Society

JR East to launch sightseeing train from Tokyo to Izu in 2020

May 10 (Japan Times) - East Japan Railway Co. said Wednesday it will launch a luxurious sightseeing train between Tokyo and the Izu resort area in the spring of 2020, shortly before the capital hosts the Summer Olympic Games.

The eight-car train will feature premium seats and private rooms, with one or two round trips planned each day from Tokyo and Shinjuku stations to Izukyu-Shimoda in Shizuoka Prefecture, according to JR East, which hopes to attract more foreign tourists with the service.

The railway vehicles will be designed to be slightly rounded in shape and painted deep blue to represent the sky and ocean in the Izu area, as well as white and grey to show the colors of the local sand and coastline.

Japan to Allow Overseas Sales of Lethal Weapons

The Japanese government on April 21 revised the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and related guidelines, in principle allowing the export of weapons with lethal capabilities. The move marks a major turning point in Japan's postwar security policy.

Earthquake Strikes During Rescue Operation

Footage released by the Nagano Prefectural Police mountain rescue unit captured the moment an earthquake struck during an operation to save two climbers who had fallen on a steep slope of Mount Shirouma in the Northern Alps.

Japan Gov't Warns of Possible Megaquake

Japan's weather agency and the Cabinet Office issued a 'Hokkaido-Sanriku Offshore Subsequent Earthquake Advisory' after an earthquake measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale struck off Sanriku.

New Shinkansen Reservation Service Lets Users Book in One Minute

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

Bear Found in Bushes in Central Sendai Finally Culled

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

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MORE Society NEWS

Beagle Sniffs Out Termites at Osaka Shrine

At Kumata Shrine in Osaka's Hirano Ward, an inspection using a termite detection dog was carried out to help protect the site’s historic wooden buildings.

Female Worker Dies After Being Trapped in Tokyo Ride

A female worker in her 20s died after becoming trapped while carrying out inspection work on an attraction at Tokyo Dome City in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, shortly before noon on April 21.

One Dead in Yakuza Office Fire in Okinawa

A fire broke out at a four-story apartment building in Okinawa City in the early hours of April 19th, leaving one person dead, with authorities suspecting the victim may be a man in his 70s who served as chairman of a local crime group.

Father Claimed Son Was Missing Before Disappearance

A 37-year-old father arrested over the alleged abandonment of his son's body in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture may have contacted associates to say the child had gone missing before the boy's school informed the family, investigators said.

Osaka University Student Arrested for Recruitng 'Dark' Workers

A 20-year-old university student has been arrested on suspicion of breaking into an apartment in Osaka and stealing cash, with police believing he played a key role in recruiting minors for illegal work schemes.

Spring Garden Party Highlights Shrinking Imperial Family

The annual spring garden party, held at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, has once again drawn attention to a pressing issue facing Japan's Imperial Household: how to maintain the number of family members as it continues to decline whenever female royals marry.

Why Japan Has Such a Unique Sexual Culture

Japan is often viewed abroad as a country with an unusually visible sexual culture, shaped by adult videos, erotic manga and a wide range of related subcultures. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Bear Found in Bushes in Central Sendai Finally Culled

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

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