Latest news with #Mie
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Yahoo
Just a short ride from major cities in Japan on Kintetsu's sightseeing trains!
―A journey to enjoy the history and nature of Japan OSAKA, Japan, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, currently underway, announced that the cumulative number of general visitors as of June 21 has reached 7,622,161, according to the Expo Association. The number of visitors continues to increase steadily, and many overseas tourists who visit the venue also tend to visit nearby tourist spots. Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Kintetsu) boasts the longest railway line among private railways in Japan, connecting Osaka, Nara, Nagoya, Mie, Kyoto, and other cities. The Kintetsu Rail Pass, which is popular among foreign tourists for its affordability, has been digitized, allowing passengers to board and alight at stations simply by scanning a QR code. Similar to Singapore's subway system, passengers can tap their credit cards at the ticket gates to board and exit, and services are being enhanced so that visitors can enjoy more areas during the Expo. The most recommended tourist spot along the Kintetsu Railway line is the "Ise-Shima" area in Mie Prefecture. It is easily accessible from bustling cities, yet offers visitors a chance to experience Japan's long history and traditions firsthand, making it a "hidden gem" of Japanese tourism. The "Sightseeing Limited Express SHIMAKAZE" is a convenient way to access Ise-Shima. The "Shimakaze" runs from Osaka Namba, Kyoto, and Nagoya to Ise-Shima, and is designed with the concept of "enjoying the ride itself as a tourist attraction." During the approximately 2.5-hour journey, passengers can enjoy views of the sea and mountains from the windows and relax in leather seats equipped with massage functions while enjoying various areas. - Ise Area:Ise Grand Shrine, which even Japanese people say they want to visit at least once in their lifetime, has a history of over 2,000 years. Nearby are "Okage Yokocho" and "Oharaimachi," lined with restaurants and souvenir shops, where you can not only feel the history of Japan but also enjoy local cuisine unique to this area. - Toba/Shima Area:The number of "ama" (female divers) has been decreasing year by year, but they still dive into the sea to catch shellfish and seaweed using only their breath. After fishing, they warm their cold bodies in "ama huts," where meals are also provided. Guests can join in around the hearth to savor the fresh seafood of Mie Prefecture, including Ise ebi (spiny lobster), abalone, and sazae (turban shell). In this area, which was the first in the world to successfully cultivate pearls, visitors can not only purchase pearl products but also experience harvesting pearls themselves and creating their own accessories. The venue for the 2016 summit, the "Shima Kanko Hotel," offers sophisticated services worthy of hosting members of the imperial family and French cuisine that attracts many fans. The "Kashikojima Hojoen", a popular Japanese-style ryokan with hot springs, offers beautiful views and spacious rooms where families can relax and enjoy themselves. The railway lines extending from Osaka, home to the Expo site, to the wider Kansai region offer travelers the opportunity to enjoy the scenic natural beauty and rich history of the area. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Kintetsu Railway Co.,Ltd.
