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Japan eases travel alert for Indonesia, Philippines, other areas

Aug 24, 2022 (Kyodo) - The Japanese government on Wednesday eased its travel warning over the coronavirus pandemic for 54 countries and a region, including Indonesia and the Philippines, and is no longer requesting that residents in Japan refrain from nonessential trips to those nations.

The Foreign Ministry said it had lowered the travel advisory for those areas from the second-lowest Level 2 on its four-point scale to Level 1, which advises Japanese nationals traveling to those regions to "stay fully alert."

Twenty-three countries and a region from the Middle East and Africa, such as Egypt and South Africa, were newly designated as Level 1. Eleven European nations including Ukraine and Russia, 10 Asian and Pacific countries such as Pakistan and Myanmar as well as 10 in Latin America were also newly designated as Level 1, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, 35 areas including Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Turkey remained under the Level 2 warning.

In addition, advisories for 41 other nations were downgraded from Level 3, which warns people to avoid all travel, to Level 2. Among them are 33 in the Middle East and Africa, four in the Caribbean, three in Eastern Europe, and Kyrgyzstan. ...continue reading

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Japan’s newest luxury cruise ship, Asuka III, offers passengers the experience of a high-end hotel at sea, combining private balconies, fine dining, Japanese-style bathing and personalized service on voyages around the country.

The rainy season ended in the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions on July 20 as strengthening high pressure brought intense heat across Japan, with temperatures forecast to reach 38 C in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, and Kofu.

Severe heat spread across Japan on July 20 as a Pacific high-pressure system covered much of the country, pushing the temperature in central Tokyo to 35 degrees Celsius for the first time this year.

Nagashima Jumbo Seawater Pool in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, was packed with visitors on Marine Day, the final day of a three-day weekend, as families sought relief from intense summer heat following the end of the rainy season in the Tokai region.

A beach where visitors can swim alongside whales has opened in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, drawing families and children eager to see the animals at close range.

An interactive exhibition recreating the world of Studio Ghibli will open at Osaka's ATC complex on July 18, offering visitors of all ages the chance to experience famous scenes and characters from the studio's animated films.

Heavy rain flooded railway tracks in Hokkaido, forcing the cancellation of 32 trains, including limited express services linking Sapporo and Hakodate.

Japan is likely to face increasingly long and dangerously hot summers as global temperatures continue to rise, with advanced climate simulations also pointing to more frequent torrential rain, rising seas and accelerating ice loss by the end of the century.