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☆ Airlines That Offer 'Stopover' Programs, Some With Free Hotels
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Airlines capitalize on this trend with "stopover" programs, some even offering free hotels and food. Airlines have jumped on this growing trend with built-in "stopover" programs, which can come with free or discounted hotels, excursions, transportation, and food at the layover destination. Essentially, you can't intentionally book a longer layover to quality for the free stopover hotel. Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty ImagesSingapore Airlines' stopover program is available via the multi-city tool, similar to other carriers, where travelers can add hotels, transfers, and activities. Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesTurkish Airlines' stopover program gives economy travelers a one-night free hotel stay and business flyers a two-night free stay if the period between their connecting flights in Istanbul exceeds 20 hours.

Persons: —, Robert Smith, Markus Mainka, Liang Xu, Nicolas Economou, Thomas Mukoya, Suparat, Finnair, Shutterstock Icelandair, Marcio Rodrigo Machado, Bauer, Griffin, Alexi Rosenfeld, CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, Massimo Insabato, It's, Matheus Organizations: Service, Airlines, Travelers, An Air Canada Boeing, Getty Images Air, Air France, KLM Air France, KLM, Air, China Southern Airlines, China Southern Airlines Airbus, Getty Images China Southern Airlines, Copa Airlines AP Copa Airlines, Copa, Emirates, Emirates Airbus, Getty Images Emirates, Dubai Connect, Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian Airlines, Reuters Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways Airbus, Shutterstock.com Etihad Airways, Fiji Airways Fiji Airways, Shutterstock Fiji Airways, Iberia Airbus, Japan, Japan Airlines Boeing, Japan Airlines, Latam Airlines Boeing, Latam Airlines, Hotels, An Oman Air, Getty Images Oman Air, Qantas, Getty, JAL, Oneworld, Qatar Airways, Qatar Airways Boeing, Getty Images Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian Airlines Royal Jordanian Airlines Boeing, Getty Images Royal Jordanian Airlines, Air Lines, Swiss International Air Lines Airbus, Getty Images Swiss, Singapore Airlines, Airbus, Getty Images Singapore Airlines, Portugal, TAP Air Portugal Airbus, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Turkish Airlines Airbus, Getty Images Turkish Airlines Locations: Getty Images Air Canada, Canada, Air France, Xinhua, Panama, Panama City, Emirates, Dubai, UAE, Addis Ababa, Abu Dhabi, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific, Helsinki, Iberia, Iberia Airbus Iberia, Madrid, Icelandair, Reykjavik, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, São Paulo, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Recife, Manaus, Curitiba, Belem, Oman, Muscat, layover, Bangkok, San Francisco, AFP, Switzerland, Singapore, Lisbon, Porto, Portuguese, Azores, Madeira, Istanbul

☆ A 33-year-old man turned a Japanese farmhouse into a mountainside Airbnb retreat for $25,000 — here's how he did it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewSingaporean Xian Jie Lee, 33, moved to Japan in 2012 to study political science. Xian Jie LeeShu told Lee that he could rent a farmhouse in a village called Ryujinmura. "I removed the tatami (traditional straw floor covering) in the inner room and fell through the floor," Lee said. Xian Jie LeeWhile renovating the guesthouse, Lee turned his own home into a café three days a week to earn extra income. Xian Jie LeeLee has also been able to participate in unique experiences himself.

Persons: —, Jie Lee, Lee, Shu, Wayakama, Xian Jie Lee Shu, who'd, shoji, Lance Yeo, Xian Jie Lee, he'd, Xian Jie Lee Lee Organizations: Service, Business, YouTube Locations: Japan, Kyoto, Wakayama, Singapore

☆ What’s your single best tip for traveling in Japan? Here’s what frequent visitors said
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Oliver Horovitz | Mike Cappetta | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

To help travelers bridge the cultural gap, CNBC Travel asked frequent visitors for their single best piece of advice when visiting Japan. The staff at Kinkos — located in all major cities in Japan — will walk you through the whole process. Be sure to only pack and wear your best (clean and hole-free) socks while in Japan. She has made nine trips to Japan, on top of spending her middle and high school years in Yokosuka. — Miles Ashton, a Chicago-based entrepreneur who has made more than 10 trips to Japan, including a nine-month stint living in Tokyo.

