Brazil's mystery oil spill leaves local fishermen in the lurch
Holding his breath for 90 seconds, Arivaldo Sousa dives to depths of up to 65 feet (20 meters) to haul lobsters from the seafloor off Bahia state, one of tens of thousands of fishermen who make a living from the rich waters in one ...
Reusable straws catching on in Japan but yet to see popular groundswell
For some, an ocean full of plastic is the last straw. That's why a growing number of environmentally concerned restaurants in Japan are doing away with single-use plastic straws in favor of reusable silicone and stainless steel ones as a way to combat the global ...
Seven-Eleven Japan to end some 24-hour operations amid labor crunch
Seven-Eleven Japan Co. is ending 24-hour operations at some outlets, becoming the first major convenience store operator to scale back around-the-clock hours to address Japan's labor crunch. Eight stores will begin cutting back on their operating hours on Nov. 1, because they are finding it ...
Many stores and restaurants in Japan close as they feel effects of Typhoon Hagibis
Many stores and restaurants in wide swaths of central and northeastern Japan suspended operations Tuesday after Typhoon Hagibis caused flooding and disrupted supply chains. Convenience store operator FamilyMart Co. closed 35 outlets, while rival Seven-Eleven Japan Co., a unit of Seven & I Holdings Co., ...
Mos Food Services Inc. said Tuesday that it will begin a program in 2020 to help Vietnamese acquire a Japanese visa for foreign workers with designated skills. The Tokyo-based hamburger chain operator will partner with the national Danang Vocational Tourism College to train some 350 ...
Japan's Fair Trade Commission probes restaurant booking websites over alleged strong-arm tactics
The Fair Trade Commission has launched an investigation into whether the operators of major restaurant search and booking websites in the country have imposed unreasonable conditions on participant eateries. FTC Secretary-General Akinori Yamada announced the launch of the investigation during a news conference Wednesday. He said ...
Tax hike to heat up battle among Japan's restaurants to keep customers
The consumption tax hike has brought the restaurant industry — already grappling with shortages of labor and rising costs of materials — yet another challenge in keeping customers and attracting new ones. Major restaurant operators have taken various measures out of fear that the tax ...
Eight areas in Japan considering bids to host casino resorts
Eight areas in Japan are considering hosting casinos as part of integrated resorts, tourism minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said Tuesday. The eight areas are Hokkaido, the city of Chiba, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, a combined effort by Osaka Prefecture and the city of Osaka, Wakayama Prefecture and ...
Sumo 101: Restaurants run by former rikishi
Sumo stable life is communal. Rikishi take care of all of their own cooking and cleaning, and because they consume so much food the former is of paramount importance. Michelin stars are unlikely to be handed out in sumo anytime soon, but while the dishes cooked ...
McDonald's Japan to keep prices the same for eat-in and takeout even after consumption tax hike
McDonald's Co. (Japan) said Tuesday that it will unify tax-included prices for eat-in and takeout when the country's consumption tax is raised from 8 percent to 10 percent on Oct. 1. The decision was aimed at keeping things simple for customers, the hamburger chain said. Beginning ...
Ordinance on barrier-free hotel rooms takes effect in Tokyo ahead of 2020 Games
An ordinance takes effect that is expected to boost the number of hotel rooms in the capital accessible by disabled and elderly people ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
