Travel

New Don Quijote Opens in Kyoto

KYOTO, Feb 10 (News On Japan) - A large discount retailer Don Quijote has opened its first inbound-focused specialty store in the Kansai region in Kyoto City, aiming to better serve the growing number of overseas visitors.

The newly opened Don Quijote Shijo-dori store began operations on the morning of February 10th, responding to increasing congestion at other Kyoto locations driven by a surge in inbound tourism, and is the first dedicated store in Kansai to focus on products popular among foreign visitors.

The store offers a range of items including sweets made with matcha, a symbol of Kyoto, and popular character merchandise, while the chain’s signature handwritten promotional signs have been redesigned with larger foreign-language text to make shopping easier for international customers.

A visitor from Mexico said she purchased beauty products to take home, adding, "I'm very happy!" When asked whether he liked Don Quijote, a visitor from the United States replied, "Of course! The music in the store is catchy, too."

Store manager Kota Wanibe of Don Quijote Shijo-dori said the goal is to attract many customers not only as shoppers but also to visit the location as a tourist destination, and the company plans to continue expanding specialty stores aimed at inbound visitors.

Source: YOMIURI

Kyoto Raises Lodging Tax as Peak Travel Season Begins

Kyoto City significantly raised its lodging tax from March 1st, increasing the maximum charge per person per night from 1,000 yen to as much as 10,000 yen, in a move aimed at tackling overtourism and funding the preservation of cultural assets, even as questions remain about its impact on visitors and the local economy.

Foreign Visitors and Ex-Rescuer Pull 80-Year-Old Woman From Hakuba Crashed Car

A former emergency responder and foreign tourists worked together to rescue a woman in her 80s who was trapped inside an overturned light vehicle in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture.

Tokyo Metro Begins Touchless Ticket Gate Trial

Tokyo Metro and Toshiba have launched Japan’s first demonstration test allowing passengers to pass through ticket gates without touching them by using their smartphones’ Bluetooth function.

Himeji Castle Hikes Admission Fee for Non-Residents

The admission fee for the World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, was revised on March 1st for the first time in 11 years, introducing a dual pricing system that significantly raises costs for visitors from outside the city.

Australian Girl, 8, Dies After Snowmobile Overturns in Hakuba

An eight-year-old Australian girl died after a snowmobile overturned in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture, at around 11 a.m. on February 28th, with authorities investigating the cause of the accident.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Imperial Hotel Kyoto to Open in Central Gion

The Imperial Hotel Kyoto is set to open on March 5th in the heart of Gion, one of Kyoto’s most renowned districts, with the interior unveiled to the media on March 2nd ahead of its debut.

Himeji Castle Hikes Admission Fee for Non-Residents

Tourists in Japan Flock to Capsule Toys and Food Replicas

As the number of foreign visitors to Japan continues to rise, two uniquely Japanese cultural phenomena — food replicas and capsule toys, known as gacha — are drawing growing attention as unexpected tourist attractions and potential new souvenir staples.