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☆ Deadly Fire Exposes Harsh Conditions Migrant Workers Face in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They were descendants of Koreans who moved to Northeast China, fleeing Japan’s brutal colonial rule in the early 20th century. In a twist of history, many like them have come to South Korea in recent decades, looking for better-paying jobs in their forebears’ homeland, now one of the world’s richest countries. The disaster drew new attention to the stark realities faced here by migrant workers, from China and from elsewhere. South Korea, with its shrinking population, has been rapidly increasing the number of workers it accepts from abroad to toil at the lowest rung of its labor market. Foreign workers are nearly three times as likely as the average South Korean to die in a work-related accident, according to a recent study.

Persons: Locations: China, South Korea, Hwaseong, Seoul, Koreans

☆ Japanese pufferfish: Cup Noodles serves up notoriously poisonous pufferfish
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Chris Lau | Rinka Tonsho | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tokyo CNN —Pufferfish is regarded as a luxury in Japan and a meal featuring the potentially poisonous delicacy can easily cost up to 20,000 yen ($125) at high-end restaurants. But now, adventurous foodies in Japan can get a taste of “fugu” for a fraction of the price, from a Cup Noodle. Japanese instant noodle giant Nissin Foods released the new pufferfish flavor on Monday, expanding its massive lineup. “In recent years … ramen shops specializing in fugu ramen have been popping up, grabbing the hearts of many ramen fans,” it said. An elderly couple in Malaysia died last year after eating pufferfish, prompting an appeal from their daughter for stricter regulations.

Persons: Pufferfish, Nissin, Momofuku Ando Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, Western Australia’s Department of Fisheries, Chefs Locations: Japan, Colombia, Gamagori city, Japan’s, Aichi, Philippines, Malaysia

☆ Japanese mother and child stabbed in China in front of school bus
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Nectar Gan | Himari Semans | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Tokyo/Hong Kong CNN —A Japanese woman and her child were among three people stabbed by a man on Monday in front of a school bus at a bus stop in eastern China, according to Japanese authorities. In Suzhou, the attack took place Monday afternoon as the mother waited to pick up her child at a bus stop near a Japanese school, according to the Japanese official. The school bus is from the Suzhou Japanese School, located less than a mile from the bus stop in an area where many Japanese nationals live, NHK said. Opened in 2005, the Suzhou Japanese School offers six-year elementary school and three-year junior high school curriculums, according to its website. Its rules state that students must be picked up by a parent or guardian from the school bus.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, “, ”, Zhou, Mao Ning, rampages, –, Xi Jinping Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Japanese Nationals Overseas Safety Division, Japan’s Foreign Ministry, CNN, Embassy, NHK, Suzhou Japanese, Japan’s Embassy, Foreign, Suzhou Japanese School Locations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, China, Suzhou, Jiangsu province, Shanghai, Jilin ., Jilin, Beijing, Japan

☆ Japan and South Korea Are Fighting Over an App at a Tense Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( River Akira Davis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A joint venture set up in 2019 by two top Japanese and South Korean companies was hailed as a beacon of cooperation amid strained diplomatic relations. Executives from South Korea’s Naver and Japan’s SoftBank Group said they would jointly own the operator of Line, a South Korean-developed messaging app popularized in Japan. Five years later, Japan and South Korea have made significant strides in easing longstanding historical tensions. Japan and South Korea, both key United States allies in Asia, have a sensitive history. Japan colonized Korea from 1910 until Japan’s surrender in World War II in 1945, and Japan and South Korea have often scuffled over territory and geopolitical differences.

Persons: Japan’s Locations: South Korea’s, Korean, Japan, South Korea, States, Asia, Korea

☆ World’s best airline for 2024 named by Skytrax
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Barry Neild | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

We look forward to more wins in the future.”Close-run contestSaudia was named by Skytrax as winner of the World's Most Improved Airline award. Singapore also won for Best First Class service and Best Airline in Asia. ANA, meanwhile, picked up the accolade for World’s Best Airport Services, as well as Best Airline Staff Service in Asia. Saudia was named World’s Most Improved Airline, beating Taiwan’s Starlux and Iceland’s Play into second and third places. Delta Air Lines was declared the Best Airline in North America, also picking up the award for Best Airline Staff Service for the region.

