Opposition To Mt. Fuji Railway Plan

Above, a view of Mt. Fuji from a passing Shinkansen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2004, our G-TOUR tour group took a bus ride to one of the fifth Stations on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan. 

Now, one of the governing prefectures of the mountain is considering building a rail line to a fifth station. This plan is facing stiff opposition as Mount Fuji is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and is seen as a "sacred mountain" by the Japanese. 

Above, the summit of Mt. Fuji during a stop while en route to a fifth station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reported: 

With Thursday marking the 10th anniversary of Mt. Fuji’s designation as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, authorities are debating how to curb the number of tourists on Japan’s highest mountain and ease the environmental burden tourists create.

The government of Yamanashi Prefecture, which is located on the northern side of the 3,776-meter peak, is considering building a railway from Mt. Fuji’s foot to the fifth station on the existing Fuji Subaru Line toll road.

Although the prefecture plans to start technical surveys soon, some parties have expressed opposition, arguing that the mountain’s designation as a World Heritage site emphasizes its significance as a “sacred mountain.”

Yamanashi Prefecture is considering running a light rail transit (LRT) system on tracks to be laid on a 28-kilometer section of the Fuji Subaru Line toll road. An LRT is a low trolley with limited noise and shaking.

To read more, go here. 

Osaka Castle, Osaka's Civic Symbol

Above, Osaka Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What Japanese castle was demolished in the second Godzilla movie?

For a G-fan that answer is easy. It was Osaka Castle in (where else?) the city of Osaka in Godzilla's Counterattack (or Godzilla Raids Again) in 1955. It got demolished during the battle between Godzilla and Anguirus.

The current Osaka Castle was built in 1931 and has now served as a symbol of Osaka for over 90 years. I first visited the Castle in 2004 during G-TOUR and then in 2015.

The Japan News has posted and article on Osaka Castle with some interesting history on the structure.

It begins with: 

OSAKA — Ask a child, “Who built Osaka Castle?” and the answer you’ll probably get is, “Carpenters!” Yet people who know their history are just as likely to say “Toyotomi Hideyoshi.” Turns out, both answers are correct.

Hideyoshi was a powerful warlord who unified Japan in the late 16th century before the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. He is especially popular in Osaka as a historical figure who rose to power from a peasant background.

However, when it comes to the current Osaka Castle tower that has been transformed into a modern museum with the appearance of a keep, the “carpenters” answer to the riddle is still correct. The castle tower was built by major construction company Obayashi Corp.

The eight-story structure with reinforced concrete was built in 1931 as part of a project to commemorate the accession of Emperor Showa to the throne five years earlier. Since then, it has served as a landmark as well as a symbol of Osaka for more than 90 years.

To read more, go here. 

Kinkakuji Admission Fees To Be Raised In April

Above, Kinkakuji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto, Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The last time admission fees were raised for the Kinkakuji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto, Japan was in 1993. The first time I visited it was in 2004 with G-TOUR. I was last there in 2015.

This coming April, admission fees will be raised.

According to The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun): 

KYOTO (Jiji Press) — Kinkakuji, an iconic temple in the western Japan city of Kyoto, will raise admission fees for the first time in 30 years in April, as it is struggling with higher maintenance costs and a drop in the number of visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The temple, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, will raise the admission fee for adults and high school students to ¥500 from ¥400 on April 1.

“It was a tough decision made to protect (the temple) forever,” a Kinkakuji official said of the fee increase. “We have a mission to keep Kinkakuji beautiful for good and want visitors to view (the temple) in good condition,” the official said.

Ryoanji, another Kyoto temple on the UNESCO heritage list, will increase the admission fee for adults by ¥100 to ¥600 on April 1. The temple, known for its rock garden, has been visited by a number of dignitaries including the late British Queen Elizabeth II.

To read more, go here. 

Double-decker Shinkansen Cars To Be Retired

Above, a cleaning crew waits to be given the go-ahead to clean the Joetsu Shinkansen
double-decker train in the background at Tokyo Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my 2010 trip to Japan, I took an excursion to Niigata to see the Sea of Japan side of Honshu for the fun of it.

I rode the Joetsu Shinkansen to Niigata. It was a double-decker train.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reports that the double-decker Shinkansen cars will be retired October 1.

