The government is considering introducing a "Kids Week" initiative to encourage parents to take more paid holidays and spend more time with their children, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. Suga said Monday that family holidays would be an effective way to promote healthy ...
The anonymous writer of Asahi Shimbun's finance-related Keizai Kishodai column pointed out in the Feb. 18 edition that Japanese people only think of time off on a day-by-day basis, whereas Europeans tend to conceptualize it in week-long blocks, as "vacations."
The Beijing city government has told officials to lead by example and not set off fireworks or firecrackers to welcome the Lunar New Year on Friday to help prevent smog, after the city was blanketed in choking smog earlier this month. The Chinese New Year ...
The New Year's travel exodus peaked Thursday as people jammed airports and train stations for destinations in Japan and abroad. On Thursday alone, around 50,000 people were expected to leave the country from Narita airport, 33,400 from Kansai airport in Osaka, and some 8,800 from ...
A long, leisurely sojourn at a tropical beach resort, listening to the waves and counting seagulls ... is only a pipe dream for most workers in Japan as the New Year's holiday period draws near. A recent survey by market research firm Macromill Inc. shows ...
Christian leaders from the Vatican to Bethlehem struck a sombre note on Christmas Eve speaking of war, fear and division, as cities in Europe ramped up security in the shadow of the Berlin market attack. At the Vatican, Pope Francis urged the world's 1.2 billion ...
As a harrowing economic crisis makes food scarce for millions of Venezuelans, many families cannot buy their children Christmas presents, decorate their home, or even host a holiday dinner. The oil-rich country is suffering the third year of a recession that has sparked product shortages ...
Preparations for Christmas are in full swing at the site of Jesus's birthplace, with Bethlehem shops, hotels and church officials planning for more visitors than 2015, when violence put a damper on celebrations. At Manger Square next to the Church of the Nativity, built on ...
Santa Claus has successfully renewed his commercial pilot's license, passing a written exam as well as a health check — despite high sugar levels — and is good to fly for Christmas, Canada's transportation department said Thursday. Santa was given his pilot's license renewal by ...
Children gathered with parents in Brussels's medieval main square on Saturday to await the arrival of St. Nicholas, a pre-Christmas tradition in Belgium, the Netherlands and other parts of Northern Europe held in honor of the legendary gift-giver. Every year in early December, parades are ...
Not waiting at home for Santa Claus, gourmets in Brussels are flying off aboard his sleigh to dine with him above the city's rooftops and twinkling Christmas lights. Santa in the Sky is a novel twist on the Belgian capital's Dinner in the Sky venture, ...
Dominik Creazzi, "Paranormal Investigator" embossed on his jacket, strains his ears among the decaying tombstones of Vienna's central cemetery, the last resting place of 3 million mortals from Beethoven to "Rock Me Amadeus" singer Falco. Armed with an array of high-tech gadgets to detect ghostly ...
