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What's Going On? TOPICS |
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November 2020page 1 |
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What's Going On? TOPICS |
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November 2020page 1 |
November 2020 page 1 TOPICS
Renewal of Reception Center at City Hall
Matsuyama city announced that the reception center located on first floor of the main building at the city hall would be renewed on November 2. The center will provide new services such as an online system for avoiding a long wait, and reservations for the service counters. The new online service provides information on how many people are waiting. In the case of congestion, there is also a new text service to notify you that your turn comes soon. Priority reservation enables you to ensure your time at the counter. Reservations must be made from two weeks to a day before your visit through the website, and are only available for report of moving and the issue of My Number IC cards. Application for the certificate of residence and registration of personal stamps "inkan" can be ade on the website in advance. The flooring is being replaced by non-slip materials and designed for buggy and wheelchair use. Better signage to indicate the location of a nursing room for mothers and restrooms for those with special needs are newly displayed. (October 14, Ehime Shimbun) |
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Cloth Flowers Bloom in Matsuyama Airport
To give people comfort even under the influence of coronavirus, a cloth flower artist, Misao Ochi, displayed her work in front of the safety inspection area in Matsuyama Airport. Ten pots of rainbow-colored tulips made of cloth with a delicate technique are soothing people along with sakurahime (cherry blossom princess) she displayed earlier. Her shop and studio "Flower Potpourri HOUSE" is on the road to Oyamazumi Shrine on Omishima Island in Imabari. As many workshops were canceled, she decided to make them in March with the hope that the power of flowers would encourage people. It is said that cloth flowers would please people who are sensitive to pollen, too. In the language of flowers, rainbow-colored tulips signify a bridge of hope.(October 13, Ehime Shimbun) |
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Large Renovation of RIRAKU
Plans for a major renovation of Spa Riraku, in Toon, has been unveiled. The aim of this renovation is to improve the hotel rooms, spa facility, public spaces and cafe to expand the time of visitors' stay. The new spa facility and hotel rooms can be used now. The main entrance will be under renovation, and it will fully reopen in next spring. The name of the new facility will be Jurassic Spa & Resort. The hotel section is named Juraku, and the number of rooms increased from 44 to 61. A private bath is installed in nine. Baths which are filled by two different kinds of hot spring water can be enjoyed at the spa facility, and even foreign-language books are available in the public space for relaxing. The dining space is also improved. Strict measures, including a limitation on the number who can enter, are being taken to avoid congestion and the spreading of the Corona virus. (October 3, Ehime Shimbun) |
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Training for Foreign Workers Starts Again
An association called Sun Field International Human Resources Training Association based in Saijo, eastern Ehime, had accepted 20-30 people from Indonesia and Vietnam every month until March. About 500 people who were trained through the association are working in Ehime and neighboring prefectures. Since April, however, new trainees have been stopped from entering Japan because of the restriction on immigration due to COVID-19. Recently the spread of coronavirus in Vietnam has been restrained relatively well, and so in August the Japanese Embassy in Hanoi resumed the procedure to give permission for 20 Vietnamese women to visit Japan, who were originally scheduled to come to Japan in April. Except for one person who declined, they spent 20 days in their country for health observation. They had PCR tests when leaving Vietnam and when reaching Japan on September 16. They were not allowed to use the public transportation, so they went by a chartered bus from Narita Airport to a hotel in Kochi prefecture, which accepted them for a 2-week quarantine, and on October 1 they arrived in Saijo. The following day they began full-scale training, including Japanese language and customs. They will be trained for one month and assigned to work at a food processing company outside of Ehime. On the other hand, the arrival of 27 people who were scheduled to enter Japan in May has been suspended, as well as 73 people who were selected online from June. It's also getting harder to reserve a hotel for quarantine as more people living in Japan are taking advantage of the "Go To Travel Campaign". As for Indonesian trainees, on October 1, a new agreement was signed between a supervising organization and a university, which is said to be a rare case in Japan. A public interest incorporated foundation called JMA and St. Catherine University (both in Matsuyama) signed a cooperative agreement for technical intern trainees from Indonesia in the field of care work. The University is supposed to train them and match them with nursing facilities or offices in Ehime. The foundation was authorized as a supervising organization by the national government in April, but business has been delayed due to the pandemic. It is expected to begin with about 10 Indonesia trainees next spring. (October 2,3 Ehime Shimbun) |
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People from Overseas Enjoy Touring the Shigenobu River Cycling Road
On September 26, a cycling tour was held for people from abroad living in Ehime Prefecture. On the tour, they enjoyed the Shigenobu River Cycling Road, a total length of 24.2 km, that spans four cities and towns including Toon. Twenty-seven international students and working adults from seven countries as well as prefectural office staff took the bicycle tour in three courses separately to enjoy the natural landscape and culture along the road. A 23-year-old student from China who has been studying at Ehime University since this spring said, "Of Ehime, I had a strong impression of the Seto Inland Sea, but today I have been surprised at the wonderful scenery along the river. Due to Covid-19, I have had few opportunities to go out, but fortunately today I could take a break and enjoy the tour." The Prefectural Chuyo Regional Bureau, the organizer of the tour, is now producing a cycling map for people from overseas, which should be available in early November. To help prepare the cycling map, some of the tour participants suggested that sections on safety and security should be included. Others commented that it was easy to ride on the flat course, and "I hope the map makes it easier to understand how to get to the cycling road and where we can rent a bicycle" and "It would be better if courses suitable for beginners and cyclists are shown".(October 2, Ehime Shimbun) |
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New Service on Dogo Onsen Website Starts on October 1
Matsuyama City started a new service on the Dogo Onsen website (https://dogo.jp/) on October 1 after a trial that began on September 15. The new service provides information, such as waiting times, to people visiting the Dogo Onsen Honkan bathhouse, Tsubaki-no-Yu bathhouse, and the Asuka-no-Yu bathhouse. The information can easily be checked on smartphones and other devices. The Dogo Onsen office hopes visitors can make effective use of their waiting time by using this new service. For the Dogo Onsen Honkan, "wait for 0 to 15 minutes" or "numbered tickets are being distributed” are displayed separately for the men's and women's baths. For Tsubaki-no-Yu and Asuka-no-Yu (the first floor bathing room for men and women, the second floor large hall, the second floor private room, and the second floor special bathing room), visitors can see the approximate waiting time such as "wait for 0 to 15 minutes" or "wait for 30 to 60 minutes". The capacity of the three buildings is now limited to half as a measure against Covid-19: 20 men and 20 women for the Honkan, and 30 men and 30 women each for Tsubaki-no-Yu and Asuka-no-Yu. To avoid people having to wait in line and the entrance becoming crowded, the Honkan issues numbered tickets so visitors can select the time, and Asuka-no-Yu uses a calling system. In September, the Honkan issued numbered tickets every day during the four consecutive days of the holiday. The new service is operated by the Dogo Consortium which manages the Dogo Onsen official website as a designated administrator of Tsubaki-no-Yu and Asuka-no-Yu. (September 30, Ehime Shimbun) Additional: At this stage, information about the waiting time is available on only the Japanese-language page. |
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Matsuyama International Center |