Persons: — Tyler Monahan, it's, Henry Rose, Oliver Horovitz, — Henry Rose, Horovitz's, —, — Oliver Horovitz, Tina Horne, Istock, Lawson, Noriko Hayashi, I've, — Jeffrey Cole, you'd, I'd, — Miles Ashton Organizations: CNBC Travel, Staff, Bloomberg, Getty, Tokyu Locations: Japan, — Tyler Monahan , New Jersey, Osaka, Tokyo, Seattle, Kyoto, — Oliver Horovitz , New York City, Aspen , Colorado, Yokosuka, Hokkaido, — Jeffrey Cole , Colorado, Miyakojima, Akihabara, Chicago

☆ China's Nio to expand battery swap services to gain an edge on EV infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Pictured here is a Nio battery swapping station in Haikou, Hainan province, China, on May 9, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Chinese electric car company Nio has been expanding its battery swap partnerships in a bid to gain an edge on the infrastructure side of the EV ecosystem. Nio also announced agreements earlier this year to work with two local battery companies on battery swap services. While having a large network of battery charging stations helps address those concerns, battery swapping is a faster method as it takes only a few minutes. CLSA's Luo said businesses also prefer to invest in normal charging stations than swap stations because they make a higher return.

Persons: Nio, —, JAC —, Ding Luo, Shen Fei, Shen, it's, Le, William Li, Shay Natarajan, Luo, Ford Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Chery, CNBC, Battery, Nissan, Sino Auto, Mobility Impact Partners, General Motors Locations: Haikou, Hainan province, China, BEIJING, U.S, San Francisco, Kyoto, Japan, Madrid, Spain, Europe, North America

☆ Opinion: If Marjorie Taylor Greene wins on Ukraine aid, we’re headed for dangerous territory
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Julian Zelizer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is the new boss in town. Greene is intent on blocking funding to Ukraine — a massive blow to both NATO and the US’ own commitment to the post-World War II international order. This standoff demonstrates just how far the Republican Party has moved from the era of Ronald Reagan. Long before Greene, a growing number of Republicans began expressing increased skepticism toward international institutions like the United Nations. With Greene keeping Johnson’s feet to the fire when it comes to aid to Ukraine, the GOP’s revolution is almost complete.

Persons: Julian Zelizer, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Greene, ” Greene, —, we’ve, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Long, “, John Bolton, New York “, Jesse Helms of, George W, Bush, Saddam, Frances’s Jacques Chirac, Donald Trump, Bush’s, Putin, Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, Trump, MAGA Organizations: CNN, Princeton University, The New York Times, America, CNN — Republican, Republican, Ukraine, NATO, Republican Party, Soviet, United Nations, GOP, Republicans, UN, Senate Foreign, Iraq, Trump, Caucus Locations: Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Ukraine, United, United States, New York, Jesse Helms of North Carolina, Kyoto, Iraq, Russia, Helsinki, America

☆ Jimmy Kimmel says his trip to Japan last week made him realize that the US is a 'filthy and disgusting country'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewLate-night host Jimmy Kimmel said observing hygiene standards in Japan has drastically changed his perspective of cleanliness in the US, and joked that he's "never felt dirtier" in his home country. Kimmel said on Tuesday evening episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" that before going to Japan on a seven-day family trip, he thought the US was "pretty buttoned-up" despite having areas for improvement. "But now, after traveling to Japan, I realize that this place, this USA we're always chanting about, is a filthy and disgusting country," he said. In 2019, a Japanese toll operator installed public toilets on the Central Nippon Expressway that could measure driver fatigue. Kimmel is one of tens of millions to recently visited Japan on holiday.

Persons: —, Jimmy Kimmel, Kimmel, loos, Garner's, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Central Nippon, Japanese, Germany, FIFA Locations: Japan, USA, Tokyo, Kyoto

☆ In Kyoto, Five Hotels to Add to Your Travel Wish List
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( John Wogan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Andre Fu, the interior designer behind hotels like the Upper House in Hong Kong and Villa La Coste in Aix-en-Provence, France, has infused his signature aesthetic (extravagantly refined, with warm woods and luxurious textures) within the confines of a particularly historic area of Kyoto. The 161-room Mitsui, opened in late 2020, sits across from Nijo Castle, an enormous 17th-century compound and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s in stark contrast to the hotel, whose only timeworn element is an imposing entrance gate — a traditional wood structure over 300 years old and a remnant of the days when the Mitsui family lived on the grounds. Once past the gate, you’ll find a glass-and-steel building, designed by the Japanese architect Akira Kuryu, and landscaping that’s meant to echo the original garden pathways of the Mitsui residence, planted with cherry trees and steppingstones that meander above a glassy pond. Rooms from about $1,360 a night.

