All posts tagged "News"

  • WHO calls on global community to help save lives on World Drowning Prevention Day

    The World Health Organization statistics estimate 235,600 people drown every year globally.   Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a call for people around the world to “do one thing” to prevent drowning. As one of...

    • Posted July 25, 2022
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  • Japan to young people: Get your third booster dose.

    Economic revitalization minister and the person in charge of vaccination, Daishiro Yamagiwa sounded the alarm about the surging infection cases across Japan. Yamagiwa who seems indifferent to imposing restrictions on people’s movement, said, “Nearly 70 pct of...

    • Posted July 25, 2022
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  • Monkeypox declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO

    Following the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization’s Director General, has declared Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). “I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health...

    • Posted July 24, 2022
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  • Taiwan recognizes first same gender marriage between a Japanese-Taiwanese couple.

    In May last year, Japanese-Taiwanese same gender couple – Eizaburo Ariyoshi, 42, and Lu Yin-jen, 34,  submitted a notification of their marriage to authorities in the southern Taiwan county of Pingtung where they live. The authorities flatly...

    • Posted July 22, 2022
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  • The highly contagious BA.5 omicron variant driving the spike in Japan cases.

    Japan logs record-high daily tally of 152,536 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday exceeding Saturday’s  110,600. The coronavirus seventh wave is accelerating, driven by the spread of the highly contagious BA.5 omicron variant. New cases hit record highs...

    • Posted July 21, 2022
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  • Japan makes a palm size portable projector.

    Unless you can afford to rent an apartment with a dedicated home-theater space, be content with a smaller version. This is where mini projectors come in handy. The newly released IRIE  SMART LIFE PROJECTOR is a mini...

    • Posted July 19, 2022
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  • WHO reports outbreak of potentially deadly Marburg virus in Ghana

    Ghana, has announced the country’s first outbreak of Marburg virus disease, after a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre laboratory confirmed earlier results. Two men from Ghana’s southern Ashanti region both died after seeking treatment late last...

    • Posted July 18, 2022
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  • Alarming rise in new Covid-19 cases: Japan 105,584 (Tokyo 17,790)

    As COVID-19 cases continue to spread across Japan over the last several weeks, Japan’s National Institute for Infectious Diseases predicted Thursday that the Omicron BA.5 strain will be responsible for  50% of the total new infections nationwide...

    • Posted July 18, 2022
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  • How does a weak yen affect families in Japan?

    The US dollar shot up above 139 yen today, the highest it’s been since September 1998. Generally,  Japanese companies have maintained stable prices for years and avoided a price increase in order not to scare customers away....

    • Posted July 15, 2022
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  • Highest Covid-19 Alert level in Tokyo starts today.

    We might have to take extra care again despite overcoming the sixth wave from Jan to March this year. The Tokyo metropolitan government raised today its COVID-19 alert level to the highest of the four-tier scale in...

    • Posted July 14, 2022
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  • Brace yourselves for even more expensive iPhones

    Compared to the United States’ 8.6% inflation rate in May, Japan’s core inflation rate remained relatively stable at 2.1 percent in June. This shows it has weathered the economic storm well despite Covid and the Ukraine war....

    • Posted July 13, 2022
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  • More food price hikes to affect families this summer.

    Our food bill has been creeping higher since the last food increase announcements in October last year. With food and energy prices going up at the same time, my family is beginning to feel the pinch even more...

    • Posted July 1, 2022
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  • Experts: Twindemic may happen in Japan. Get a flu shot.

    Australia, the land down under, now heading into the middle of winter, reported 48,000 influenza cases in 2 weeks after 2 years of major declines. The surge, believed to have been a result of a decrease in...

    • Posted July 1, 2022
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  • Tokyo’s new Covid case count up again

    Tokyo confirmed 3,621 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, up by 1,208 from a week earlier and marking a week-on-week increase for the 13th day in a row. Two new deaths linked to the novel coronavirus were reported in...

    • Posted June 30, 2022
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  • New Covid cases are up again this week.

    Japan is again experiencing a slight increase in new Covid cases this week. On Monday, Japan’s new case count is up by some 280 from a week before. There are 30,157 new coronavirus infection cases last week....

    • Posted April 5, 2022
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  • Sayonara plastic utensils and amenities!

