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JAPAN
Aug 23, 2022

Japan weighing end to pre-departure COVID testing, report says

An exemption for those who have been vaccinated is among options the government is considering.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 8, 2022

Hong Kong cuts hotel quarantine to three days to revive hub

New arrivals will be required to go to an approved quarantine hotel and, if they test negative for COVID-19, can then serve four days of health monitoring either at home or in a hotel.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 30, 2022

Digital nomads seek sun, sea and sustainability as remote work booms

Remote and flexible working has boomed since coronavirus lockdowns lifted, backed by a rising number of nations issuing digital nomad visas.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Jul 25, 2022

Back in business? The key sector missing out on Japan's tourism reboot

Organizers of international conferences and exhibitions will need to wait a little longer before business travelers return to Japan in droves.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 7, 2022

This is why airline ticket prices are sky-high right now

Idled jets, expensive fuel prices and a lack of staff are just some of the reasons for the costly airfares, but none of that seems to have dissuaded people from making trips.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2022

Asia welcomes travelers, but Japan says, not yet

Countries across region are reopening borders to tourists, but Japan continues to turn them away. And it is not rushing to change things.
A worker uses a vacuum cleaner inside a bullet train at Suseo Station in Seoul on Nov. 13. South Korea is launching a four-week campaign against bedbugs after multiple reports of infestations sparked widespread public anxiety.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Nov 19, 2023

Bedbug anxiety comes for Asia, and the pest killers are here for it

Outbreaks in France and South Korea have people across Asia on high alert for bedbugs. Exterminators in the region say business is booming.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with Angolan President Joao Lourenco during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 1, 2023

Biden’s unfulfilled vow to visit Africa renews fears of neglect

Work to revitalize U.S.-Africa ties to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence may be taking a back seat to the Ukraine war and Gaza conflict.
As Japan’s borders opened back up and tourists eager to document their long-awaited trips to the country streamed back in, 2023 saw a handful of prominent content creators stir up trouble with local residents to grab attention online.
LIFE / Digital / 2023 in Review
Dec 29, 2023

Social media binged on bad behavior in 2023

Mischief makers like Johnny Somali and "sushi terrorism" instigators gained attention online amid a deluge of Japan-related content this year.
The entrance lobby of Accor's Mercure Tokyo Hibiya, which recently opened in the capital
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 2, 2024

Backed by tourism potential, hotels keen to cultivate Japanese market

Because Japan was slow to reopen its borders, there appears to be robust, pent-up demand to visit the country.
Sensoji Temple, a popular tourist location, in Tokyo on Jan. 18
JAPAN / Society
Jan 26, 2024

Japan aims to direct Asian tourists to places less traveled

The tourism body is attempting to direct visitors to places outside Tokyo in order to prevent over-tourism, specifically by appealing to “light repeaters.”
The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is seen on the surface of the moon in an image released Jan. 25.
PODCAST / deep dive
Feb 2, 2024

Japan’s historic moon landing was right on target

Japan made history last month when it became the fifth nation to soft land on the moon.
Diagnosed at a young age with a rare variant of glycogen storage disease type IV, Mark Bookman went on to distinguish himself in academia in both the United States and Japan.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Feb 19, 2024

New film honors life and legacy of disability pioneer Mark Bookman

Free screenings of THE new documentary on Japan-based disability rights advocate Mark Bookman will be held around Tokyo on Feb. 24, 25 and 27.
“True View of Mount Asama” by Ike Taiga
CULTURE
Mar 1, 2024

Ike Taiga's revolutionary act of capturing natural beauty

Idemitsu Museum of Arts showcases the Edo Period painter's realistic landscapes at the first retrospective of his work in Tokyo in 13 years.
The Dongmenting night market in Shenzhen, China, on Feb. 12. Hong Kong residents are flocking to nearby mainland cities in record numbers for cheaper shopping and entertainment.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 4, 2024

Young Hong Kongers who defied Xi are now partying in China

Thanks to new infrastructure, they can regularly go to Shenzhen where products and services are cheaper.
An American Airlines Airbus A321 plane taking off from Los Angeles International Airport
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 5, 2024

American Airlines buys 260 jets in biggest plane order since 2011

The deal includes 85 Airbus A321neo jets, 85 Boeing 737 MAX 10s and 90 Embraer E175 aircraft, with options and rights for an additional 193 aircraft.
Since the Ukraine war, South Korea has had a special travel advisory urging its citizens not to travel to Russia.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 12, 2024