Persons: weren’t, ”, Edward Plaisted, Badr Mohammed Al, Meer, Saudia, Skytrax, Nicolas Economou, Tan, Tan Pee Teck, Taiwan’s Starlux, Singapore’s Scoot, Tony Fernandes, “, ISMOYO, Vistara, airBaltic Organizations: CNN, Qatar Airways, Hamad International, Dubai, Boeing, Airbus, Singapore Airlines, Dubai’s Emirates, ANA All Nippon Airways, Hong, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air France, Swiss International Airlines, Singapore, Best, ANA, World’s Best, Services, Best Airline Staff Service, AirAsia, Airline, Airasia, Rai International, Getty, Bangkok Airways, Fiji Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Hainan Airlines, China . Delta Air Lines, Airlines, Emirates, Cathay, Air, Swiss International Air Lines, Korean, British Airways, Iberia, Virgin, Lufthansa, Etihad Airways, Saudi, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Garuda, Cathay Pacific Airways, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Transavia, Vueling Airlines, Ryanair, SKY, JetSMART, Aegean Airlines, Azerbaijan Airlines, Rex Airlines, Azul, Royal Air Maroc, Porter Airlines, . Alaska Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Asiana Airlines, China Airlines, Korean Air Locations: Qatar, London’s, Abu Dhabi, Qatar’s, Tan Pee, Asia, Denpasar, Bali, AFP, India, Australia, Pacific, Eastern, China ., North America, Singapore, Air France, Saudi Arabian, Garuda Indonesia, Transavia France

☆ Japanese hotel accused of canceling Israeli guest’s reservation because of ‘war crimes’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A hotel in the Japanese city of Kyoto allegedly canceled an Israeli tourist’s reservation because of “war crimes,” drawing criticism from local officials who said it violated regulations. The traveler who received the Whatsapp messages made an initial complaint to the Israeli embassy in Tokyo. The Israeli embassy says it would appreciate an apology from the hotel but will not pursue any legal action over the allegation. Since then, more than 37,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli military offensives, according to Gaza health authorities. A United Nations inquiry this month found that both Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes amid the war in Gaza.

Persons: ”, Ido Bromberg, Bromberg, “, ” Bromberg, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Rinka Tonsho Organizations: CNN, Embassy, Israeli Defense Forces, Israel’s, El, United Nations Locations: Kyoto, Gaza, Tokyo, Israel, Palestine, “, Japan, Tel Aviv, Israeli

Chang emphasized the need to strengthen the extended deterrence power of the South Korea-US alliance and the South Korea-US-Japan security cooperation system to address North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles. Currently, South Korea’s policy is not to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty ImagesReports from earlier in the war say South Korea may have provided 155mm artillery shells to the United States to replace 155mm rounds sent to Ukraine. “Public reports suggest South Korea has around 3.4 million 105mm artillery shells,” the CSIS report said. Earlier on Thursday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also expressed strong concern about the agreement signed by Russia and North Korea.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, “, ” Putin, Kim, Chang Ho, ”, ” Chang, Chang, Putin, Nikoletta Stoyanova, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Putin “, ” Hayashi Organizations: CNN, Democratic People’s, DPRK, UN Security Council, CNN South, National Security, Korean, 57th Motorized Brigade, Getty, Center for Strategic, International Studies, “, CSIS, UN, Japan’s Locations: Korea, Ukraine, Seoul, Russia, North Korea, DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic, Republic of Korea, South, South Korea, Japan, Vovchansk, Kharkiv Region, United States, Kyiv, Vietnam, Ukrainian

☆ Japan reports record spike in potentially deadly bacterial infection
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Helen Regan | Junko Ogura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Cases of a dangerous and highly fatal bacterial infection have reached record levels in Japan, official figures show, with experts so far unable to pinpoint the reason for the rise. STSS is a rare but serious bacterial infection that can develop when bacteria spread into deep tissues and the bloodstream. In March, Japanese authorities warned of a jump in STSS cases. The reason for this year’s rise in cases of STSS in Japan remains unclear, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. “So, more people are now susceptible to infection, and that may be one reason for the sharp rise in cases.”

