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☆ How Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains changed the world of rail travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

This was the dawn of Japan’s “bullet train” era, widely regarded as the defining symbol of the country’s astonishing recovery from the trauma of World War II. A map of Japan's high-speed rail lines. Japan’s high-speed rail revolutionFast train: Japan's distinctive Shinkansen "bullet trains" have been plying the country's high-speed railways since 1964. Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Image TGV: France's answer to the Bullet Train, the Train à Grand Vitesse, began operating between Paris and Lyon in 1981. Mehdi Fedouach/AFP/Getty Images China's rail expansion: China has now eclipsed the rest of the world when it comes to high-speed rail.

Persons: Yoshikazu Tsuno, Jiji Press, Toru Yamanaka, Mehdi Fedouach, Wang He, ”, Christopher P, Hood Organizations: CNN, Olympic Games, Hitachi, Toshiba, Mount, Getty, Mount Fuji, Tokyo, Lions, Hulton, Keystone, Jiji, West Japan Railway, Ltd, Fuji, Vitesse, Lyon, JR EAST, Eurostar, JR EAST Japan, “ Locations: Tokyo, Osaka, Japan, Shin, Kobe, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagano, AFP, North America, Europe, Korea, Russia, Honshu, Kyushu, Hokkaido, Sanrio, Paris, China, France, Spain, Belgium, South Korea, United Kingdom, Morocco, France’s, Bordeaux, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Taiwan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, India, Thailand, Wuhan, Western Europe, Nagoya, British

☆ Akebono: Pioneering US-born sumo wrestling champion dies aged 54
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo CNN —Pioneering US-born former sumo wrestling champion Akebono has died, his family announced in a statement Thursday. Widely considered to have blazed a trail for other foreign sumo wrestlers, the 54-year-old died of heart failure at a hospital in Japan. Born Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan in Hawaii, Akebono became the first non-Japanese yokozuna – a sumo grand champion, the highest rank in the sport. According to the Japan Sumo Association, Akebono was rushed to hospital after a wrestling match in 2017 and had been unwell ever since. I was talking with him about meeting under a tree in Hawaii with all our fellow sumo wrestlers when we grew older.

Persons: Akebono, Chad George Ha’aheo Rowan, –, Akebono Taro, “, Akebono “, Rahm Emanuel, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Masaru Hanada, ” Hanada, I’m, ” Organizations: Tokyo CNN —, Yokozuna, Japan Sumo Association, Twitter, Japanese Olympic Committee, Nagano, Japan’s Locations: Japan, Hawaii, Tokyo, United States, ”, Washington, I’ll

More than 8.5 million abandoned homes in rural Japan are creating a "ghost town" problem. There are more than 8.5 million akiya , or abandoned homes, in rural Japan, according to the country's 2018 Housing and Land Survey, its most recent on record. The institute predicts akiya could exceed 30% of homes in Japan by 2033. As Richard Koo, the chief economist at NRI, told them at the time, the Japanese countryside has been hollowing out since the mid-'90s. Why aren't more Japanese people buying abandoned countryside homes?

Persons: —, who've, Richard Koo, There's, Chris McMorran, Koo, Douglas Southerland, McMorran, Natasha Durie, Durie, Eric McAskill, McAskill, Jaya Thursfield, Chihiro, Kurosawa, Joey Stockermans, akiya Organizations: Service, Survey, Nomura Research Institute, Business Insider's, NRI, National University of Singapore, of Anthropology, Ethnography, Oxford University, Canadian Real Estate Association Locations: Japan, Business Insider's Singapore, Gifu, Vancouver, Canada, Nagano Prefecture, England, Ibaraki Prefecture, London, North America, Kyushu, akiya

☆ People are buying cheap, abandoned homes in Japan and living their dreams free of financial burden
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Japan has more than 8 million abandoned homes, with no restrictions on foreign buyers. Homeownership in Japan isn't the same path to financial freedom as in other countries. AdvertisementTake Kurosawa spent summers in Japan as a kid, and always dreamed of owning property there. In January, Kurosawa and Stockermans launched Akiyamart , a website to help foreigners find and purchase abandoned homes in Japan. It's a money-maker that has worked in the US but isn't necessarily a surefire way to generate income in Japan.

