NEWSWORTHY
Big money from small change: Small firms cash in on unused foreign currency at Japan's airports
Unused foreign bills and coins brought home by Japanese travelers as well as leftover yen nestling in the pockets of departing foreign visitors are creating business opportunities at the nation's airports. A Tokyo-based venture began setting up machines last year allowing travelers to exchange leftover ...
Major hotels are hoping displays of cherry blossoms will attract more overseas visitors at a time when the focus of tourists is shifting away from shopping toward cultural experiences. Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward is exhibiting a 5-meter-high arrangement of flowers in its ...
Japan eyes steps to avert medical problems involving tourists
Plans are underway to help hospitals and other medical institutions avoid payment and other problems related to tourists, including unpaid bills, government sources said Thursday. With Japan's tourism boom unabated, the government will soon launch a working group to discuss the matter and draft a ...
Pictograms on Japanese electric toilets approved as global standard
Pictograms on how to use Japanese electric toilets have been registered as a global standard in a step aimed at making such signs more familiar to the growing number of foreign tourists visiting the country. Six kinds of pictograms — showing instructions on which buttons ...
While the proposed admission fee is aimed at preventing gambling addiction among residents in Japan, tourists from overseas will be admitted to casinos free of charge.
Nara announces record number of deer bites as tourists flood in
Famed wild deer in the city of Nara appear to be growing increasingly frustrated with tourists who make them wait to munch on crackers while trying to frame the perfect photo.
Kanagawa to test free smartphone rentals for tourists
Kanagawa Prefecture will test a free smartphone rental service for foreign tourists from mid-February to the end of March as the country readies itself for an expected influx of overseas visitors in the run-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The prefecture plans ...
To address safety concerns amid an ambitious tourism campaign, the land ministry plans to use boats to get visitors to Haneda airport if a major quake cripples Tokyo’s transport system.
Kyoto shifts focus to wealthy tourists with yen for cultural immersion
The city of Kyoto, visited by over 50 million tourists each year, is making a greater effort to attract wealthy foreign travelers by offering cultural workshops to satisfy their appetite for deeper engagement with their destinations. With visitors already at record-high levels, the ancient capital ...
Amid spate of incidents, 'Mario Kart' drivers to be required to buckle up
Drivers of the now-ubiquitous go-karts reminiscent of Nintendo Co.'s "Mario Kart" video games will soon be required to buckle up for their safety. The government is working on a revision to the rules of the road for the drivers, who are mostly foreign tourists, which ...
Money from proposed tax would be used to assist Japanese abroad
The Japan Tourism Agency is considering using revenue from a proposed departure tax for measures to assist Japanese traveling abroad, including a system to quickly confirm their safety in times of emergency. The planned new tax, to be levied on all people departing from Japan, ...
Japan Tourism Agency to survey visitors from overseas about travel insurance
The Japan Tourism Agency will start a survey to check the number of visitors from abroad who have bought travel insurance, hoping to draw up measures to encourage more foreign visitors to get coverage, according to sources. Some visitors enter Japan without travel insurance, receive ...
