Japan's Northern Alps
On an early spring ride around the base of this extensive mountain range, we meet an artisan making traditional snowshoes, a family making salmon trout sushi, and villagers picking medicinal herbs.
Traditional Tateyama kanjiki snowshoes
Salmon trout sushi is a Toyama specialty
Medicinal herbs are a big part of mountain life
In early spring, the cherry blossoms are magnificent
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Japan Times
3 hours ago
- Japan Times
Organizers to house athletes on 'floating village' during 2026 Asian Games
Athletes at next year's Asian Games in Japan will stay on a "floating village" cruise ship and in converted shipping containers, an organizing official said, defending the cost-cutting move. The plan will see 4,600 athletes and officials housed on the ship for the duration of the Asian Games, which are being held in Nagoya and the wider Aichi area from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, 2026. Organizers will lease a luxury cruise liner that will be docked at Nagoya's port. A further 2,400 people will stay in temporary shelters made from shipping containers a short bus ride away, with the two locations accommodating about half of the 15,000 athletes and officials expected at the event. The rest will be in other accommodation, including in Tokyo where the swimming competition will take place. Local organizers were keen to avoid the cost of building a traditional athletes' village, but Asian Olympic chiefs warned that any alternative must make sure athletes can meet and mingle together. Kazuhiro Yagi, vice-secretary general of the Aichi-Nagoya Games organizing committee, said that they had listened to athletes' opinions and wanted to "provide a service that satisfies them." "The cruise ship and container houses are in different locations, but they are only about 10 minutes apart by shuttle bus," he said. "I don't think it will be a problem at all with regards to being able to interact with other athletes. "There is an aquarium and various other entertainment facilities in the area. I think they'll be able to take a break, relax and come together." The 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, had about 12,000 athletes, making it the biggest Asian Games in history, with more competitors than the Olympics. The Asian Games are back in Japan for the first time since being held in Hiroshima in 1994. The country has held several major sports events since then, including the pandemic-delayed Olympics in 2021, soccer's World Cup in 2002 and the Rugby World Cup in 2019. Yagi admits that there "still isn't enough awareness" that the Aichi-Nagoya Games are happening, and says more needs to be done to spread the word. "I don't think there is anyone in Japan who hasn't heard of the Olympics or Paralympics, but my personal feeling is that maybe only half the population knows the Asian Games," he said. "Young people weren't born when it was last held here 32 years ago, so I'd like them to find out that it's a great event." The Asian Games feature an eclectic mix of events, with bridge, kabaddi and dragon boat racing rubbing shoulders with traditional Olympic sports such as athletics, swimming, gymnastics and soccer. The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has added mixed martial arts to the program, and Yagi hopes its debut will showcase Asia's diverse martial arts traditions and attract new fans. "We want to appeal to the needs of young people, so including new events is essential," he said. "We want to include mixed martial arts so that we can get the younger generation interested in sport." Esports was a huge hit in its full Asian Games debut in Hangzhou, with fans packing into the futuristic 4,500-seat arena to watch star gamers like South Korea's Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok. Aichi-Nagoya will be the first time Japan has hosted an eSports competition on such a large scale, and Yagi thinks its benefits will be felt by more than just young people. "Esports can help elderly people who don't get a chance to exercise much," he said. "You use your fingers and make detailed movements, which I have heard is good for combating dementia. "I think this is a good chance for people of a wide range of ages to find out more about esports."
3 days ago
INTERVIEW: New USJ Head Vows to Promote Kansai Tourism
News from Japan Economy Jun 2, 2025 13:22 (JST) Osaka, June 2 (Jiji Press)--The new chief of theme park operator Universal Studios Japan LLC is eager to further promote tourism in the Kansai region, western Japan, in cooperation with the Osaka city government. "I'm determined to develop local tourism over the next five to 10 years," Taku Murayama, who took office as USJ president Sunday at age 53, said in a recent interview. Murayama, who started his work career at the company and became its first Japanese president in 21 years, noted that he has long been willing to leverage the globally popular theme park to change the state of "one pole concentration" to Tokyo. Recovering from the COVID crisis, USJ ranked third in the list of most-visited theme parks in the world in 2023. "Visitors always make fresh discoveries at USJ as they experience totally new seasonal events and services, such as those in the Christmas and Halloween seasons," Murayama explained. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Osaka Expo sees highest daily visitor number
The ongoing Osaka Expo attracted 162,000 general visitors on Saturday, marking a new daily record, the organizer said on Sunday. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition expects a total of 28.2 million people to visit the event, which is set to run until Oct. 13. To achieve the goal, the event needs to draw 150,000 visitors on average per day. Saturday's number exceeded the target for the first time. Visitor reservations grew on Saturday thanks to music and fireworks attractions, according to the association.
