JAPAN'S TRADITIONAL 'NAKED FESTIVAL' LEAVES 3 ATTENDEES UNCONSCIOUS - OKAYAMA JAPAN

JAPAN'S TRADITIONAL 'NAKED FESTIVAL' LEAVES 3 ATTENDEES UNCONSCIOUS - OKAYAMA JAPAN

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OKAYAMA

A traditional Japanese festival known for thousands of nearly naked men competing to claim sacred talismans left three men unconscious in the western city of Okayama, local police said.

The three attendees were taking part in the annual event known as the "naked festival" dating back to the Muromachi period (1336-1573) at Saidaiji Temple on Saturday night, the police said.

It is not immediately known how the three men were injured during the event. Three other men were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Nearly every year, some people are injured at the event, which is known as one of the country's three major eccentric festivals. One man died in 2007.

After purifying themselves with cold water, the men clad in traditional white loincloths head toward the main hall and wait for the sacred wooden sticks to be dropped.

During the Eyo festival, the temple said that men gather in a crowd, vying for two wooden sticks measuring 4 by 20 centimeters with sacred talismans wrapped around them. A local tourism federation estimates that around 10,000 people participate in the annual event.

The festival was recognized by the central government as an intangible cultural property in 2016.

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ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE ANALYSIS OF 'POKEMON SLEEP' DATA IDENTIFIES PROBLEMATIC SLEEP PATTERNS - TOKYO JAPAN

ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE ANALYSIS OF 'POKEMON SLEEP' DATA IDENTIFIES PROBLEMATIC SLEEP PATTERNS - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

A leading Japanese sleep researcher has analyzed the relationship between sleep and work performance using data collected through the "Pokemon Sleep" smartphone app, identifying sleep patterns that negatively impact productivity.

Masashi Yanagisawa, a University of Tsukuba professor of neuroscience who supervised the app's development, used artificial intelligence to assist his team's analysis of a vast dataset on sleep quality, which was previously difficult to measure.

The game app enables users to raise and befriend Pokemon by recording their sleep time, detecting body movements to determine sleep and wake states when placed on the bed. It can also measure how long it takes the user to fall asleep, their sleep depth and how often they wake up during the night.

Yanagisawa and his university research team analyzed around 2.1 million nights of sleep data, collected over 28 days from over 79,000 working adults in Japan who consented to participate in the study.

The five sleep phenotypes of healthy, long, fragmented, poor, and social jet laggers -- characterized by misaligned sleep rhythms between weekdays and weekends -- were identified using AI to analyze sleep characteristics.

According to a paper released in December last year, when compared with survey responses about work efficiency, men and women in the latter two groups showed the worst scores for insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and presenteeism, defined as reduced work productivity despite being physically present at work.

The decline in productivity was most severe among social jet lag sufferers, with an estimated annual economic loss of about 140,000 yen per person compared with those who have healthy sleep patterns. If the 16 percent prevalence rate of social jet lag is extrapolated to Japan's entire workforce, the total annual loss is estimated to be about 1 trillion yen.

The study also found that productivity declines when sleep duration is too long or too short, leading the team to conclude that six to nine hours of sleep is ideal. They said that consistently long sleep durations may indicate underlying health issues, such as depression or sleep apnea, and warrant caution.

The research team stressed that promoting regular sleep is crucial to preventing reduced workplace productivity. Since trying to make up for lost sleep on the weekends easily disrupts the body clock, Yanagisawa recommends going to bed 30 minutes earlier on weekdays instead.

Large-scale data collection had previously been a challenge as traditional sleep research relied on self-reported sleep data from a relatively small number of participants.

Moving forward, the team hopes to use smartphones to support improvements in individual sleep habits, and to help create workplace environments that balance health and productivity.

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OVERSEAS STUDENT CAP RAISED AT 3 JAPAN UNIVERSITIES TO ATTRACT TALENT - TOKYO JAPAN

OVERSEAS STUDENT CAP RAISED AT 3 JAPAN UNIVERSITIES TO ATTRACT TALENT - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

Japan's education ministry will allow three universities to accept international students above their enrollment caps under its new exemption system to attract global talent amid intensifying global competition.

