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Japan's licensed tour guides prepare for return of visitors

Sep 08 (NHK) - Licensed tour guides in Japan are getting ready to resume work as more foreign tourists are expected to visit the country now that border controls have been relaxed.

The government raised its cap on the number of daily arrivals to Japan from 20,000 to 50,000 starting Wednesday as a further easing of its coronavirus entry restrictions. The nationally licensed interpreter-guides provide services in various languages.

About 70 licensed tour guides took part in training in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo on Wednesday.

Participants looked around sightseeing spots and popular shops. They also listened to explanations of the area's history and features from tour guides familiar with the area.

A survey by the Japan Federation of Certified Guides, or JFG, showed that more than 70 percent of about 500 respondents had no tour guiding work from January through the end of August this year. ...continue reading

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The iconic New Year’s Eve bell at Chion-in Temple in Kyoto will shift to a fully paid and reservation-only system this year, with entry limited to 2,000 people, in response to overwhelming crowds in recent years.

At Yamba Dam, a well-known sightseeing spot in Gunma Prefecture, visitors were surprised by an unusual scene: a group of monkeys scratching themselves and gazing out at the view as if enjoying the scenery. Unlike the occasional lone monkey, this time a whole troop appeared.

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Heavy rainfall battered parts of Hokkaido, with some areas receiving more than a month’s worth of precipitation in only six hours, prompting flood warnings and evacuation advisories. Meteorologists are saying the downpour was the result of a combination of unstable atmospheric conditions and moist air flowing in from the sea.

Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture has approved the introduction of a bathing tax, but the measure is drawing strong criticism from local hot spring operators since only two facilities fall under the new levy.

Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture has begun new measures to control crowds at a railway crossing near Kamakura High School, a site that has become a pilgrimage destination for fans of the popular anime 'Slam Dunk.'

Osaka City decided on September 30th to suspend new applications for so-called special zone minpaku, a category of private lodging that has seen a sharp rise in disputes with local residents.