NEWSWORTHY
Growth in number of visitors to Japan remains slow in August due to natural disasters
The estimated number of visitors to Japan in August rose 4.1 percent from a year earlier to 2,577,800, marking slow growth due to recent disasters in the country as well as scorching summer heat, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. A powerful earthquake in ...
'Tourists' evacuated by boat for first time in Tokyo earthquake drill
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Sunday conducted a disaster drill based on a scenario in which a powerful earthquake strikes the capital. The exercise was the first to involve the evacuation of foreign tourists by ship. To transport visitors from abroad, the government used vessels ...
Foreign visitors to Japan hit 20 million this year at record pace
The number of foreign visitors to Japan has reached an estimated 20 million in 2018 at its quickest annual pace, particularly helped by Chinese tourists, the government said Monday. The figure topped the 20 million mark last Wednesday, one month earlier than the previous record ...
Wannabe ninja swamp Japan town with job inquiries after viral mix-up
The city of Iga, in Mie Prefecture, has been left fighting off wannabe ninja after a news report on local labor shortages that suggested it wanted to hire the traditional assassins went viral. Iga was featured in a report by American radio station NPR this ...
Number of foreign visitors to Japan up 15.6% in first half of 2018
The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan from January to June rose 15.6 percent from the same period a year earlier to 15.89 million, a record for the first half of the year, the Japan Tourism Agency said Wednesday. If the pace of increase ...
Host city reps for Rugby World Cup brainstorm ways to draw tourists to Japan
Representatives of the 12 cities hosting matches for Rugby World Cup in 2019 met in Tokyo for the first time Monday to discuss ways to draw fans to their tourist spots during the 44-day sporting event. The tournament scheduled between Sept. 20 and Nov. 2 ...
Kyoto ramps up crackdown on illegal P2P lodging after sluggish start to minpaku law
Police and city officials on Monday agreed to increase closures of illegal private lodging facilities just 10 days after a new national law restricting their operation took effect.
Japan manufacturers boosted by higher demand for toilet paper from surge in foreign tourists
Paper manufacturers were anticipating the industry would shrink due to Japan's declining population, but are instead expanding output due to an unexpected boost from tourism and the increased demand for toilet paper that has followed. An industry official said the current situation was unforeseeable "10 ...
As tourism numbers spike, Japan's hospitals face payment and language challenges
For a Filipino man visiting Tokyo in May last year, the tour of the capital was supposed to be a fun sightseeing trip. But the man collapsed after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage and was rushed to NTT Medical Center Tokyo in Shinagawa Ward for an ...
Japan adopts steps to support hospitals in treating foreign tourists
In recent years emergency hospitals in Japan have suffered financial losses after foreign tourists without insurance coverage found it difficult to pay fees for medical care.
Tokyo opens free 24-hour multilingual call center to help tourists get around language barrier
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government opened a call center Friday for foreign visitors to improve communication with businesses and other organizations of interest. The center, the first of its kind, will be open 24 hours a day and provide guidance and translation services in English, Chinese ...
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 ...