A total of 11 faculties at Tohoku University, the University of Tsukuba and Hiroshima University will be able to boost foreign student numbers from fiscal 2026 starting April, in the first granting of exemptions since the system was introduced last year, the ministry said.

The faculties are the Faculty of Science at Tohoku University, seven schools including humanities and culture at the University of Tsukuba, and three science-related faculties at Hiroshima University.

The measure is aimed at nurturing global talent to enhance Japan's competitiveness, as the race to attract outstanding overseas students intensifies.

Universities face penalties for exceeding their enrollment caps, posing challenges to the active acceptance of international students. Faculties certified for the special exemption can raise their maximum enrollments by 5 percent above their caps.

Requirements for certification include maintaining an enrollment rate of at least 90 percent and stable financial conditions. Three out of eight universities that applied last fall were granted the special exemption following screening by experts.

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3 BODIES FOUND AT HELICOPTER CRASH SITE IN SOUTHWEST VOLCANIC CRATER - KUMAMOTO JAPAN

3 BODIES FOUND AT HELICOPTER CRASH SITE IN SOUTHWEST VOLCANIC CRATER - KUMAMOTO JAPAN   

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KUMAMOTO

Bodies believed to be those of three people aboard a sightseeing helicopter that crashed into a volcanic crater on Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, in January have been found, the local fire department said Wednesday.

Authorities will attempt to recover the bodies, it said.

The helicopter took off from Cuddly Dominion, a zoo and theme park in Aso city that offers chopper rides, on the morning of Jan. 20 carrying two passengers -- a man and a woman from Taiwan -- and a 64-year-old Japanese pilot.

Contact was later lost, and the wreckage was found on a slope inside the crater of Mount Nakadake, one of the five peaks of Mount Aso.

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CHINESE VISITORS TO JAPAN SLUMP AS SPAT RUMBLES ON - TOKYO JAPAN

CHINESE VISITORS TO JAPAN SLUMP AS SPAT RUMBLES ON - TOKYO JAPAN 

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TOKYO

Mainland Chinese visitors to Japan tumbled 60.7 percent in January year-on-year, figures showed Wednesday, in the continued fallout from the countries' diplomatic spat.

"Last year, the lunar new year began in late January, but this year it fell in mid-February," the Japan National Tourism Organization said as it published the data.

"Additionally, the Chinese government issued a warning advising against travel to Japan. Factors such as reduced flight frequencies also contributed to the number of foreign visitors to Japan falling below the level of the same month last year," a statement said.

Previously Chinese visitors were the biggest contingent, contributing to a tourism boom in the land of cherry blossom and Mount Fuji that was fueled by a weak yen making shopping cheap.

But in January this year, South Korea was the biggest source with 1.2 million visitors, up 21.6 percent, compared with 385,300 from mainland China, down from 980,520 in January 2025.

Visitors from Hong Kong also tumbled 17.9 percent.

Overall the number of visitors to Japan fell 4.9 percent to 3.597 million in January compared to the same period last year.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan could intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by force.

China, which regards the democratic island as part of its territory and has not ruled out force to annex it, was furious.

Beijing summoned Tokyo's ambassador and on November 14 warned Chinese citizens against visiting Japan, citing "significant risks to the personal safety and lives of Chinese citizens".

The number of Chinese visitors to Japan already tumbled 45 percent in December to 330,000.

In December, J-15 jets from China's Liaoning aircraft carrier twice locked radar on Japanese aircraft in international waters near Okinawa, according to Japan.

China also tightened controls on exports to Japan for items with potential military uses, fueling worries that Beijing may choke supplies of vital rare-earth minerals.

Japan's last two pandas were even returned to China last month.

Takaichi, 64, was seen as a China hawk before becoming Japan's first woman prime minister in October.

