8 floors of food and fun
Loud chanting and the sound of taiko drums reverberated in an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) in the Shimbashi district of Minato ward, Tokyo. Read more
News
Railway to test facial recognition system at ticket gate
East Japan Railway Co., known as JR East, announced in April that it plans to test a system that will use facial recognition technology to allow passengers to move freely through ticket gates at the Joetsu Shinkansen line at its Niigata and Nagaoka stations. Read more
Town famous for its fried chicken offers a unique thanksgiving
A memorial service for chickens was held recently in Nakatsu, Oita prefecture, a city that promotes itself as the “holy land of fried chicken.” Read more
Southwestern islands’ evacuation plan is a work in progress
Japan’s plan to evacuate about 120,000 people from several southwestern islands in the event of an emergency in nearby Taiwan faces daunting challenges, including limits to and funding for accommodations and a shortage of bus drivers to transport evacuees after they arrive in other parts of the country. Read more
Cherry blossom season is abloom
Cherry trees have been flowering across Japan. Read more
Limits on ATM withdrawals aimed at combating elder fraud
Japan’s National Police Agency is considering limiting ATM withdrawals and transfers to a total of 300,000 yen (about $2,090) per day for people age 75 and older in response to a sharp increase of special fraud victims, Japan News has learned. Read more
Wink Martindale, popular TV game show host, dies at age 91
As a vocalist, Martindale recorded about 20 single records and seven albums. Read more
Day of the dinosaurs
Sixty-seven colorful dinosaur runners zipped through the snow Feb. 22 in Iizuna, Nagano prefecture, for the second annual dinosaur race at Iizuna Connect West, a community center. Read more
Luggage delivery services ease overtourism strain
Hands-free luggage services, which allow international visitors to Japan to travel light, are growing, with luggage being checked in at airports and train stations and delivered to visitors’ accommodations or destinations the same day. Read more
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Ehime peels back curtain on new luxury citrus
Sales of Beni Princess, a high-end citrus variety produced in Ehime prefecture, were full swing in March. Read more
Odor-detecting drone uses moth antennae
Researchers in Japan have developed an odor-detecting drone that uses antennae taken from insects. Read more
‘Pixel Tree’: An attention-grabbing art installation is made up of 2,000 cubes
Gamers and passersby alike are delighted by a pixel art installation of a tree that looks like images from the popular video game Minecraft. Read more
Timeshares are back, and cooler than ever
In the foothills of Mount Asama, one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, jagged lava formations dot the landscape — remnants of a 1783 eruption that swallowed villages and permanently scarred the land. Read more
‘Trump slump’ looms as foreign visitors rethink travel to U.S.
A growing number of visitors say they feel unwelcome or unsafe and are reluctant to support the economy of a country that some foreign officials say is waging trade wars and destabilizing its allies. Read more
The abandoned island
On an island off the coast of Nagasaki, ruins that seem on the verge of collapse stand clustered behind a high seawall. Read more
Digital textbooks could take hold in 2030
Making digital textbooks “official textbooks” that will be free and screened by the government, just like physical textbooks, is the focus of a draft report for the Japan education minister’s advisory panel. Read more
AI robots might be the key to caring for Japan’s elderly
The 330-pound AI humanoid robot called AIREC is a prototype “caregiver” to address Japan’s rapidly aging population and chronic shortage of eldercare workers. Read more
U.S. releases redacted documents in Prince Harry immigration case
A conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, had filed a Freedom of Information Act request, arguing the public had a right to know if the British royal disclosed the prior drug use that he detailed in his memoir, “Spare,” on his application. Read more
Visitors flock to dog snow sculpture festival in Japan
The festival is said to have originated about 400 years ago when a feudal lord who had fought off bandits installed small dog sculptures made of rice flour at the entrance and windows of his house to invoke protection from similar incidents. Read more
Japan airport entertains travelers with karaoke booth
The karaoke booth, called Saganosora (Saga sky), opened for a trial run on Jan. 22 and is now located on the third floor of the international terminal building. Read more
Over 120 teams throw down in epic snowball tournament
More than 120 teams battled it out in a snowball fight tournament in a mountainous Japanese city on Feb. 9, in what the local weather bureau called the coldest air this winter to sweep the country’s northern snow belt. Read more
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8 floors of food and fun
Railway to test facial recognition system at ticket gate
