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Post by Admin on Apr 10, 2020 19:48:46 GMT
Japan is to declare a state of emergency in the capital Tokyo and six other regions in an attempt to tackle the rapid spread of coronavirus.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the move could come as early as Tuesday.
He also announced a huge stimulus plan to help the economy weather the virus.
Japan has a relatively small number of infections compared to other countries, but there are concerns a sudden surge in cases in Tokyo could lead to a major outbreak in the world's biggest city.
Metropolitan Tokyo asked some businesses to close and the ancient capital of Kyoto warned tourists to stay away as Japan battles a fast-spreading outbreak of the new coronavirus, amid fears the government’s measures are too little and too late.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said she was targeting a range of businesses for shutdowns from Saturday during a month-long emergency through May 6, after resolving a feud with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s team over the extent of the closures.
Koike had wanted to move sooner but Abe has resisted measures likely to put greater pressure on an economy which is already tipped to fall into recession, fuelling concerns that the central government is putting business ahead of people’s lives.
“This will be tough on residents but if we act swiftly, the pain will be short and the outbreak contained quickly,” Koike told a task force meeting on Friday.
Businesses including pachinko parlours and internet cafes are being asked to close and restaurants to shorten their hours. Department stores, home-furnishing centres and barber shops will be exempted, in a concession to the central government.
Abe declared an emergency on Tuesday for Tokyo and six other prefectures but the details and timing of how life would change in the capital were thrashed out in tense inter-governmental talks.
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Post by Admin on Apr 10, 2020 23:08:30 GMT
Japan is willing to fund its companies to shift manufacturing operations out of China, Bloomberg has reported as the disruptions caused to production by the coronavirus pandemic has forced a rethink of supply chains between the major trading partners. As part of its economic stimulus package, Japan has earmarked $2.2 billion to help its manufacturers shift production out of China. Of this amount, 220 billion yen ($2 billion)is for companies shifting production back to Japan and 23.5 billion yen for those seeking to move production to other countries.  China is Japan’s biggest trading partner under normal circumstances, but imports from China have slumped by almost half in February due to lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus hitting manufacturing and the supply chain. Shinichi Seki, an economist at the Japan Research Institute, predicted that there would be a shift in the coming days as there already was renewed talk of Japanese firms reducing their reliance on China as a manufacturing base. “Having this in the budget will definitely provide an impetus,” he told Bloomberg. Companies, such as car makers, which are manufacturing for the Chinese domestic market, will likely stay put, he said. The Japanese government’s panel on future investment had last month discussed the need for manufacturing of high-added value products to be shifted back to Japan, and for production of other goods to be diversified across Southeast Asia. More than 37 per cent of the 2,600 companies surveyed by Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. in February had also said they were diversifying procurement to places other than China amid the coronavirus crisis. The policy, however, could strain ties that had been on the mend lately and affect Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s years-long effort to restore relations with China. Chinese President Xi Jinping was supposed to be on a state visit to Japan early this month. But what would have been the first visit of its sort in a decade was postponed a month ago amid the spread of the virus and no new date has been set. |
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Post by Admin on Apr 11, 2020 7:32:57 GMT
Britney Spears is keeping the positivity strong amid the coronavirus crisis.  The pop princess has been sharing her spiritual practices over the past few weeks, including her favorite yoga stretches, inspirational quotes and more. On Thursday (April 9), she gave fans a glimpse into her prayer, meditation and exercise routine. www.instagram.com/tv/B-xlfCggeNv/"On days like today, when the sun’s really not out and we’re all staying in, these are a couple of things that I do just to stay sane and balance myself out," she explained in the video. "I do a little bit of prayer in the morning and then also do a lot of stretching and a little bit of yoga," she continued before delving into her active routine. http://instagram.com/p/B-sd_wcAzN6 "Lifting each other up and being positive is also very important to keep higher frequencies going in the body to help us clear our energy," she mirrored her message of positivity in the caption. "The power of your thoughts are also very crucial !!!!! Make sure you’re sending good vibes out there no matter what …. God will do the rest." |
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Post by Admin on Apr 30, 2020 21:12:58 GMT
 A total of 25 Russians has been stranded at Tokyo's Haneda Airport for the past week after all flights between Japan and Russia were cancelled. Airline companies began suspending regular flights to and from Russia since last Wednesday. Most of the travelers were in Japan on business and were scheduled to fly to the Russian Far Eastern city of Vladivostok on Wednesday or later. They have been camping out in a terminal lobby. None of them are said to feel unwell. One of the travelers, a man in the car import business, has been at the airport since last Thursday. He said he had no other choice because the hostel where he had been staying closed down, and hotels were too expensive. He said he wants to return home as soon as possible. The Russian Embassy in Tokyo says it plans to provide accommodation and healthcare support after the travelers asked for help. |
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Post by Admin on Jul 29, 2020 5:19:59 GMT
Japan is considering allowing travelers from certain countries and regions to travel there again during the coronavirus pandemic, including one U.S. state: Hawaii. This comes as the state continues to restrict travel from the U.S. mainland amid an uptick in coronavirus cases in Hawaii and the continental U.S..
Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi are considering the resumption of international travel between the country and a dozen other areas, Motegi said at a recent press conference : Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Singapore and Taiwan. Europe and Hawaii would be next on the list for consideration, according to Hawaii Gov. David Ige.
"Japan and Hawaii enjoy longstanding cultural ties and a deep-rooted friendship that has enriched the lives of many generations," Ige said in a statement on Wednesday. "It’s important that we restore travel between Japan and Hawaii and we see this program as a way to make this possible, while also preventing the further spread of infections from COVID-19."
Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki added of the reciprocal relationship: "It’s just as important for Hawaii residents to be able to travel again to Japan to connect with family members, conduct business and experience historic cultural sites, as it is for us to welcome the people of Japan back to Hawaii."
There's no timetable for when this would happen. Ige said public health will inform the rollout of the program, which would bolster the state's economic recovery.
In late June, the governor's office announced that travelers could visit Hawaii beginning Aug. 1, no quarantine required, by presenting a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of boarding a flight. Without one, passengers arriving from the mainland would have to strictly quarantine for 14 days, a policy in place since March that has scared away most tourists and wrecked Hawaii's tourism industry.
Hawaii delayed its plan to allow out-of-state visitors to return to the vacation hot spot without quarantining until September because of an increase in coronavirus cases in the state and on the U.S. mainland. The surge in cases has made it harder for people in many states to get tested. Hawaii in particular has been aggressive on traveler requirements through mandatory quarantines, not to mention arrests and fines.
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