News On Japan

Japan may let in up to 250 business travelers

Jun 11, 2020 (NHK) - Japan is planning to start allowing the entry of up to 250 business people a day from Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand this summer.

Since early this year, Japan has denied entry to visitors from more than 100 countries and territories because of the pandemic.

Japan is now in talks with Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand about easing the entry ban, now that those countries have brought the coronavirus mostly under control.

If Japan lifts the entry ban for business travelers from those four countries, Japan is planning to ask them to undergo PCR coronavirus tests before departing for Japan to prove they are negative. They will be tested again at airport quarantine when they arrive.

Japan may waive a mandatory two-week self-quarantine period for those business travelers who present in advance a plan for their stay in Japan.

Japanese business people visiting other countries in the future are likely to be required to present proof that they have tested negative for the coronavirus.

The Japanese government is planning to set up PCR test centers to meet an expected increase in demand for testing among business travelers.

The Japanese government said that some officials in Australia and New Zealand are saying it may still be too early to allow entry of Japanese travelers.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Japan experienced widespread thunderstorms, strong winds and sudden downpours on October 14 as a cold front swept across the country, while the Japan Meteorological Agency warned that a tropical depression south of Japan could develop into Typhoon No. 30 within 24 hours, marking the first time in 13 years that the annual typhoon count has reached 30.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yana submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the evening of October 14 over a controversy involving shuttle buses and other issues, prompting Takaichi to acknowledge her responsibility for appointing him and announce plans to name a successor on October 15.

Japan's first Disney cruise ship will be named "Disney Imagination," with Oriental Land and its partners planning to launch the service in spring 2029, offering a new Disney-themed travel experience departing from Tokyo.

Tokyo's 23 wards have decided to establish a new small-scale public crematorium to address rising fees at privately operated facilities and growing concerns that cremation capacity could become insufficient around 2040 as the city's aging population drives up the number of deaths.

Japan is facing a growing wave of cyberattacks as advances in artificial intelligence remove the language barrier that once made Japanese companies difficult targets for overseas hackers, with more than 68 million personal records potentially exposed in a series of security incidents over the past two weeks.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Three people, including a former chief priest, have been arrested over the alleged takeover of a historic Buddhist temple in central Kyoto, with investigators suspecting they sold temple-owned land and buildings without authorization for approximately 226 million yen, leaving the 300-year-old institution with almost none of its property beyond its main hall and grounds.

More than 1,000 chickens escaped from a truck onto a busy national highway in Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, on October 15 after the vehicle's load shifted, prompting traffic restrictions that lasted approximately four hours.

Tokyo's 23 wards have decided to establish a new small-scale public crematorium to address rising fees at privately operated facilities and growing concerns that cremation capacity could become insufficient around 2040 as the city's aging population drives up the number of deaths.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako drew attention during their September 19-20 visit to Aichi Prefecture for the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games, when the couple posed beside the popular character No-Face at Ghibli Park and used the Emperor's own smartphone to capture the moment, offering a rare glimpse of the Imperial Family's increasingly approachable public image.

A fire broke out at a factory handling waste plastic in Nara City on October 13, sending thick black smoke into the air and prompting the dispatch of 12 fire engines after firefighters received an emergency call shortly before 3:30 p.m. from a factory representative reporting smoke rising from inside the building, with all workers safely evacuated and no injuries reported.

Four people, including a 13-year-old junior high school girl, were injured when a large festival float collided with a roadside tree during an autumn festival in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on October 12th.

A 46-year-old Cuban national has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a 32-year-old foreign national at a restaurant in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, on October 11, fleeing the scene before turning himself in to police the following day.

The proportion of divorces involving couples married for at least 20 years has reached a record high in Japan, driven by greater financial independence among women and longer life expectancy, with women initiating an estimated 70% to 80% of late-life separations.