A Japanese railway operator plans to assign alphanumeric codes to hundreds of stations in and around Tokyo later this year. It is an effort to make it easier for foreign visitors to use the trains.The numbers would be assigned to 276 of the East Japan Railway Company’s stations.The stops are on 16 railway lines running […]
Japanese convenience store chain Lawson is cautiously planning its expansion in the Philippines, which the company considers a key market to expanding its global presence. Under pressure to keep up with rival Japanese chains 7-Eleven, Ministop and Family Mart, which are rapidly opening new stores, Lawson President and CEO Genichi Tamatsuka said Tuesday that the company and […]
A record-high number of people in Japan are expected to take trips during an upcoming spring break. But they’re expected to spend less, amid economic uncertainty.Major travel agency JTB estimates that nearly 24 million people will head for domestic and overseas destinations from late April to early May.The figure is up 0.3 percent from a […]
Japanese officials plan to increase foreign language signage at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to help visitors from abroad.Administrative Reform Minister Taro Kono made the remarks on Wednesday. He was visiting the site to see how well the facility is prepared for foreign visitors.Government officials plan to attract more international tourists to the palace by […]
The Kyoto Imperial Palace has opened to the public for its annual spring showing.About 850 people lined up before its opening at 9 AM on Wednesday. The palace was the official residence of Japanese emperors for more than 500 years until the late 19th Century.Visitors are usually required to get advanced permission to enter, but […]
The Philippines on Monday launched the first public immunization program for dengue fever. The Philippines on Monday launched the first public immunization program for dengue fever, seeking to administer to a million schoolchildren the world’s first licensed vaccine against a mosquito-borne disease that the World Health Organization estimates infects 390 million people a year globally. […]
Japan’s largest expressway bus terminal opened at the south exit of East Japan Railway Co.’s Shinjuku Station in central Tokyo on Monday. The terminal, used by 118 bus operators, connects 39 prefectures from Aomori to Fukuoka. The number of daily bus arrivals and departures reaches up to 1,625, the biggest number in Japan. The Land, […]
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, […]
