<H1><strong>INDUSTRY NEWS</strong></H1><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><marquee behavior=scroll direction=up scrollamount=2 scrolldelay=5 height=250px onmouseover="this.stop()" onmouseout="this.start()"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ffffff;">3 Nov 2016</span> <span style="color: #ff6600;"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->Foreign tourists seek out the unexpected</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed-para-1" style="text-align: justify;">Rather than stick to traditionally famous sightseeing destinations in Japan such as Hakone and Nikko, an increasing number of foreign tourists are taking in unusual sights that even local residents may not be aware of.</div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed-para-2">This move toward unexpected sightseeing spots is attributed to people sharing information online about places they have enjoyed while visiting this country.<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><p style="text-align: justify;">A 64-year-old tourist from Sydney who joined a tour in Tokyo exuberantly exclaimed, “This is like a magical cave full of jewels.” The tourist was speaking in front of an escalator inside Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku, a commercial complex in the Jingumae district of Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.<span style="color: #ff6600;">(<a style="color: #ff6600;" href="http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003269736" target="new">THE-JAPAN-NEWS.COM</a>)</span></p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->31 Oct 2016 <span style="color: #ff6600;">Foreign visitors to Japan top 20 million</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->Japan's tourism ministry says the number of foreign visitors to the country this year exceeded 20 million on Sunday for the first time. This surpasses last year's record of about 19.7 million. <a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/118006.php">NHK</a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">13  Jun 2015</span>  Kuroda: Japan growth back above potential in summer</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_1" style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">The Japanese economy is highly likely to return to growth exceeding potential in summer or later, Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda said Friday. </span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000;"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ffffff;">The economy is recovering moderately as a trend, with the positive cycle steadily in place, he told a news conference. The trend is expected to continue despite negative impacts from the April consumption tax hike from 5 percent to 8 percent, he said</span><a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/108103.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span>(The Japan News)</span></a><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong style="color: #ffffff;">7  June </strong>Volcanic eruption spews smoke in southern Japan</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_1" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">A volcano in southern Japan has erupted, spewing a huge column of smoke into the sky.</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Mt. Sakurajima in Kagoshima Prefecture erupted on Friday. Ash clouds from one of its 2 craters reached a height of 4,500 meters.</span><a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107978.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">(NHK)</span></a></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong style="color: #ffffff;">2 June </strong>Jellyfish aquarium reopens in Yamagata</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_1" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">An aquarium known for its jellyfish exhibits has reopened in a new building in the northeastern prefecture of Yamagata.</span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ffffff;">Visitors lined up at the entrance of Kamo Aquarium in the city of Tsuruoka on the Japan Sea coast from early Sunday morning. The operator of the aquarium opened the gate about an hour and a half earlier than usual.</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">The facility holds the Guinness World Record for housing more kinds of jellyfish than any other aquarium.</span>.<a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107893.php"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span><span style="color: #ff6600;">(NHK)</span></a></p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong style="color: #ffffff;">31 May </strong>Tourists rate Tokyo top city</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_1" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Tokyo was voted the world's most satisfying tourist city for 2013, according to a poll by online travel site TripAdvisor. Tokyo came in first of 37 major world cities for overall satisfaction based on tens of thousands of online reviews by travelers.</span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><p style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> That top spot should be a boost for the still struggling tourist industry in Japan. It will surely encourage more travelers to come to Japan in the coming year.</span><a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107875.php"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> </span><span style="color: #ff6600;">(Japan Times)</span></a></p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong style="color: #ffffff;">29 May  </strong>Japan plans to allow longer stays for wealthy tourists</span></span></span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Japan is working on a plan to extend the maximum stay for foreign visitors who meet certain income and asset requirements to one year, aiming to encourage spending and real estate investment.</span></p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><p style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Under the current system, foreigners who come to Japan for tourism may stay up to 90 days. By raising this cap for well-off visitors, the government hopes to attract investment in real estate such as vacation homes and condominiums, as well as make it easier to visit scenic spots in areas outside Tokyo and Kyoto.  <a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107851.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">(telegraph.co.uk )</span></a></span></p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong> 27May </strong></span><span style="color: #666666;">  </span>Tokyo Disneyland conjures up flashy new nighttime show</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_1" style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Oriental Land gave reporters a sneak peek Monday of a night show it will introduce later this week at its Tokyo Disneyland resort.