News On Japan

Tourists travel to Japan after COVID-19 restrictions lifted, expected to provide major economic boost

Oct 12 (pbs.org) - Eager to admire colorful foliage, eat sushi and go shopping, droves of tourists from abroad began arriving in Japan on Tuesday, with the end of pandemic-fighting border restrictions that had been in place for more than two years.

About 32 million tourists visited Japan in 2019, before COVID-19. Their return is welcome for good reason. Many will have more spending power because the Japanese yen has declined in recent months in value compared to the U.S. dollar, the euro and other currencies.

The only protocols left for entry are that you must be fully vaccinated with one booster or have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure. Virtually all visitors from the U.S., the rest of Asia, Europe and South America who fulfill those requirements won’t have to quarantine.

Visitors may have to adjust to face masks, worn by most Japanese just about everywhere outside their own homes. Many stores and restaurants require customers to wear masks and sanitize their hands. Some establishments still close early, or have shuttered completely.

But bookings from abroad with Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways Co., or ANA, have already jumped five-fold compared to last week, while bookings of flights out of Japan have doubled. ...continue reading

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In recent years, approximately 450 schools close annually in Japan, with around 20% left unused. These unused schools face potential demolition as maintenance becomes unsustainable, prompting a response from the Ministry of Education, which has launched matching sites and events to promote new uses.

The next-generation flagship rocket, the H3, was launched from Tanegashima on October 4th, successfully deploying a satellite into orbit as planned. This marks the third consecutive successful launch.

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The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has revealed plans to project advertisements on the walls of its building through projection mapping, following criticism over the initiative’s high costs.

Yumeshima Station, the 'nearest station' to the Osaka-Kansai Expo, is set to open next spring, with a public reveal this week for the first time ahead of its scheduled January opening.

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