    A new law takes effect today in Japan requiring retailers and hotels to cut down on the use of utensils and amenities made from plastic. The law requires businesses that provide 5 tons or more of single-use...

    • Posted April 1, 2022
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  • KDDI has shut down its 3G services. What to do?

    If you still have a mobile phone that exclusively connects to 3G networks and you are a KDDI subscriber, your phone will no longer work. KDDI will terminate its 3G mobile services, affecting subscribers using older gadgets...

    • Posted March 31, 2022
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  • Tokyo’s Covid cases dropping

    Tokyo’s Covid caseload has dropped to 5,374 on Monday, with the daily count falling by 4,258 from the previous week. This is the first tim since Jan 18 that the number has dropped below the 6,000 level....

    • Posted March 8, 2022
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  • Funai Fire Smart TV has a 32″ model. Will you get one?

      On March 5, Amazon and Yamada Holdings will release Funai Fire Smart TV.  These LCD TVs will be available in 4 models: 32-inch HD (54,780 yen) 43″ 4K (109,780 yen),  50″ 4K (120,780 yen) and  55″...

    • Posted February 20, 2022
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  • Your pre-pandemic life is gone for good. Covid is here to stay.

    The unexpected emergence of the Omicron variant in November taught us a lesson-that nature isn’t bringing back our pre-pandemic lives. They have been replaced by virtual learning for schoolchildren, working from home, and limited mobility. Last year,...

    • Posted February 19, 2022
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  • Omicron variant types detected in Japan likely entered separately

    At least four different types of the dominant omicron coronavirus variant exist in Japan, and they are likely to have entered the country through separate routes, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases has said. Of the four,...

    • Posted February 15, 2022
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  • What does Japan think of Gender Bias?

    When Shiori Ito, a Japanese woman who became a symbol of Japan’s #MeToo movement won a civil case against Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a former broadcast journalist who she sued for rape, the topic of gender bias has become...

    • Posted February 14, 2022
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  • Want to get free COVID at-home antigen test kits? Here’s how.

    Japan’s hospitals have been flooded by Omicron patients and inquiries about coronavirus tests amid the recent surge in infection. To efficiently cope with the situation, the Tokyo metropolitan government is providing its residents free COVID-19 at-home antigen...

    • Posted February 8, 2022
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  • Japan gets ready for mass vaccination of children aged 5-11

    Municipalities across Japan are rushing to prepare COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged between 5 and 11, scheduled to begin in March. Vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 differ from those in the 12 or older group...

    • Posted February 7, 2022
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  • Is there a fraudulent food labeling happening in Japan?

    Japan has always enjoyed an excellent reputation for food safety. However, a damning report by Jiji Press yesterday tells a different story. Consumer trust is beginning to erode in Japan after suspicions emerged that many asari (clams)...

    • Posted February 7, 2022
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  • The rate of COVID-19 transmission from mom to baby is low.

    Up until now, what we know about the placenta is that it keeps the fetus safe and fed. However, Boston researchers recently revealed its findings in the American Journal of Pathology that it also protects the baby...

    • Posted February 4, 2022
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  • Face ID now works even with a mask on

    Up until now, the face recognition features on your smartphone may not have worked with a mask on. But things have just gotten more useful.The beta version of iOS 15.4 delivered in January 2022,  has added the...

    • Posted February 4, 2022
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  • Pfizer or Moderna: Which booster shot is more effective against Omicron?

    The discovery  of the Omicron variant in Nov 2021 raised concerns about whether fully vaccinated people should go for a booster shot for maximum protection. According to three new studies by the US Centers for Disease Control...

    • Posted February 2, 2022
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  • Tokyo’s new coronavirus caseloads hit all-time high level

    The number of new coronavirus cases reported in Tokyo on Thursday came to 16,538, hitting a record daily high for the third consecutive day, the metropolitan government said. It has surpassed the previous day’s record  of 14,086...

    • Posted January 28, 2022
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  • Quarantine to be shortened from 10 to 7 Days for close contacts

    Japan’s health ministry is considering shortening the quarantine period for those who had close contact with people infected with the novel coronavirus from the current 10- day rule to 7. The move comes in response to the...

    • Posted January 28, 2022
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