YouTube – Author Carlo Carrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 124

February 18, 2026February 15, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Tremors Revisited And Explained – By today’s standards, Tremors is a classic among monster movies (AKA creature features) Hollywood released. With the way it was written and presented, Tremors is always fun to watch again. I have seen it many times and yet it is worth repeating from start to finish. Behind the scenes, there were a lot of stuff, adjustments and unexpected developments that happened during production. If you wish to see such stuff, watch and learn from the Tremors videos of Represent This below.

#2 A Look At Excalibur In Las Vegas –I never had the opportunity to visit Excalibur in Las Vegas. During its first several years of operation, Excalibur welcomed countless tourists with its fantasy-themed atmosphere, designs, facilities and entertainment. Imagine having a meal while watching two knights riding horses and performing a joust in front of you. Imagine seeing members of the hotel staff wearing fantasy costumes. Like Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, Excalibur was a fine hotel that catered to families while still having casinos for gamblers. To learn more about what Excalibur was and what made it stand out among the hotels of Las Vegas, watch the video below.

#3 Meals At The Expressway In Japan – How often do you stop for a meal when traveling along a major highway? In many parts of the world, highways or expressways have clusters of gas stations, convenience stores, groceries and restaurants for travelers who need some relief from the stress of long travel. For many travelers, traveling far while being hungry can be a problem. In recent times, Nippon TV posted a video about meals and food items that travelers can find along expressways and the variety is interesting to see. Watch and learn from the video below.

#4 Cleopatra Movie Revisited – Way back in 1963, the movie Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was released. The historical epic was made at a staggering cost of $44 million which was almost three times more expensive than 1959’s Ben-Hur. Behind the scenes, 20^th Century Fox was in very deep financial trouble and many hard business risks were taken to make Cleopatra. Elizabeth Taylor, who signed a record-setting $1 million contract for the film, had health problems that added to the delay of the production. The film even lost its original movie director. To learn more about the history and the behind-the-scenes intrigue of Cleopatra, watch the video below.

#5 Innerspace Revisited – Innerspace (stylized as InnerSpace) from 1987 is a fun movie to watch and it has fine performances from Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Martin Short. That said, it is not surprising to see Innerspace featured in reaction videos and retrospective videos by YouTubers. For your enjoyment, watch the videos below.

#6 Breath Of Fire Retrospective – When Breath of Fire was first released in 1993, it was a surprising Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) as it had a somewhat fresh concept and it was released by Capcom (already famous for fighting games). The first game was successful enough to convince Capcom to make sequels (released on other game consoles as technology evolved) achieving varying degrees of critical and commercial success. Going back to the original game, some wondered what made it notable and how the game came to be. To find out the history of Breath of Fire and what its story was about, watch the video below.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 123

February 13, 2026February 12, 2026carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Dawn Of The Dead Remake Revisited – Back in 2004, I saw the Dawn of the Dead remake inside a cinema located inside a shopping mall here in the Philippines. The Zack Snyder-directed film only inspired me to look for the 1978 original version of Dawn of the Dead directed by the late George Romero. The only thing the two films have in common is the concept of desperate people taking refuge inside a shopping mall during a zombie apocalypse. Zack Snyder’s film was more about violent action with horror elements blended with it. As Snyder went on to direct high-profile DC Comics superhero movies and produced other such projects of Warner Bros., it was natural for film buffs to gravitate to 2004’s Dawn of Dead which was his directorial debut. To learn more about the said remake and see the cinematic elements that formed the style of Snyder, watch the videos below.

#2 Premium Sushi, Hearty Tempura And Wagyu Beef For Breakfast In Japan –If you were traveling overseas, how hungry do you get when you start the day? Would you go for a simple and affordable breakfast or would you want something special in the morning? In Tokyo, there are these food joints that offer customers a luxurious breakfast with Wagyu beef, special tempura and premium sushi to name some. Already, local and foreign tourists are flocking to such food joints for the premium breakfast experience and you can learn more from the Nippon TV videos below.

#3 The Different Versions Of Final Fantasy VI – Among all the many Final Fantasy games released since 1987, Final Fantasy VI is still my favorite of them all. I first played the classic Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) on Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1994 which was titled “Final Fantasy III”, and it has a great epic story, a huge cast of playable characters, lots of unique gameplay features and great game design. Through the decades, Final Fantasy VI was ported to many consoles, mobile devices and even on personal computer. You might be wondering which version of Final Fantasy VI is the best in terms of visual quality, which one is the most available and which one is the most updated version. That said, you can find out by watching the video below.

