PM says foreign tourists should follow Japan face mask rules
Kishida's statement came a day after he said Japan will open its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in about two years, starting from June 10 for those on package tours with guides and fixed itineraries, amid receding fears over the coronavirus.
"We must have them follow Japanese rules of wearing face masks," Kishida said in a session of the House of Representatives Budget Committee.
He said the government will ask tour operators to tell tourists from abroad to abide by the instructions, and persuade companies, schools and other entities accepting foreign citizens to do likewise.
The government has recently said wearing face masks is not always necessary outside and it recommends people to remove their mask when they are more than 2 meters from another person, given the heat and humidity of the coming months and the increased risk of heatstroke.
The tourism ministry plans to create guidelines on anti-virus measures for hotels and other industries before the resumption of inbound tourism, a key driver for Japan's economy before the pandemic's emergence.
Kishida said he will consider further easing the country's entry restrictions by thoroughly implementing the measures.
Japan will double from next Wednesday the cap on daily arrivals to 20,000. The initial impact of the relaxation on the economy may be limited as forthcoming guided tour participants will be included in the numerical ceiling.
Japan has been criticized at home and abroad for its overly strict border controls. But as concern lingers among government officials over the potential resurgence of infections, it is likely to take some time for the country to reopen its borders to individual tourists.
Under the current scheme, tourism arrivals will be initially restricted to guided tours from the "blue" list of 98 countries and regions presenting the lowest risk of infection. These include Australia, Britain, China, Thailand, South Korea and the United States.
Source: Kazinform
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Kazakhstan celebrates Nauryz spring holiday
Images | akorda.kz
People of Kazakhstan are celebrating today Nauryz Meiramy, spring holiday, the Day of Spring Equinox, Kazinform reports.
From the ancient times, Nauryz has been embodying wellbeing and renovation.
Nauryz is the holiday that has reached us from the remote past. It is believed that Nauryz Meiramy, the celebration of which begins on the day of spring equinox - March 21, was celebrated back in the days of the ancient kings of Persia. It is widely believed that Nauryz began to be celebrated approximately in the 4th-6th centuries BC, during Shah Jamshid reign. Some sources say that Nauryz has the history of about 4-5 millennia.
Kazakhstan has been observing Nauryz since 1999. March 21,22,23 are days off. In 2009 Nauryz was included into the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative List. A year later the UN General Assembly declared March 21st as the International Day of Nauryz (Novruz).
The main dish served during Nauryz is Nauryz kozhe, which traditionally includes seven ingredients symbolizing seven elements of life. They are water, meat, salt, fat, flour, cereal and milk. Seven ingredients symbolize seven virtues, such as joy, success, intelligence, health, wealth, agility, growth and divine protection.
Traditionally on the eve of Nauryz, one should repay debts, forgive offenses - i.e, leave all the troubles in the old year and forget about the bad. During Nauryz Meiramy, people visit relatives, friends, and welcome guests.
In general, about 300mln people celebrate Nauryz. In 2001, Nauryz was declared the state holiday of Kazakhstan. Since 2009, it has been celebrated for three consecutive days.
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Kazakhstani Arsen Kylyshbek and Vladimir Borzenkov win Microsoft’s $550 thou worth grant
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Kazakhstani Arsen Kylyshbek and Vladimir Borzenkov won a $550,000 worth grant from Microsoft for Startups for their startup project based on AI, Kazinform has learnt from the press service of the Enlightenment Ministry of Kazakhstan.
Whoock is a website generator and editor enabling to develop a full-fledged service for clients based on text messages. It can create a fully functional website with modern design. Creation of a site is done through conversation with AI to fulfil a client’s requests," say the young developers.
The project targets growing business and startups at their early stage looking for a prototype or a site. Following the beta launch, Arsen and Vladimir plan to add a web-app development function to their service.
The platform on average generates a full website in a minute and a half. We’re planning the launch for the next week. Everyone will have free and limitless access to the platform," they say.
The young developers are planning to spend the money won for further upgrading their project.
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