They wrote:

The E4 series of Shinkansen trains — known for their Max Toki and Max Tanigawa services on the Joetsu Shinkansen line — will retire after their final run on Oct. 1.

The E4 are the only double-decker Shinkansen trains in Japan. Social media accounts operated by East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) have been flooded with messages from passengers and fans, describing their memories of trips and expressing their appreciation.

JR East is planning events and selling commemorative goods on an unusually large scale. Fans and the railway company are united in their desire to send the trains off in style.

The E4 series Shinkansen trains were first introduced to the Tohoku Shinkansen line in 1997 and to the Joetsu Shinkansen line in 2001. The 16-car trains had a seating capacity of 1,634, the most of any high-speed train in the world.

Age and speed were cited as the reasons for retiring the double-decker cars.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Government Extends State of Emergency

Above, Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto during normal times. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We may complain about the measures taken in the U.S. during the pandemic, but at least we're not in Japan.

Several prefectures in Japan have been under a state of emergency for weeks precipitated by surges in coronavirus infections. Getting the Japanese citizenry vaccinated has been lagging. All this has been going on with the postponed Tokyo Summer Olympics only weeks away. This has led the Asahi Shimbun to call for the cancelation of the Olympics.

Now, the government has extended the state of emergency for another month.

According to The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

The government announced its decision on Friday to extend the state of emergency for nine prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka through June 20.

The decision was reached on Friday evening at a meeting of the government’s COVID-19 task force led by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, after the subcommittee on basic coronavirus measures approved the decision in a morning meeting.

“Areas subject to the state of emergency have remained in Stage 4,” Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of coronavirus measures, said at the subcommittee meeting, referring to the most serious level. “The number of seriously ill patients has been around 1,400 nationwide. The health care system is facing a severe situation.”

The state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Kyoto and Okayama was scheduled to end May 31.

It will be some time before things in Japan return to "normal" so that foreign visitors can go there.

To read more, go here.

90% of Vaccinated People Developed Antibodies Against Coronavirus Variants

Above, shoppers at Asakusa's Nakamise Dori during normal times. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following article originates from Japan, but it does apply here for those of us who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer vaccine.

I have been fortunate to have been vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine back in February.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reported: 

About 90% of Japanese people who received two doses of Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine against COVID-19 developed antibodies that could prevent the onset of the disease from novel coronavirus variants as well as the original virus, a study by Yokohama City University has found.

As coronavirus variants are spreading in Japan, the research highlights the importance of promoting the ongoing vaccination program.

In the study, blood samples were collected from 105 doctors and nurses, aged 24 to 62, who were vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine in March and April. The vaccine is normally given in two doses on two separate occasions. The samples were taken before and after the inoculations.

Examination of the antibodies contained in blood a week after the second inoculation showed that 99% of the participants had developed antibodies that are likely to have a sufficient preventive effect against the original form of the novel coronavirus. High efficacy was confirmed for variants as well, with 94% of the participants found to have developed antibodies effective against the British variant that is spreading in the nation, 90% for the South African variant and 97% for the Indian variant.

 To read more, go here.

Abe Pearl Harbor Visit Symbolizes Reconciliation

Tomorrow will mark the 75th anniversary of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Above, the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be visiting Pearl Harbor later this month as a gesture of "reconciliation" between the two countries.

According to the Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s planned visit to Pearl Harbor later this month is based on his decision to demonstrate a mature and future-oriented Japan-U.S. alliance to the world. The prime minister announced Monday night that he will visit Hawaii on Dec. 26 and 27, and visit Pearl Harbor with U.S. President Barack Obama during the Hawaii stay. 

The visit with Obama — following the U.S. president’s visit to Hiroshima in May — will be a historic event to symbolize Japan-U.S. reconciliation, as the leaders of the two countries that fought fiercely against each other in World War II will have paid their respects to victims of the war on those occasions. 

“I have long thought of demonstrating the significance and symbolism of visiting Pearl Harbor and the importance of reconciliation,” Abe told reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday night. 

The prime minister said he has had the idea of visiting Pearl Harbor for a long time, and started specific planning last year.

To read more, go here. 

