Tokyo, 29 December, /AJMEDIA/
Travelers on New Year’s holidays flood planes, trains in Japan
TOKYO – Travelers on New Year’s holidays flooded planes and trains on Thursday even though the coronavirus pandemic continues, with the exodus peaking in many modes of public transportation in the country.
Reservations for shinkansen bullet trains and local trains as well as flights are still on a recovery track with daily virus cases increasing across the country during the so-called eighth wave of infections.
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Japan to upgrade North Korea missile alert system after malfunction
TOKYO – Japan will upgrade its J-Alert early warning system by next summer after it malfunctioned in October when North Korea launched a ballistic missile over the archipelago for the first time in five years, the Cabinet Secretariat said Wednesday.
In order to issue alerts more swiftly, areas that receive an alert will be expanded under the new system to neighboring prefectures of those where the missile may strike, as well as prefectures that the projectile may potentially fly over.
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Football: Hajime Moriyasu stays on as Japan manager after World Cup run
TOKYO – The Japan Football Association retained Hajime Moriyasu as men’s national team manager Wednesday after he led them to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup in Qatar after topping their tough group.
The 54-year-old becomes the first manager to remain in the post following a World Cup since Japan’s 1998 debut in France and will be tasked with steering the Samurai Blue toward the 2026 World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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U.S. to require travelers from China to test negative for COVID
WASHINGTON – The United States will require all air travelers from China to test negative for COVID-19 in advance from next week, the government said Wednesday, as cases surge in the Asian country after it eased measures to curb the novel coronavirus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, beginning Jan. 5, all airline passengers aged 2 or older will need a negative result within two days before departure from China as well as Hong Kong and Macau to the United States.
Over 60% of Ukrainian evacuees in Japan unemployed: survey
TOKYO – Over 60 percent of Ukrainian evacuees who fled from their homes to Japan following Russia’s invasion in February are unemployed despite the majority of them seeking jobs, a recent survey by the Nippon Foundation showed.
Of the 60.9 percent of the 750 respondents who said they do not have jobs, 58.4 percent said they are looking for employment, while of the 39.1 percent who have found jobs, 79.5 percent worked part-time, according to the two-week online survey conducted from late November.
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Ex-ruling party lawmaker fined 1 mil. yen over political fund scandal
TOKYO – A former Japanese ruling party lawmaker has been fined 1 million yen ($7,400) for underreporting political funds, sources familiar with the case said Wednesday.
The Tokyo Summary Court also suspended the civil rights of Kentaro Sonoura, a 50-year-old journalist-turned-politician, for three years, meaning he cannot run for election or hold public office during that period. He has the right to appeal the ruling.
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Global beer consumption rises for 1st time in 2 years in 2021
TOKYO – Global beer consumption in 2021 grew 4.0 percent from a year earlier for the first rise in two years, as sales at restaurants recovered following the coronavirus pandemic, according to data compiled by a major Japanese beverage company.
Global consumption totaled around 185.60 million kiloliters, with China ranking top for the 19th consecutive year at 38.09 million kl, up 5.6 percent, according to data released by Kirin Holdings Co.
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Japan’s Princess Kako turns 28, takes on duties left by sister
TOKYO – Princess Kako, the niece of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, turned 28 on Thursday, having spent the past year actively taking on the official duties of her older sister Mako Komuro, who left the imperial family after marrying her commoner boyfriend.
The younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko has expressed hopes that society will evolve into one where people are offered a wider range of choices in life to realize their full potential, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
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Temple Univ. saddened by death of board member in murder near Tokyo
SAITAMA, Japan – Temple University Japan has expressed shock and deep sadness at the death of board member William Bishop, a 69-year-old U.S. national who was murdered with his wife and daughter in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Christmas day.
Bishop, who graduated from the school’s main campus in Philadelphia in 1984 with a master’s degree in visual anthropology, served on the Japan campus’ advisory board from 2010 to 2018, later becoming an emeritus member, according to the university.