#4 Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest Revisited – When Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest was first released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987, many fans who enjoyed the first game were alienated by how different the sequel felt, looked and played. It still was horror-themed 2D adventure game with Simon Belmont as the playable protagonist again but the creative team of Konami implemented role-playing elements and open-world exploration into the gameplay. Major game design changes aside, Castlevania II still has a lot more than meets the eye and you can find out by watching the video below. Surely it will challenge what you know about Simon Belmont and the Castlevania lore.

#5 Why Feminists Support Islam – Let’s be very clear here. Islam is a truly ugly religion and it is incompatible not only with Western democracy and values, but also with several other cultures around the world. The strange thing is that modern-day feminists actually support Islam even though the ugly religion itself goes against women’s rights, against personal liberty and against freedom as we know it. In the video below, Ayaan Hirsi Ali explains in detail why mainstream feminists today support Islam, why feminism today is very twisted and why feminists even aligned themselves with Islamic terrorists.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 122

February 11, 2026February 11, 2026carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Timecop Revisited – I am not a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme but his 1994 movie Timecop managed to entertain me when I first saw it on home video. After watching it, I learned that it was based on the Timecop literary property and stories published by Dark Horse Comics. Directed by Peter Hyams, Timecop ended up as one of the better movies of JCVD and it even has its own fanbase. If you want to discover more about the cinematic Timecop, watch the videos posted below.

#2 Inhumanoids Revisited –I remember seeing some episodes of the animated TV series Inhumanoids on local TV and I can say it was easily the most bizarre and even shocking thing to watch. Inhumanoid has a very dark and even cynical tone, and it had gruesome scenes which were really disturbing to see. Behind the scenes, Inhumanoids was animated by Japan-based Toei and involved Hasbro, Sunbro and even Marvel Productions. To find out what made Inhumanoids so disturbing, watch the video below and pay attention to the details.

#3 Luxurious Breakfast Spots In Tokyo – Have you ever thought about having a luxurious breakfast while traveling overseas? In Tokyo, Japan’s most famous city, there are indeed places where visitors can have breakfast with the premium experience. These luxurious places have something unique to offer to customers who have more than enough money to spend for the morning meal. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

#4 Remember The Rotoscoped Lord Of The Rings – Decades before Peter Jackson and his team rocked the world of moviegoers with memorable Lord of the Rings film trilogy, an animated LOTR was actually made. I am talking about the 1978 rotoscoped animated film The Lord of The Rings directed by Ralph Bakshi which I first saw on home video after seeing Peter Jackson’s LOTR. I found the 1978 LOTR a really unique animated viewing experience and it definitely involved a lot of production work without any use of computers. To find out more about the animated LOTR film, watch the video below.

#5 You, Me and The Movies React To Can’t Hardly Wait – When Can’t Hardly Wait was shown in cinemas in 1998, it faded away as not enough moviegoers were attracted watch it. However, the movie did not fade into obscurity and it actually got new fans as it was discovered on home video, cable TV, pay-per-view and streaming. More importantly, the movie itself was pretty funny the cast led by Jennifer Love Hewitt delivered fine performances as teenagers. Slowly but surely, new retrospective videos about Can’t Hardly Wait are emerging on YouTube and the most entertaining video is the reaction by You, Me and The Movies which I encourage you to watch right now.

#6 Square Enix In The 2000s – Back in the 1990s, Squaresoft and Enix were separate Japanese gaming companies that released a lot of Japanese role-playing games (KRPGs) which entertained many millions of gamers. Square was famous for the best-selling Final Fantasy games while Enix had the wildly popular Dragon Quest franchise. In the 2000s, a series of changes happened in the video game industry and the two companies merged into Square Enix. Since then, a lot of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games with evolved designs and styles of presentation were released under a single publisher. There is a lot more to discover what happened behind the scenes as documented in the in-depth video below from Gaming Broductions.

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Better than Streaming: Armour Of God 4K Blu-Ray Coming Out This Year

February 9, 2026February 3, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!

If you are very fond of the iconic Jackie Chan and if you enjoy adventures and 1980s entertainment, then you should watch out for the 4K Blu-ray of the 1986 film Armour of God which will be released later this year. A firm release date for June 2026 has yet to be announced and there is no listing of it on Amazon as of this writing.

*One of the many movie posters of Armour of God. (source – IMDB.com)*

The Armour of God 4K Blu-ray will be handled by 88 Films, the same company behind the 4K Blu-ray of Police Story 3: Supercop. To see what Armour of God has to offer, watch the YouTube clip below.

