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☆ Private rooms coming to some of Japan’s bullet trains
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Japan’s beloved Shinkansen trains are getting another upgrade. This photo illustration shows what the private rooms will look like. Japan RailwaysThey will be located in the green cars, which are the first-class, more expensive cars on Shinkansen trains. Travelers who have purchased a JR Rail pass will still need to pay extra to use the private rooms. The Tokaido line was Japan’s first-ever high speed rail line, making its debut in 1964.

Persons: CNN —, CNN’s Junko Ogura Organizations: CNN, Japan Rail, Japan Railways, Travelers Locations: Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka

☆ China is trying to connect Southeast Asia by high-speed rail. Here’s how that’s going
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Imagine jumping on a train in southwestern China, traveling some 2,000 miles and arriving in Singapore – less than 30 hours later. Southeast Asia is the “obvious” choice because of its “proximity to China,” Bowerman adds. “Beijing, I think, ultimately wants to see Southeast Asian countries within its sphere of geopolitical influence. A staff member waits for passengers to board the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train during a week-long public trial phase at the Halim station in Jakarta on September 17, 2023. “In the example of a high-speed railway line between Malaysia and Singapore, Singapore would likely have just one stop – Malaysia would have more,” Wong told CNN.

Persons: China’s, Gary Bowerman, ” Bowerman, ”, Pon Souvannaseng, Peerapon Boonyakiat, Bowerman, Pan Wenbo, Pan, Mei Wei, Wei, “ I’m, Xi Jinping’s, Souvannaseng, Hong Kong –, Hong Kong’s, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Wong Muh Rong, ” Wong Organizations: CNN, Initiative, China Railway, Reuters, East Japan Railway Co, Malaysian, Bentley University, of, Communist Party, Laos Railway, Laos Railway cumulatively, Orient Express, Getty Locations: China, Singapore, Asia, Laos, Kunming, Vientiane –, Indonesia, Jakarta, Bandung, West Java, Thailand, Bangkok, Thai, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Southeast Asia, “ China, Peerapon, Cities, Penang, Malacca, Phuket Old Town, Beijing, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Wat, Siem Reap, ”, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Halim, AFP, “

☆ The top 9 'must-have' travel experiences of 2024, according to luxury advisors
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Jonathan Delise | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

If that sounds like a tall order for a summer getaway, the luxury travel company Virtuoso asked 20,000 of its travel advisors to share their top experiences for 2024. Dark sky tourism focuses on rural locations without light pollution, such as Greece's Olympus Mountain National Park. Departing in August, Virtuoso recommends travelers first take in the Olympic Games before departing the city in style. Passion travelsHobbies may be associated with the home, but Virtuoso recommends taking your passions on the road. Virtuoso recommends exploring Peruvian cuisine at the Mistura Food Festival, or checking out the street food of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Persons: Nicolas Economou, Manoj Shah, Belles, Bhutan's, Young, Peter Adams, Chiang Mai, Koh, Wiphop, Sakura, James Cole, Hillary, Cousteau, Shackleton, pricey, Yasin Akgul, bookworms, Wolfgang Kaehler, Brian Curtice, Levente Bodo, ERNESTO BENAVIDES Organizations: Nurphoto, DarkSky, Stone, InterContinental, UNESCO, Istock, Expedition, Getty, CNBC Travel, Orient, Afp, Departing, Olympic Games, Chelsea Flower, Lightrocket, Festival Locations: stargazing, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Northern Mexico, Blanco , Texas, Albanya, Spain, Africa, Bhutan, Thailand, Pana, Yai, Bangkok, Japan Japan, United States, North America, Japan, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Fuji's, Antarctica, Paris, Istanbul, Turkey, Asia, Europe, Venice, Turkish, Strahov, Riau, Isla, Ljubljana, Slovenia

☆ A new train pass is launching in Japan this winter — but travelers will have to act fast
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Jonathan Delise | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Prices for the JR Pass, as it's known, increased roughly 65%-75%, in October 2023. The East Japan Railway Company, better known as JR East, announced a new Kyun Pass in December. Kyun Pass pricesThe cost for the one-day, all-you-can-ride Kyun Pass is a flat 10,000 yen ($70). Here's a comparison of roundtrip bullet train tickets, with and without the Kyun Pass. What the Kyun Pass covers

Persons: Matsumoto, Kyun Organizations: The East Japan Railway Company, East, JR, Yokohama — Locations: Japan, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Aomori, Nagano, Kanto, Yokohama, Niigata

☆ Japan takes earthquake safety seriously. Here's how its culture of preparedness keeps so many people alive.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

With its history of natural disasters, Japan is one of the countries best prepared for emergencies. Japan now has some of the strictest building codes of any country in the world, The New York Times reported after the 2011 earthquake. Japan installs resilient infrastructureMuch like its buildings, Japan has the experience and the money to fortify its infrastructure against earthquakes. During that 2011 disaster, rapid response teams were able to quickly repair roads to help move supplies and assistance to affected areas. According to the World Bank, historical knowledge may have helped save lives during Japan's 2011 tsunami.

