NEWSWORTHY
U.N. adopts Japan-sponsored resolution promoting volunteerism
The U.N. General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution encouraging volunteerism, to advance the global body's sustainable development agenda — an initiative Tokyo hopes can be used to energize activities coinciding with the 2020 Games. "This year we wanted to infuse enthusiasm for the 2020 ...
Japan to host first direct qualifier for 2020 Olympic surfing competition
The International Surfing Association announced Sunday that the World Surfing Games will return to Japan next year and serve as the first direct qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Games, where the sport will make its Olympic debut. The top eligible man and woman from Europe, ...
Foreign tourists in Japan set to hit record 30 million in 2018
The number of foreign tourists to Japan is set to rise for the seventh straight year and hit a record level of more than 30 million in 2018, the tourism minister has said. "We are still on the way to our goal but I am ...
Ninja-clad petitioners 'sneak' into Abe's office seeking help with tourism promotion
Ninja-clad petitioners "sneaked" into the office of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday to ask for help in promoting ninja culture as a tourism draw in the run-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. "Even though you're all wearing such bright ...
The Diet on Saturday passed a bill that will prohibit ticket scalping for concerts and sports events in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. The legislation, unanimously approved by the House of Councilors in the predawn hours following its passage Tuesday in the ...
2020 Tokyo Games: Costs related to Japan's scorching summers being factored into the budget
Organizers and the head of the International Olympic Committee's inspection team for the Tokyo 2020 Games on Wednesday said the rising costs associated with preventing heat-related illnesses and injuries to athletes and spectators due to the country's increasingly hotter summers are being factored into ...
Question mark hangs over holiday reshuffles
The Diet passed a bill in June that will shift certain national holidays in 2020 to ease traffic congestion during the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Marine Day, which is usually the third Monday of July, will be moved to July 23, the day before ...
Japan to keep golf tax in place, defying lawmakers ahead of Tokyo Olympics
The government and ruling coalition are considering keeping the tax imposed on golfers intact through planned fiscal 2019 tax system reforms, despite calls for its abolition from some lawmakers and others, according to sources. Officials are finding it difficult to secure an alternative source of ...
Diet panel approves bill to ban ticket scalping ahead of 2020 Tokyo Olympics
A Lower House panel approved a bill Friday that would ban ticket scalping for concerts and sports events in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The legislation is expected to pass the Lower House on Tuesday and then go to the Upper ...
North Korean minister to enter Japan for Olympics meeting: government
North Korean sports minister Kim Il Guk arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday to attend a major international sports meeting later this week, after the Japanese government permitted his entry as a special case. It is rare for a senior North Korean official to visit Japan, ...
Applicants top 80,000 for 2020 Tokyo Olympics volunteer roles
The number of applications for volunteer jobs during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics has already topped the organizing committee's target of 80,000 one month ahead of the deadline. The organizing committee said Wednesday that the number of applications stood at 81,035 as of 9 ...
The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games hopes to move up the start times of the 2020 marathons by one hour to 6 a.m. to avoid the extreme summer heat, sources said Wednesday. In July, the International Olympic Committee approved the organizers' ...
