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Fukuoka Airport to Build International Terminal Extension
According to sources, Fukuoka Airport Building Co. will build a new terminal facility for low cost carriers (LCC) and other foreign airlines north of the international terminal. The aim is to improve convenience in light of increased take-offs and landings by Korean LCCs and other foreign carriers. This will be the first addition to the international terminal since it opened in 1999. Construction will start in July and is slated for completion next April. Since 2010 three Korean LCCs, including Air Busan, have begun operating flights to Fukuoka. KLM began the first regular service to Europe this April, and carriers including Singapore Airlines, Delta and Hawaiian Airlines operate daily flights. The number of international routes has increased to 18 serving nine different countries and regions, and there are now 426 international flights per week. According to Fukuoka Airport Building Co., the number of planes using the tarmac on the north side of the terminal has increased, but this section cannot be accessed by jetways, so passengers must takes buses to the terminal. For this reason, it will build a new 845 m2 terminal that is linked to the main terminal by a passageway. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 11
Read More Jun. 12, 2013, 10:22
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Huis Ten Bosch to Wean Off Aid
Hideo Sawada, president of Huis Ten Bosch (HTB), the large-scale theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki, announced that it will stop accepting subsidies for restructuring from Sasebo City in 2014. After opening in 1992, HTB posted deficits for 18 straight years. In 2010, Sasebo promised to provide annual subsidies of ¥700~800 million for 10 years, but after management was transferred to HIS, HTB managed to bring its budget back into the black. According to its semiannual earnings report for the period ending March 2013, HTB posted sales of ¥10.029 billion (+39% y-o-y), ordinary profits of ¥3.154 billion (+94.3% y-o-y) and net profits of ¥2.911 billion (+80% y-o-y). A string of successful new events has led to a 47.6% uptick in admissions to 1.292 million visitors. HTB aims to record ordinary profits of ¥7~10 billion in three years. President Sawada said, “This will allow us to pay our own maintenance costs, and we are preparing to stop receiving subsidies from the year after next.” Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 11
Read More 10:21
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Anpanman Kids’ Museum Coming to Riverain
The Anpanman Children’s Museum, a theme park based on the popular cartoon character, is slated to open in Hakata Riverain next April. This will be the fifth such museum in Japan and the first in Kyushu. The museum will occupy the fifth and sixth floors of eeny meeny miny mo, Riverain’s main commercial facility. This will be the first Anpanman Children’s Museum to move into an existing facility. Admission at other museums runs between ¥1,000 and ¥1,500, and each has an accompanying shopping facility. The museums in Yokohama and Kobe have proven to be highly popular, and the Fukuoka museum is sure to garner attention as well. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 8
Read More Jun. 10, 2013, 17:01
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Fukuoka DC Forum on Urban Development Held
The Fukuoka Directive Council (Fukuoka D.C.), a public-private venture that aims to rejuvenate economic activity in the metro Fukuoka area, held a public forum on June 7. Forum participants agreed that it is important to attract more business travel, referred to as MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), and to develop the Hakata Waterfront area in order to promote growth in Fukuoka’s city center. Fukuoka D.C. was founded by Fukuoka City and Kyushu University two years ago and now has 84 member organizations. The forum proposed enhancing accessibility in four major areas—namely, (1) the Nakagawa riverfront, (2) Tenjin/Watanabe-dori, (3) the Hakata Station area and (4) the Hakata Port Waterfront— as keys to economic growth. In his speech, Marc Glaudemans, Director of the European Urban Design Laboratory, pointed out that having a centrally-located port is one of Fukuoka’s strengths but added that “most ports lack high added value for tourists because they are primarily industrial zones.” In the panel discussion, Mayor Takashima reported that “Fukuoka hosts the highest number of MICE events after Tokyo but is still lagging behind global competitors such as Pusan and Shanghai”. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun
Read More 17:00
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Kyushu HKT48 Girl & Oita Monkey Both Win Popularity Elections
