Tag - tourism

 
 

TOURISM

The Sapporo Snow Festival offers outdoor dining, markets, sports, ice sculptures and more across three event sites.
LIFE / Travel
Jan 6, 2024
Asia's winter festivals: Snow, fire and spectacle galore
The ancient city of Nara wards off the wintertime darkness with an unusual tradition: lighting a local mountain on fire.
A man makes his way along Asaichi-dori street, which witnessed a fire following an earthquake, in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Thursday.
BUSINESS
Jan 4, 2024
As Wajima digs out from quake, hopes fade for tourism recovery
The city, renowned for its fisheries, lacquerware and markets — faces a long road to recovery after the Jan. 1 quake.
Sales of cardiotonics and vitamin B1, popular products among foreign travelers, rose in 2023 amid a tourism rebound.
BUSINESS
Jan 2, 2024
Heart stimulants saw biggest 2023 sales rise in Japan amid tourism rebound
Sales of products popular with foreign visitors are increasing in line with the recovery of inbound tourism, a survey has found.
The entrance lobby of Accor's Mercure Tokyo Hibiya, which recently opened in the capital
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 2, 2024
Backed by tourism potential, hotels keen to cultivate Japanese market
Because Japan was slow to reopen its borders, there appears to be robust, pent-up demand to visit the country.
A line of travelers on a shinkansen platform at JR Tokyo Station on Friday
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 31, 2023
Inflation and weak yen hit Japan's appetite for holiday spending
More than half of the respondents to a survey said they would cut seasonal spending.
People line up to enter the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in the city of Hiroshima on Aug. 14.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2023
Hiroshima museum eyes online ticketing to ease congestion
The surge in visitors to the museum is apparently attributable chiefly to the effects of the Group of Seven summit held in the city in May.
As Japan’s borders opened back up and tourists eager to document their long-awaited trips to the country streamed back in, 2023 saw a handful of prominent content creators stir up trouble with local residents to grab attention online.
LIFE / Digital / 2023 in Review
Dec 29, 2023
Social media binged on bad behavior in 2023
Mischief makers like Johnny Somali and "sushi terrorism" instigators gained attention online amid a deluge of Japan-related content this year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visit the cenotaph for atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima on May 21 during the Group of Seven summit. Zelenskyy’s visit to one of the two cities attacked with a nuclear weapon came amid Russia’s veiled threats to use its nuclear arsenal in its war against Ukraine.
JAPAN
Dec 28, 2023
Images of 2023: Japan
Outside of the successful G7 summit, the year was not kind to PM Fumio Kishida's unpopular administration. A kickback scandal provided one final headache.
The Huis Ten Bosch seaside resort in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 27, 2023
Nagasaki casino resort plan rejected amid doubts over funding
An expert panel makes approval decisions based on a resort's ability to boost overseas visitors, its economic benefits and steps to prevent addiction.
The prefectural and municipal governments of Osaka hold a meeting in the city on Dec. 14 to discuss offering a ride-hailing service at the 2025 Osaka Expo.
JAPAN
Dec 27, 2023
Local governments in Japan eye independent ride-hailing services
Some local governments are exploring the introduction of their own systems tailored to fit local circumstances, separate from the central government.
A field study by elementary school students takes place in the Izawa River basin in Shiso, Hyogo Prefecture.
LIFE / Travel
Dec 24, 2023
Unveiling Shiso, a hidden gem of nature and coexistence
With 90% of its area covered by forest, the Hyogo city boasts picturesque streams and a bounty of access points to refreshing natural spring water.
Shinjuku's Kabukicho is filled with colorful individuals that give the neighborhood its character.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Dec 22, 2023
Christmastime in Shinjuku Golden Gai
One of Tokyo's most storied watering holes gets a little quiet during the holidays now that it relies quite a bit on tourists.
Yamanashi Gov. Kotaro Nagasaki speaks at a news conference at the prefectural government office on Wednesday. The prefecture is set to begin charging people to climb Mount Fuji.
JAPAN
Dec 21, 2023
Yamanashi Prefecture to collect fees from Mount Fuji climbers
The prefecture will also control the number of climbers to ease congestion and prevent visitors from climbing through the night.
Japan's real economic growth rate for fiscal 2023 ending in March 2024 is estimated at 1.6%, up from 1.3% seen half a year ago.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 21, 2023
Japanese government lifts economic growth estimates
The real economic growth rate for fiscal 2023 ending in March 2024 is estimated at 1.6%, up from 1.3% seen half a year ago.
Foreign tourists take pictures of an Enoshima Electric Railway train near a railroad crossing in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, in October.
JAPAN
Dec 20, 2023
Visitors to Japan in January-November period pass 20 million
The number of foreign visitors, mainly from South Korea, Taiwan and the United States, is steadily recovering on the back of a cheap yen.
Ride-sharing apps (clockwise from bottom) Uber, Grab, Didi and Ola Cabs are seen on a smartphone display.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 20, 2023
Japan to partially lift ban on ride-hailing services from April
Drivers will be allowed to operate in specific areas at certain times under the guidance of taxi companies when there is a lack of rides available.
Muscat International Airport in Oman was ranked No. 1 in AirHelp’s just-released annual global airport scores.
BUSINESS
Dec 20, 2023
Japan scores highly in ranking of 2023’s best and worst airports
More than 4,000 airports worldwide were assessed for on-time performance, airport navigation, food and shopping options.
Foreign tourists take pictures in Tokyo's Asakusa district in November.
BUSINESS
Dec 20, 2023
Japan’s post-pandemic tourists shift spending to crafts and jewelry
Average spending on traditional handicrafts per visitor was ¥13,338 ($92) in the July-September quarter, up 80% from the same period in 2019.
Japan’s passport gives visa-free entry to 192 global destinations, according to the latest Henley Passport Index. The country lost the top spot to Singapore earlier this year, after leading the list for five straight years.
BUSINESS
Dec 19, 2023
Japan’s travel industry urges people to get their mighty passports
Japan’s passport gives visa-free entry to 192 global destinations, according to the latest Henley Passport Index.
Amid lanterns and a welcoming atmosphere, eight food stalls now liven up the declining Shinsekai shopping district.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Dec 17, 2023
Osaka's Shinsekai neighborhood bets on a street food revival
"This is more casual than going to a Japanese 'izakaya' because of the wide open space," says one Shinsekai food stall diner.

Longform

Rows of irises resemble a rice field at the Peter Walker-designed Toyota Municipal Museum of Art.
The 'outsiders' creating some of Japan's greenest spaces