</span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><p style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"> "Once Upon a Time" projects famous scenes from Disney's "Cinderella" and "Beauty and the Beast" animated films onto the 51-meter-tall Cinderella's castle. It also includes matching music, as well as fireworks.</span><a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107792.php"> <span style="color: #ff6600;">(Nikkei<span style="color: #ff6600;"> </span>)</span></a></p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>May 24</strong></span>  </span><span style="color: #ff6600;">Japan succeeds in world's 1st bluefin tuna spawning in onshore tank </span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_1" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Japan's Fishery Research Agency said Friday that it has succeeded in bluefin tuna spawning and securing fertilized eggs in large onshore fish tanks at a research institute in the southwestern city of Nagasaki.</span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">It was the world's first-ever successful bluefin tuna spawning at an onshore dedicated facility that can control water temperature and day length, and suggests potential for stable aquafarming, according to the independent administrative agency.</span>  <span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #ff6600;">(<a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107356.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jiji Press</span></a><a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107356.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;"> </span></a>)</span></span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>May 24</strong></span><span style="color: #666666;">   </span>Japan succeeds in satellite launch</span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Japan's space agency has launched an H-2A rocket carrying an earth observation satellite that can help survey areas hit by disasters. The satellite was put into orbit at the scheduled time.The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, says the rocket lifted off at 12:05 PM on Saturday from Tanegashima Space Center, southwestern Japan.</span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ffffff;">The 24th version of the H-2A rocket released "Daichi-2" into orbit about 16 minutes after the launch.</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ffffff;">The new satellite can detect objects as small as 3 meters on the earth's surface, an improvement from the 10-meter capability of its predecessor</span>.<span style="color: #ff0000;"> <span style="color: #ff6600;"><a href="http://www.newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107753.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">(NHK</span></a><a href="http://www.newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107753.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;"> )</span></a></span></span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><div class="detailed_para_2" style="color: #000000; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Apr 29</span>  <span style="color: #ff6600;">Narita, Haneda airports packed with Golden Week travelers</span></div><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><p style="text-align: justify;">Around 45,000 travelers are expected to depart on overseas trips from Narita and Haneda airports by Tuesday night, airport officials said.<span style="color: #ff6600;"> (<a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107413.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Japan Today</span></a> )</span></p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="font-size: 0.83em;"><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Apr 24</strong></span> <span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Visitors to Japan hits record 1.05 million in March</strong></span></span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><p style="text-align: justify;"> The estimated number of visitors to Japan in March jumped 22.6 pct from a year earlier to 1,050,500, a record monthly high, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. <span style="color: #ff6600;">(<a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107356.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jiji Press</span></a><a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107356.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;"> </span></a>)</span></p><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ffffff;">Apr 29</span>  <span style="color: #ff6600;">Narita, Haneda airports packed with Golden Week travelers</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->Around 45,000 travelers are expected to depart on overseas trips from Narita and Haneda airports by Tuesday night, airport officials said.<span style="color: #ff6600;"> (<a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107413.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Japan Today</span></a> )</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Apr 24</strong></span> <span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Visitors to Japan hits record 1.05 million in March</strong></span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->The estimated number of visitors to Japan in March jumped 22.6 pct from a year earlier to 1,050,500, a record monthly high, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. <span style="color: #ff6600;">(<a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107356.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jiji Press</span></a><a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107356.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;"> </span></a>)</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><h5><span style="color: #ffffff;">Apr 29</span>  <span style="color: #ff6600;">Narita, Haneda airports packed with Golden Week travelers</span></h5><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->Around 45,000 travelers are expected to depart on overseas trips from Narita and Haneda airports by Tuesday night, airport officials said. <span style="color: #ff6600;">(<a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107413.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Japan Today</span></a> )</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><span style="color: #ffffff;"><strong>Apr 24</strong></span> <span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Visitors to Japan hits record 1.05 million in March</strong></span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->The estimated number of visitors to Japan in March jumped 22.6 pct from a year earlier to 1,050,500, a record monthly high, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. <span style="color: #ff6600;">(<a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107356.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;">Jiji Press</span></a><a href="http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/107356.php"><span style="color: #ff6600;"> </span></a>)</span><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><h5></h5><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></marquee>