Mar 31 (japan-guide.com) - Explore the hidden gem of Okayama Prefecture, known for its scenic canals, top-tier garden, and famous folktale. Follow along on a three-day adventure through Kurashiki, the Kibiji District, Korakuen garden and Uno Port, the gateway to Japan’s art islands.
The Japanese government will begin issuing blue tickets for bicycle traffic violations in April 2026, with fines including 5,000 yen for ignoring stop signs and up to 12,000 yen for riding while using a smartphone.
A 26-year-old woman was arrested in the early hours of April 24th in Kasuya Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. While admitting to the offense, she claimed, "I ate chocolate that contained alcohol."
A man found wandering naked in Saitama Prefecture has been arrested after a string of violent incidents, including a fatal hit-and-run and an attempted abduction, unfolded within roughly 90 minutes on April 21st.
The total number of visitors to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai surpassed one million on April 23rd, just 11 days after the event began. Despite being a weekday, the venue remained crowded, with long lines forming at popular pavilions such as the one from the United States.
At the Shanghai Motor Show, which opened to the press on April 23rd ahead of its public run from April 27th to May 2nd, Toyota Motor Corporation revealed a series of new models, including a new electric vehicle, as it works to regain ground in the increasingly competitive Chinese market.
Universal Studios Japan has announced a surprise expansion of its popular Minion Park, increasing the area by 1.4 times and unveiling a new attraction that features the park’s first-ever moving walkway.
Japan has seen a dramatic surge in tourism over the past decade, with visitor numbers tripling, bringing both economic benefits and greater intercultural exchange. However, this growth has also led to issues of "overtourism," especially on trains—the country's most popular means of transport—where overcrowding and cultural misunderstandings about behavior have caused concern among locals.
Japan plans to introduce a new electronic travel authorization system to bolster immigration screening for foreign visitors, moving up its original timeline in response to the recent surge in arrivals.
The total number of visitors to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai surpassed one million on April 23rd, just 11 days after the event began. Despite being a weekday, the venue remained crowded, with long lines forming at popular pavilions such as the one from the United States.
Foreign tourists are lining up to visit some of Tokyo’s most photogenic spring attractions, with Nezu Shrine in Bunkyo Ward drawing crowds on April 22nd as vibrant late-blooming azaleas reached their peak.
Shibata Town, known for its flourishing cherry blossoms, has embraced a tree ownership system to pass the beauty of its roughly 400 commemorative trees—planted to mark births, marriages, and other milestones—on to future generations.
Service on the Suruga Bay Ferry, which connects Shimizu Port in Shizuoka City and Toi Port in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, resumed on April 18th after a suspension of about three months.
Welcome back to the Ginza Line Walking Tour. This is part 2 of 6. Today, let’s pick up from where we left off—Aoyama-itchome—and walk past the vast Akasaka Imperial Residence toward Akasaka-mitsuke. (Video Street View Japan)
