Jun 18, 2022 (Kyodok) - More than 1,300 people have applied to travel to Japan on guided tours since the country restarted visa procedures to accept some leisure visitors from abroad a week ago as worries about the COVID-19 pandemic wane, a government agency said Friday.
Koichi Wada, who heads the Japan Tourism Agency, said at a press conference that over 300 applications have been received for June, with around 1,000 from July onward. ...continue reading
A landslide struck a parking area at Mount Fuji's Fujinomiya fifth station in Shizuoka Prefecture shortly after midnight on September 9, sweeping up three parked vehicles but causing no injuries, prefectural authorities said.
Heavy rain intensified across the Tokai and Kanto regions on September 9, with locally developed rain clouds bringing wind-driven downpours to Gifu Prefecture and steady rain to Tokyo, while forecasters warned that another round of strong rain could reach Kanto during the night.
Large volumes of floodwater poured into the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, following heavy rain on September 7, prompting the massive underground flood-control facility known as the "Underground Temple" to go into operation.
Osaka Metro plans to abolish magnetic tickets and replace them with QR code-based tickets around fiscal 2031, as declining use and the cost of maintaining conventional ticket gates accelerate the shift toward digital fare systems.
Ticket sales for the Asian Games are gathering pace with less than two weeks until the competition begins, with more than 60% of tickets sold for the opening ceremony and 31 sports as of September 7, although organizers say seats remain readily available for events including soccer and baseball.
Universal Studios Japan unveiled its 2026 Halloween event to the media on September 9, a day before its public opening on September 10, featuring a record number of zombies and the park's first horror attraction restricted to visitors aged 18 and over.
Osaka Metro plans to abolish magnetic tickets and replace them with QR code-based tickets around fiscal 2031, as declining use and the cost of maintaining conventional ticket gates accelerate the shift toward digital fare systems.
JR East has unveiled three finalists to become the new image character for its Suica transportation IC card, as the long-serving Suica Penguin prepares to "graduate" in March next year after more than 20 years as the face of the service.
Kyoto is preparing to effectively prohibit new private lodging operations in residential areas and other parts of the city as complaints over noise, smoking, garbage and operators ignoring existing rules intensify, even as some traditional townhouse owners say tourist accommodation can help preserve the city's historic architecture.
Torrential rain caused widespread flooding across central Japan on September 8, inundating roads in central Nagoya and other cities as linear rainbands formed over Aichi and Gifu prefectures and authorities warned that similar conditions could develop in the Kanto region through September 9.
Prolonged heavy rain linked to the autumn rain front and other weather systems has transformed tourist destinations across Japan, swelling waterfalls, damaging flower fields and disrupting travel as record rainfall continues in several regions.
To From Yaesu Tower, a large-scale mixed-use complex directly connected to Tokyo Station, is set to open on September 10, with developer Tokyo Tatemono unveiling part of the 51-story building to the media on September 7 ahead of its launch.
Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward, which has more than 3,900 short-term rental facilities, the highest number of any municipality in Japan, plans to generally prohibit new properties in residential areas and around schools as complaints over noise, trespassing and other problems continue to increase.
