Tokyo, 12 March, /AJMEDIA/
1 in 4 still to wear masks in Japan despite eased COVID rules: poll
TOKYO – One in four people in Japan have said in a survey they will continue to wear face masks in all social settings, even after COVID-19 guidelines on face coverings are eased on Monday, citing reasons such as infection prevention and habituation.
The move to leave decisions around mask-wearing to individuals is the latest effort by the Japanese government to “normalize” social and economic activities that have been under public health restrictions for the past three years, but the survey indicates that a drastic change in face-covering customs may not occur any time soon.
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China elects Ding vice premier, Yi stays on as central bank chief
BEIJING – China’s parliament on Sunday elected Ding Xuexiang, who is ranked No. 6 in the ruling Communist Party’s apex of power, as executive vice premier and reappointed Yi Gang, a U.S.-educated economist, as chief of the central bank.
Ding, 60, who has worked as a chief of staff for leader Xi Jinping, was promoted last October to the party’s seven-strong Politburo Standing Committee despite his lack of experience in central government or as a regional party boss.
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FOCUS: New Nissan-Renault alliance no longer aiming for greater synergies
TOKYO – The rebalancing of their mutual shareholdings by Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA guarantees increased management flexibility for each automaker but fewer synergies under their partnership — once seen as the most successful alliance in the industry.
Renault’s plan to reduce its stake in Nissan to 15 percent from 43 percent will help the French automaker propel investment for growth with the proceeds, while giving its Japanese partner more autonomy, analysts say.
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Koichi Wakata returns after record 5th space mission by Japanese astronaut
WASHINGTON – Japan’s Koichi Wakata returned to Earth on Saturday along with three other astronauts aboard a U.S. SpaceX spacecraft, following a five-month stay at the International Space Station.
Wakata, 59, completed his fifth space mission, a record for a Japanese. The country’s oldest astronaut has spent a total of more than 500 days in space.
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Nara deer have unique genotype owing to 1,000 yrs at shrine sanctuary
FUKUSHIMA, Japan – Wild deer at Nara Park, a popular tourist attraction in western Japan, have a unique genotype different from those of other herds on the Kii Peninsula, demonstrating more than a thousand years of being protected as messengers of gods for a shrine boasting World Heritage status, a Japanese research group has said.
Collecting muscle tissue or blood samples of 294 Japanese sika deer in the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Mie and Kyoto between 2000 and 2016, the research team analyzed their mitochondrial DNA, which is passed from mother to child.
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FEATURE: UFO sightings putting rural Japan community on intergalactic map
FUKUSHIMA, Japan – A tiny rural community in northeastern Japan known for numerous UFO sightings is promoting itself as a “home to aliens” in a bid to revitalize its local economy and put itself on the intergalactic map.
By displaying its many pieces of UFO paraphernalia and holding events that appeal to enthusiasts, Iinomachi, once prosperous through silk production and weaving industries, hopes to build a new future by drawing visitors with a passion for the extraterrestrial.
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Athletics: Kenya’s Chepngetich wins back-to-back Nagoya Women’s Marathon
NAGOYA – Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich won the Nagoya Women’s Marathon for the second straight year Sunday, in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 8 seconds.
The 2019 world champion crossed the line at Vantelin Dome Nagoya comfortably ahead of Tokyo Olympian Ayuko Suzuki of Japan, who finished second in 2:21:52. Honami Maeda was third in 2:22:32.