Persons: —, Kurosawa, Joey Stockermans, Stockermans, It's, Eric McAskill, McAskill, Jaya Thursfield, Chihiro, Eric McAskill Anton Wormann, Bethany, Bitsii, Nakamura, homeownership, Bethany Nakamura, Jordan Pandy Organizations: Foreigners, Service, Survey, Business Locations: Japan, Homeownership, Beppu, Kyushu, Santa Cruz , California, Nova Scotia, Canada, Italy, Portugal, —, California, Bali, Nagano Prefecture, Jaya, Ibaraki Prefecture, London, America, jpandy@businessinsider.com

☆ Marie Laurencin, the 1920s painter who hid sapphic symbols in her portraits
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Fondation Foujita/Artists Rights Society, New York/ADAGP, Paris/Christie's/Bridgeman Images/Courtesy Barnes FoundationA portrait of Marie Laurencin by Man Ray, 1925. Fondation Foujita/Artists Rights Society, New York/ADAGP, Paris/Bridgeman Images/Courtesy Barnes Foundation"The Woman-Horse (La femme-cheval)," from 1918. Fondation Foujita/Artists Rights Society, New York/ADAGP, Paris/Courtesy Barnes FoundationBut as definitions of femininity have expanded in recent decades, so too has appreciation for Laurencin’s idyllic, women-only world. She often titled her portraits of women “Friends” or “Two Friends,” leaving the exact nature of their intimacy unclear. It’s almost like a radical utopia… a world of women, for women, by women,” Kang said.

Persons: peintre, modèle, Christie's, Marie Laurencin, Man Ray, CNN — Marie Laurencin’s, ”, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque —, Simonetta Fraquelli, ” Fraquelli, “, Laurencin, Cindy Kang, Barnes, Francisco Goya, Kang, don’t, ’, Académie Humbert, wasn’t, Rachel Silveri, Adrienne Monnier, airheads, Mademoiselle Chanel, — Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Paul Rosenberg —, Coco Chanel, Maud “ Emerald, Jacques Faujour, Dove ”, Nicole Groult, “ It’s, ” Kang, Natalie Clifford Barney, Gertrude Stein, Berenice Abbott, Otto von Waetjen, Guillaume Apollinaire, Suzanne Moreau, —, Musée de, Herve Lewandowski, — Laurencin, Marshal Philippe Pétain, Moreau, Masahiro Takano, Albert C, hasn’t, we’ve Organizations: Foujita, Artists Rights Society, CNN, grays, Barnes Foundation, Palais, Art, Fraquelli, Groult, Museum, Marie, Marie Laurencin Museum Locations: New York, ADAGP, Paris, Philadelphia, Sapphic Paris, Spain, Musée de l'Orangerie, Vichy France, Japan, Tateshina, Japan’s Nagano, Tokyo, “

☆ 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

☆ My mom is American, and my dad is Japanese. I loved being raised interculturally in Japan, even when it was hard.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Megumi Koiwai | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rightfully so — I have an American accent, I'm fluent in English and Japanese, and I look racially ambiguous. My mom is American, and my dad is JapaneseI was born and raised in Tokyo to an American mom and a Japanese dad. I went to a Japanese school my entire education up until university. My mom speaks relatively fluent Japanese now, but growing up I felt a need to take care of her in terms of translation. AdvertisementBeing raised interculturally can be hardGrowing up as a hafu in Japan took a lot of effort.