The fifth annual AKB48 election took place at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama on 6/8 (Sat.) The AKB48 election concept, which began in 2009, invites the Japanese public to vote for their favorite members of the pop idol group. The AKB48 members who receive the most votes participate in the recording of the group’s next single and are heavily promoted. This year, Oita-born Rino Sashihara, a member of Fukuoka local troupe “HKT48” came in first with a total of 150,570 votes. Sashihara transferred, (some say she was banished) from AKB48 to HKT48 last year, but her popularity didn’t diminish. The total number of votes for the election came in at 2,646,847 votes. The Top 16 will record a song, scheduled to be released in August. Meanwhile, Mt Takasaki announced the winner of their “monkey election” on the same day as the AKB48 election (6/8). Located in Oita, Mt. Takasaki is a habitat of wild Japanese monkeys (Japanese macaques). The “monkey election” concept was based on AKB48 elections – a “monkey see, monkey do kind of thing”. The winning monkey “Pi-chan” received a total of 329 votes. Her charming point is a white marking on her back. Coming in at a close second with 320 votes was a zookeeper from Mt. Takasaki, who entered the election as a human representative. The zookeeper commented she was relieved she didn’t actually win, because it’s a monkey election, so a monkey should be the focus! A “Top Saru Seven” hand fan will be released to celebrate the top seven monkeys. Official HP: http://www.takasakiyama.jp
Read More 12:40
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Saga’s Mudskippers Bounce Back
According to the Saga Prefectural Fisheries Promotion Center, the number of endangered mudskippers in the Ariake Sea was confirmed to be 7.7 times that of the number recorded 17 years ago. Mudskippers live in tidal flats and are only found in two places in Japan: the Ariake Sea and the Yatsushiro Sea, both of which are in Kyushu. Mudskippers used to be a delicacy in Saga, served grilled or stewed in sugar and soy sauce. Mudskipper harvests peaked in 1964 at 216 tons, and declined until they reached their lowest point, 2 tons, in 1988. An 11-ton harvest was recorded in 2006, but mudskippers were red listed by the Ministry of the Environment in 2007 in anticipation of their scheduled designation as a “Type 1B” threatened species. The survey conducted in August 2012 counted mudskippers in 76 locations off the Saga coast and found an average of 14.6 creatures per m2, or 7.7 times more than the 1.9 recorded in August 1995. A Center official was quoted as saying, “Our efforts, including establishing a protected zone and banning the harvest of mudskippers, seem to be paying off.” Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 7
Read More Jun. 7, 2013, 16:54
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Fukuoka City to be Featured at Japan Expo in Paris
An event showcasing Fukuoka as the “Capital of Kyushu” will be held at the 14th Japan Expo, one of the world’s largest exhibitions of Japanese pop culture, in Paris from July 4~7. This will be Fukuoka City’s second time at the Expo in as many years, but this year it was selected for a special exhibit highlighting one of Japan’s cities. Fukuoka was chosen for its “compact size, livability and efforts to promote its video game and music industries.” Fukuoka’s booth will promote tourism and industry and include a Hakata-ori textiles display. The expo will also feature local mascots from nine cities in Japan, including Kumamoto’s own Kumamon. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 7
Read More 16:50
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Jin Air Relaunches Nagasaki – Seoul Flights
The LCC Jin Air, a subsidiary of Korean Air, announced this week that they will relaunch the Nagasaki ~ Seoul route from late July. This route previously operated by Korean Air. Flights begin 7/24, with three scheduled round trips per week (Wed, Fri, Sun) aboard an 180-seat Boeing 737-800. Ticket prices are expected to start around the ¥19,000 mark (return flight, excluding tax and surcharges). Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 7 2013
Read More 13:33
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Dads Eat Sweets for Free
The all-you-can-eat cake buffet restaurant “Sweets Paradise” marks its 10th anniversary this month and to celebrate, all Sweets Paradise stores (including PARCO Fukuoka 6F) will hold a Father’s Day event from June 15 (Sat.) ~ 16 (Sun.). The sweets buffet features more than 30 different desserts, including limited items, such as the recommended “Otsukaresama desu (Cheers for good work) Beer Jelly”! Dads eat for FREE if they come with a paying family member (¥1,480 per person, must be over four years old).
Read More 11:30
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Kitakyushu Gets New Bic Camera-Kojima Store
Household appliance giant Bic Camera and its subsidiary Kojima will open Japan’s first Bic Camera-Kojima store in Kokura-minami-ku, Kitakyushu on June 8. The store is located about 2km from the store Bic Camera used to operate jointly with its former partner Best Denki, and there is a Yamada Denki, the parent of Best Denki, nearby, so competition among the retailers will likely intensify. The Bic Camera-Kojima store is housed in a remodeled Kojima shop, and it will use Bic’s distribution channels to double the number of items to about 50,000. In addition to electronics, it will also sell tools, bicycles and wristwatches. A Bic official said he hopes the new store will “attract customers who frequented our old joint venture”. The company plans to transform 20 to 30 Kojima stores located in Japan’s urban centers into Bic Camera-Kojima stores. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 5
Read More Jun. 5, 2013, 17:27
