Travel Alerts•
Yoon's conviction and South Korea's political divisions: 5 things to know
Will verdict mark turning point for ending polarization or deepen it?
Source: Nikkei Asia
Travel AlertsBreaking
Trump's Tariff Hike: Impact on Japan Travel?
A potential 15% tariff on imports could affect travel costs to Japan. Keep an eye on currency exchange rates and potential price increases for goods and services.
February 21, 2026•Nikkei Asia
Latest Updates
Culture•
Fujii Kaze, Massive Attack, among Fuji Rock Festival 2026 performers announced
Among the 66 acts unveiled, are also Khruangbin, The xx, Asian Kung-Fu Generation and more.
Source: The Japan Times
Travel Alerts•
Indonesia, US sign tariff deal with exemptions for key soft commodities
Base Indonesian levy is 19%, while 99% of American exports will be exempt
Source: Nikkei Asia
Culture•
iPS cell-based products win conditional approval from health ministry panel
The endorsement was based on small-scale clinical studies that confirmed only their safety and “presumed” their efficacy.
Source: The Japan Times
Culture•
Starbucks Japan adds new sakura Frappuccino and cherry blossom drinks to the menu
Limited-edition spring drinks make their way to Starbucks, but are they worth buying? With February now coming to an end, spring is about to start, and with it comes sakura (cherry blossom) season in
Source: SoraNews24
Culture•
Japan’s new “Cunte” contact lenses aren’t pronounced like you’re probably thinking they are
Cunte Jelly Trick and other lenses’ names might be too clever for their own good. In many ways, Japan has a very playful attitude about language. The Japanese language is richly expressive, with all s
Source: SoraNews24
Culture•
Italy against allowing Russia and Belarus to use flags and anthems at Paralympics
An IPC spokesman said later the organization was in talks with the Italian government over the participation of the Russian and Belarusian Paralympians.
Source: The Japan Times
Culture•
Japan's ski jumpers express mixed feelings about super team format at Olympics
The event, which features two jumpers per nation taking multiple rounds, was introduced as a fresh addition to the Olympic program.
Source: The Japan Times
Culture•
18 killed in road collision in northeastern Egypt
A truck and a pickup truck collided on a highway in Egypt on Thursday afternoon, killing 18 people and injuring three others, officials said. The collision occurred on…
Source: Japan Today
Food•
2026 Tokyo Cherry Blossom Dates — Updated
Don’t miss a single petal this spring: here is the latest 2026 Tokyo cherry blossom season forecast — updated February 19, 2026. The flowers are predicted to be a few days earlier than usual, with To
Source: Tokyo Cheapo
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