Persons: I'm what's, —, Cupid, couldn't Organizations: Service Locations: Portland , Oregon, Nagano, Japan, Tokyo, American, Nagano prefecture, New York, America

☆ In Tokyo, a Fashion Designer Styles a Gift List
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Vivian Morelli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Maiko Kurogouchi moved to Tokyo from Nagano Prefecture about 20 years ago, but her roots in the mountainous and snowy region west of Tokyo are still very present in her fashion designs. Those feminine, fluid pieces reflect her memories, travels and daily life — varied experiences that made her an intriguing person to ask for holiday gift suggestions. Ms. Kurogouchi, 38, credits much of her professional acumen, especially respect for artisans’ skills, to her time designing women’s wear collections at Issey Miyake after graduating from Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo. In 2010 she introduced her own women’s ready-to-wear brand, called Mame (the Japanese word means “bean” or “small,” a nickname she acquired as a student at Bunka). Then, in 2018, she changed the brand name to its current form: Mame Kurogouchi.

Persons: Maiko Kurogouchi, ”, Kurogouchi, Issey Miyake, Mame, Mame Kurogouchi Organizations: Bunka Fashion College Locations: Tokyo, Nagano Prefecture

☆ A millennial dad of 2 bought an abandoned home in Japan for $23,600. He says restoring it is easier than expected.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Eric McAskill bought an abandoned house, or akiya, in the rural Japanese countryside for $23,600. Eric McAskill and his wife, together with their two children. Over the next decade, he would find himself visiting Japan again and again, each time visiting a different prefecture. McAskill bought his akiya through an akiya bank, which is a database maintained by the local municipalities for abandoned or vacant houses. "The first person to bid starts to enter into negotiations with the owner," McAskill said of the bidding process in Japan.

Persons: Eric McAskill, Eric McAskill's, —, McAskill, let's, Eric McAskill McAskill, Eric McAskill McAskill's, I'm, haven't, It's, I've, he's Organizations: Service, IKEA Locations: Wall, Silicon, Japan, Bali, Nagano Prefecture, Vancouver, Canada, Abashiri, Hokkaido, Yonaguni, Taiwan, Indonesian

☆ Japanese restaurant owners in Hong Kong brace for Fukushima seafood ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Japanese restaurant owners in Hong Kong are grappling with a looming ban on seafood imports from 10 Japanese prefectures because of Tokyo's plan to release treated water from the crippled Fukushima plant into the sea from Aug. 24. Hong Kong is Japan's second largest market, after mainland China, for agricultural and fisheries exports. Although the details of Hong Kong's ban remains unclear, Halry Yu, 42, owner of Japanese restaurant Hassun, said more than 90% of seafood sent to Hong Kong is gathered in Tokyo. “If they ban imports that come via Tokyo, I think all sushi restaurants in Hong Kong will be in trouble. Advertising executive Hilda Lee, 30, said she enjoys eating Japanese seafood, and dines at Japanese restaurants two to three times each month.

Persons: Hong, Halry Yu, ” Yu, barbecued, Yu, Hong Kong, Hilda Lee, dines, Lee, Jim Smith, there's, Smith, Dino Leung, Leung, Edmond Ng, Joyce Zhou, Farah, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Japan, Hong, University of Portsmouth, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, Saitama, Wan Chai

☆ Women’s World Cup: Sweden to play Spain in semifinals after impressive victory over Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Sweden will face Spain in the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup after beating Japan 2-1 in a thrilling encounter on Friday. Despite sustained pressure throughout 10 minutes of stoppage time, Japan was unable to find a second goal as Sweden held on to reach a fifth Women’s World Cup semifinal. Winners in 2011, the team’s performances in Australia and New Zealand had given fans hope of claiming a second World Cup title. Japan was halted in its quest to win a second Women's World Cup. But rather than spark Japan into action, the team seemed to retreat further into its shell against a Sweden team that was now brimming with confidence.