She won a landslide victory in snap elections on February 8, putting her in a strong position for the next four years to stamp her mark on Japanese domestic and foreign policy.

Takaichi said after her election win that Tokyo would bolster its defenses and "steadfastly protect" its territory.

She also said she was "open to various dialogues with China".

But China's foreign ministry said "genuine dialogue should be built on respect for one another".

"Proclaiming dialogue with one's mouth while engaging in confrontation -- no one will accept this kind of dialogue," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Tuesday.

Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that forces in Japan were seeking to "revive militarism".

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MAN BREAKS INTO TOKYO APARMENT, THREATENING FOREIGN RESIDENT WITH KNIFE - TOKYO JAPAN

MAN BREAKS INTO TOKYO APARMENT, THREATENING FOREIGN RESIDENT WITH KNIFE - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

Police in Tokyo are looking for a man who forced his way into an apartment, threatened the foreign resident with a knife and demanded money, speaking in Japanese and English.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 4 p.m. Monday in Nakano Ward. The resident, who is in his 20s, told police that he opened the door to his apartment after the intercom rang and was headbutted by an intruder, Sankei Shimbun reported.

The intruder pointed a knife at the resident and threatened him in English and Japanese, saying "Give me your wallet." However, the man resisted and the intruder fled without taking anything.

The resident suffered injuries during the struggle, including a torn retina and cuts to his fingers.

The intruder is described as being in his 20s, approximately 170 cm tall, and was wearing a black jacket with a hood covering part of his face.

Police said they are examining street surveillance camera footage outside the apartment building to try and identify the man.

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WUJUD UNSUR KONGSI GELAP BOLOSI PENTADBIRAN NEGARA MALAYSIA - DAKWA RARIZI

WUJUD UNSUR KONGSI GELAP BOLOSI PENTADBIRAN NEGARA MALAYSIA - DAKWA RARIZI 

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KUALA LUMPUR – Ahli Parlimen Pandan, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli mendakwa pendedahan yang dibuat sebelum ini membayangkan terdapat unsur kongsi gelap yang telah membolosi pentadbiran negara dan mampu mempengaruhi badan penguat kuasa.

Beliau berkata, perkara itu adalah sesuatu yang berbahaya tanpa mengira siapa yang menerajui kerajaan.

“Saya tak peduli kerajaan mana, saya tak peduli siapa Perdana Menteri. Tapi kalau ada unsur-unsur jenayah kongsi gelap yang mengawal badan-badan besar, yang boleh mempengaruhi penguat kuasa, masuklah Perdana Menteri macam mana pun, hancur negara ini,” ujarnya ketika berucap pada Himpunan dan Lawan: #TangkapAzamBaki di hadapan Kompleks Sogo di sini pada Ahad.

Himpunan bermula kira-kira jam 4.30 petang itu dihadiri orang ramai yang mula memenuhi kawasan sekitar sejak awal petang.

Turut kelihatan hadir ialah Ahli Parlimen Setiawangsa, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad; Ahli Parlimen Subang, Wong Chen; Ahli Parlimen Wangsa Maju, Zahari Hassan dan Ahli Parlimen Ampang, Rodziah Ismail.

Dalam ucapannya, Rafizi turut merujuk kepada Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dengan mendakwa beliau menyedari isu berkenaan dan akan menjawabnya dalam siri pertemuan bersama anggota Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) di seluruh negara.

Menurut Rafizi, Perdana Menteri menyifatkan tindakan pihak yang mendesak isu berkenaan sebagai ‘merengik’ dan ‘nyek-nyek’.

Bagaimanapun, beliau berkata, desakan berterusan rakyat selama lebih 20 tahun sebelum ini akhirnya membawa perubahan kepimpinan negara.

“Kami dah belajar bahawa hanya dengan rakyat merengik dan nyek-nyek lebih 20 tahun, kamu jadi Perdana Menteri,” ujarnya.