Persons: —, Daniel Aldrich, Aldrich, he's, Kim Kyung, They're Organizations: Service, Reuters, World Bank, Northeastern University, Japan, New York Times, BBC News, Officials, Universal Studios Japan, Kyodo, REUTERS, Japan Meteorological Society, Japan Railways, Japan Times, Guardian, KYODO, Japan Meteorological Agency, NOAA Locations: Japan, Noto, Turkey, Syria, Haiti, Pakistan, Wajima, Tokyo, Mashiki, Kumamoto, Fukushima, Natori

☆ Japan Rail Pass, One of Travel’s Great Deals, Gets Pricier
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Allan Richarz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since 1981, the Japan Rail Pass has provided overseas visitors with budget-friendly access to unlimited rides on the country’s local and regional lines, as well as the famed shinkansen bullet trains, which can reach an operational speed of 200 miles per hour, at prices unchanged in decades. Indeed, visitors to Japan in 2023 pay the same unadjusted amount for a two-week rail pass as they did in 1989. But all good things must come to an end, and the train operator, Japan Railways Group, announced in April that steep increases to the rail pass — as high as 76 percent, depending on pass duration and class — are coming in October. BackgroundAn enduring draw of visiting Japan is the chance to experience high-speed rail travel aboard the country’s extensive network of sleek and immaculately maintained, but notoriously expensive, shinkansen. Inspired by similar systems such as the Eurail Pass, the Japan Rail Pass, available exclusively to overseas travelers in seven-, 14- and 21-day increments in both Ordinary and premium Green Car classes, allows for flat-rate access to shinkansen and JR-operated regional and local lines at a fraction of what it would cost to buy individual tickets.

Organizations: Japan Railways Group, JR Locations: Japan

☆ Central Japan braces for Typhoon Lan arrival with air, rail cancellations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Heavy rain during Typhoon Lan as it passes over Chichijima Island in Ogasawara, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan August 11, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. Instagram@Ghost_Ryohei/via REUTERS/File photoTOKYO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Japan braced for Typhoon Lan to make landfall, with airlines and railways cancelling services in central areas of the country's main island, where it is expected to strike on Tuesday. Japan Airlines (9201.T) and ANA Holdings (9202.T) cancelled many flights in the path of the storm. West Japan Railway (9021.T) announced the suspensions of Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train routes between Nagoya and Osaka all day on Tuesday, as well as the Sanyo Shinkansen between Osaka and Okayama. Typhoon Lan threatens to disrupt one of Japan's busiest travel seasons during the Obon summer holiday, when many people take vacations and return to their hometowns.

Persons: Lan, Khanun, Typhoon Lan, Rocky Swift, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, Japan Airlines, ANA Holdings, West Japan Railway, Sanyo, Universal Studios Japan, Thomson Locations: Chichijima, Ogasawara , Tokyo Prefecture, Japan, TOKYO, Wakayama prefecture, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Okayama, South Korea, China, Russian, Typhoon

☆ Japan’s Tokyo-Osaka bullet train ends snack cart service
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Passengers on Japan’s super-fast bullet trains have long enjoyed ordering coffee, ice cream or boxed lunches from staff pushing a snack cart, savoring the treats as they whipped past landmarks such as Mount Fuji. But faced with a looming labor shortage and a trend for more people to buy food before boarding the train, on-board snack cart services between the cities of Tokyo and Osaka will reach the end of the line on October 31. Central Japan Railway said on Tuesday it would phase out the famed on-board snack cart services, in which a uniformed vendor dispenses beverages and light refreshments, pushing their cart through the aisles of the moving train and bowing as they enter or leave the carriage. The online response was despondent, with “Super-Cold Shinkansen Ice Cream” trending 5th on the X platform formerly known as Twitter and “In-Train Service” 6th within hours of the announcement. “While cost reductions are important for a company, on-board snack cart services are also important for the enjoyment of the traveler’s experience,” another user wrote.

Persons: “ Organizations: CNN, Mount, Central Japan Railway, Tokyo, “, Twitter, Service, Passengers Locations: Tokyo, Osaka, Japan

☆ Typhoon Khanun lashes southern Japan, north braces for another storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Passersby walk in a heavy rain and wind caused by Typhoon Khanun in Kagoshima on Japan's third-largest island Kyushu, August 8, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERSTOKYO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Heavy rain from Typhoon Khanun pounded southern Japan on Wednesday as another storm approached from the east to possibly threaten Tokyo just as thousands of people prepare to travel during the peak summer holiday season. The JMA issued heavy rain and high wind warnings to many parts of southern and western Japan. Railway operator West Japan Railway Co (9021.T) has also suspended some of its Shinkansen bullet train service in Kyushu. A second storm, Lan, had formed in the Pacific Ocean south of Japan and was predicted to strengthen as it heads north, possibly affecting Tokyo early next week, JMA said.

