Society

Visitors to Japan drop 93.6% in March as travel restrictions remain

Apr 22 (Japan Times) - The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in March dropped 93.6% from a year earlier to 12,300 as travel restrictions remain in place to prevent the further spread of the novel coronavirus, government data showed Wednesday.

The year-on-year number marked the 18th consecutive month of decline, though it did rise 4,900 from February, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

The month-on-month increase is apparently due to the arrival of those permitted to enter the country under “special exceptional circumstances” such as exchange students ahead of the new academic year, as well as partners of Japanese nationals.

Compared to March 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic swept across the world, the number of visitors who visited Japan plunged 99.6%.

Imperial Family Pays Tribute to War Victims

The Emperor, Empress, and their daughter Princess Aiko visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall in Sumida Ward on Thursday afternoon, marking their first visit to the site as Japan observes the 80th year since the end of World War II. They were greeted upon arrival by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other officials.

First Snow Caps Mount Fuji, 15 Days Earlier Than Last Year

The Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory announced on October 23rd that the season’s first snow had been observed on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters tall. Around 6 a.m., an official visually confirmed that snow had clearly accumulated near the summit.

Tokyo’s Aging Expressway Reborn After Major Overhaul

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

New Cabinet Takes On 'Takaichi Color'

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

Hokkaido Launches Mass Culling After Bird Flu Detected

Authorities in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, have begun culling approximately 460,000 laying hens after a poultry farm in the region’s Iburi area confirmed infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking the first confirmed outbreak of the season in Japan.

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