Society

Chinese students affected by Japan’s ban on foreign arrivals amid Omicron surge

Dec 03 (globaltimes) - Visa application services for Chinese students going to Japan have been suspended as Japan has banned foreign entry for 30 days, the Global Times has learned.

Japan has banned entries by new foreign arrivals from Tuesday amid new cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in many countries across the world. The ban is scheduled to last for one month, NHK reported.

It came just 21 days after Japan announced on November 8 that it would lift entry restrictions on some foreign nationals, including business visitors on short-term visas, students, and technical interns.

“Currently, the backlog of visa applications for Japan from Chinese students is not large,” an agent for overseas education based in Beijing told the Global Times on Thursday.

According to another Japanese overseas study consultant, nearly 370,000 people are waiting to enter the country due to COVID-19, and nearly 70 percent of them are overseas students. ...continue reading

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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Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

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Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

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