MATSUE, (Japan): Ichibata Electric Railway in Shimane Prefecture has started an event that provides a hands-on train driver experience on real tracks after the last train on certain nights. According to the transport ministry, this is the first train operation event in the country to allow participants to drive on the actual tracks. Ichibata Electric Railway services...
TOKYO: A 10-year-old boy enrolled in a Japanese school in Shenzhen, China, has died after being stabbed by an assailant on Wednesday (Sept 18), Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported citing the Japanese consul-general. The attack took place near the school on the anniversary of an incident in 1931 that triggered war between China and Japan, a...
FUKUOKA, (Japan): Ten baby white snakes were hatched this month at Fukuoka Prefecture’s Sanpo Shrine, where a god in the form of a white snake is worshipped. According to the shrine, it was the first time they have had 10 snakes hatched at the same time. White snakes are considered to bring luck. The shrine installed a facility...
TOKYO: Fewer climbers tackled Mount Fuji during this year's hiking season, preliminary figures show, after Japanese authorities introduced an entry fee and a daily cap on numbers to fight overtourism. Online reservations were also brought in this year by officials concerned about safety and environmental damage on the country's highest mountain. The number of climbers fell by...
From climbing onto the Hachiko statute to shaking cherry blossom trees for pictures, can we blame Japan for wanting to introduce new entry rules for tourists soon? In a video posted to social media, a male tourist was caught trying to rouse a resting deer in Nara Park with his feet before being loudly scolded by Japanese content creator Harada...
For those who have never thought much about saving money, perhaps this story would serve as motivation to start. Saki Tamogami, 39, is now known as Japan’s “Most Frugal Woman” after achieving her goal of buying three houses in less than 15 years. Saki was just 19 when she decided that she wanted to own three houses by the age...
TOKYO: A barrier erected in Japan to block a popular view of Mount Fuji has been taken down -- for now -- after succeeding in discouraging unruly tourists, a town official said on Tuesday (Aug 20). Fujikawaguchiko put up the large screen in May after residents complained about streams of mostly foreign visitors causing problems while...
TOKYO: The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant said on Monday (Aug 19) it will send a probe inside a battered reactor this week for a trial removal of radioactive debris. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) aims to retrieve a tiny sample of the estimated 880 tonnes of radioactive debris that is believed to...
TOKYO: Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, Digital Minister Taro Kono and former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba have decided to announce their candidacies for the LDP presidential election scheduled for September, according to multiple sources close to the ruling party. The situation surrounding the presidential election is quite extraordinary as more than 10 lawmakers,...
TOKYO: Typhoon Ampil edged closer to Japan’s main island of Honshu on Friday (Aug 16), forcing major Japanese airlines to cancel flights and the government to issue a warning against possible landslides and flooding. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled some 90 international flights, impacting more than 15,000 passengers. The two carriers also scrapped about 560...
