Tag - tourism

 
 

TOURISM

Climbers on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, in July. The prefecture implemented a ¥2,000 fee per climber starting last year, while neighboring Shizuoka Prefecture is planning to collect ¥4,000 per climber starting in 2025.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2024
Shizuoka Prefecture aims to collect ¥4,000 from all Mount Fuji climbers
The proposal for an entry fee for Japan's highest mountain is designed to ease congestion at the site and prevent dangerous attempts to scale the peak.
The JR Kyushu group has been working on raising safety awareness among employees, repairing the ship and enhancing governance, with the aim of resuming the Queen Beetle high-speed passenger ship operations.
JAPAN
Dec 13, 2024
JR Kyushu may end South Korea ship route over water leak scandal
JR Kyushu Jet Ferry covered up water ingress on the Queen Beetle high-speed passenger ship for more than three months.
A protester wears a mask depicting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a rally calling for his impeachment, in Seoul, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / ANALYSIS
Dec 12, 2024
South Korea's soft power gains at risk from extended political crisis
How the country — a top global destination for medical and plastic surgery tourism — gets through the period of uncertainty will impact foreign visitor numbers.
The town of Futaba is still dealing with the effects of 3/11, but that isn't stopping some residents from looking forward.
LIFE / Travel
Dec 7, 2024
Futaba pivots to 'hope tourism' to revive its fortunes
Whether you’re a long-term resident of Japan or flying in for a holiday, the message is clear: Futaba welcomes you.
Passengers at the check-in counters of Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Jan. 3. The average budget for domestic trips during the upcoming year-end and New Year holiday period is estimated to hit a record high for the second straight year.
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2024
Domestic travel budget for holiday period projected to hit record
The increase reflects soaring accommodation costs and growing demand for travel to distant destinations, JTB said.
Passengers line up at Narita Airport to board a flight to Seoul on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Dec 5, 2024
Japanese companies weigh impact of South Korea's martial law chaos
The Foreign Ministry estimates that over 40,000 Japanese nationals reside in South Korea, with around 3,000 Japanese companies maintaining local offices.
The Japanese government is considering several proposals regarding visas for Chinese visitors, including simplifying document procedures and expanding the scope of those eligible for multiple short-term visas.
JAPAN
Dec 5, 2024
Japan to ease visa requirements for Chinese visitors
The move comes after China reinstated its short-term visa waiver for Japanese visitors at the end of last month.
War Tours co-founder Dmytro Nykyforov stands next to a destroyed Russian tank at a tank graveyard during a tour near Dmytrivka village, outside Kyiv, on Nov. 7.
WORLD
Dec 3, 2024
Ukraine sees influx of Western war tourists
Ukraine's destroyed Irpin brige, blown up to stop Russian troops in 2022, is now one of many hotspots for thrill-seeking tourists visiting the country.
Hibiya Park in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Saturday. Warm weather has delayed the country's autumn foliage season — when tourists flock to see leaves turn vibrant reds and yellows.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2024
Japan witnesses warmest fall on record
Between September and November, the temperature was 1.97 degrees Celsius higher than usual, delaying the country's popular displays of seasonal foliage.
Students give a presentation at a competition in London on Friday for revitalization strategies in the Hokuriku region
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2024
London students compete on ideas to promote Hokuriku region
The presentations set out unique tourism strategies, such as "sake passports" to encourage tourists to visit local breweries, and "health tourism" to promote local foods.
In the absence of a long-term revitalization strategy, the historic city of Venice will remain on the path to becoming a cultural mausoleum.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 1, 2024
Venice’s beauty curse
UNESCO’s World Heritage designation for Venice comprises the city in its entirety, rather than select buildings or neighborhoods.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport during the Lunar New Year travel rush in February 2024
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2024
China resumes short-term visa waiver for Japanese visitors
The maximum period of visa-free stays was also extended to 30 days from the previous 15 days.
The Ginza shopping district in Tokyo in August
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2024
Japan to overhaul tax exemption system for foreign visitors
The new system is expected to allow foreign visitors to receive tax refunds for products purchased at prices with the tax included when they leave the country.
Check-in counters at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. The tourism industry expects the demand for China travel to increase as Beijing resumes its visa exemption for Japanese citizens.
JAPAN
Nov 28, 2024
Travel firms optimistic China's resumption of visa waivers will boost demand
China decided to resume the exemption for Japanese citizens after requests by Tokyo and business leaders, and will extend the period for visa-free stays to 30 days.
People line up to board a bus in the city of Kyoto. To ease heavy congestion caused by an influx of visitors, the Kyoto Municipal Government in June launched sightseeing express buses that run directly from Kyoto Station to major tourist attractions.
JAPAN
Nov 27, 2024
Japan's local governments weigh implementing an accommodation tax
The number of visitors to Japan between January and September 2024 reached 26.88 million, setting a record-breaking pace.
After almost a decade of traveling around the world, a working holiday during the 2019 ski season in Nozawa Onsen was to be Rowie Geraerts’ last hurrah before she settled down in Australia.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Nov 25, 2024
How a solo yoga teacher built a wellness community in the Japanese Alps
A budding entrepreneur from Australia, Rowie Geraerts has created Shizen Collective in Nozawa Onsen — a new home for herself, locals and visitors.
A Nihon Kotsu Co. taxi departs one of the company's service offices in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 23, 2024
Japan to aid introduction of multilingual ride-hailing apps
With the number of inbound visitors rapidly increasing, rural areas are facing the urgent challenge of securing transportation options for tourists.
An employee at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Lost and Found Center in the Iidabashi area of central Tokyo bags, tags and organizes thousands of items.
JAPAN
Nov 23, 2024
Tokyo police care for lost umbrellas, keys and flying squirrels
In Japan, lost items are rarely disconnected from their owners for long, even in a megacity like Tokyo — population 14 million.
Best known as the home of Kuon Temple, Minobu, Yamanashi Prefecture, is a charming day trip from Tokyo with the potential for cultural verisimilitude.
LIFE / Travel
Nov 23, 2024
In rugged Yamanashi, a wild-goose chase for ‘real Japan’
Japan’s countryside certainly offers a different experience than its cities, but whether that makes it categorically superior is up for debate.
Beijing Daxing International Airport
JAPAN
Nov 22, 2024
China reinstates visa-free travel for Japanese nationals
The exemption will cover travel for up to 30 days and will continue through the end of 2025. 

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past