Persons: Amanda Ilestedt, Filippa, Riko Ueki, Honoka, Abbie Parr, Ilestedt, Japan’s, Phil Walter, Japan –, Kosovare Asllani, Ayaka Yamashita, Esther Staubli, Angeldal, Aoba Fujino, Zećira Mušović, Madelen Janogy, Riko, Ueki, Honoka Hayashi pounced Organizations: CNN, Japan Locations: Sweden, Spain, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United States, Fuka Nagano

☆ Sweden hold off Japan fightback to reach Women's World Cup semis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It got very exciting, Japan are one of the best teams in the tournament ..."Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda said Sweden had done a fine job stifling his midfield but he thought his players should hold their heads high. SWEDEN STRIKEFor a team whose most potent attacking threat came from set pieces, it was no surprise that Sweden took the lead via a free kick. It was only the second goal Japan had conceded in New Zealand and the first time they had been behind but they were unable to break the stranglehold the Swedes had on them. Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani almost doubled the lead just before the break but was denied by a combination of the fingertips of Japan goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita and the post. Japan looked a pale imitation of the side that had romped in the quarter-finals and got their first attempt on goal in the 63rd minute.

Persons: Amanda Ilestedt, Hannah Mckay AUCKLAND, Riko Ueki, Honoka, Peter Gerhardsson, Futoshi Ikeda, dethroning, Kosovare Asllani, Ayaka Yamashita, Yamashita, Johanna Kaneryd, Fuka Nagano, Angeldal, Ueki, Madelen Janogy, Aoba, Zecira Musovic's, Hayashi, Nick Mulvenney, Ken Ferris Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, Eden, Spain, Japan, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Eden, Auckland , New Zealand, United States, SWEDEN, Swedish, Sydney

☆ Fukushima wastewater: Hong Kong poised to ban Japanese seafood over treated water
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hong Kong, one of the world’s biggest buyers of Japanese fish, says it will ban seafood imports from 10 prefectures in the country if Tokyo presses ahead with its plan to release treated radioactive water from Fukushima into the sea. Japanese food is hugely popular in Hong Kong, which has more than 2,000 Japanese restaurants. The move comes less than a week after Beijing announced a similar ban on Japanese seafood exports to mainland China, citing concerns over health and safety. Customers wait to get into Japanese sushi chain Sushiro in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, on July 13, 2023. The 10 prefectures facing a seafood ban are Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gumma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, he said.

Persons: Tse Chin, Let’s, ” Tse, Chris Lau, Tse, ”, “, Rafael Grossi, Fumio Kishida, Grossi, Sandy Yu, Timothy Lo Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Beijing, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, CNN, Hong, South, UN, HK Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Fukushima, Japan, China, South Korea, United States, Causeway Bay, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gumma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, Saitama, Hong, Causeway

☆ He turned his childhood home in the Japanese countryside into a multipurpose property with 12 round, wooden houses. Now he's trying to sell it for $1.58 million — check it out.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

A Japanese couple spent over two years building a cluster of round, wooden houses in the countryside. ArchangelEnaThey started with a model of the propertyInspired by traditional Japanese architecture, Mizuno decided that he wanted to build a cluster of round, wooden houses on the property instead. Not only are wooden buildings a big part of Japan's architectural heritage, but some of the country's longest-surviving buildings are made from wood, Mizuno said. ArchangelEnaThere's a functional reason why Mizuno chose to make his buildings round — they're better at withstanding earthquakes. In one of the wooden domes.

Persons: Kodawari Mizuno, —, Mizuno, Mizuno —, ArchangelEna, ArchangelEna Mizuno, I'm, they're dodecagons, Kero, it's Organizations: Service, Google Locations: Ena, Gifu, Japan, Nagano, Nagoya, Kyoto, Magome

☆ James Beard Award 2023 winners announced
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Marnie Hunter | Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The awards have been presented in the Windy City since 2015 and are set to remain there through 2027. Like last year, much of the 2023 show was focused on showcasing the new push for greater diversity. The James Beard Foundation has been mired in controversy over the past few years. The winner of the South category, Natalia Vallejo, is the first Puerto Rican native to win a James Beard Award. Here’s the full list of the 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees.

