News On Japan

Japan sees shift to domestic travel amid weakening yen and aging population

TOKYO, Nov 20 (News On Japan) - Preparations for the New Year are underway across Japan, with a noticeable shift from overseas to domestic travel for the year-end and New Year season, stemming from the yen's historic decline.

As the mood for overseas travel remains subdued, many are rediscovering Japan.

Japan Travel Agency reports, "Due to the impact of the yen’s weakness, domestic travel is becoming more popular than overseas trips. Tokyo and Osaka, with their theme parks, are emerging as popular destinations."

According to Kinki Nippon Tourist, compared to pre-COVID times, overseas travel reservations have decreased by 15%, while domestic travel has recovered by 70%.

Tokyo Disney Resort, celebrating its 40th anniversary, and Universal Studios Japan in Kansai, are the leading domestic travel destinations, TV Asahi reports.

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Japan already classifies days with highs of 30C or above as manatsubi (midsummer days) and those reaching 35C or above as moshobi (extremely hot days). It has now introduced a new term for days when temperatures climb to 40C or higher.

Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was found in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture believe his father moved the remains between several locations over a number of days in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

A large and powerful Typhoon No. 4, internationally named Sinlaku, was located near the Mariana Islands and moving north-northeast as of the latest update. The storm is expected to gradually shift its course eastward and pass southeast of the Ogasawara Islands around April 18, before making its closest approach around April 19.

Japan will release around 50 million stockpiled medical gloves from next month as concerns grow over shortages of medical supplies linked to tensions in the Middle East, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route connecting Toyama and Nagano fully reopened on April 15th, marking the start of the spring tourism season along one of Japan’s most celebrated mountain routes.

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The dismantling of the upper ornament of the five-story pagoda at Kofukuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Nara, was opened to the media on April 15 as the temple undergoes its first major restoration in around 120 years.

JR Tokai has announced a new inspection-equipped Shinkansen named 'Doctor S', set to take over the role of the famed 'Doctor Yellow', the bright yellow bullet train affectionately known as the train that brings good luck when spotted.

Spending by foreign visitors to Japan from January to March rose 2.5% from a year earlier to 2.3378 trillion yen, the Japan Tourism Agency said, marking the third-highest quarterly total on record, while the number of inbound visitors in March increased 3.5% to 3,618,900, setting a new record for the month.

Passengers will be limited to carrying no more than two mobile batteries on board aircraft, with in-flight charging effectively prohibited under new regulations taking effect on April 24th, following a series of smoke and fire incidents.

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route connecting Toyama and Nagano fully reopened on April 15th, marking the start of the spring tourism season along one of Japan’s most celebrated mountain routes.

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced it will significantly revamp its disaster-related weather information system from April 28th, introducing a new category called “Danger Warning” in addition to existing warnings and advisories.

Japan’s transport ministry has issued a business improvement recommendation to All Nippon Airways (ANA) after multiple cases of improper conduct were confirmed in its aircraft maintenance operations, raising concerns over the effectiveness of its safety management system.

A male polar bear cub has gone on public display at Oga Aquarium GAO in Oga, where visitors are being charmed by its determined efforts to get used to the water.