Posted below are the technical details of Armour of God 4K Blu-ray from its Blu-ray.com page.

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)

HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio – TBA

Subtitles – English, English SDH

Discs– 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Disc, Two-disc set (1 BD-100, 1 BD-50)

Packaging – Slipbox, Reversible cover, Booklet, Figure/replica/props/memorabilia included

Playback – 4K Blu-ray: Region free, 2K Blu-ray: Region B

The first time I saw Armour of God was on home video sometime in 1987. Having seen some Jackie Chan films already at the time, I noticed that Armour of God was distinct as it has much stronger adventure elements clearly inspired by the Indiana Jones movies. The movie was also memorable for having extensive on-location shooting in different parts of Europe. As seen in the above YouTube video, dangerous stunts and action sequences were also filmed on-location with the involvement of many extras. That said, it was a notable change from seeing Jackie Chan in a movie with an urban setting or in an ancient Asian setting.

As it is filled with a lot of action, thrilling chases and dangerous stunts, Armour of God is widely remembered for the painful accident in which Jackie Chan fell down several meters from a tree (after grabbing a branch that broke) resulting in a cracked skull for the actor. This accident happened during the 2^nd attempt of a risky stunt. The footage of the accident was actually shown during the end credits of the movie.

*This is one of the many dangerous stunts of the movie.*

Ultimately, I had a lot of fun watching Armour of God and even replayed the movie many years later on cable TV by chance. Believe it or not, Jackie Chan and Eric Tsang were the directors of the film and clearly their crew worked hard to deliver the thrills. This is the kind of movie that nobody in Hollywood can make!

If the 4K Blu-ray of Armour of God turns out with high quality, I just might consider it for a potential purchase. Here is hoping 88 Films will make a high-quality 4K Blu-ray of the movie.

If wish to learn more details about the upcoming Armour of God 4K Blu-ray, click https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Armour-of-God-4K-Blu-ray/405757/

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts from around the world and talk about cinema, cinematic trends, Blu-ray releases and more relevant stuff, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 121

February 4, 2026February 1, 2026carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Discover Shiriyaki Onsen In Japan’s Kanto Region – Japan has a lot of wonderful sites and special places of nature that are worth visiting. Within the Kanto region (which contains Tokyo) is the wonderful place called Shiriyaki Onsen which stands out nicely among the hot springs there. Nippon TV recently produced a feature of the place and you can find out more by watching the video below.

#2 Disasters That Hit Cruise Ships And Troubled The Passengers –Spending days at sea on a cruise ship can be a nice way of having a vacation with momentum. However, bad weather conditions can ruin such vacations. Worse, the cruise could turn into bouts of danger and already there have been cruise ships that got hit hard with bad weather at sea which in turn placed the passengers in deep danger. Even as they are inside the cruise ship during powerful storms and big waves at sea, passengers and the crew have to deal with interior damage, falling debris and furniture that moved a lot. You can learn about what happened to the unfortunate ones at sea by watching the video below.

#3 You, Me and the Movies React To Orca: The Killer Whale – When Steven Spielberg and Universal Pictures struck box office gold with Jaws in 1975, it was not surprising that many filmmakers and producers scrambled to cash in on the “creature feature” trend of movies at that time. Indeed, there were imitations or “monster movies” that were inspired by Jaws released during the late 1970s. One of those films was Orca: The Killer Whale (AKA Orca) which had a lot of similarities with Spielberg’s massive blockbuster due to it featuring an aquatic monster and having the sea as the main environment. Still, Orca has certain creative elements that made it stand out in a very disturbing way and its cast has Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling and Bo Derek. To find out about Orca, watch the movie reaction video below.

#4 The Monster Squad Revisited – What can be said about The Monster Squad? The 1987 movie directed by Fred Dekker was a failure in the American box office and yet it still has a dedicated fan base. A lot of people who support the movie point to its monster lineup composed of horror movie icons like Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, the mummy, the wolfman and the creature from the black lagoon. As such, it is not surprising to see YouTubers make retrospective features and reaction/review videos about The Monster Squad which have been posted below for your viewing.

#5 The Many Ports Of Final Fantasy IV – Since it was first released in Japan on the Super Famicom, Final Fantasy IV became a critical and commercial success. It was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in America titled as “Final Fantasy II” which further expanded the game’s reach with many gamers who don’t understand Japanese. Furthermore, the classic Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) was ported to multiple systems through the decades and it even had a 3D polygonal remake on the Nintendo DS. To find out the many ports of Final Fantasy IV and which ones stood out technically and visually, watch and learn from the video below.

#6 Ranting For Vengeance Hits Woke Hijackers On Resident Evil – Let us be very clear here. The woke/socialist/LGBTQ/commie/SJW mob cannot help but be very loud with their twisted ideology and they simply cannot stop themselves from literally hijacking pop culture as we know it. In this case, the Leftists are trying to claim the Resident Evil games franchise for themselves and they are only getting worse as the release of Resident Evil Requiem moves closer. In response to this, Ranting For Vengeance posted three RE-related videos, slammed the woke mob and exposed who the fake fans are. You can find out more by watching his videos below.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 120

January 28, 2026January 23, 2026carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Tremors Revisited – The first time I ever saw the 1990 monster adventure movie Tremors was on home video. The movie turned out to be more thrilling and more enjoyable than I expected, and eventually I replayed it a number of times on cable TV and DVD in the years after. There is already a 4K Blu-ray of Tremors that I have yet to acquire. For me, Tremors is still a significant movie to watch again and its concept of having huge monsters that travel underground is still engaging to see. As the 1990 became a massive success AFTER its not-so-hot theatrical run (note: it achieved massive success on home video sales/rentals, cable TV and the like), Tremor is now a popular part of American pop culture and it is not surprising to see many retrospective YouTube videos about it. Posted below for your enjoyment are videos I selected.

#2 Luxury Food In Japan Sold At Bargain Rates –In Japan, there a certain types of food that are often sold at high prices in relation to their quality, availability and other socio-economic factors. Wagyu beef, for example, is a premium meat that recently has been in high demand in Japan as the very high number of foreign tourists are buying and consuming it there. Still, there are times when premium food items are temporarily sold with low prices that locals can take advantage of. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

#3 How MIT Students Used Math to Win Millions of Dollars From Casinos – When you visit a casino, you often see people placing their bets in different games of gambling. Among the most popular forms of gambling is the card game which often requires discipline, precision and luck to win. Believe it or not, there were students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who were trained to win in card games with an emphasis on mathematics, discipline and teamwork. Decades ago, these students played in many casinos and won tens of millions of Dollars over a period of years before law enforcement and technology ended their streak. Watch and learn what happened in the video below.

#4 The Rise Of Solo Dining In South Korea – Have you been in South Korea over the past twelve months? Due to the rise of single-person households in the country, solo dining became a new trend there and there seems to be no sign of it slowing down. Watch the video below to discover what solo dining is and what created it.

#5 Final Fantasy IV Revisited – Final Fantasy IV is the first-ever Final Fantasy game I ever played as well as one of the very first Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) I played. The story had solid structure, the characters were memorable, the gameplay was challenging yet fun, and the fantasy settings were special. Released in America as “Final Fantasy II” on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the game succeeded commercially and critically, and it paved the way for the greater acceptance of JRPGs on consoles in the West. To learn more about Final Fantasy IV and why it is significant, watch the video below.

#6 Ranting For Vengeance Slams New Lara Croft – Recently a new live-action version of the video game icon Lara Croft was revealed with actress Sophie Turner playing her. This early, long-time fans of Croft and the Tomb Raider video game franchise in general rejected the newest live-action version. Ranting for Vengeance posted his own video reacting to Sophie Turner’s Lara Croft, explaining the legacy of the Tomb Raider franchise, and standing up for the long-time fans. His video is indeed critical but you have to watch it entirely to fully understand his reaction and logic. The video will also remind you that there is a woke mob out there and they are becoming the FAKE FANS of established entertainment franchises and icons.

#7 Silent Hill Movie Revisited – Just seven years after the release of the original Silent Hill video game, a live-action movie was released with the same title. While the early Silent Hill video games were critical and commercial hits, the effort to make an official film adaptation did not start immediately. In fact, Christophe Gans sent to Konami a video interview of himself (talking about Silent Hill) with Japanese subtitles which eventually convinced the publisher to award him the film rights. The Silent Hill movie did not gather much appreciation from film critics but it still succeeded in entertaining many moviegoers with its unique approach to horror and suspense. To see and feel the impact of the Silent Hill film and discover its production history, watch the videos below.

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Philippines Attracted 5.94 Million Foreign Tourists And 543K Overseas Filipinos In 2025

January 22, 2026January 22, 2026carlocarrasco

Finally, the Department of Tourism (DOT) revealed that 5.94 million foreign tourists and over 543,000 returning overseas Filipinos arrived in the Philippines in 2025 resulting in tourism revenue of P694 billion, according to a news release by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

For insight, the Philippines attracted 5,940,975 foreign visitors in 2025 which is 8,375 less compared with 2024’s foreign visitors. Ultimately, the Philippines is still behind many of its Southeast Asian neighbors on international tourism for 2025.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of the PNA. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines recorded 6.4 million foreign visitors and returning overseas Filipinos in 2025, generating an estimated PHP694 billion in tourism receipts, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Tuesday.

Citing Bureau of Immigration data, the DOT said 5,940,975 were foreign visitors, including cruise passengers and categories not fully captured in eTravel.

Another 543,085 were returning overseas Filipinos, bringing total inbound arrivals to 6,484,060.

The DOT said preliminary international visitor spending was estimated at PHP694 billion.

While arrivals remain below pre-pandemic levels in 2019, the DOT said the outcome was achieved despite global and domestic challenges, including travel alerts from key markets and fiscal constraints.

The agency said tourism performance should not be measured by arrivals alone, citing strong domestic travel, value creation and job generation.

Guided by the National Tourism Development Plan 2023–2028, the DOT said it remains focused on improving connectivity, safety, workforce skills and service standards.

For insight as to why the Philippines is having a lot of trouble attracting visitors from abroad, watch the YouTube videos below.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you agree with the Department of Tourism’s claim that tourism performance should not be measured by arrivals alone while the Philippines keeps on falling behind its Southeast Asian neighbors that attracted a lot more foreign tourists? Do you think the DOT should examine closely how satisfied or dissatisfied foreign tourists really are before they leave the country? Are you tired of seeing the Philippines failing to hit its annual international tourist arrival targets?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 119

January 21, 2026January 18, 2026carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Minty Comedic Arts’ Look At The E.T. Video Game – When it comes to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, it is always remembered as the very heart-warming Steven Spielberg film about a troubled little boy (played by Henry Thomas) who befriends an alien from outer space. It was also one of the highest grossing movies of the 1980s. Along the way, an official video game adaptation was made for the Atari 2600 which ultimately got rejected by gamers and the parents who bought it, which added to Atari’s financial problems. Recently, Minty Comedic Arts posted a comprehensive video about the E.T. video game and I encourage you all to watch it now.

#2 Island Of Cats –Have you ever visited a place that had more cats than people? There is one particular island in Japan with such a huge cat population and there you will see how many types of cats are present. The island, which is accessible by boat, has no guest houses, no stores and no vending machines. Watch and learn from the video below.

#3 Arrogant Palestinian Heckler Humiliated – Recently there was an event graced by a Jewish CEO. He got heckled by a Palestinian heckler who arrogantly ranted against him, cursed Israel, cursed the Jewish people and more. That heckler got humiliated and if you want to know how, watch the video below. Pay close attention to the details.

#4 RoboCop 3 Revisited – When my friends and I saw RoboCop 3 in 1993, it was clear to us that the film was badly made, was not very cinematic, and it was inferior to its predecessors in almost every way. Still, there are some people out there who find it interesting or even entertaining. As such, it is not surprising that a variety of retrospective videos of RoboCop 3 can be found on YouTube. To find out more about the 1993 movie, watch the selected videos posted below.

#5 You, Me and The Movies React To The Fly (1958) – Some of you may have seen the 1986 film The Fly which was actually a remake of the original movie from 1958. Like some people here, I saw The Fly (1958) after seeing the 1986 version. If you want to discover The Fly of 1958 right now, watch the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies below. It is an entertaining reaction.

#6 Circus Circus Hotel and Casino Revisited – When I first visited Las Vegas in 1989, my family and I stayed at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino (for location, click here) which was a very lively and fun place for tourists and families. I myself enjoyed playing games are the hotel arcade, watching the indoor circus live shows and the buffet. Through the decades, Las Vegas changed a lot as more hotels and casinos emerged and offered visitors a more premium experience. Circus Circus has not changed much and it does not match the glamour of the more expensive joints, but it does not really need to as it remains focused on catering to families with kids, and to tourists who are not heavy spenders. Circus Circus is arguably the most wholesome place for people visiting Las Vegas and its more expensive rivals are themselves suffering from the high costs of operation and maintenance (note: the high price of being a premium joint). Watch and learn from the video below.

#7 US Senator John Hawley Destroys Pro-Transgender Doctor’s Credibility – What do you get when you have a medical practitioner who claims to follow the science but remains a prisoner of woke and Satanic Leftist ideology. One such practitioner appeared in front of US Senator John Hawley who asked her if men do get pregnant. To find out how her credibility got destroyed and how she embarrassed herself, watch the videos below.

#8 The Dashi Specialty Shop In Japan – In the Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan, there is a Dashi specialty store that opened a few months ago. Dashi is a fundamental Japanese soup stock made by very specific ingredients. As soup is very common in Japan, the Dashi store has the ingredients sourced from around the nation. To find out more what Dashi is and what the store looks like, watch the Nippon TV video below. It is an informative and educational watch.

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Japan Achieves New Record-Highs On Foreign Visitor Arrivals And Related Revenue In 2025

January 21, 2026January 20, 2026carlocarrasco

2025 is officially a year of tremendous tourism breakthroughs for Japan as a record 42.7 million foreign visitors were counted along with more than US$60 billion in related revenue, according to a news article by Kyodo News.

Overtourism has been going on in Japan for some time now and it does not seem to be slowing down even though there was a sharp drop of tourists from Communist China which was the result of increased tensions between China and Japan. As a lot more foreign tourists explored Japan, local businesses benefited in different ways but overcrowding, increased littering and acts of bad behavior by foreigners were reported.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of Kyodo News. Some parts in boldface…

Foreign visitors to Japan reached a record estimated 42.7 million in 2025, the government said Tuesday, with their spending also at a new all-time high of 9.5 trillion yen ($60.1 billion), thanks to a weaker yen and increased flights to Japan.

The preliminary figures also showed, however, a 45 percent drop in Chinese tourists in the month of December from a year prior to 330,000, tourism minister Yasushi Kaneko told a press conference. The fall came as an ongoing row between Japan and China appears likely to weigh on inbound travel trends in 2026.

The decline in Chinese visitors was the first fall since January 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism said, adding the government is monitoring the situation around Chinese visitors.

Overall visitors surpassed 40 million for the first time, and the estimated total was around 6 million people higher than for 2024. Kaneko said Japan will “engage in strategic Japan tourism promotion” amid a diversifying inbound market, highlighted by rising arrivals from Australia, Europe and the United States.

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have soured since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks in early November on a Taiwan contingency infuriated China.

The fallout has seen economic measures from China, including urging its people to refrain from visiting Japan, and some airlines reduced flights on Japan-China routes.

While the Japanese government has set a target of attracting 60 million foreign visitors a year by 2030, some popular sightseeing destinations are facing problems such as overcrowding and misbehavior by some tourists.

For added insight about tourism-related attractions, activities and trends in Japan, watch the Nippon TV videos below.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think Japan will be able to attract even more foreign tourists and be able to collect better revenues this year without China? If you plan to visit Japan this year, what is the purpose of the trip and where do you plan to visit?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Philippines Grants 14-Day Visa-Free Entry To Chinese Visitors

January 20, 2026January 17, 2026carlocarrasco

In what is clearly a bid to enhance tourism, investments and trade, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that Chinese nationals are being granted visa-free entry into the Philippines and they are allowed to stay up to fourteen days, according to a GMA Network news report.

The Philippines continues to fail to attract enough foreign tourists and the growth of the national economy clearly slowed down in recent times.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from news report of GMA News. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines is granting visa-free entry to Chinese nationals starting January 16 in its bid to increase Chinese trade, investments and tourists, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

Under the new policy, Chinese nationals may enter the Philippines without the requirement of obtaining a visa for a stay of up to 14 days.

“This is in line with the President’s directive to facilitate trade, investments, and tourism, as well as strengthen people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and China,” the DFA said in a statement.

Such visa-free entry arrangement will be in effect for one year and will be reviewed accordingly before it expires.

The visa-free privilege will be valid for entry only through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Cebu.

Upon arrival, Chinese nationals need to present a passport valid for at least six months beyond the intended stay, confirmed hotel accommodation/booking, and a return or onward ticket to the next country of destination.

“Chinese nationals traveling to the Philippines strictly for tourism or business purposes may avail of the new visa-free entry privilege,” the DFA said.

However, the DFA said visas (cannot) be extended beyond the allowable 14-day stay and is non-convertible to any other type of Philippine visa category.

For added context about the potential risks that come with attracting Chinese tourists, watch the video below.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think this new policy by the national government is the right move even though there is tension between Communist China and the Philippines? Does this new policy make the Philippines look very desperate to attract money from Chinese visitors? Are you concerned that criminal activities here in the Philippines will get worse as more Chinese tourists enter the country?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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