Persons: James Beard, Eric Adjepong, Esther Choi, Andrew Zimmern, Gail Simmons, ”, ” Simmons, Gregory Gourdet, Kann, ” Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox, James, Ellen Yin, J.B . Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, foodie, James Beard’s, “, Timothy Hontzas, Sam Fore, Mariah Carey, Monti Carlo, Natalia Vallejo, Rachel Miller, Nightshade Noodle, Lynn, Niki Nakayama, Erik Ramirez, NY Rob Rubba, Hajime Sato, Sozai, Celeste Noche, NY Don, Brandon Chrostowski, Greg Dulan, CA Aaron Hoskins, Sarah Simmons, Elie Yigo, Quynh Pham, WA Ellen Yin, Damarr Brown, Virtue, Rashida, LA Charlie Mitchell, Clover, NY Amanda Shulman, Angelo, Bakeshop, Zak, Baker, Baker Veronika Gerasimova, Elaine Uykimpang Bentz, Café Mochiko, Vince Bugtong, Margarita Manzke, CA Shawn McKenzie, Café, AL Lula Drake, Los Angeles , CA Spencer, Ann, Brownsville , TX Rob Roy, California Gilberto Cetina Jr, CA Kyle, Katina, Brandon Hayato Go, Hayato, Los Angeles , CA Justin Pichetrungsi, Carlos Salgado, Taco, Omar Anani, Saffron De, Diana Dávila, IL Tim Flores, Genie Kwon, IL Andy Hollyday, MI Sarah Welch, Marrow, Jesse Ito, Cantina La, Kate Lasky, Tomasz Skowronski, Michael Rafidi, Sanaa, Gregory León, Francesco Mangano, Osteria, Madison , WI Itaru Nagano, Andrew Kroeger, Madison , WI David Utterback, Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, Michael Diaz de Leon, Suchada Johnson, WY Kris Komori, Ali Sabbah, Brooklyn , NY Mary Attea, Amanda Cohen, Dirt, Valentine Howell, Hunter, CT Sherry Pocknett, Renee Touponce, Joshua Dorcak, Vince Nguyen, Thomas Pisha, Gado, Beau Schooler, Bocca Al, AK Aaron Verzosa, KY Josh Habiger, TN Sam Hart, NC Terry Koval, Paul Smith, Ana Castro, Lengua, LA Timothy Hontzas, AL Henry Moso, Alex Perry, Kumi Omori, Cocina al, Oscar Amador, Kaoru Azeuchi, KAISEKI, Andrew Black, Jeff Chanchaleune, Ma Der, Justin Pioche, Texas Reyna, Painter, Houston , TX Emiliano Marentes, El Paso , TX John Russ, Clementine, San Antonio , TX Ernest Servantes, David Kirkland, Jim Embry, Valerie Horn, Savi ” Horne, Ira Wallace, Olivia Watkins, Karen Washington, Madur Jaffrey Organizations: Washington , D.C, Lyric Opera of, Illinois Gov, Chicago Mayor, Philadelphia, James Beard Foundation, James, New York Times, CNN, Foundation, WA Coracora, Sunday, of Culture, NY, Neng, EDWINS, Restaurant Institute, Hospitality, SC Yenvy, Street Hospitality, Mbaye, Dakar, WA Bottega, AL, SC, Beverages, Merchant, WA BEST, Sherman, Taco María, Selden, D.C, Madison , WI Itaru, Fairchild, Madison , WI, WY, New, New York State, NY Shaina Loew, Pacific, AK, TN, EDO, Food, Burnt Bean, Sustainable Communities Network, Cooperative Farming, Community Center, Southern, Sierra, Burgerville Workers Union, Black Farmer Fund Locations: Philadelphia, Haitian, Pacific, Washington ,, Lyric Opera of Chicago, livestream, Windy City, Boise , Idaho, Madison , Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Monson , Maine, Haiti, Charlestown , Rhode Island, Puerto Rican, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, NY, Washington, Clawson, MI, Seattle, West Hartford, Philadelphia ,, Lucia, Dallas ,, Cincinnati, Portland , Oregon, of Culture , New York, Mexican, Fort Worth , TX Kann, Portland, Milwaukee ,, Asheville , NC, Chicago, Houston , TX, Cleveland, Crenshaw, Columbia, WA, Rashida Holmes, Bridgetown Roti, Los Angeles ,, Dakar NOLA , New Orleans, LA, Clover Hill, New Orleans, Richardson ,, Kansas City ,, Miami, Billings, San Francisco ,, Café Cerés, Minneapolis, Cypress, Pullman, Birmingham, Quarry, Monson, IL, New York, Houston ,, Ann Arbor, Honolulu, Shawnee, KS, Las Vegas, Brownsville , TX, Healdsburg, Sherman Oaks, Costa Mesa ,, Lakes, Saffron De Twah, Detroit ,, Detroit, NJ, PA, , Philadelphia, Cantina La Martina, Apteka, Pittsburgh, Albi , Washington, Kalaya, MN, MO, Sioux Falls, Amilinda, Milwaukee, Osteria Papavero, Madison ,, Yoshitomo, Omaha, UT, WY, Salvador, BRUTØ, Denver, Teton, Teton Village, Boise, Salt Lake City, Sofreh, Brooklyn , NY, , New York, Hudson, Atomix , New York, NH, RI, Krasi, Boston, New Preston, Charlestown, Siu, Yunnan, The, MÄS, Ashland, Berlu, Gado Gado, Bocca Al Lupo, Juneau, Archipelago, KY, NC, TN, WV, Lexington, Bastion, Nashville, Charlotte, Decatur, Charleston, Lengua Madre , New Orleans, Homewood, Orlando, Springs, Cocina, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, AZ, NM, Oklahoma City, Fruitland, Navajo Nation, Sandwich Hag, El Paso , TX, San Antonio ,, Seguin ,, City of Whitesburg