Persons: Andre Fu, Villa, Mitsui, Akira Kuryu, Tetsuya Asano Organizations: Villa La Coste, Mitsui, UNESCO, Ritz Paris Locations: Hong Kong, Aix, Provence, France, Kyoto, Nijo

☆ Red rice yeast: Japan orders recall of ‘beni koji’ products over suspected link to four deaths
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Himari Semans | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

All three supplements contain “beni koji” - rice fermented with red yeast – an ingredient said to lower cholesterol levels that is traditionally used in food seasoning and preservation, and rice wine production. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s website says its beni koji products use a strain of bacteria in fermentation that does not produce citrinin. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday said the government was investigating the deaths and the suspected link to beni koji, adding it was prepared to act. Across the Taiwan Strait, the island’s Food and Drug Administration ordered distributors to suspend the import of more than 150 products containing beni koji, including those made by Kobayashi. And in Singapore, authorities recalled a sparkling sake, a type of rice wine, by Kyoto-based Takara Shuzo, which uses beni koji in its production.

Persons: Kobayashi, beni koji, Benikoji, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s, “, Fumio Kishida, ”, Takara Shuzo, beni Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Wednesday, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, CNN, Weibo, Drug Administration Locations: Japan’s, Osaka, beni, Asia, China, Japan, Taiwan Strait, Singapore, Kyoto

☆ Asia’s 50 best restaurants for 2024 revealed
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Karla Cripps | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —After losing the number one spot to Bangkok in 2023, Tokyo has reclaimed its crown as the city with the top eatery in the region at the annual Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, which were announced in Seoul, South Korea on Tuesday evening. The list – part of the global “World’s 50 Best” brand – is compiled by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, which is made up of more than 300 food critics, writers, chefs and restaurateurs, all selected for their knowledge of Asia’s restaurant scene. Though Singapore didn’t have any restaurants in the top five, nine of its venues made the top 50 list – more than any other city. Courtesy The World's 50 BestThe “Asia’s Best Female Chef” award went to Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij, owner of Bangkok restaurant Potong, which came in at 17 on this year’s list. Mineko Kato of restaurant Faro in Tokyo won the Asia’s Best Pastry Chef award and Kevin Lu of Logy, in Taipei, was voted Asia’s Best Sommelier.

Persons: Daniel Calvert, Calvert, “, ”, Sézanne, I’ve, we’d, Gaggan, Seroja, Gaggan Anand, Thitid “, Sühring, Le Du –, Ton, Bangkok –, Odette, Pichaya, Pam ’ Soontornyanakij, Ton’s Nusara, Mineko Kato, Kevin Lu, Logy, Sung Anh, Mosu, Danny Yip, Hong, Le, Fu, Hui, Samrub, Villa, Ling Long, Ando, Les Amis, Baan, Goh, Anan, Tam’s Organizations: CNN, Marunouchi, Restaurants Academy, Hospitality, Toyo, Meta, Studio, Bund Locations: Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, South Korea, Japan, France’s Champagne, Maronouchi, Asia, ”, Kolkata, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thai, ” Singapore, Faro, Taipei, Nusara, Suhring, Osaka, Odette, Sorn, Le Du, Potong, Shanghai, Logy, Masque, Mumbai, Manila, Delhi, Seroja, Taichung, Taiwan, Mume, Wakayama, Lolla, Avartana, Chennai, India, Fukuoka, Jakarta, Kyoto, Anan Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Macao

☆ Japan's yen hits 34-year-low, heating talk of intervention
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese 1,000 yen, 5,000 yen and 10,000 yen banknotes arranged in Kyoto, Japan, on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. The contradictions in Japan's efforts to protect the yen while slowing the pace of rising bond yields are becoming increasingly clear in currency and debt markets. The yen was last at 151.22 against the dollar at 10:19 a.m. London time after paring back some losses. The yen hit a 34-year-low on Wednesday, weakening as much as 151.97 against the U.S. dollar and fueling market questions over potential government intervention to prop the Japanese currency. "There is now a higher chance of Japanese FX intervention.