Rafizi berkata, sekiranya Perdana Menteri masih mempertahankan Ketua Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), Tan Sri Azam Baki, rakyat akan mengaitkan perkara itu dengan kepimpinan negara.

Beliau mendakwa desakan yang dibuat adalah atas dasar sayangkan negara dan bagi mengelakkan Perdana Menteri ‘jatuh bersama-sama’ dalam kemarahan rakyat terhadap isu berkenaan.

Dalam masa yang sama, beliau turut menyeru wakil-wakil parti dalam kerajaan termasuk DAP, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) dan PKR supaya menyatakan pendirian masing-masing berhubung isu terbabit.

Rafizi secara khusus menyebut DAP dan mendakwa Perdana Menteri memberi perhatian sekiranya parti itu bersuara.

Beliau mengingatkan agar DAP tidak menangguhkan sebarang isyarat sehingga Jun, sambil mendakwa parti itu juga berdepan risiko dalam pilihan raya akan datang sekiranya isu berkenaan berlarutan.

Himpunan tersebut diadakan bagi menyatakan pendirian berhubung isu melibatkan Azam Baki, dengan kehadiran anggota polis bagi memantau keadaan dan perjalanan himpunan yang terkawal dari mula sehingga ia ditamatkan.

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SIAPAKAH LUNA? POLIS KENAL PASTI LOKASI DIPERCAYAI KETUA SINDIKET DADAH

SIAPAKAH LUNA? POLIS KENAL PASTI LOKASI DIPERCAYAI KETUA SINDIKET DADAH 

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TUMPAT - Polis Kelantan sudah mengenal pasti lokasi seorang wanita berusia 30-an yang dikenali sebagai Luna dan dipercayai bertindak sebagai ketua sindiket penyeludupan dadah susulan rampasan bunga ganja di Kuala Krai pada 11 Januari lalu.

Ketua Polis Kelantan, Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat berkata, perkara itu adalah hasil kerjasama erat pihaknya dengan Polis Thailand dalam mengesan wanita berkenaan.

"Ketika ini, kita sedang menunggu keputusan dari negara jiran. Polis Kelantan masih bekerjasama dengan Polis Thailand untuk mendapatkannya (Luna) dan membawanya ke Malaysia bagi siasatan lanjut dan sebagainya.

"Insya-ALLAH dalam masa terdekat," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Kempen Kesedaran dan Keselamatan Jalan Raya sempena Op Selamat 25 Tahun Baharu Cina di Pasir Pekan di sini pada Ahad.

Sinar Harian sebelum ini melaporkan Polis Kelantan tidak menolak kemungkinan wanita berusia 30-an dikenali sebagai Luna yang dipercayai bertindak sebagai ketua sindiket penyeludupan dadah susulan rampasan bunga ganja di Kuala Krai pada 11 Januari lalu mempunyai dua kerakyatan.

Menurut Mohd Yusoff, setakat ini pihaknya belum menerima sebarang perkembangan daripada pihak berkuasa di negara jiran berhubung wanita terbabit.

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HENTI SPEKULASI, SERAH KEPADA KEPUTUSAN MAHKAMAH KES ZARA QAIRINA : KOTA BHARU KELANTAN MALAYSIA

HENTI SPEKULASI, SERAH KEPADA KEPUTUSAN MAHKAMAH KES ZARA QAIRINA : KOTA BHARU KELANTAN MALAYSIA

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KOTA BHARU – Masyarakat diminta supaya menghentikan segala bentuk spekulasi, tohmahan dan kenyataan tidak berasas berhubung kes kematian Allahyarhamah Zara Qairina yang kini sedang berada di peringkat inkues di mahkamah.

Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama), Marhamah Rosli berkata, sebarang percakapan tanpa fakta bukan sahaja mencemarkan proses keadilan, malah membawa dosa dan pertanggungjawaban di sisi ALLAH SWT.

Menurut beliau, perbuatan menokok tambah cerita, membuat andaian serta menyebarkan persepsi negatif adalah tidak beretika, tidak berakhlak dan bercanggah dengan prinsip Islam.

