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3 weeks ago | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida
TOKYO: Japan's iconic Shinkansen bullet trains are seeing a surge in passenger numbers, driven by record tourist arrivals and the World Expo in Osaka. The Tokaido Shinkansen, which links Tokyo and Osaka, is the oldest high-speed rail line in the world, and remains one of the busiest. During the recent Golden Week holiday season from Apr 25 to May 6, ridership on the Tokaido Shinkansen rose 5 per cent from a year ago, with nearly 4.4 million passengers.
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1 month ago | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida
Japan's All Nippon Airways will begin operating revenue-sharing flights with Singapore's flag carrier, starting September. Under the new joint venture, signed at a ceremony today, passengers will pay the same price for flights between Singapore and Tokyo operated by either airline. CNA's Michiyo Ishida spoke with Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong on the joint venture and the outlook for aviation.
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1 month ago | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida
Singapore is represented at the World Expo in Osaka with a pavilion named "The Dream Sphere". The red and spherical structure is 17 metres tall, a nod to the country's "Little Red Dot" moniker. CNA's Michiyo Ishida has more on its highlights.
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1 month ago | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida
The World Expo in Osaka, Japan, is under criticism for slow ticket sales and a lack of shelters. It opened to the public on Apr 13. Michiyo Ishida reports.
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1 month ago | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida
The World Expo in Osaka, Japan, is under criticism for slow ticket sales and a lack of shelters. Organisers say 141,000 people attended its opening day on Apr 13, including 22,000 staff, volunteers and members of the media. The six-month long event focuses on a sustainable future, but comes amid global conflicts and an escalating trade war. CNA's Michiyo Ishida has more.
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1 month ago | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida |Kevin Lam
UDA, Japan: Uda community leader Yoshiji Misaki is doing a survey to gather data on abandoned homes in the rural city in Nara prefecture. Almost one in five houses in Uda are vacant homes, known as akiya. One such abandoned property which Misaki showed CNA is a house which has stood largely untouched for 25 years. A doctor once lived and ran a clinic in this home, but his family moved away after he died.
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1 month ago | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida
Japan is facing a housing problem: Vast numbers of abandoned homes due to depopulation. There are about nine million empty houses — also known as "akiya" — across the country, posing a hazard and potentially stifling development. By 2038, some experts predict the number of akiya across Japan will more than double to 23 million, or one in three houses. CNA's Michiyo Ishida heads to Japan's rural towns, which are on a mission to solve the issue.
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2 months ago | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida
The freshly announced US tariffs are likely to be a political blow to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who has expressed extreme regret and disappointment. With ratings for Mr Ishiba and his Cabinet already sliding, the government is taking immediate action to help cushion the impact. Mr Ishiba met US President Donald Trump face to face in February and stressed that Japan has been the US' largest foreign investor since 2019.
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2 months ago | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida
The top diplomats of Japan, China and South Korea will hold talks in Tokyo on Mar 22, in the first such meeting in 16 months. Ahead of those talks, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, paid a courtesy call on Japanese leader Shigeru Ishiba. The three Asian giants aim to forge closer relations - including economic ties - amid tariff threats from US President Donald Trump. CNA's Michiyo Ishida has more.
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Mar 5, 2025 | 
channelnewsasia.com | Michiyo Ishida
TOKYO: Japan’s Prince Hisahito, the second in line to become emperor, is the imperial family's last hope for its long-term survival. Hisahito, who turned 18 last September, held his debut news conference on Monday (Mar 3), during which he pledged to fulfil his royal duties. “(I’m) mindful that I'm an adult member of the royal family. I intend to fulfil my duty seriously and carefully, while taking advice from those around me,” he told reporters at the Akasaka Estate residence in Tokyo.