Persons: iGAS “, Ken Kikuchi, people’s, ” Kikuchi Organizations: CNN, Japan’s Health, Japan’s National, of Infectious, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, World Health, of Infectious Diseases, NHK, Tokyo Women’s Medical University Locations: Japan, STSS, Tokyo

☆ G7 leaders huddle in Italy, escaping political peril at home
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Rarely has the yearly gathering of the world’s leading economies been so overshadowed by the political vulnerabilities of nearly all its members. She emerged as the only European G7 leader bolstered by last week’s European Parliament elections. “I am proud that Italy will present itself to the G7, to Europe with the strongest government of all. The leaders of France and Germany are contending with very different sets of political circumstances. Whether it is Trump at the G7 table next year or Biden is among the great unknowable questions hanging over the gathering.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, don’t, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Biden, –, ”, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, “, Josh Lipsky, Giorgia Meloni, Meloni, Trump, Brothers, ” Meloni, Rishi Sunak, Canada’s Justin Trudeau —, Japan’s Fumio Kishida, who’s Organizations: CNN, Parliamentary, National Assembly, “, Ukraine, GeoEconomics, Atlantic Council, Italian, United, Conservative Political, Conference, Reuters, Trump Locations: Italy, Puglia, France, United Kingdom, United States, Paris, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, it’s, China, India, Brazil, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Europe, Germany, Britain, Sicily, haggling, Quebec, Biarritz

☆ Emma Raducanu ‘really healthy’ a year after surgeries confined her to a mobility scooter
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A year after she was confined to a mobility scooter having undergone multiple surgeries, British tennis player Emma Raducanu says she feels “really healthy” ahead of the grass-court season. 208 in the world, the 21-year-old Raducanu has played more regularly this year but missed the French Open to focus on building fitness. She said that she now has “zero apprehension” when hitting balls or thinking about her schedule having spent recent weeks conditioning her body. “It was important for me to take time to transition on to the grass, because the balls over the grass-court season are so heavy,” Raducanu added. Her last competitive match was a first-round defeat against Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carlé at the Madrid Open on April 24.

Persons: Emma Raducanu, “, Raducanu, ” Raducanu, Japan’s Ena Shibahara, Argentina’s Maria Lourdes Carlé Organizations: CNN, Wimbledon, Madrid Locations: British, Nottingham, England

More than a year later, she is still in debt and resorting to sex work to pay her bills. But now she would have to repay him – with sex work the only way to raise the cash. Yu is one of hundreds of women coerced to sell their bodies after frequenting Japan’s so-called “host clubs,” experts told CNN. Of those detained, 40% told police they were soliciting to repay debts run up at host clubs, NHK reported. “It’s a romance scam, basically,” said Ayaka Shiomura, a member of Japan’s upper house of parliament, who has unsuccessfully pushed for better safeguards against exploitative host clubs.

Persons: Tokyo CNN — Yu, she’d, Yu, ’ ”, “, ” Yu, Daniel Campisi, Behrouz Meheri, ”, Ayaka Shiomura, Mikami Rui, ” Mikami Rui, Hidemori, Gen, Shiomura, “ let’s, ” –, ‘, ’ ” Yu, –, Rui, “ I’m Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, Getty, Tokyo, NHK, Asahi Shimbun, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders Locations: Japan’s, Kabukicho, Tokyo, AFP, Japan, Okinawa, Macao, Hong Kong

Tokyo CNN —Japanese officials descended on the headquarters of Toyota on Tuesday, after a safety test scandal at a number of automakers in the country widened this week. The ministry said five automakers — Toyota (TM), Mazda, Honda (HMC), Suzuki and Yamaha — had submitted incorrect or manipulated safety test data when they applied for certification of the vehicles. All five companies were told to review their safety certification processes. Kyodo/ReutersKoji Endo of SBI Securities said that Japan’s certification tests are very stringent and much stricter than in other countries. In January, Toyota announced it would suspend shipments of certain models after finding irregularities in certification tests for diesel engines developed by its affiliate, Toyota Industries.

