Worker influx ignites resort island rent bubble on Miyakojima
An influx of construction workers to meet the demands of the tourism boom on the Okinawan resort island of Miyakojima is creating severe apartment shortages, sending rents higher. Take the rent for studio apartments, which combine the living room, bedroom and kitchen into a single ...
Scuba diving in Japan: Beneath the sea, a paradise of color and life
A carpet of sand stretches into the distance below me. As clear and still as the water, the light seems muted, creating a peaceful, subdued scene. Surrounding each rocky feature are small oases of life. At one, there are two nudibranchs (sea slugs) and, as ...
Tiny Okinawa island's mayor wins re-election after backing SDF deployment to counter China
The mayor of Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, has won re-election after campaigning on a platform backing the planned deployment of a Ground Self-Defense Force unit there to counter China's maritime activities in nearby waters. Toshihiko Shimoji, 71, won his third four-year term as mayor of the ...
Amid rising hopes for economic growth, Japan's tourism boom has exposed the need for regional authorities to develop infrastructure and help secure the manpower needed to deal with the influx of foreign tourists. Miyakojima in Okinawa is one of those struggling tourist destinations. As a ...
The decision of China's sovereign wealth fund to buy shares of four of the country's biggest banks is a warning signal. The move to prop up the plummeting value of those institutions is intended to boost confidence; instead, it has highlighted the many unknowns ...