Persons: Kentaro Takahashi, Shunichi Suzuki, Masato Kanda, Kanda Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, U.S ., Bank of Japan, Financial Services Agency, Reuters, FX, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of America Global Research Locations: Kyoto, Japan, London

☆ Gardens of Stone, Moss, Sand: 4 Moments of Zen in Kyoto
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Paula Deitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Once, when the Buddha was asked to preach about a flower he was presented, he instead “gazed at it in silence,” according to the British garden designer Sophie Walker in her book “The Japanese Garden.” In this spiritual moment Zen Buddhism was born, inspiring the serene and eternal dry or rock gardens called karesansui. Unlike a garden designed for strolling, which directs visitors along a defined path to take in scenic views and teahouses, a dry garden is viewed while seated on a veranda above, offering the heightened experience of traveling through it in the imagination, revealing its essence in meditation.

Persons: Sophie Walker Locations: British

☆ A Japanese Festival of Fire and Spirits
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Chang W. Lee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As the sun peeked out from the cloudy sky in Kyoto, Japan, monks wearing vests trimmed with pompoms and the black box-like headdresses known as tokin were being quizzed in front of Mibu Dera, one of the oldest temples in the city. These were the Yamabushi (mountain hermits), part of a Buddhist sect known as the Shugendō. To enter the temple’s sacred area, each monk had to prove he was a real Yamabushi by answering a series of questions about the sect’s beliefs, dress and tools. Only those with satisfactory responses would gain access.

Locations: Kyoto, Japan

☆ If you've always dreamed of wandering the alleys in the famous geisha district in Kyoto, your time might be running out
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Gion, a historic district in Kyoto, is set to bar tourists from entering its private streets from April. Gion is famed for its traditional teahouses where geisha work and entertain guests. AdvertisementGion, Japan's popular geisha district in Kyoto, will be barring tourists from entering certain alleys, the news agency AFP reported on Friday. The district council comprises several residents of Gion. While Gion's private streets will be closed, tourists will still be allowed to enter the main Hanamikoji Street, which is public, per AFP.

Persons: Gion, —, Isokazu Ota, Ota, It's, Kotaro Nagaski Organizations: Service, AFP, Asahi Shimbun Locations: Kyoto, Gion, Ota, Japan, Yamanashi, Fuji

☆ Mount Fuji introducing visitor cap and entry fee to prevent overcrowding
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site and an icon of Japan, is putting new regulations in place for climbers amid concerns about overcrowding. “By strongly promoting comprehensive safety measures for climbing Mount Fuji, we will ensure that Mount Fuji, a treasure of the world, is passed on to future generations,” said Koutaro Nagasaki, governor of Yamanashi Prefecture. “In order to revive traditional mountain climbing from the foot of Mount Fuji, we will gain a detailed understanding of the Fuji-ko and Oshi culture that supported Mount Fuji worship. This 2023 photo shows a crowd of visitors beginning their Mount Fuji ascents. Mathiad Cena/AFP/Getty ImagesAccording to prefectural data, five million people hiked Mount Fuji in 2019, a rise of three million from 2012.

Persons: ”, Koutaro Nagasaki, Mathiad Cena, “ Overtourism, Masatake Izumi, Tomoyo Takahashi, Takahashi, Hanako Montgomery Organizations: CNN, Mount, UNESCO, Fuji, Mount Fuji, Heritage Fuji Division, CNN Travel Locations: Japan, Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Kasai, Kyoto, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima

☆ ‘Geisha paparazzi’ are back in Kyoto – and the city is ready to take action
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

As a result, an unfortunate nickname has even been given to these tourists: “geisha paparazzi.”Foreign tourists have sometimes struggled to understand Japanese customs and etiquette. In 2015, Kyoto created pamphlets and paper handouts that used pictograms to illustrate travel “nuisance activities” like littering, using selfie sticks, smoking in prohibited areas, and taking photos of geisha and maiko. Plenty of rules, little enforcementToday, signs in three languages also explain that geisha photography is not allowed without a permit, and that violators could be charged up to ¥10,000 ($67). Most maiko and geisha (these words are both singular and plural in Japanese) use this road, making it the prime spot for “paparazzi” to gather. Still, Ota and other Gion residents are looking for ways to curb the “geisha paparazzi” issues.

Persons: women’s kimonos, Gion, Isokazu Ota, Kike Calvo, ”, Ota, maiko Organizations: CNN, Theatre Locations: Gion, Kyoto, women’s, Side, Japan, Ota, ”, Easter

☆ My boyfriend and I spent $40,000 to take our dog to Japan on vacation. It was worth every penny.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Faye Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

My boyfriend Anders and I are based in Hong Kong, and last year we spent around $40,000 to take our dog on vacation in Japan. It was magical to watch Siu Tim experience his first snowfall and frolic through Japan's breathtaking landscapes. AdvertisementTo make traveling around with Siu Tim easier, we spent $1,160 to rent a car. In Japan, Siu Tim stood out and quickly became a local favorite, perhaps due to the nation's affinity for small dogs. The trip was expensive but we've already gone on our second vacation togetherThe couple already returned to Japan in 2024 with Siu Tim for their second trip.