Persons: —, Suzuki, Yamaha —, Koji Endo, ”, “, ” Endo, Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Toyota, Japan’s Ministry of Transport, CNN, — Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Yamaha, Corolla Fielder, Corolla, Kyodo, SBI Securities, Transport Ministry, Toyota Industries, Daihatsu Locations: Japan

☆ As Japan’s auto safety scandal widens, Toyota halts some shipments
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Tokyo — A safety test scandal at Japanese automakers widened Monday, with Toyota Motor and Mazda both halting shipments of some vehicles after Japan’s transport ministry found irregularities in applications to certify certain models. The automakers were found to have submitted incorrect or manipulated safety test data when they applied for certification of the vehicles. The ministry ordered Toyota (TM), the world’s biggest carmaker by the number of vehicles sold, Mazda and Yamaha to suspend shipments of some vehicles. In a report to shareholders, ISS singled out the “spate of certification irregularities” at the Toyota Group. Toyota said it had temporarily halted shipments and sales of three car models made in Japan.

Persons: Suzuki, Glass Lewis, Akio Toyoda, Toyoda, ”, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: Toyota Motor, Mazda, Honda, Yamaha Motor, Toyota, Yamaha, Daihatsu, Services, ISS, Toyota Group, Government, Corolla Fielder, Corolla, Lexus, RF Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan is determined to keep hunting whales. And now it has a brand new ‘mothership’ to do that
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Heather Chen | Hanako Montgomery | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Demand for whale meat in JapanOver the years, Kyodo Senpaku has launched aggressive public relation campaigns to promote whale meat and win over new generations of young diners. We would react very badly to that.”The owner of a whale meat shop shows a block of whale meat at the Karato fish market in Shimonoseki city. Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty ImagesThis picture taken on May 20, 2024 shows whale meat sashimi at a 'Nisshinmaru' whale meat restaurant in Shimonoseki city, Yamaguchi prefecture. Located in deep waters surrounding the entire continent of Antarctica, the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary hosts dozens of whale species including humpbacks, blue whales and fin whales. “It’s called the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary for a reason – you don’t kill whales there,” Watson said.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, Hideki Tokoro, ”, ” Tokoro, Hideko Tokoro, Hanako Montgomery, Paul Watson, “, Daisuke Urakami, Ari Friedlaender, Sutton Hibbert, Shutterstock, ” Donald Rothwell, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Francois Gohier, ” WCA, Tokoro, Nobuhiro Kishigami, ” Kishigami, “ It’s, Yuichi Yamazaki, Mitsuhiro Kishimoto, Juan Barreto, Takaaki Sakamoto, Captain Paul Watson, aren’t, James Anderson, ” Rothwell, Watson, CNN he’s, ” Watson Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Kyodo, CNN, Yomiuri Shimbun, “, International Whaling Commission, IWC, International Convention, Whaling, Australian National University, ANU, Cetacean, Kyodo Senpaku, South Korea –, National Museum of Ethnology, Getty, Shimonoseki City University, Whale, Whaling Affairs, Japan’s Fisheries Agency, Captain Paul Watson Foundation, Whale Defense Agency Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kangei, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Nisshin, Gulf of Maine, North, Russia, Thailand, South, Osaka, Shimonoseki, AFP, Yamaguchi, Gerlache, Antarctica, …

☆ Diede de Groot: The unstoppable force in tennis leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of greatness
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Wheelchair tennis player Diede de Groot, though, has been unequivocally the dominant constant in the face of those challenges. Diede De Groot is one of the most decorated tennis players of all time. “Twenty years ago wheelchair tennis was one of the biggest Paralympic sports in the Netherlands,” says De Groot. So, it’s just a coincidence … but it’s a funny coincidence!”De Groot has won a total of 39 grand slam titles. It’s a really fun time to be a wheelchair tennis player.”De Groot has noticed a recent improvement in visibility for wheelchair players.

