Airbnb finally becomes legit in Japan

Jun 10, 2017 | News On Japan

Jun 10, 2017 (Nikkei) - The enactment of the minpaku home-sharing law in the Diet's upper house Friday removes the regulatory uncertainties surrounding renting private dwellings as temporary accommodations, possibly opening the door for dramatic growth of a new industry in Japan.

Minpaku, or the renting of private homes to tourists, was not illegal, but it was not fully above board, either. The new law will provide a framework for the new industry and help it achieve sound growth, Keiichi Ishii, the tourism minister, told reporters Friday.

Unstoppable force

Five million people found accommodations in Japan through industry leader Airbnb in the year through May 31, even without legal recognition for the process. Recent data shows that more than 50,000 properties in Japan are registered at the U.S. company, which operates an online marketplace that facilities private accommodation rentals.

Airbnb's rivals also have boosted their presence in Japan. Chinese operators in particular have grown steadily, as their services let Chinese visitors handle communication with homeowners in their native tongue, lowering their anxiety about dealing with strangers in a foreign land.

Zizaike, a major Chinese player in the field, counts 14,000 registered properties in Japan. Some 20,000 people rented accommodations in Japan through the company's online platform in fiscal 2016, double the figure for the year before.

Though some are unhappy with the home-sharing law's restrictions, such as allowing a property to be used a maximum of 180 nights per year, its introduction likely will expand the so-called sharing economy in Japan.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.