Persons: Typhoon, Khanun, Mariko Katsumura, Elaine, Miral Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS, Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, Railway, Japan Railway Co, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima, Japan's, Kyushu, REUTERS TOKYO, Japan, Tokyo, Okinawa

☆ Japan braces for Typhoon Khanun's winds and heavy rainfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

City skyline and harbour are seen at sunrise in Tokyo, Japan July 24, 2021. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A swath of Japanese regions, including central areas, are bracing for Typhoon Khanun to approach near southwestern Japan on Tuesday, as the country's meteorological agency warns of damage from strong winds and heavy rainfall. The storm was hovering about 160 kilometres (99 miles) east-northeast of the city of Amami in southwestern Japan and moving slowly north as of 9 a.m. local time (0000 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. Khanun has gradually lost its strength but still packs winds of 108 kph (67 mph), with gusts of up to 144 kph. "Due to the slow movement of the typhoon and its prolonged impact, total rainfall may greatly exceed the normal monthly rainfall for August in the Pacific Ocean side of Kyushu and western Japan, and in the Tokai region," the JMA said.

Persons: Maxim, Khanun, Satoshi Sugiyama, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, Mazda Motor Corp, West Japan Railway Co, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Amami, Japan's Nagasaki, Khanun, South Korea, Shikoku, Kyushu, Western Japan, Tokai, Hakata, Osaka, Nagasaki

☆ No more ice cream with Mt Fuji: Japan train line phases out snack carts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Passengers on Japan's super-fast bullet trains have long enjoyed ordering coffee, ice cream or boxed lunches from staff pushing a snack cart, savouring the treats as they whipped past landmarks such as Mount Fuji. But faced with a looming labour shortage and a trend for more people to buy food before boarding the train, on-board snack cart services between the cities of Tokyo and Osaka will reach the end of the line on Oct. 31. The online response was despondent, with "Super-Cold Shinkansen Ice Cream" trending 5th on the X platform formerly known as Twitter and "In-Train Service" 6th within hours of the announcement. "I remember that I enjoyed the ice cream every time I got on the train, and when I jumped on the last train without eating, I was saved by the sandwiches sold there," one user said. "While cost reductions are important for a company, on-board snack cart services are also important for the enjoyment of the traveller's experience," another user wrote.

Persons: Satoshi Sugiyama, Elaine Lies, Christina Fincher Organizations: Mount, Central Japan Railway, Tokyo, Twitter, Passengers, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Osaka, Japan

[1/6] German tourist Kevin Khani and Austrian tourist Georg Riedlbaur use an automated translation window at the Seibu-Shinjuku station in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File photoTOKYO, July 31 (Reuters) - As Japan enjoys a post-pandemic resurgence in tourism from around the globe, Seibu Railway is testing out an automated translation window to help confused foreigners navigate one of Tokyo's most complex transportation hubs. Kevin Khani was among foreign travellers who got turned around in the Seibu-Shinjuku station recently and found the VoiceBiz window helpful. Across the road from the Seibu station is Shinjuku's central Japan Railway (JR) station, which is the busiest in the world, with some 3.6 million people passing through daily. Weary from a 1 a.m. flight arrival, French tourists Isabelle and Marc Rigaud used the translation window to try to find their way from the Seibu station to the JR station.

Persons: Kevin Khani, Georg Riedlbaur, Kim Kyung, Harry Potter, Ayano Yajima, Toppan, Isabelle, Marc Rigaud, Tom Bateman, Rocky Swift, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Seibu, REUTERS, Japan, Seibu Railway, Seibu Holdings, Kansai International, Japan Railway, Thomson Locations: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, United States, Europe, Seibu, Alibaba

☆ BOJ launches forum with 60 firms on digital yen pilot programme
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 20 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan on Thursday kicked off a series of discussions with 60 companies on a pilot programme for developing a digital yen, joining peers around the globe ramping up efforts towards issuing digital versions of their currencies for retail use. The discussions will touch on various themes including the business and technological features of retail settlements using a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the central bank said in a statement. The BOJ has said no decision has been made yet on whether Japan will actually issue a digital yen, which must be made by the government and parliament. But many big Japanese companies were included in the list of 60 firms selected to join the discussions, a sign Japan is moving steadily toward such a launch. Central banks around the globe have been studying and working on digital versions of their currencies for retail use to avoid leaving digital payments to the private sector amid an accelerating decline in the use of cash.

