CBSA prepares for Canada and US Independence Day weekend travel surge

With Canada Day and US Independence Day approaching, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has shared a reminder and expected border procedures for travelers in order to have a smoother trip traveling between the two countries.

According to the reminder issued on Monday, CBSA employees will be monitoring travelers to ensure the prevention of entry of harmful goods into Canada.

CBSA says that its employees facilitated the arrival of over 60 million travelers in 2022 while keeping more than 1,100 firearms and 24,400 prohibited weapons off the streets and seized over 41,000 kg of illegal drugs.

To ensure a smooth border crossing experience, CBSA recommends considering the following tips:


Plan ahead: Check the border wait times web page and avoid traveling during the peak hours – Monday of holiday long weekends tend to be the busiest – instead, cross the border during non-peak hours such as early in

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Shiroiya Hotel Leads the Revitalization Movement in Maebashi

Qthe story of Shiroiya Hotel started during the Edo period, when Maebashi was best known as a strategic castle town. When Japan opened its ports to foreign trade in the mid-19th century, Maebashi flourished as a leading manufacturer and exporter of silk. The city’s prosperity drew the exclusive clientele to the then-called Shiroiya Ryokan, including members of the former Imperial family, and influential artists such as novelist Ogai Mori. This continued until the 1970s, when Shiroiya Ryokan pivoted to the hospitality business.

In 2008, the establishment closed its doors, putting an end to its 300-year history. The landmark was to be completely torn down and possibly replaced by a condominium tower. Some community-minded youths reached out to Maebashi native and current CEO of Jins Holdings Hitoshi Tanaka to see if he could help. He decided to buy the ryokan with his own money — and without any hospitality experience.

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A dream New York tour turns into a Montreal airport nightmare for NL teens

Air Canada is apologizing for a situation that saw nearly three dozen teenagers from Conception Bay North, along with their five adult chaperones, stranded for three days in Montreal, dashing their hopes of visiting New York City.

The travel company that arranged the tour, henceforth, is not commenting.

But despite the unpleasant experience, the students remain determined to one day visit the city that’s famous for its arts scene and iconic landmarks.

In a statement to CBC News, an unnamed Air Canada spokesperson blamed unfavorable weather conditions and a shortage of air crew for what the airline described as a regrettable situation.

And since most flights are booked because of the busy summer travel season, the airline said its ability to rebook customers following a flight cancellation is limited, especially for large groups.

“As a result, we were unable to transport these customers as planned and we have apologized for

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Headed to see Ed Sheeran at Gillette Stadium this weekend? Here’s what you need to know

Concert tickets? Check.

Clear bag approved by Gillette Stadium? Check.

Excited to see Ed Sheeran perform live in front of all his fans? Check.

Fans are getting ready to see Ed Sheeran this weekend, when he returns to Gillette Stadium on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday morning, Gillette Stadium announced that John Mayer will replace Khalid as the opener for Friday’s show before Little Big Town does the following for Saturday’s show.

Shows start at 6 pm, with parking lots scheduled to open at 2 pm Gates will open at 4 pm

Record-breaking concert season on deck at Gillette. Here’s a look at what stars are coming to town

Gillette Stadium officials are reminding concert attendees to allow plenty of time to travel to the venue.

“The Friday concert will coincide with commuter traffic, so please plan accordingly,” Gillette Stadium said in a statement. “Traffic restrictions will be in place

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Japan Book Review: Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda

How do you describe the indescribable? Riku Onda’s Honeybees and Distant Thunder makes a valiant attempt to do just this when portraying the universal language of music and its effect on listeners. While music is something that everyone can understand, it can be hard to pin down and put into words. Onda’s book does this with rich poetry (if occasionally a little verbose), creating a strong emotional connection from the start.

