Feb 05, 2023 (Nikkei) - Hotel prices in Japan have soared as government subsidies boosting travel kick in and foreign tourists return, with room rates nearly 20% higher in December compared to the same month before the pandemic delivered a serious blow to the sector.
Not only are more tourists coming in, but a labor crunch has forced some hotels to limit the number of rooms on offer, which in turn has cut supply and driven prices up. ...continue reading
[updated 12:30 p.m.] As of around noon on June 1st, Typhoon No. 6 was moving closer to Okinawa Main Island, with Naha expected to enter the storm's violent wind zone shortly as heavy rain, strengthening winds, and rough seas battered the region, forcing the suspension of buses and monorail services, the closure of schools and commercial facilities, and prompting the Okinawa Meteorological Observatory to warn of possible landslides and flooding later in the day.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi strongly rejected accusations that Japan is embracing "new militarism," describing such claims as false while delivering a speech at a major regional security conference in Singapore on May 31st.
A series of false bear sighting reports posted to an online alert system operated by Aomori Prefecture has disrupted schools, prompted a police investigation, and raised concerns about the growing impact of misinformation on public safety.
A social media dispute between a 17-year-old high school student from Tokyo's Itabashi Ward and a 16-year-old boy from Edogawa Ward escalated into a planned group fight involving around 30 youths, some of whom allegedly brought weapons including a rusty saw, iron pipes, a special baton and even a shovel.
Japan's population stood at 123.05 million in 2025, according to preliminary results from the national census released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, marking a decline of 3.097 million people over the past five years.
[updated 12:15 p.m.] Transportation across Okinawa has ground to a halt as Typhoon No. 6 approaches the prefecture, with all flights canceled, buses and monorail services suspended, ferries halted, and key bridges closed, while authorities warn that travel disruptions could spread to western Japan in the coming days.
Typhoon No. 6 is expected to approach the Okinawa region with strong intensity by the morning of June 1st, prompting authorities to warn of violent winds, extremely rough seas, torrential rain, and dangerous storm surges, while all flights operating at Naha, Miyako, and Ishigaki airports have been canceled.
A Japan Airlines passenger aircraft that made an emergency landing after suffering a tire malfunction has prompted the discovery of runway damage at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, with authorities now investigating whether the two incidents are connected.
Kansai Airport has completed its first large-scale renovation since opening, 24 additional stores, including a Universal Studios Japan outlet, marking the theme park's first airport store in Japan.
Osaka City will stop accepting new applications for its special-zone minpaku program on May 29 as complaints over noise, garbage disposal and other issues involving guests continue to increase.
Sanmarc Holdings is betting on Kyoto's global appeal and the growing popularity of gyukatsu among foreign tourists as it accelerates overseas expansion, with President Yuki Fujikawa positioning the beef cutlet chain as a key driver of the restaurant group's inbound tourism and international growth strategy.
A new travel style known as “Otetutabi,” which combines short-term work with tourism, is rapidly gaining attention across Japan as both travelers and local businesses search for new ways to address changing social and economic realities.
The route dispute surrounding the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Osaka has been thrown back into uncertainty, with the long-discussed "Obama-Kyoto Route" effectively returned to square one as ruling coalition lawmakers consider eight alternative plans, including a route via Maibara Station in Shiga Prefecture.