Japanese Government To Certify "Foreigner-Friendly" Establishments

Above, an Asakusa shopping market. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Continuing their efforts to lure more foreign visitors to Japan, the Japanese government will be starting a new rating system that will measure the quality of establishments to deem them foreigner-friendly.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reported:

The government has launched one policy after another in its efforts to boost the number of visitors from overseas and encourage them to spend more money. 

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry will establish a certification system to evaluate the quality of “omotenashi” — Japanese traditional hospitality — at Japanese-style ryokan inns and restaurants and endorse those deemed foreigner-friendly. 

The ministry will test the certification system next summer.

 To read more, go here.

Ginza To Get Airport-Style Duty-Free Shops

Above, a department store at the Yurakucho Mullion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign visitors to Japan who want to go on shopping sprees in Tokyo, but don't want to be taxed on their purchases, are in luck.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reported:

A series of new duty-free stores will open in Ginza, Tokyo, from this autumn to cater to the growing number of foreign customers coming to the shopping district. 

“Airport-style duty-free shops” — where not only the consumption tax, but also customs, alcohol and other taxes are waived — are scheduled to open for the first time in Tokyo. An influx of foreign visitors has brought a change of mood to Japan’s renowned shopping district, and progress has been made to create a place that will entertain both foreign and Japanese visitors.

To read more, go here. 

Japanese Government To Seek Visitors' Information

Above, the garden of Kyoto's Nijo Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Striving to be at their peak in hospitality in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, the Japanese government will be asking foreign tourists some personal information so that services can be better tailored to them.

According to The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

The government will establish a system that transcends language barriers and smoothly provides “omotenashi” hospitality services to foreign visitors. 

Foreigners will be asked to volunteer personal information such as their religion, languages, food preferences and chronic diseases. 

This information will then be passed on to hotels, restaurants, hospitals and other institutions in Japan. 

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry has included funds in its fiscal 2016 budget request for a prototype system.

To read more, go here. 

Foreign Tourist Spending In Japan Rose 43% In 2014

Above, a barker announcing deals in a store in Shibuya. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A "white paper" report on tourism to Japan was issued today, and it shows that foreign tourist spending in 2014 shot up 43%.

According to an article in The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

Spending by foreign visitors to Japan rose sharply in 2014, bringing certain gains to the Japanese economy, the government said in a report Tuesday. 

The 2015 white paper on tourism said spending by visitors to Japan last year — such as on shopping and accommodation expenses — shot up 43.1 percent from 2013 to ¥2.03 trillion, owing to rising incomes in many other Asian countries, the high quality of Japanese products, the yen’s weakness against other major currencies and improvements to Japan’s duty-free system. 

Spending by Chinese visitors accounted for 27.5 percent of the total consumption by foreign visitors as more Chinese tourists visited Japan for shopping purposes.

To read more, go here. 

Latest Blog Post Pick-ups

The fine folks at The Japan Daily picked up two of yesterday's blog posts for sharing with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

The Japan News To Be Given A Renovation For 60th Anniversary

Above, the Japan News article on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide
 To Japan when it was called the Daily Yomiuri in 2011.

The Japan News, the English-language newspaper (and website) of the Yomiuri Shimbun, will be celebrating its 60th anniversary next month. To celebrate, they are giving the paper a face-lift.

According to their website:

The Japan News, the English-language daily newspaper published by The Yomiuri Shimbun, will commemorate its 60th anniversary on April 1. To mark this occasion, the pages and content of The Japan News will be improved to bring you an even better reading experience. We will carry more in-depth and insightful commentary and analysis articles, start new Japanese cuisine and tourism sections, and launch kabuki and sumo columns written by reporters specializing in these fields.

To read more, go here.

1.38 Million Foreign Visitors Attracted To Japan In February

Above, the Wako department store in Ginza. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The rise in foreign tourism to Japan is continuing this year.

The figures for February 2015 are now out and posted by The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun).

They wrote:

The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in February jumped 57.6 percent from a year before to a monthly record of 1,387,000, up for the 25th straight month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday.

They attribute the rise in foreign tourism to the weakened yen (which makes things in Japan much cheaper) and goods exempted from the consumption tax for foreign visitors.

To read more, go here. 

Nut Rage Proves Costly For Korean Air Heiress

Above, Cho Hyun Ah. Associated Press photo.

The former executive of Korean Air who flew into a rage over how she was served macadamia nuts has received her sentence in a court in Seoul.