“Ini bukan sekadar nasihat, tetapi satu peringatan tegas kepada masyarakat. Kes ini berada dalam proses inkues, maka tidak ada sesiapa yang berhak membuat kesimpulan, tuduhan atau naratif sendiri.

“Biarlah mahkamah menjalankan tanggungjawabnya. Kita sebagai orang luar hanyalah menyokong, mendoakan dan memastikan proses keadilan berjalan lancar serta punca kematian dapat dirungkai,” katanya semasa sidang akhbar pada Sabtu.

Sebelum itu beliau merasmikan Majlis Perasmian Program Ihya Ramadan dan Pelancaran Program Pendidikan Yayasan Kebajikan Anak-anak Yatim Kelantan (YAATIM) 2026 di YAATIM di sini.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika mengulas prosiding inkuas kes tersebut, termasuk keterangan saksi ke-62 iaitu ibu kepada salah seorang pelajar yang memaklumkan anaknya digelar sebagai ‘pembunuh’ serta mengalami tekanan emosi dan gangguan stres pascatrauma (PTSD).

Media sebelum ini melaporkan saksi ke-62 mendakwa pernah menerima gangguan daripada ibu Allahyarham Zara Qairina Mahathir melalui aplikasi WhatsApp, yang memarahinya kerana membenarkan anaknya bercakap benar kepada pihak polis.

Saksi yang juga merupakan ibu kepada pelajar A mendakwa bahawa ibu Zara Qairina iaitu Noraidah Lamat meminta mereka membuat penafian terhadap kenyataan anaknya dengan menghubungi pegawai polis.

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JAPAN RAILWAY (JR EAST) TO BOOST TECHNICAL STAFF AFTER A SERIES OF SERVE SUSPENSIONS - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPAN RAILWAY (JR EAST) TO BOOST TECHNICAL STAFF AFTER A SERIES OF SERVE SUSPENSIONS - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

East Japan Railway Co President Yoichi Kise says the company will hire more technical staff and spend more on maintenance to prevent a repeat of service suspensions that hit the Yamanote and Joban lines in January and two other lines earlier this month.

JR East said it will take on about 150 more technical employees from fiscal 2027 after the recent disruptions affected some 1.12 million people and the transport ministry issued an administrative warning to the operator.

Kise said the disruptions had "damaged the trust of many customers," and apologized for the incidents, calling them a serious matter that relates to the foundation of management.

JR East plans to increase spending on equipment repairs after it cut about 80 billion yen in such costs between fiscal 2020 and 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The operator said it will enforce double-checks on critical tasks and improve the working conditions of its employees and those of its group companies, such as conducting construction work during daytime hours.

On Jan 16, human error caused a power outage that stopped services on the Yamanote Line, the Tokyo loop line, while the disruption to the Joban Line, which links Tokyo with Miyagi Prefecture, on Jan. 30 was due to a severed overhead wire.

Earlier this month, smoke was reported at Tokyo's Hatchobori Station on the Keiyo Line while an overhead wire was severed on the Utsunomiya Line, which runs from Tokyo to Tochigi Prefecture.

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FOREIGNERS ACCOUNT FOR OVER 80% OF OFF-COURSE SKIERS NEEDING RESCUE IN HOKKAIDO - TOKYO JAPAN

FOREIGNERS ACCOUNT FOR OVER 80% OF OFF-COURSE SKIERS NEEDING RESCUE IN HOKKAIDO - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost, coldest, and snowiest prefecture, boasts world-class skiing and snowboarding venues. That’s not just an expression, either, as Hokkaido really does draw snowsport enthusiasts from around the world, especially with the current Japan travel boom among international tourists, and the weak yen helping to fuel it, showing no signs of changing anytime soon.