From Murders to Music

Onda’s musical novel Honeybees and Distant Thunder was a smash hit when it first came out in 2017, snapping up both the Naoki Prize and Japan Booksellers’ Award the same year. Its popularity sparked the production of the 2019 film Listen to the Universewhich was well received by domestic audiences. Honeybees and Distant Thunder is Onda’s third book to be translated into English, this time with Haruki Murakami veteran Philip Gabriel taking the

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Tsukikageya by Natsuki Shigeta: Yukata With an Attitude

An alternative yukata designer and queen of do-your-own-thing, Natsuki Shigeta is a well-loved presence in the subculture fashion world in Harajuku and beyond. “I didn’t study this, I’m just winging it,” she said candidly when we met her at Tsukikageya, her shop and studio in Shibuya’s Tomigaya district. Shigeta is unmissable with her beehive hairdo and impossibly long pink nails. She can often be seen in a yukata with a bling-bling obi belt. Her friends sometimes kindly call her the “Japanese Amy Winehouse.”

We invited Shigeta to the TW May-June 2023 issue party on June 9 to do a pop-up shop and exhibit. Spending the day with her, we got to learn about her life and her philosophy.

natsuki shigeta yukata designer

Photo by ©Niccolò Berretta

Tsukikageya Origins

“Tsukikage” is “moonlight” in English, while “ya” means “store.” However, the meaning of the name goes a little deeper than that. “Tsuki,” meaning “moon,” is also

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Jamie West pushes for an increase in Northern Health Travel Grant

Sudbury MPP told the Ontario Legislature that the mileage rates and hotel allowances are not sufficient to cover travel costs

Sudbury MPP Jamie West is pushing the Ontario government to make the Northern Health Travel Grant more accessible for financially strapped patients who may not be able to afford the up-front costs for medical travel.

Speaking at Queen’s Park Thursday during the final Question Period for the current sitting of the Legislature, West said many Northerners need to travel to Southern Ontario to receive specialized medical treatment that might not be available to them at home.

In order to qualify for the medical travel grant, a Northern Ontario patient must fill out a form to determine if they qualify for financial assistance. Patients must fill out a new and separate application form for each trip they take. Under the current system, patients must pay for trips and accommodation on their

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The Nature of Kyoto: Writers in Kyoto Anthology

Japan’s ancient capital is loved as much for its nature as for its culture. The myriad of temples are revered for their stunning green gardens as much as they’re respected for their venerable history. Anyone sitting on the banks of the Kamo River flowing through Kyoto would agree that the city has maintained an enabling balance of the natural and the urban. Coincidentally, that is exactly where the fifth anthology of the Writers in Kyoto (WiK) had its al fresco book launch this May.

Coming out of a pandemic, I’d be remiss not to remark on the fact that so many of us turned to nature more than ever, whether it was the plant-buying craze, or the walks and picnics. WiK too have selected nature as a theme of their fifth anthology. This refers both to the physical nature around us, but also to the “inner nature,” or the spirit

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Peek Inside the TW May-June 2023 Issue Party

Cheers to another party that brought together the people who make up the TW community, whether it’s the editors, writers, photographers, interviewees, or readers and supporters of our magazine. On June 9 we all gathered in Or, Miyashita Park, to chat, flip through the TW May-June 2023 issue and have the best time.

Among the many lovely people who could come this time, we welcome the drag performer Endigo of Ru Paul Drag Race Sweden fame, one of the interviewees in this issue, as well as Kat Joplin who interviewed them. We mingled with the chefs from Park Hyatt, actor Luna Fujimoto, fellow event masters from Artedly, Roses and Castles, Ragtag Socials and more.

There were five DJs on the decks throughout the night, taking us on a musical rollercoaster. The master of funky vibes, Harro started things off with a dose of funkadelic bliss. Up next were Or’s

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Sanctuary is Netflix’s Imperfect Love Letter to Sumo

Netflix’s Sanctuary is a rare thing in Japanese entertainment: a fictional story about sumo. There’s a reason why we don’t see many of those, and it’s because sumo isn’t just a sport. Its origins go back to prehistoric religious dances, and even today, sumo referees act as Shinto priests when they consecrate the ring before tournaments. That’s what the title of the drama show alludes to: that the dohyo sumo ring is a sacred sanctuary and that sumo itself is partly a religious ceremony.

Sumo, however, is also a world full of scandals, and as such, it would be hard to build a gripping, hard-hitting narrative about real sumo that wouldn’t feel like an attack on Japanese wrestling. So instead, Sanctuary praises sumo at every turn, does no deep dives into it, and overlooks its many real problems.

The Show’s Voice of Reason is an Annoying Outsider Who Must

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