by admin | Jul 15, 2017
The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan is continuing to increase. It hit a new record for the month of May.
The Japan Tourism Organization estimated that nearly 2.3 million foreigners visited in the month. That’s up 21 percent from May last year.South Korea topped the list.
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by admin | Jul 14, 2017
The climbing season started on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of Mount Fuji early on Saturday.
Hikers can now trek up to the summit, Japan’s highest peak. The Shizuoka side will open on July 10th. The mountain straddles the 2 prefectures.A traditional ritual to pray for the safety of climbers will take place at a shrine on the mountain’s 5th station later in the day.
Mount Fuji was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013.
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by admin | Jul 14, 2017
A recently opened theater in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward featuring maiko young female entertainers is becoming a popular tourist attraction for visitors from abroad.
At the small theater, launched in late 2016, audiences can enjoy dance performances by maiko and eat and drink with the apprentice female entertainers gaining skills in traditional dance and music, the theater operator said.
Anybody may enter the theater for a fixed charge, according to the operator. It is generally thought to be difficult to see maiko performances in Kyoto as many places offering such shows in Japan’s ancient capital refuse first-time customers.
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by admin | Feb 25, 2017
Twenty-eight hospitals in Japan have been registered on a government list of medical institutions recommended for non-Japanese as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration seeks to promote the nation’s advanced medical services.
Medical Excellence Japan, a government-backed entity promoting the export of Japan’s medical services and equipment, selected the 28 hospitals, mostly in Tokyo, based on such criteria as their past experience treating foreign visitors.The entity also set up an English website for non-Japanese to search for hospitals that fulfill their needs. The site also has information on such matters as obtaining the necessary visa to come to Japan and how to arrange for an interpreter.
The Abe government is seeking to boost the number of people coming to Japan for medical treatment as a way to help stimulate related businesses as well as to export advanced medical care systems.
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by admin | Feb 25, 2017
A Japanese railway operator has unveiled a luxury sleeper train. Operation of Twilight Express Mizukaze will begin in June.
West Japan Railway Company held a ceremony in Osaka City on Thursday.The 16-car train will run through the Chugoku region in western Japan. Its streamlined lead car is painted deep-green and adorned with a golden line. It has round headlights reminiscent of past sleepers.
Twin rooms cost 270,000 yen, or about 2,400 dollars, a night. Each of them comes with a shower space and lavatory as well as a table and walls made of wood from the Chugoku region. Lighting switches are decorated with hand-made copper plate ornaments.
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Foreign Embassies in Japan