Persons: Lawson, Leika, Kim Coghill Organizations: Bank of Japan, Sony, Toyota, East Japan Railway, Bank for International Settlements, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Central

☆ Japan approves Osaka as site of country's first casino
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The spinning wheel on a roulette table is seen at Japan Casino School in Tokyo, Japan August 4, 2018. Put forth by the city and Osaka prefecture, the project aims to open a casino, conference centre and other facilities in 2029 with 1.8 trillion yen ($13.5 billion) of initial investment. MUFG Bank (8306.T) and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (8316.T) will provide 550 billion yen in project financing for the resort, the document showed. The national government's decision came after the pro-casino Japan Innovation Party retained both the office of prefectural governor and city mayor in Osaka on Sunday. Japan's casino plans have faced a number of obstacles such as the coronavirus pandemic and a bribery scandal.

☆ Mask-free Monday comes to Japan as government eases COVID guidelines
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Rocky Swift | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Commuters make their way on the first day of the Japanese government's relaxation of official guidance on masks as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, in Tokyo, Japan March 13, 2023. "Mask-wearing was part of our culture even before COVID-19," said Hitoshi Oshitani, a Tohoku University professor who was an architect of Japan's COVID response. "I think many people will be wearing masks even after the rules are relaxed." "As of today, mask wearing is at the discretion of each individual," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters on Monday. Health experts in Japan have pointed to widespread mask use along with an embrace of hygiene and social distancing for the country's relatively lower death toll from COVID.

☆ Heavy snow in Japan disrupts flights and trains, closes roads
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Heavy snow across much of Japan on Friday grounded 100 flights, blocked dozens of roads and disrupted train services, government authorities and operators said. Domestic airlines including ANA (9202.T), Japan Airlines (9201.T) and others cancelled a total of 100 flights due to the snow as of noon, according to the land ministry. Parts of 31 highways were closed in central and eastern Japan, while 54 central Tokyo expressway exits were blocked, the ministry said. Services on more than a dozen train routes in central and eastern Japan had suspended operations or were planning to do so, the land ministry said. East Japan Railway (9020.T), the country's biggest train operator, said a high-speed service between Tokyo and the northeastern prefecture of Yamagata would be suspended later on Friday.

☆ Chubu Electric joins all-Japan Toshiba buyout consortium
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe logo of Toshiba Corp. is displayed atop of the company's facility building in Kawasaki, Japan June 24, 2022. REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Chubu Electric Power Co (9502.T) said on Sunday it is joining private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) in conducting due diligence for a potential buyout of Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corp (6502.T). JIP has contacted more than 10 companies including Chubu Electric, Orix Corp (8591.T) and Central Japan Railway Co (JR Central) (9022.T) to participate in its consortium, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Sunday. Toshiba said it does not comment on candidates for the potential buyout. JR Central did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ The world's fastest trains -- from China to France
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-10 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Chogo/Xinhua/Getty ImagesAs well as boasting the longest network of high-speed lines in the world, China now has the fastest scheduled trains on the planet. A statement of intent by China’s booming railway technology industry, the Fuxing trains have been developed from previous generations of high-speed trains, which were based on technology imported from Europe and Japan. The design also forms the basis of the Siemens “Velaro” family of high-speed trains, which has been sold to Spain, Russia, Turkey, China and to Eurostar for its second generation international trains. Europe’s first dedicated high-speed network is still its best known and most successful, reaching out well beyond France’s borders. Frecciarossa services operate across Italy’s T-shaped high-speed network, linking Turin, Milan and Venice in the north with Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples.

Persons: Germany's, Philipp von Ditfurth, Thomas Coex, Europe’s, Kiyoshi Ota, Al Boraq, Morocco's Al Boraq, ‘ Al, Boraq, Oriol, Iryo, Frecciarossa, Ed Jones, Alessandro Rota, sandstorms don’t, HHR Organizations: CNN, Japan’s, Vitesse, Getty, Germany's Inter, City Express, Express, Siemens, Eurostar, Bloomberg, JR, Japan Railways, Tohoku, TGV Euroduplex, Alstom, Flickr, Images Spain, Alta Velocidad, Ouigo Espana, Italian State Railways, Alitalia, Arrows, Spanish National Railways, Railway, Haramain, Speed Railway Locations: Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, France, China, Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, England, Africa, Morocco, Egypt, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Russia, United States, Shanghai, Shanghai’s Pudong, Hangzhou, Chogo, Xinhua, Japan, Beijing, Hong Kong, Harbin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Turkey, AFP, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Strasbourg, Lille, London, Switzerland, Tokyo, Shin, Aomori, Hokkaido, Honshu, Tsugaru Strait, Tangier, Casablanca, Kenitra, Rabat, Oriol Paris, Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia, Galicia, Barcelona, Alta Velocidad Espana, Korea, South, Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Mokpo, Pyeongchang, Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Saudi, Bandar Aldandani, Mecca, Medina

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