent, or over 4.3 million, from the previous high of 19.7 million set in 2015. Officials attribute the jump to the increase in the number of flights and cruise ships from Asian countries, as well […]