☆ After a Surprise Debut, the Conductor Thomas Guggeis Is Rising Fast
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Joshua Barone | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Now, Guggeis might read about a discovery related to something he remembers studying in school. In between classes one day, he sat in on a rehearsal of Strauss’s “Die Frau Ohne Schatten” led by Petrenko. He recalled watching the young conductor lead a rehearsal and immediately thinking he was gifted. “And he was obviously a very natural conductor. He moved his arms in a natural way, and was naturally in command.

☆ Watch planes take off in Japan — from an onsen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Emi Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Opened last December, the Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier & Grand Haneda Airport has 1,717 rooms and is directly connected to Haneda International Airport Terminal 3. Tokyo has also announced plans to receive up to 60 million overseas visitors to the country by 2030. And as inbound tourism recovers, Haneda – which has been crowned the world’s most punctual mega-airport – hopes to ride that wave. Developers want to expand those routes to greater swathes of Japan as part of broader plans to help revitalize the country’s regions, according to Katsuyuki Tou, general manager of the Haneda Airport Garden. Tou explained that visitors to the multipurpose complex can already get a taste of what Japan offers.

CNN —The Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies stressed their solidarity against Russia’s assault on Ukraine, and called on China to “abstain from threats,” in a communique Tuesday following talks in Japan. The G7 foreign ministers said, however, that they “recognized the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China” and working together with Beijing on global challenges, according to the statement. He pointed to the language referring to “one China policies” or agreements by which governments have established diplomatic relations with Beijing and not Taipei. The communique was released as the foreign ministers wrapped up three days of talks in the central Japanese town of Karuizawa in Nagano prefecture. The minister also urged fighting parties in the recent outbreak of violence in Sudan to “end hostilities immediately,” and return to negotiations.

