Calls grow for dual pricing in Japan as tourist numbers surge

In this week’s news roundup, we report on growing calls for dual pricing in Japan. Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson detained According to an international arrest warrant issued by Japan. Ubisoft has responded to criticism of the Yasuke character in its upcoming game Assassin’s Creed Shadow. A 70-year-old woman was arrested for killing her 102-year-old mother. CrowdStrike outage affected Japanese airlines, other services. In sports, the Japanese men’s soccer team opened their Olympic campaign with a 5-0 win over Paraguay.

More than 60% agree that Japan should implement dual pricing

In the first half of 2024, 17.78 million foreign tourists arrived in Japan, a record high. The estimated spending by overseas tourists during the same period was total 3.9 trillion yen, making tourism the second-largest export sector after automobiles. By the end of this year, tourism exports are expected to reach around 8 trillion yen, far exceeding the 5.3 trillion yen in 2023. While tourists are taking advantage of the weakest yen exchange rate in years, the situation is not so rosy for locals. As a result, calls for companies to introduce dual pricing in Japan are growing louder.

Kenji KokanazawaChairman of the Hokkaido Tourism Organization, Mayor of Himeji Hideyasu Qing Yuan Both believe dual pricing is necessary in Japan, with the latter suggesting that foreign tourists should pay four times as much as domestic tourists to enter the World Heritage Site of Himeji Castle. Many Japanese agree with them, according to a survey by shopping point card operator Loyalty Marketing. More than 60% of the 1,200 respondents said they would support dual pricing in Japan. Tamatebakois a restaurant that opened in Shibuya in April and has implemented a dual pricing system.

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson detained in Greenland: Japan issues arrest warrant

Paul Watson, a Canadian-American environmental, conservation and animal rights activist who founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, was detained on Tuesday on an international arrest warrant issued by Japan. The 73-year-old became famous for trying to disrupt Japanese whalers on a reality TV show. Whale Wars The ship was travelling from Dublin, Ireland, to the North Pacific with 25 crew members on board. They were reportedly planning to intercept Japan’s new $48 million whaling factory ship Ceremony Maru Watson was arrested when her ship arrived in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.

The Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF) believes his arrest is “related to a previous Red Notice issued for Watson’s anti-whaling activities in Antarctica”. The statement He continued: “This development is surprising, as the Foundation’s lawyers had reported that the Red Notice had been rescinded. However, it appears that Japan has kept the warrant secret to facilitate Paul’s arrest.” Watson could now be extradited to Japan. His case will first be brought to a local court where police will ask to detain him.

Ubisoft responds to criticism of Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed: Shadow

Ubisoft Assassin’s Creed Shadow, The story takes place in feudal Japan at the end of the Warring States period. It is already one of the most controversial games of 2024, and it will not be released until November 15. The reason for the controversy is that the male protagonist, Yasuke. He has been described as the first black samurai and a real historical figure who served Oda Nobunaga. However, his samurai status has been questioned by many, and Thomas Lockley, the author of the world’s first book on Yasuke.

A petition roll out last month promote Ubisoft Block release game Due to “seriousus Lack of historical accuracy and cultural respect” have already Nearly 100,000 signatures have been collected. French companies Respond to these concerns by sending a message to the “Japanese community” on X. “ohYour intention was never to show any of our Assassin’s Creed Games, including Assassin’s Creed ShadowAs a true representation of history or historical figures”It reads. “Instead, our goal is to spark curiosity and encourage players to explore and learn more about the historical context that inspired us.”

Olympus digital camera

70-year-old woman arrested for murdering 102-year-old mother

A 70-year-old woman NationalTokyo, a creepy 110 emergency call in the morning July 22admit that sheof Killed her 102-year-old mother. Police arrived at the scene and found Komine Fuku was lying on the bed with marks of strangulation and stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later. Komine Yoko was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. “My mother could no longer move to the portable toilet on her own, and I had to move her away,” she said. “It became too difficult to take care of her, so I killed her.”

The suspect lived with his mother for nearly a decade and moved back in after his father died. The two women have lived together since then, relying on home care services to help Fuku bathe every week, according to neighbors. A neighbor in his 70s said Fuku’s daughter looked increasingly tired. “She looked tired and sounded tired but I thought she was coping because she had been in contact with people through a home care service. I never thought she would feel so desperate,” he told Yahoo Japan.

CrowdStrike outage affects Japan travel, other services

Cybersecurity experts are calling it the world’s biggest IT outage ever. On Friday, a broken update from cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike caused around 8.5 million Windows devices around the world to crash after experiencing the so-called blue screen of death (BSOD). according to Microsoft Vice President David Weston said that represented less than 1% of all Windows computers. However, “the broad economic and social impact reflects the use of CrowdStrike by businesses running many critical services,” such as ATMs, banks, hospitals and transportation services. Days after the outage, the problem persisted.

While the situation in Japan is not too bad, some trains and airlines have been affected. Jetstar Airways canceled about 20 domestic flights. Staff at Fukuoka Airport used pens to write passengers’ names and destinations on their boarding passes. On the JAL website, domestic and international flight booking, reservation and cancellation services were briefly unavailable. West Japan Railway Company’s website and app could not display the status of train services. The power outage also affected cash registers at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, and about 30% of McDonald’s stores across the country were suspended due to cash register failures.

James Madison and Angie Postecoglou in Tokyo

Japan beats Paraguay in first Olympic match

The Japanese men’s soccer team got their Olympic campaign off to a perfect start with a 5-0 win over South American U23 champions Paraguay on Wednesday. Paraguay played with 10 men for much of the match after Wilder Vieira was sent off for dangerous play in the 25th minute. When he was sent off, Japan was already leading 1-0 with Shunsuke Mito’s first goal. He then scored just after the hour mark. Rito Yamamoto scored the third and Shota Fujio scored twice in the final 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Japan lost 2-1 to defending World Cup champions Spain.

Several well-known European clubs are currently touring Japan. On Wednesday, Borussia Dortmund beat Cerezo Osaka, coached by Shinji Kagawa, 3-2 in Osaka. On the same night, Kaoru Mima’s Brighton beat Kashima Antlers 5-1 in Tokyo. The Premier League side will end their tour against Tokyo Verdy on Sunday. Another English team, Tottenham Hotspur, will also face J. League champions Vissel Kobe this weekend. “We had a good few days of training. The players are working hard. The conditions here will be a test for them… Kobe is a top team, so we are looking forward to this game,” coach Ange Postecoglou said at a press conference on Friday.

related articles