Japanese maglev is the fastest train in the world traveling at 603 Km per hour

Japan has to its credit of creating the Shinkansen high-speed rail line which opened in 1964. It was a perfect timing because it was in that year that Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics, and Japan took the opportunity to come to the limelight and debut the world's first commercial bullet train.
History would be repeated because in 2020, the Japanese capital will host the Summer Olympics, and the country will once again shatter rail records by launching the new Japanese maglev. It will be the fastest train in the world after traveling at 603 kilometers per hour on a test run near Mount Fuji last year. It has broken its own world record of 590 km per hour that had been set the previous week.
This has been reported in edition.cnn.com dated 4 November 2016.

Maglev trains are already operating at slower speeds in Shanghai and Changsha, in China, and Incheon, in South Korea. They make use of magnetic repulsion both to lift the train up from the ground (this reduces friction), and to propel it forward. Maglev is Japan's boldest rail innovation yet. As per plans, the Chuo Shinkansen maglev line will link Tokyo to the southern city of Nagoya in 40 minutes. This will be faster than flying, given the time it takes to get through an airport. The line would, later, be extended to Osaka. Incidentally, the 16-carriage train can shuttle 1,000 passengers along the 177 mile (286 km) track. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is a big fan of this project and he is proposing a route from Washington to New York - it will be at a speed that would be equivalent to that between Tokyo and Nagoya.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Around the world – tourism and tourists

All of us love to travel and, from the days of sailing ships to today’s cruise boats to taking the aerial route, tourism flourishes and new ideas keep cropping up to entice the traveler with attractive options.

China - An example reported in Daily Mail dated 28 March 2016 (1) is the Shanghai Disneyland. It is set to open on 16 June 2016 but, opening day tickets have already been sold out. It is billed as China's version of the happiest place on earth and is fast taking shape. The lofty 196-foot-tall castle and resort buildings are undergoing their final stages of construction.
Fans are excited about the developments and tickets for the June 16 opening day were sold out within hours of being listed on the company's official ticketing website. The excitement is visible from the fact that rooms are fully booked at the Toy Story Hotel and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel for the first two weeks.
Spread out over 963-acres, Shanghai Disneyland is the company's sixth park worldwide and it has promised that it will pay homage to traditional Chinese culture and also showcase Disney's favorite films.
For comparison, this Disneyland is eight times larger than Hong Kong Disneyland which occupies just 126-acre. But, Shanghai Disneyland cost $5.5billion to build and is labeled as the cheapest out of all the Disneyland resorts.
Tickets for off season visitors is 370 yuan (£39) and it will increase to 499 yuan (£51) during peak times.
The company expects to attract the 330million Chinese who reside within a three-hour train or car trip of Shanghai.

Japan - Ibnlive dated 13 March 2016 (2) has revealed that Japan wants to hire ninjas to promote tourism. Like every country in the world, it is keen to promote tourism and wants to recruit six full-time ninjas who have a way with words and can do backward handsprings.
The monthly salary would be about $1,600 a month and the requirement is that of Central Japan's Aichi prefecture. The task of these full-time ninjas -- the martial-arts masters and stealth special assassins of feudal times – would be to promote tourism in the area known for historic Nagoya castle.
Japan’s eyes are focused on promoting tourism as an economic growth driver ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The newly hired ninjas will get a one-year contract and will have to perform acrobatics, do backward handsprings and some dance moves and demonstrate the use of their trademark "shuriken" -- ninja star -- weapons and pose for photographs with tourists. The ideal candidates would be those who "enjoy being under the spotlight even though he or she is a secretive ninja".
Ability to speak in Japanese is preferable. However, non-Japanese individuals who are passionate about history and tourism would also be welcome because the troupe will, at times, have to perform in English. In short, they must be good at talking to promote tourism even though they are basically required to be secretive. They will have to go through a one-month training course in April.

Australia - Zeenews dated 4 March 2016 (3) has thrown light on the fact that Australia is turning out to be a favorite destination of Indians. The data furnished by Tourism Australia reveals that the total number of Indians visiting Australia has increased by 18.6 per cent in 2015. India, therefore, is the eighth largest inbound market for the continent nation.
The number rose to 233,100 last year as compared to 197,000 Indian tourists who visited Australia in 2014 and Australia has set a target of over 250,000 visitors from India who would be visiting the country's dramatic landscapes, culinary delights and culture.
As per statistics, last year, about 158,500 of Indians traveled to Australia for leisure while 26,400 went for business, 14,800 short-term education and 33,500 for other purposes. Out of the leisure travelers, 60,500 visitors were on holiday in December while 98,000 visited friends and relatives.
One reason for this fascination with Australia could be attributed to Bollywood movies and Hindi TV serials which had shot part of their episodes in Australia.

Ref 1 - Incredible aerial pictures show how Shanghai Disneyland is taking shape fast... as opening day tickets sell out within HOURS
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3512167/Incredible-aerial-pictures-Shanghai-Disneyland-taking-shape-fast-opening-day-tickets-sell-HOURS.html

Ref 2 - Japan region seeks 6 full-time 'ninjas' to promote tourism; should be able to do backward handsprings
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/world/japan-region-seeks-6-full-time-ninjas-to-promote-tourism-should-be-able-to-do-backward-handsprings-1215518.html

Ref 3 - Australia witnesses 18.6% rise from Indian tourists in 2015
http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/australia-witnesses-18-6-rise-from-indian-tourists-in-2015_1862256.html

Japan wants six full-time ninjas to promote tourism at salary of $1600 pm

Every country wants to promote tourism and Japan is no exception. It wants six full-time ninjas who have a way with words and can do backward handsprings. The monthly salary would be about $1,600 a month. The requirement is that of Central Japan's Aichi prefecture. It has said that it is hiring full-time ninjas -- the martial-arts masters and stealth special assassins of feudal times -- to promote tourism in the area known for historic Nagoya castle.
The target is to promote tourism as an economic growth driver ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
This has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 13 March 2016.

The newly hired ninjas will get a one-year contract and they will have to perform acrobatics, do backward handsprings and some dance moves and demonstrate the use of their trademark "shuriken" -- ninja star -- weapons and pose for photographs with tourists. The ideal candidates would be those who "enjoy being under the spotlight even though he or she is a secretive ninja".
In addition, ability to speak in Japanese is preferable. However, non-Japanese individuals who are passionate about history and tourism are welcome because the troupe will sometimes perform in English. In short, the ninjas must be good at talking to promote tourism even though ninjas are basically required to be secretive. They will have to go through a one-month training course in April.
Applications will be accepted until March 22 and men and women aged 18 or above of any nationality can apply. Incidentally, ninjas are mostly confined to history books and fiction but they are also used to promote Iga. This city located some 350-Km southwest of Tokyo near the ancient imperial capital of Kyoto that was once home to many ninjas.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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