Persons: Tiffany Chan, Anders, Siu Tim, Siu Tim's, Siu, we've Organizations: Business, Bulldog, Japan Locations: Hong Kong, Japan, Mong Kok, Narita, Kyoto, Asakusa, Tokyo

☆ Nintendo CEO once cut his salary in half to prevent layoffs—here's why that's so uncommon today
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As sweeping rounds of layoffs rock the tech, media and finance industries in 2024, some video game fans are thinking about former Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata. Iwata ran the Kyoto, Japan-based video game company from 2002 until his death in 2015. To avoid layoffs, Iwata took a 50% pay cut to help pay for employee salaries, saying a fully-staffed Nintendo would have a better chance of rebounding. Iwata had faith in his talentFor Iwata, taking a pay cut over layoffs centered around his employees' ability to bounce back, Verma says. "Nintendo [needed] to see through the changes that necessitated launching the Nintendo Switch, which has been massively profitable for the company," says Verma.

Persons: Satoru Iwata, Iwata, Rohan Verma, —, it's, Verma, could've, Sandra Sucher, Sucher Organizations: Nintendo, Riot Games, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Stanford University, Harvard Business, CNBC Locations: Kyoto, Japan, —, U.S

TOKYO (AP) — Nintendo reported healthy sales and profits on the back of the hit “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” game, prompting the Japanese video game maker to raise its full fiscal year forecasts. Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. said Tuesday that demand for what it called the first completely new Super Mario game in the series remained strong. More than 10.7 million units of the latest Super Mario game have been sold around the world since it went on sale in October, according to Nintendo. Nintendo, which did not break down quarterly numbers, expects a full year profit of 440 billion yen ($3 billion), up from an earlier projection for a 420 billion yen ($2.8 billion) profit. The Super Nintendo World park is set to open next year in Florida.

Persons: Mario, ”, “ Mario, Kong, Peach, ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, — Nintendo, Nintendo Co, Nintendo, U.S, Universal Studios Locations: Kyoto, Japan, Florida

☆ The world’s best beaches, according to Lonely Planet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The dim sum capital of the worldLegacy House: Legacy House's fantastic dim sum set includes steamed spotted garoupa dumplings with salted lemon. Courtesy Legacy House Forum: This three-Michelin-star restaurant, which serves classic Cantonese dim sum dishes, is famed for its impeccable attention to detail. Tai Wai Dining Room Veggie Kingdom: Veggie Kingdom serves high-quality meat-free versions of classic dim sum dishes. Maggie Wong/CNN Spring Moon: In addition to serving delicious, classic dim sum dishes, Spring Moon's cinematic interior is an attraction in its own right. Courtesy Peninsula Hong Kong Hong Kong’s best dim sum Prev NextThis is our essential guide to Hong Kong’s best dim sum: Where to find it and how to eat it, from classic no-frills joints to Michelin-starred adventures.

Persons: Cabo San Juan del Guía, “, ”, Heen, King Heen, Nicholas Wong, Maggie Wong, Emperor, Fook Lam, Hong Kong Hong, Hong, they’ve, Amelia Earhart’s Organizations: CNN, d’Argent, JetBlue, Japan, Port, Royal, Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruise, Cunard Cruise, CDC, Hong Kong, Hong, Golden Valley, Son Locations: Rio, Sarakiniko, Greece, Baltic, Danish, Bornholm, Cabo San Juan, Seychelles, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima prefecture, Tomonoura, Port of Miami, Hong, Hong Kong, Veggie, Golden, Spain

☆ I moved to Japan having never visited. Here are the 7 things I found surprising after living there for 17 years.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Julian Ryall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Tom Fay moved from a small village in North Wales to Osaka in 2007 having never visited Japan. Looking back, I've found a few surprising things living in Japan for nearly two decades. Living in Japan has broadened my palette for seafood and local seasonal vegetables, which are readily available. AdvertisementCity living and countryside living are very differentI wish I'd moved to the countryside even sooner. I could see myself living in Japan forever, but part of me would like to move back to the UK.

