Japan to Introduce ESTA-Like System for Tourists Visiting Japan

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.

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)

The Osaka-Kansai Expo marked its first full week on April 20th, with cumulative attendance surpassing 500,000 and the venue continuing to draw large crowds.

With over 123 million residents, this island nation ranks as the 11th most populous country in the world. Its 47 prefectures offer everything from snowy mountains to tropical beaches, making timing crucial for travelers.

As Golden Week approaches next weekend, one major headache for travelers is the soaring cost of hotel stays. In central Tokyo, a single night can now cost 23,000 yen—not for a luxury or business hotel, but for a capsule hotel.