The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics are set to begin on Aug. 25, roughly two weeks after the close of Tokyo 2020 Olympics. As the opening of the Paralympics nears, there are more instances of para athletes appearing in newspapers or on television, yet there is not as much interest in the...

A quail egg bought at a supermarket has hatched... The quail's "foster parent" is Shuto Kadono, a 10-year-old fourth grader at Iseda Municipal Elementary School, in Iseda-cho, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. Looking gently at his grown quail, he said, "I hope it has a long healthy life." He presented his...

According to the latest tourism trends compiled by Kyoto City Tourism Association on the basis of various surveys, including the 2018 comprehensive Kyoto tourism survey, the actual number of people visiting Kyoto has decreased slightly. However, the total number of overnight visitors, which is calculated by the actual number of...

"Minakuchi Rapier," a cross-shaped Western sword handed down at Fujisaka Shrine in Minakuchi-cho, Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, was revealed to have been made in Japan about 400 years ago and modeled after European rapiers (slender, Western-style swords). Minakuchi History and Folklore Museum in Koka City and other organizations announced their...

A large-scale operation for encouraging good manners via smartphone push notifications will be held for 70 days from September 30 to December 8, around the Hanamikoji-dori area on the southern side of Gion-cho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, where there has been an increasing amount of trouble due to tourists' unmannerly behavior....

Central Japan Railway Company, or JR Central, announced on August 7 that renovation of part of its shopping facilities inside the ticket gate of the Tokaido Shinkansen line at Kyoto Station in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, will be completed this autumn. New coffee shops from Starbucks, a leading U.S. coffeehouse chain,...

Construction tours of Kojo-in Kyakuden, which is a National Treasure undergoing repairs, were held in Miidera Temple, Onjoji-cho, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, on August 17. Participants standing on construction work scaffolding gazed closely at its roof, which is being rethatched, and learned about preservation techniques for cultural assets. The event...