Japan Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Local governments leverage Osaka Expo to attract tourists
Local governments in Japan have been enhancing tourism promotion at the Osaka Expo as the event hits its midway point. Officials of local governments are feeling confident about their promotion activities, with some events to introduce local food and culture at the expo proving popular. Inbound visitors, however, have accounted for less than 10% of total visitors to the expo so far. A challenge facing local communities is how to lure foreign visitors to their respective regions. The six prefectures comprising the Kansai region and three nearby prefectures are jointly operating the Kansai Pavilion at the expo. The prefectural government of Mie is exhibiting traditions, culture and industries of the prefecture, with themes changing regularly. Especially popular is an exhibition where visitors can try on a garment once worn by those who used the Kumano Kodo ancient pilgrimage routes to three major Shinto shrines. "The cumulative number of visitors has exceeded 300,000, roughly double what we had expected," a Mie official said. In June, an event dubbed "Kizuna Matsuri" took place at the expo in which traditional festivals of the six prefectures making up the Tohoku region, including "Nebuta," a festival in Aomori, were showcased. Fukushima Prefecture plans to showcase products from the prefecture, including peaches and sake, on July 19. The Japan Association for the 2025 World Expo is hoping to attract 28.2 million people to the event, including 3.5 million people from abroad. At present, the share of inbound visitors remains under the estimate. Visitors from Asia have accounted for just under 50% of the foreign visitors and those from Europe slightly over 40%. "We need to make more efforts to reach the target (of 3.5 million inbound visitors)," a Japanese government official said. The number of tourists to Osaka from the United States, European countries and Australia in April rocketed 57% from a year earlier, according to data released at a news conference held at the expo venue Friday by an organization that is made up of officials from Osaka Prefecture, Kobe, Fukuoka Prefecture and private-sector companies. The group was set up to lure tourists to western regions of Japan. "The number of people who visit prefectures such as Hyogo, Hiroshima, Kagawa, Ehime and Fukuoka after taking trips to Osaka is increasing in line with the expo," an official at the organization said. The organization has prepared tour plans allowing participants to experience local culture, in collaboration with the expo association. "The number of foreign visitors to Japan is expected to increase toward the upcoming summer vacation season," said Soichiro Takashima, mayor of the city of Fukuoka and chief of the organization. "We will put more efforts into tourism promotion to attract inbound visitors to western regions of the country."
NHK
08-07-2025
- Health
- NHK
Tick-borne infection cases surge in Japan
A research institute in Japan says the number of patients with a tick-borne viral infectious disease called Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, or SFTS, has hit a record high for this time of year. Patients with SFTS mostly get the infection through tick bites. The Japan Institute for Health Security, or JIHS, says 91 cases were reported in 24 prefectures from the start of this year through June 29. The figure exceeded the previous high of 82 cases reported in the same period in 2023. An NHK survey of local government offices found that at least nine deaths from SFTS were reported in Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, Kagawa and Miyazaki Prefectures. Maeda Ken, a senior JIHS official, says a rise in the number of wild animals such as deer and wild boars may have increased the number of ticks that suck blood from the animals, possibly resulting in more SFTS cases. SFTS can be transmitted not only by tick bites but also from cats and dogs that develop the disease after being infected with the virus. The JIHS says the number of cats confirmed to be infected was eight in 2017, when a nationwide survey began, but the number rose sharply to 194 last year. This year, 36 cases were reported nationwide through March, and in May an infection of a pet cat was reported in Ibaraki Prefecture as the first case in the Kanto region. In Mie Prefecture, a veterinarian who treated a cat that developed SFTS became infected and died in May. Maeda says areas where cats have been confirmed to be infected are spreading, so caution is needed for infection from cats to humans. He says the blood and secretions of cats that have developed SFTS contain large amounts of the virus, so their owners and veterinarians need to be especially careful. Maeda says it is important that cat owners keep their pets indoors. He is also calling for the use of tick repellents for cats and dogs.
Bloomberg
03-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
BOJ Board Member Says Rate Hikes to Resume After Temporary Pause
By Updated on Save The Bank of Japan's rate hike cycle will resume after 'only' a temporary pause, Board Member Hajime Takata warned, keeping his hawkish tone even after President Donald Trump clouded the economic outlook by threatening to impose tariffs on Japanese goods even higher than those previously touted. 'I believe that the bank is currently only pausing its policy interest rate hike cycle and should continue to make a gear shift after a certain period of 'wait and see,'' Takata said Thursday in a speech to local business leaders in Mie, in central Japan.
Wall Street Journal
03-07-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
BOJ Should Stand Ready to Hike Rates, Board Member Takata Says
The Bank of Japan should be ready to resume policy tightening if U.S. trade talks progress, policy board member Hajime Takata said, confirming that the bank is still looking to raise interest rates. 'I believe that the bank is currently only pausing its policy interest-rate hike cycle and should continue to make a gear shift after a certain period of 'wait-and-see,'' Takata said in a speech to business leaders in Mie prefecture, central Japan.
