Society

Low-cost coronavirus tests spreading in Japan in bid to boost travel

Apr 13 (Japan Times) - An increasing number of companies in Japan are providing polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests for the novel coronavirus at low cost, an effort to help boost travel demand battered by the pandemic.

On Saturday, Kinoshita Group Co., a housing business operator, opened PCR testing centers at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda, one each at its Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 buildings for domestic passengers.

Visitors can take a PCR test there for Y1,900. The centers also provide antigen tests, which produce results in 15 minutes.

Japan Airlines allows members of its frequent flyer program to get a PCR test for Y2,000.

Customers of rival All Nippon Airways, a unit of ANA Holdings Inc., can undergo a PCR test for Y2,500 if they make a reservation for a flight ticket and accommodation in a set.

Budget airline Peach Aviation is offering free PCR tests through May 9 to domestic passengers departing from Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture or Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture.

Nippon Travel Agency Co. has launched a service in which customers can get tested for Y2,300. Those who test positive do not have to pay cancellation fees for travel products from the company.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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