Unfortunately, it’s not just Hokkaido’s managed ski slopes that are proving popular with inbound visitors. Many of them have given into the temptation to ski outside of designated boundaries, but with their curiosity outstripping their skills, have then gotten lost, injured, stranded, or otherwise in need of help to get home, with more than 80 percent of the skiers/snowboarders requiring rescue in Hokkaido this season being foreigners.

Between the end of last November and February 2, a total of 58 backcountry/off-piste skiers/snowboarders have needed to be rescued, with 48 of them, 82.8 percent of the total, being foreign nationals, according to the Hokkaido Prefectural Police.

This statistic hasn’t been sitting well with the Japanese public, for multiple reasons. First, it comes after a string of high-profile instances last year in which foreign hikers needed to be rescued from Mount Fuji (with one man needing emergency help twice in the same week) during the period when the trails are officially closed to hikers. There’s also a perception that restaurants, hotels, and other facilities in and around ski areas have ratcheted up their prices as they cater to foreign tourists who’re flush with cash, leaving locals who don’t have a favorable currency exchange rate to leverage out in the proverbial, and meteorological, cold. Seeing taxpayer money used to rescue people who ignored the rule would be bad enough, but when the people being rescued are also seen as contributing to rapidly rising consumer prices, it’s a double dose of frustration.

What exactly are the economics of running an off-course rescue operation? It depends. The police and fire department are, fundamentally, civil services for which there’s no itemized cost. You don’t have to pay a fee to have the police look for someone who stole your wallet, for example, and the fire department doesn’t send you a bill if a fire breaks out in your apartment building and they have to put it out. Because of that, off-piste skiers aren’t ordinarily charged if the police or fire department are mobilized; they get helped to get out of a place they weren’t supposed to be for free.

However, it’s not always the police and fire department who’re running the rescue operation. In some cases, such as at a ski resort that leases land within a national park for business operations, the resort may employ a civilian ski patrol to look for lost skiers, and their services aren’t always going to be cheap. At one resort in the Hokkaido town of Furano, rescue charges include 20,000 yen per man hour and an additional 50,000 yen per hour that a snowmobile is required. A recent late-night rescue, which took three hours to complete, ended with a bill for the lost skier of more than one million yen. Some cities also have a hybrid system, in which the local authorities coordinate with civilian rescue organizations, and in those cases too, the non-governmental organizations will need to be paid.

But again, if it’s just the police and fire department performing the rescue, those costs generally have to be covered by the local government, creating budgetary pressure to cut funding for other services or to increase local residents’ taxes. So it’s no shock to see that online commenters in Japan are pretty pissed-off about the off-piste foreign skiers.

“Total waste of tax money. They should charge the person who needed rescuing.”

“The money that everyone worked so hard to earn is being used to save inconsiderate foreigners.”

“There should be an extra tax for foreigners.”

“They should require anyone skiing in the area to have insurance, and fine them if they get lost and it turns out they don’t.”

“Charge foreigners who need rescuing 100 million yen, and detain them until they pay the amount in full.”

“I see foreigners on social media skiing off-course in Japan like it’s a matter of course, and then when they get confronted about it they just laugh and say ‘Sorry, I can’t understand what you’re saying.’”

“It’s one thing to not charge Japanese people who are paying into the tax system for years and years for rescues, but foreigners should have to pay for their costs.”

“Send the bill to their country’s embassy.”

It’s worth reiterating that the reactions above were specifically to instances of foreigners skiing off-course. The idea that skiing always comes with certain inherent risks, and that people might need emergency help, isn’t what’s got people riled up. They’re upset about the deliberate choice to ignore rules put in place to mitigate those risks, and the resulting taxpayer costs at a time when much of Japan’s local population is having to tighten their belts as prices rise much more quickly than wages.

Following last year’s Mt. Fuji rescues, there have been increasing calls to have flagrant violators of safety precautions foot the bill for their own rescues, and if trends continue, it won’t be a shock if municipalities in Hokkaido start considering ways to do so as well, especially as ill-mannered tourists continue to disrupt local living standards.

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@Jr_Paku Midin Channel