Kyodo -- May 21
A special six-car Mickey Mouse-themed shinkansen bullet train has begun serving southwestern Japan's Kyushu region, with images of the beloved character splashed across its yellow livery and interiors.
Kyushu Railway Co. hopes the 800-series train, nicknamed the "JR Kyushu Waku Waku Trip Shinkansen," will entice people to visit the region by bullet train. "Waku waku" means fun and exciting in Japanese.
Festooned with various images of the iconic Walt Disney Co. character, the train is scheduled to run between Hakata Station in Fukuoka and Kagoshima-Chuo Station until late November.
Mickey Mouse is just the latest popular cartoon or anime character to be used to promote bullet train travel in Japan. Trains decorated with images of Hello Kitty and popular Japanese animation series "Neon Genesis Evangelion" plied Japanese tracks last year.
News source: Kyodo
Aug 22
With the Rugby World Cup kicking off Sept. 20 in Japan, communities across the country are preparing for the 500,000-plus visitors expected to attend.
(Nikkei) Aug 22
A Shinkansen bullet train made an emergency stop after one of its doors opened while speeding through northeastern Japan.
(NHK) Aug 22
The number of South Korean tourists visiting Japan fell last month to its lowest in nearly a year as visitors canceled travel plans amid deteriorating relations between the neighbors, Japanese government data showed on Wednesday. (Japan Times) Aug 22
Japan's two largest opposition parties said Tuesday they will form a joint group in both houses of the Diet in an attempt to challenge the ruling bloc's dominance. (Japan Today) Aug 22
Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 50-year-old man over the alleged abduction of a middle school girl in order to molest her last month, reports TBS News (Aug. 21). (tokyoreporter.com) Aug 22
It has always been a mystery why Summer Sonic is not held in the relative cool of June or July, but at the very height of summer, when the August sun beats down upon the festival’s outdoor stages or typhoons power through the country, threatening disruption and cancellations to the event’s packed schedule. (Japan Times) Aug 21
Korean Air says it will suspend more flights from South Korea to Japan, due to lower travel demand amid worsening bilateral ties between the two countries.
(NHK) Aug 21
Immigration authorities revoked a record 832 visas in 2018, more than double the figure of a year earlier, Justice Ministry data showed Monday. (Japan Times) Aug 21
Japan's Prince Hisahito has paid a courtesy call on the King and Queen of Bhutan. (NHK) Aug 21
Japan's current bubble tea craze has sent tapioca imports soaring to meet the demand for the drink made with cold milk and tapioca balls. (Asahi)