The proportion of students in Japanese public high schools who have achieved certain English proficiency levels has fallen short of a government target, according to an education ministry survey disclosed Monday. As of Dec 1, 34.3% of third-year senior high school students had a “pre-2” grade or higher in the “Eiken” Test in Practical English […]
The newly-renovated feudal-era Himeji Castle was the most popular fortress destination in Japan last fiscal year.More than 2.86 million people visited the castle in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, in the 12 months ending in March.The most popular destination previously was Kumamoto Castle in southwestern Japan. Foreign tourists to Himeji Castle accounted for over 306,000 visitors. […]
Revelers carried giant phalluses through the streets of Kawasaki on Sunday to worship the humble penis and fertility in one of the world’s most unusual festivals. Size matters at the Shinto Kanamara Matsuri, where groups of locals parade three heavy phalluses around the city — the biggest as tall as a full-grown man. Giggling festival-goers, […]
The number of foreign students enrolled in Japan rose 13.2% in 2015 from the year prior, with a dramatic increase in students from Vietnam and Nepal, according to data from the Japan Student Services Organization out Thursday. According to JASSO, an independent administrative body affiliated with the education ministry, 208,379 foreign students were enrolled in […]
A 15-year-old high school boy drowned Sunday after the boat he and three former classmates were aboard capsized in a moat surrounding Takada Park in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, where hundreds of people had converged to view cherry blossoms in full bloom. Hikaru Iguchi disappeared at around 6:15 p.m. A teenage witness said the four were rocking […]
The Japanese government is introducing 15 symbols to mark police boxes, hotels and other facilities on foreign tourist maps.The Geospatial Information Authority responded to complaints that some Japanese symbols are difficult for foreigners to understand because they are different from those used overseas.The national mapping body made the move as Japan gears up for the […]
Three Japanese companies with similar names decided to celebrate April Fools’ Day on Friday with a few jokes.Nissan Motor released a breaking news video on its website on April 1st. It says a giant flying object created by Nissan and Nissin Foods had made an unexpected landing at commerce firm Nissen. Their similar-sounding names inspired […]
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he wants to set a target of 40 million foreign visitors to Japan in 2020, doubling the current goal.The country is enjoying a boom in popularity as a tourist destination as it prepares for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2020.The goal of 20 million foreign visitors was nearly reached […]
Cherry trees in Tokyo and other cities in Japan are in full blossom — a sign that spring has arrived.In a spring ritual, the Meteorological Agency on Thursday made the announcement for Tokyo, Nagoya and other cites, based on its observation of flowers on local sample trees. Temperatures in most of the cities on Thursday […]
Work has finally begun to freeze the soil around four damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Engineers are trying to reduce the buildup of contaminated water at the site.Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, the owner of the plant, started the work on Thursday, after the Nuclear Regulation Authority gave the go-ahead. […]
