Travel
Vietjet launches Hanoi-Tokyo flights
Vietjet has launched flights between Hanoi and Narita International Airport near Tokyo. The new Narita service follows the launch of Vietjet flights between Hanoi and Osaka route and Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) - Osaka. The route will operate on a daily basis with a flight time of around six hours… Read
Manga Art Hotel Tokyo welcomes foreign guests with over 5,000 manga, including English editions
Japan’s capsule hotels are sometimes scoffingly referred to as “rent-a-coffins” in English guidebooks, and even among Japanese people, they have a stigma as cramped, bare-bones accommodations. Because of that, in their marketing many capsule hotels make a point of mentioning how surprisingly comfortable their facilities are, giving you every assurance that you’ll… Read
JAL to use sustainable aviation fuel on San Francisco-Haneda flights
Japan Airlines has unveiled plans to operate select flights, by the end of January 2019, from San Francisco to Tokyo (Haneda) with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) supplied by Showa Shell Sekiyu KK. In the past decade, JAL has taken a number of proactive steps to support the development of SAF… Read
Kitakyushu: Feudalism, festivals and flowers
A feudal castle town turned manufacturing heartland, Kitakyushu is known for its cutting-edge innovations in eco-friendly technology and its lively, unforgettable festivals within Fukuoka Prefecture. Kitakyushu, the second-largest city in the southern region of Kyushu, is named after its position at the northernmost point of the region. The city was created in 1963… Read
Obama Onsen: Feeling hot, hot, hot
On the eastern side of the Shimabara peninsula in Nagasaki Prefecture sits Obama Onsen, home to some of the hottest spring waters and the longest foot bath in Japan. Looking out over Tachibana Bay, it’s also one of the most popular places in the area to catch a spectacular sunset.… Read
Singapore eco-tourism plan sparks squawks of protest
Singapore is creating a vast eco-tourism zone in a bid to bring in more visitors, but environmentalists fear the development will damage natural habitats and are already blaming it for a series of animal deaths. While it may be best known as a financial hub with scores of high-rise buildings,… Read
Tsuetate Onsen: Where time has stood still
Nestled deep inside a valley in the far north of Kumamoto sits the steaming town of Tsuetate Onsen, an ancient pocket of Japan seemingly frozen in time. Home to a history that goes back 1,800 years, Tsuetate Onsen was once known as ‘Kyushu’s inner sanctum’ in a previous life it boasted a… Read
20 things to do along the Kanagawa coast with the Misaki Maguro Pass
Less than an hour from the capital, Kanagawa has always been a popular destination for day-tripping Tokyoites in the mood for a scenic seaside adventure. Yokohama, Hakone and Kamakura are all regular features of “top destinations in Japan” lists thanks to a rewarding line-up of cosmopolitan cityscapes, spectacular nature and… Read
Nepal, Japan agree to resume commercial flights
Japan and Nepal agreed Wednesday to allow state-run Nepal Airlines to resume flights between the two Asian nations. The agreement was signed Wednesday at the beginning of a two-day visit to Nepal by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. No Japanese airlines fly to Nepal, and Japanese tourists who visit Nepal… Read
Air travelers in U.S. start to feel effects of government shutdown
The partial government shutdown is starting to affect air travel. Over the weekend, some airports had long lines at checkpoints, apparently caused by a rising number of security officers calling in sick while they are not getting paid. Safety inspectors aren't even on the job. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman… Read