Persons: CNN —, Diede de Groot, ‘, ” De Groot, “ They’re, Diede De Groot, Scott Barbour, De Groot, “, ”, Groot, I’m, ” De, Frank Franklin II, Esther Vergeer’s, Roland Garros, Vergeer, Shingo Kunieda, De Groot’s, Vergeer’s –, Julian Finney, –, Mike Hewitt, …, Alfie Hewitt, Novak … he’s, Dylan Alcott, It’s, Lewis Storey, I’ve, “ It’s, Ivan Alvarado Organizations: CNN, Wheelchair, Paralympic, De, Getty, Lawn Tennis Association, Tennis Centre, ATP, WTA, Miami Open, Wimbledon, Tokyo Games, Reuters Locations: Paris, Dutch, Amstelveen, Netherlands, Woerden, Miami, Tokyo, Rio

☆ Chinese ships spend record amount of time near Japan-controlled islands, Tokyo says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Japanese government chief spokesperson did not say how often Chinese ships entered Japan’s territorial waters, though foreign ships are allowed “innocent passage” through such waters. A contiguous zone extends another 12 nautical miles beyond a country’s territorial waters, the area that stretches 12 nautical miles from the shore. Foreign warships are allowed into contiguous zone waters – so the Chinese Coast Guard hasn’t broken any international agreements – but the continuous presence of the Chinese vessels there is seen as a provocation. It has frequently dispatched China Coast Guard and other government vessels to the waters around the islands to assert those claims. Hayashi, the Japanese government spokesperson, said Monday that Tokyo is answering the Chinese presence around the islands with vessels of its own.

Persons: Tokyo’s, “, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Hayashi, Fumio Kishida, Li Gongmin, ”, ” James Brown, ” Hayashi, Lai Ching, China’s, Thomas, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas Shoal, CNN’s Himari Semans Organizations: South Korea CNN, China Coast Guard, East China, Chinese Coast Guard, Ministry, Temple University, CNN, Coast Guard, Communist Party Locations: Seoul, South Korea, East, Japan, China, Tokyo, Japanese, China’s, Beijing, United States, Washington, Taiwan, Philippines, South China, Philippine, Singapore

☆ Japanese town overrun with tourists puts up view-blocking barrier near Mount Fuji
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko has erected a giant black net to block views of Mount Fuji, a reaction to the town’s huge popularity on Instagram and other social media platforms. The small town in Yamanashi prefecture has become the center of an international controversy in recent weeks. Japan’s overtourism problemsThis photo was taken on May 20 in front of Mount Fuji in Fujikawaguchiko -- a day before the black net went up. In this case, it’s not a specific attraction bringing hordes of visitors – it’s a viewpoint where people like to take pictures of Mount Fuji. There have been many accidents involving foreign tourists recently,” Haruhito Tsuchiya, a 49-year-old local who works in the tourism industry, told Reuters.

Persons: ”, Fujikawaguchiko, Kazuhiro Nogi, it’s, “ I’ve, ” Haruhito Tsuchiya, Lawson, Lawson’s Organizations: CNN, Mount, Fuji, Dental Clinic, Clinic, Mount Fuji, Getty, Tokyo –, Reuters, Lawson’s Locations: Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture, Mount Fuji, AFP, Japan, Paris, Hawaii, Tokyo, –, Fuji

☆ China teases plan to buy unsold homes to fix property crisis. Markets are loving it
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The index has rallied nearly 30% from its January low, having entered a bull market earlier this month. Longfor Group, the ninth largest homebuilder in China, surged 11%, becoming the top performing stock on the Hang Seng Index. “We think this is a largely symbolic move to show support for the sector with a ‘national team’ for the housing market,” said Citi analysts. “We are cautiously optimistic about the ‘government-led buying on unsold units’ as it’s still being rolled out in more cities, “ said Jeff Zhang, an equity analyst at Morningstar. Nasdaq Golden China Index, which tracks Chinese companies listed on Wall Street, has gained 11% since the start of April.