Persons: Tom Fay, —, It's, I've, I'd, Summers, you've, I'm Organizations: Service, University of Manchester Locations: North Wales, Osaka, Japan, British, Kyoto

☆ Odawara: Japanese castle town invites travelers to become ‘daimyo’ for a day
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Julian Ryall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Simon Celestine arrived at Odawara castle as a tourist from France but he is now lord of one of the most impressive feudal-era fortresses in Japan – if only for a day. Odawara Tourism AssociationOdawara has been selected as one of the first recipients of government assistance to tell its story and local tourism authorities have been busy devising initiatives that play on its strengths. Five generations of the Hojo clan made Odawara castle one of the most formidable in the country and it was never successfully stormed in battle. Odawara Tourism AssociationThe innermost courtyard is across another bridge over a moat, up a flight of steep steps and through a gate set into a two-meter-thick wall. The “Lord of the Castle” experience can be booked through the official Odawara Tourism Association website.

Persons: Simon Celestine, Hojo, Naoya Asao, ” Celestine, ”, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi, Meiji, Celestine, Tomomi Iwayama, Iwayama, sashimi Organizations: CNN, Japan CNN, Odawara Tourism, Odawara, Odawara Tourism Association, CNN Travel Locations: Odawara, Japan, France, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone, Izu, Sagami Bay, Mount Fuji, Edo, Kanto

☆ Black hole 'particle accelerators' are causing mysterious cosmic rays to rain down on Earth at the speed of light
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

For the first time, a study showed how the cosmic rays are accelerated to near the speed of light. AdvertisementA small black hole is helping scientists understand how mysterious cosmic rays can barrel through the universe and hit Earth at nearly the speed of light. High-energy cosmic rays are constantly raining down on us from space, but scientists don't know that much about them. Speedy cosmic rays come from black holes and exploding starsOur planet is swimming in a sea of cosmic rays. But a nearby cosmic object called SS 433 provided a rare opportunity to peer into cosmic rays in unprecedented detail.

Persons: —, Laura Olivera, Nieto, it's, It's, Olivera Organizations: Jets, Service, Kernphysik, OSAKA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, KYOTO UNIVERSITY, SS, NASA, Science Locations: Heidelberg, OSAKA, Manatee

The latest craze in Japan: The pig café. Very relaxing and enjoyable,” said Brad Loomis, a software engineer from Pullman, Washington, after visiting Tokyo’s Mipig Café with his 21-year-old daughter, Paige. Customers pay 2,200 yen ($15) for the first 30 minutes in the company of the pigs. The Mipig Café in fashionable Harajuku is among 10 such pig cafes the operator has opened around Japan. The animals, known as “micro pigs,” don’t get bigger than a corgi dog, even as adults.

Persons: cafés, lattes, ”, Brad Loomis, Tokyo’s Mipig, Paige, Shiho Kitagawa, Ben Russell, Sophie Mo’unga, Sachiko Azuma, Azuma, Bruce Kornreich, I’m, Kornreich, ” Paige Loomis, ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, —, corgi, Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell Feline Health Center Locations: Japan, Pullman , Washington, Tokyo, Mipig, Kyoto, New Zealand, Ithaca, N.Y

☆ How much does when you travel affect costs? A lot in places like Japan, Italy and the Maldives
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow much does when you travel affect costs? A lot in places like Japan, Italy and the MaldivesTravelers can save money by booking 'shoulder season' trips to Rome, Kyoto and the Maldives, but not so much in Dubai and New York City, reports CNBC's Monica Pitrelli.

Persons: CNBC's Monica Pitrelli Organizations: Maldives Travelers Locations: Japan, Italy, Maldives, Rome, Kyoto, Dubai and New York City

☆ Arsonist Sentenced to Death for Killing 36 People in 2019 Kyoto Studio Fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Claire Moses | More About Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Japanese judge sentenced to death a man who killed 36 people in an arson attack at an anime studio in Kyoto in 2019, one of the country’s deadliest attacks in decades, after he was found guilty of murder on Thursday. Shinji Aoba, the defendant, was charged with murder in 2020, a year after setting fire to the studio of Kyoto Animation. Mr. Aoba had a history of mental illness. In July 2019, Mr. Aoba barged into the studio with gasoline, sprayed it with force and set it on fire with a gas lighter, the judge said Thursday, according to local reports. Mr. Aoba did so, the judge added, because of a grudge — he was convinced that the studio had stolen a novel from him.

Persons: Shinji Aoba, Aoba, Aoba barged Organizations: Kyoto Animation, Associated Press Locations: Kyoto

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