Asia Japan Many professors are calling for the lifting of the border blockade on foreign students, which has been in place for almost two years; the government has declared that it will welcome 87 of the 150.000 students in February
Asia Japan The company making "Monster Wolf" - an animatronic scarecrow with flashing eyes that howls and growls to scare away wild animals - is submersed by orders of the ferocious-looking robot after record numbers of fatal bear attacks on humans last summer
Asia Japan Proof of proficiency in Japanese will be required to apply for a working visa for engineering, humanities or international services; policy will be revised tightening screening after workers entered Japan under a specialized job visa but do unskilled jobs
Asia Japan The cherry blossom season officially began in Japan with the traditional opening of the Imperial Palace street to the public; an online survey estimates average budget for cherry blossom viewing at -13,8% this year amid consumer concern over inflation
Asia Japan Fifteen years after earthquake and Fukushima disaster, Japan presents plans to reshape the area with F-REI, a hub to study environmental recovery and radiation science and reminds of the importance of memorizing the toll-free disaster phone number