Persons: ”, “, Jeff Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Longfor, China Holdings, National Development, Reform Commission, ’, Citi, ING Group, Morningstar, homebuyers, Communist Party, Nasdaq Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Hangzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu, Shanghai

☆ Japan’s economy contracts in first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo Reuters —Japan’s economy contracted in the first quarter, squeezed by weaker consumption and external demand and throwing a fresh challenge to policymakers as the central bank looks to lift interest rates away from near-zero levels. The reading translates into a quarterly contraction of 0.5%, versus a 0.4% decline expected by economists. “Japan’s economy hit the bottom in the first quarter,” said Yoshimasa Maruyama, chief market economist at SMBC Nikko Securities. “The economy will certainly rebound this quarter thanks to rising wages although uncertainty remains on service consumption.”Capital spending, a key driver of private demand, fell 0.8% in the first quarter, versus an expected decline of 0.7%, despite hefty corporate earnings. External demand, or exports minus imports, knocked 0.3 of a percentage point off first quarter GDP estimates.

Persons: Downwardly, ”, Yoshimasa Maruyama Organizations: Tokyo Reuters, Nikko Securities, ”, Daihatsu, Bank of Japan Locations: Tokyo, “, Noto, Toyota’s

☆ Japan aging: Women’s participation in ‘naked festival’ a sign of how aging is forcing changes to male-centric traditions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Himari Semans | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Tokyo/Hong Kong CNN —With a history spanning more than 1,200 years, “hadaka matsuri,” or the naked festival, is Japanese masculinity on full display. Some women in Japan still battle deep-rooted cultural expectations that require them to take the role of “shufu,” or housewife, experts say. But in the naked festival, women have recently found hope. Men strip naked — except for a delicate piece of crotch-covering white loincloth — to take part in the naked festival at Konomiya Shrine on February 22, 2024. Women — donning happi, a traditional festive coat — are responsible for carrying a bamboo offering during the naked festival at Konomiya Shrine on February 22, 2024.

Persons: —, Saudi Arabia —, “, Christopher Gallagher, ”, we’ve, ” Haruhiko, Atsuko Tamakoshi, Chris Gallagher, Enyukai, Ayaka Suzuki, Mitsuko Tottori, Yoko Kamikawa, Fumio, Kaori Katada, Hiyori Kon, Sumo, won’t Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Economic, Japan, Reuters, Mikiko, Hosei University, pre, CNN, ”, Ministry of Health, ” Eto, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, Japan Airlines, Netflix, Little Locations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Japan, jostle, Germany, Britain, United States, India, Saudi Arabia, Konomiya Shrine, Konomiya

☆ Japanese store near Mount Fuji issues apology in response to overtourism
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lawson’s, one of Japan’s largest convenience store chains, has an outpost in the small town of Fujikawaguchiko. Tourists have flooded into Fujikawaguchiko to take one specific picture – a shot of Mount Fuji behind a Lawson’s store, where the mountain’s classic elegance contrasts with the store’s modern neon signage. Although Lawson’s has not encouraged visitors to take pictures of their store, the company nevertheless issued a statement addressing the issue on May 5. Many of them headed to the same destinations, crowding Kyoto’s narrow streets and the walking trails of Mount Fuji. And Lawson’s is not the only Japanese tourist destination that has resorted to putting up signs warning visitors of bad behaviors.

Persons: Fuji –, Lawson’s, Lawson, –, overtourism, Fujikawaguchiko, Semans Organizations: CNN, Fuji, Mount Fuji, ”, Mount, UNESCO Locations: Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture, –, Japan, Mount, Yamanashi

☆ Super-aged Japan now has 9 million vacant homes. And that’s a problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Chris Lau | Mayumi Maruyama | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“This is a symptom of Japan’s population decline,” said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba. “It’s not really a problem of building too many houses” but “a problem of not having enough people,” he said. According to figures compiled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 14% of all residential properties in Japan are vacant. “When an earthquake or a tsunami occurs, there is a possibility that vacant houses will block evacuation routes as they break down and get destroyed,” he said. In other rural areas with a high concentration of vacant houses, akiya have stalled development, the professor said.

Persons: ”, Jeffrey Hall, “ It’s, don’t, Akio Kon, it’s, “ They’re, Buddhika Weerasinghe, Yuki Akiyama, Akiyama, ” Akiyama Organizations: CNN, Kanda University of International Studies, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Kanda University, “, Bloomberg, Getty, Ministry, Internal Affairs, Communications, Tokyo City University, Homes Locations: Japan, New York City, Tokyo, Kyoto, Chiba, Kanda, Yato, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa prefecture, Tambasasayama, Noto, Ishikawa, Europe, West, “

Known then as Masako Owada, she worked long hours and had a rising career as a trade negotiator. Much has changed for Japan’s Foreign Ministry — and, in some ways, for Japanese women more broadly — in the ensuing three decades. Since 2020, women have comprised nearly half of each entering class of diplomats, and many women continue their careers after they marry. For years, Japan has promoted women in the workplace to aid its sputtering economy. But many women still struggle to balance their careers with domestic obligations.

Persons: Masako Owada, Crown Prince —, — Naruhito, Japan’s Foreign Ministry — Organizations: Crown, Japan’s Foreign Ministry, Private Locations: Japan

☆ New mission could reveal secrets of the moon’s ‘hidden side’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In one lunar region, Japan’s “Moon Sniper” mission has beaten the odds and survived three long, frigid lunar nights since its sideways landing on January 19. The Tianwen-2 mission will visit the space rock later this decade. But first, China has set its sights on returning to the moon’s “hidden side.”An illustration depicts the far side of the moon, with Earth behind it. Since the Chang’e 4 mission in 2019, China remains the only country to have landed on the moon’s far side, sometimes called the “dark side” of the moon. Scientists hope that returning samples from the far side could solve some of the biggest remaining lunar mysteries, including the moon’s true origin.

Persons: Graziano Ranocchia, Ranocchia, Plato, Emma Pomeroy, “ She’s, ”, Pomeroy, Armas Rakus, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, Kevin Bacon, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Engineers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA, Apollo, Platonic Academy of Athens, University of Pisa, Netflix, University of Cambridge, Norton Disney, Archaeology Group, Roman, International Space, CNN Space, Science Locations: China, Kurdistan, Gunung Leuser, South Aceh, Indonesia, Morocco

☆ Political Furor Over U.S. Steel Bid Puts Investment Panel in Spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At a campaign event last month in Pennsylvania, the heartland of American steel manufacturing, President Biden made clear that he does not want the proposed takeover of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel to happen. “We’re finally making sure that United States Steel stays United States Steel,” Mr. Biden said. “It’s not going to be anybody else’s steel.”How that promise will be kept has yet to be determined. U.S. Steel said this week in its first-quarter earnings release that it expected the acquisition to be completed in the second half of this year, but noted that timing depended on getting regulatory approvals. On Friday, Nippon Steel said that it was delaying its timeline for the deal to close, from the middle of the year to the end of 2024, because it had been asked to provide more information about the transaction to the Department of Justice, which is reviewing the deal.

Persons: Biden, “ We’re, Mr, “ It’s Organizations: U.S, Steel, Japan’s Nippon Steel, United States Steel, . Steel, Nippon Steel, Department of Justice Locations: Pennsylvania

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