NHK -- Jan 20
Japan will start issuing passports featuring art by ukiyoe master Katsushika Hokusai for people applying as early as February.
The new passport has 24 landscapes from the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" series from the 19th century. The prints serve as background for the visa pages used for entry and exit stamps. The design of the front page remains the same.
The Foreign Ministry decided to redesign the passport four years ago. It wanted to incorporate the latest anti-forgery techniques as the country prepares to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The ministry says the complicated design will not only strengthen counterfeit-prevention measures but also help to introduce Japanese culture.
News source: NHK
Feb 22
Nine new cases of coronavirus infection were reported in Japan on Friday. (NHK) Feb 22
Theme parks in Japan featuring Hello Kitty and other characters will close temporarily in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
(NHK) Feb 21
Two passengers who were aboard the quarantined cruise ship docked near Tokyo have died. They had been hospitalized after showing symptoms and tested positive for the new coronavirus last week.
(NHK) Feb 21
A Japanese infection control expert removed YouTube videos Thursday in which he criticized the handling of the coronavirus outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, saying the situation had improved.
(Japan Today) Feb 21
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A wave of influenza has been significantly waning in Japan compared with last year, government data has shown, as many people have become wary of infection with a new pneumonia-causing coronavirus.
(Japan Times) Feb 20
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Authorities in some prefectures where people are confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus are providing multilingual information services for foreigners visiting or living in Japan.
(NHK) Feb 20
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, has announced plans to send a probe to one of Mars' moons and bring back samples from its surface.
(NHK) Feb 20
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