According to The Japan News:

SEOUL (AP) — A Seoul court on Thursday sentenced a former Korean Air executive to a year in prison for aviation law violations that stemmed from her inflight tantrum over how she was served macadamia nuts. 

Cho Hyun Ah, the daughter of Korean Air’s chairman, achieved worldwide notoriety after she ordered the chief flight attendant off a Dec. 5 flight, forcing it to return to the gate at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. 

Head of cabin service at the time of the incident, Cho was angered she had been offered macadamia nuts in a bag instead of in a dish. A heated and physical confrontation with members of the crew in first class ensued.

I tend to feel the sentence was a little on the harsh side. I would think a sentence of 3 to 6 months in jail would've been sufficient. I have flown on Korean Air several times to Japan and found their service to be very good.

To read more, go here.

Current Tourist Surge Bodes Well For Boosting Japan's Tourism

Above, Fukuoka Tower in Kyushu. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) has posted an article on the recent surge in foreign tourism to Japan and that it bodes well for Japan's goal in attaining 20 million foreign visitors by 2020.

They wrote:

In 2014, the number of foreign tourists to Japan reached 13.41 million, an increase of 29 percent from the previous year and setting a new record high for the second consecutive year. And while visitors were in Japan during 2014, they spent over ¥2 trillion on shopping and other travel expenses for the first time. 

The government has made boosting the number of foreign visitors a key pillar of its economic growth strategy. It has set a goal of welcoming 20 million tourists annually by the time the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are held in 2020. We believe that achieving this target has taken on a touch of real possibility. 

The biggest tailwind behind these figures has been the weakening of the yen in recent years. It is significant that traveling to Japan and shopping here has become relatively cheap for foreign visitors. In October 2014, the government expanded the list of goods on which foreign visitors do not have to pay consumption tax to include cosmetics, food and other items at designated shops, a move that also has yielded positive results.

The government hopes to broaden the tourist destination base to areas outside of the current areas of concentration: Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. They believe that if other areas can be established into popular tourist spots, then jobs will be created in those places and young people would encouraged to live there permanently.

To read more, go here. 

Godzilla To Rise Atop Shinjuku Building

Above, a rendering of Shinjuku's Godzilla. 

A new Godzilla attraction has been announced, one that I will be adding to the next edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

According to The Tokyo Reporter:

In addition to a new installment in its six-decade-long “Godzilla” series, film giant Toho announced on Monday that a new theater building set to open next year in Shinjuku Ward will include a “life-size” rendering of the popular monster, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Dec. 8). 

A 12-meter tall replica of the creature from the neck upwards, based on the original 1954 film, will grace the top of the nine-floor Toho Shinjuku Building, a commercial complex now under construction in the middle of the Kabukicho red-light district.

The complex is scheduled to be opening next April and will contain the Toho Cinemas Shinjuku theater.

The building's roof will contain a terrace where visitors can stroll near the Godzilla structure.

To read more, go here.

There's an additional article on the Godzilla model at The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun). 

Japan's Department Stores Gear Up For Duty-free Expansion

Above, the Wako (left) and Mitsukoshi (right) department stores in Ginza, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

October 1 is not far away and Japan's department stores are gearing up for the start of new duty-free sales on that date.

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) reported:

With demand for gifts and souvenirs among foreign tourists expected to increase after cosmetics, food and other products are granted duty-free status on Oct. 1, department store chains around the nation are working to expand their services for customers from overseas. 

“If cosmetics were duty free, I’d want to buy them, too,” said a 54-year-old Singaporean woman at Mitsukoshi’s Ginza store in early September. The woman said she visits Japan twice a year for tourism and dining. 

Duty-free items are currently limited to products such as electronics and clothing, but come October, consumable items including food, alcohol and cosmetics will also be available. Department store chains are busily preparing for the expansion, taking such steps as establishing special duty-free sales areas, expanding counters to process duty-free purchases and hiring more staff.

To read more, go here. 

Blog Post Picked Up By Two

This blog must be getting popular.

Two different online "newspapers" have picked up the same blog post from yesterday on the dollar's rise to 109 yen in Tokyo trading.

First, The Japan Daily:

Next, comes the Japan News (Junar Japan):

I must be doing something right.

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

To read the Japan News, go here.