South Korean held in Russia for spying was missionary, reports say

The incident marks the first time a South Korean has been detained in Russia for alleged espionage, according to Russian news agencies.
A woman takes pictures with Kawazu cherry blossom trees, one of the earliest to bloom in Japan, in Tokyo's Sumida district on Monday.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 15, 2024

Economic impact of hanami expected to double this year

Higher tourist numbers and prices, along with a depreciation of the Japanese currency, are among factors contributing to the larger economic impact.
Humility, recognition of cultural blind spots and a renewed effort are needed to find common ground between China and the United States.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 19, 2024

Addressing the 'blind spots' in U.S.-China relations

The dwindling opportunities for unofficial dialogue between scholars and experts from the U.S. and China are also driving by mutual suspicion and fear.
Denys Kostev, a Ukrainian teen who lived in an orphanage in southern Ukraine and ended up in Russian-controlled territory following Moscow's full-scale invasion
WORLD / Politics
Mar 20, 2024

Poster child for Russia's removal of Ukraine orphans says he was coached, threatened

Kyiv says many Ukrainian orphans taken to Russian-controlled territory have been subjected to an orchestrated program to make them accept Kremlin ideology.
Around 90% of China’s increased oil demand between 2021 and 2024 comes from chemical feedstocks, driven by the manufacturing of products such as those sold by fast-fashion retailers Shein and Tamu.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2024

China's Shein and Temu are driving oil, not Toyota and GM

The cause behind recent a surge in China's oil demand is not to be found in people's transport habits, including car use, but in fast-fashion clothing.
Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS) is caused by bacteria called group A streptococcus, the same type that causes a strep throat infection, which affects mostly children. A strep A throat infection is not the same as STSS, however.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Apr 5, 2024

Japan's tissue-damaging bacterial disease: What you need to know

Misconceptions are fueling jitters at home and abroad, with travelers considering putting off their plans to visit the country.
Yayoi Kusama’s “Pumpkin,” once the victim of high waves that dragged it into the sea, sits at the end of a pier on the south side of Naoshima.
CULTURE / Art / Longform
Apr 6, 2024

Why is the most exciting art in Japan so hard to get to?

Japan has a unique movement of public art projects and festivals that are a slog to get to — by design. A writer examines the country's “inconvenient art."
Tourists visit Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan in Bangkok in January.
BUSINESS
Apr 8, 2024

Thailand leads push for six-nation visa to attract more tourists

The plan is meant to ensure seamless mobility for travelers among neighboring countries.
A funeral procession in Tehran for seven Iranian military commanders killed by an Israeli airstrike in Syria, on April 5. American intelligence analysts and officials said Friday that they expected Iran to strike multiple targets inside Israel within the next few days in retaliation for an Israeli bombing in the Syrian capital on April 1 that killed several senior Iranian commanders.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 13, 2024

U.S. targets unlikely to be on list in possible Iranian attack, officials say

In anticipation of the strikes, several countries have issued new guidelines to their citizens about travel in Israel and the surrounding region.
From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 16, 2024

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

We discuss everything from accessibility in Tokyo to dealing with trains and the country’s shifting attitudes.
Former Prime Minister Taro Aso speaks during a forum in Taiwan in 2023.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 19, 2024

Former PM Aso seeks Trump meeting during New York visit: report

Aso had attempted to meet Trump in January during a trip to the U.S. but was not able to see him.
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 26, 2024

Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’

The country is looking to nudge affluent tourists to lesser-known destinations with the offer of unique experiences of culture, craftsmanship and nature.
Travelers in a departure hall at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on April 26. For environmentalists, the resurgence of tourism will be met with dismay as it drives an accompanying surge in carbon emissions, but for the oil industry, the revival is a welcome boost.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jun 10, 2024

The world’s flying again and jumbo jets are burning fuel like it’s 2019

But despite this year's record number of flyers, increased efficiency will likely hold back fuel consumption to prepandemic levels.
Foreign tourists visit Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo on June 14.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 29, 2024

Why it feels like everyone in the world is heading to Japan right now

The yen’s historic collapse coupled with the post-pandemic surge in global tourism has sparked interest in the nation like never before.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami