Decline in South Korean tourists takes toll on small Japanese firms
Head to the winding streets of Tokyo's trendy Omotesando district on any given day and you'll see young South Korean women taking selfies in front of popular cafes or snapping photos of their logo-emblazoned coffee cups. But behind that familiar scene, employees at those cafes ...
With Rugby World Cup in full swing, Beppu hot spring resort still divided over tattooed visitors
Hotels and bathhouses at the famed Beppu Onsen hot-spring resort in Oita Prefecture continue to be divided over whether to accept tattooed visitors. Tattoos are widely accepted in many countries, but in Japan the practice is often associated with yakuza and other crime group members. About ...
Tourists from overseas at a popular sightseeing spot in Kyoto are being reminded of etiquette via their smartphones in a pilot project that began Monday, after local residents complained about behavior such as taking pictures of geisha and their apprentice maiko without permission. The test ...
South Korean visitors to Japan down by half in August compared to last year
The number of South Korean visitors to Japan tumbled 48.0 percent in August from a year earlier, to 308,700, government data showed Wednesday, amid escalating tensions between the two neighbors over wartime history and trade policy. The estimated number of visitors from overseas fell 2.2 ...
Pressured by its struggling finances, Yokohama goes all in on casino bid
On a recent afternoon, Yamashita Park in Yokohama's waterfront was teeming with visitors — from lovey-dovey young couples to picnicking families and foreign tourists taking selfies in front of the ocean liner Hikawamaru, a museum ship permanently moored at the park. A short distance away, ...
Casino-hosting cities must help attract visitors from overseas, new draft government policy confirms
The government has released a draft policy to select cities capable of bringing more foreign visitors to the country as hosts of newly legalized casino resorts. Public opinions will be heard through Oct. 3, and the government will formally decide on the basic policy of ...
Late-night arrivals at Narita about to get easier with extra trains and buses
Narita International Airport, located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) outside of Tokyo, has always been something of a headache for travelers. A lack of off-hour transport options means passengers and staff on early and late flights can sometimes be left stranded. But that's about to ...
JR East and Tokyo Metro to debut special IC cards aimed at tourists
From Sunday, visitors to Japan will be able to go cashless while traveling across the country, with major rail operators set to release new rechargeable prepaid transportation IC cards for tourists. The Welcome Suica cards, to be offered by East Japan Railway Co., or JR ...
Narita Airport's electronic customs gates open to foreign visitors
Tokyo Customs on Tuesday started to make electronic customs declaration gates at Narita International Airport available to foreign nationals visiting Japan. The move came in response to the increasing number of foreign visitors ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics next summer. Previously, only Japanese ...
More than a quarter of Japanese municipalities have expressed concerns about potential problems resulting from an anticipated surge in the number of visitors to the country from overseas, a survey showed Sunday. While the central government has seen the tourism boom in recent years as ...
Chinese became largest foreign community in Okinawa in 2018, excluding U.S. military personnel
Chinese people became the largest group of foreign nationals living in Okinawa Prefecture in 2018, surpassing American residents — excluding personnel on U.S. military bases and their dependents — for the first time since a new calculation method was employed in 2012. As of the ...
South Korean passengers to Narita down more than a third this summer amid Tokyo-Seoul tensions
The number of South Koreans who entered Japan via Narita Airport for short stays during the summer holiday period from Aug. 9 to 18 totaled 12,260, down 34.7 percent from the same period a year earlier, a government bureau announced Friday. The drop in travelers, ...