☆ Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route: Japan's 20-meter-deep snow corridor reopens for visitors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A giant snow corridor near the otherworldly Mount Tateyama, one of Japan’s three sacred mountains, is reopening to travelers on April 15. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route offers stunning views of the Japanese alps. The opening of the Yuki no Otani walk also marks the resumption of traffic through the entire Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route at the end of winter. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine RouteTravelers can opt to stay in one of the mountain accommodations on offer. Travelers visiting the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route are advised to wear winter clothing and gear suitable for trekking or mountaineering.

☆ As summer heat looms, Japan urged to curb impact, emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Stanislav Kogiku | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesTemperatures are rising in Japan and summer is coming fast. "The risks from climate change are right before us," said Yasuaki Hijioka, deputy director of the Center for Climate Change Adaptation at the National Institute for Environmental Studies in Tsukuba, northeast of Tokyo. But climate change means communities are often caught off guard because the systems were engineered for the weather conditions of the past. The warming weather can also hold more moisture, adding flooding and landslides to the summer forecast, something that Japan has also seen with growing frequency. "We need to view climate change as a natural disaster."

TOKYO, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The popularity of Japan's crisp powder snow among foreign skiers, surging back into the country, is luring more to seek the thrill of pristine backcountry slopes - sometimes with deadly impact. Japan's snow, prized among skiers for dryness caused by local atmospheric conditions, is a big draw. The head of Japan's National Governors Association last week said a national system of safety measures is now essential. BACKCOUNTRY CULTUREThe reputation of Japanese snow took off after the Nagano Olympics. Japan wants to welcome foreign skiers, but they need to know the reality of the risks involved, said Kenji Kubota, a researcher with the Japan Rescue Organization.

☆ U.S. freestyle skier dies in avalanche in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A U.S. freestyle skier has died after being caught in an avalanche in Japan on Sunday, his family confirmed. Weather authorities had issued an avalanche warning for the area after days of heavy snowfall. Police officers board a gondola heading to the site of an avalanche in the village of Otari, Japan on Sunday. "Such a bright light lost," wrote Marielle Thompson, a Canadian Olympic freestyle skier. “Wish we had more time to ski these past few years,” Joss Christensen, a U.S. freestyle skier from Park City, Utah, wrote.

☆ U.S. professional skier named as one victim of Japan avalanche
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERSTOKYO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - One of two foreign men swept up in an avalanche in Japan while back-country skiing in the central prefecture of Nagano and found without vital signs on Monday was U.S. professional skier Kyle Smaine, an outdoor magazine said. Police declined to confirm details about the men, whom media said were from Austria and the United States, but outdoor magazine "Mountain Gazette" said in its online edition that the U.S. skier was Kyle Smaine, 31. "It is with great sadness we report beloved South Lake Tahoe Professional Skier Kyle Smaine has died in an avalanche in Japan," the magazine wrote. Weather authorities had issued an avalanche warning for the area, following heavy snowfall in the past few days. Reporting by Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Bradley Perrett, Clarence Fernandez and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japanese Ski Getaways for Powderheads of Every Stripe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Janet O Grady | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHERRY-BLOSSOM season in Japan has its devotees, but, as countless ski snobs are bound to tell you, the country’s other prime time is the dead of winter. According to the website SnowJapan, the tiny, mountainous archipelago is packed with some 450 ski areas—almost the same number you’ll find throughout the U.S. The northern island of Hokkaido and the central Nagano prefecture—both former hosts of the Winter Olympics—harbor the majority of ski destinations, which range from small family-owned hills to splashy multi-mountain resorts. What many of these spots have in common is “Japow,” the nickname (abbreviated from “Japan Powder”) for the abundant, feather-light snow that rolls in from Siberia via storms over the Sea of Japan. But their off-slope offerings are also a big draw: soaking in a hot spring, downing a flight of sake, slurping up ramen or a shabu-shabu hot pot.

☆ A Guide to Skiing in Japan: 5 Getaways for Powderheads of Every Stripe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Janet O Grady | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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