With more tourists seeking experiences over material goods during their trips, a number of companies have started getting involved in farm tourism, and tourist farms are becoming can't-miss destinations, especially outside major cities.
The reputations of farmers who actively invest in and promote their farms are spreading beyond borders on the internet.
According to the Japan Tourism Agency, overseas visitors to Japan spent 143.9 billion yen on leisure activities in 2017, more than four times the amount spent four years before.
But since the ratio of spending on leisure activities among entire travel expenses was lower than in data revealed for Europe and the United States, both public and private sectors in Japan see even greater potential for growth.
A survey by the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Ministry in fiscal 2015 showed the average annual sales of 6,700 nationwide businesses, which operate tourist farms, were relatively small at 5.64 million yen, but some experts see potential in tourist farms as a means of revitalizing rural economies.
The major Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways says it will suspend services on 16 international routes from late March, as demand falls amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
(NHK)
The season's first ice floes have reached the Okhotsk Sea coast of Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
(NHK)
Take a trip back in time and trace the paths of past travelers in the post towns and sacred spaces found in the majestic mountains of the Japanese countryside. (NHK)
Airlines that were hoping to turn the corner this year after a rough 2020 may be in for a rude awakening. Major Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways is planning to slash international flights during the summer by 50 percent.
(NHK)
At least 15,058 people were on waiting lists for a hospital or a designated accommodations after testing positive for the novel coronavirus earlier this month in the 11 prefectures covered by a state of emergency, a Kyodo News survey found, as public health centers have been swamped with a surge in cases cases.
(Japan Times)
The snow this winter on Japan’s ski runs and the powder on the off-piste is probably the best it has been in a decade. (South China Morning Post)
If you plan to fly into Tokyo, Haneda Airport is where you want to land. Sure, rival Narita Airport sometime gets called “Tokyo International Airport,” but it’s actually all the way out in Chiba Prefecture, while Haneda is the one truly located within Tokyo. (Japan Today)
Weather officials are warning of more snow in the areas surrounding Tokyo, mainly in mountainous regions. But they say it is unlikely to accumulate in central Tokyo as the temperatures at high altitude did not dip as much as expected. (NHK)
Traveling the waterways of Tokyo, Japan. (CNN)
Kyushu is said to be the wellspring of Japanese civilization. Yet few tourists visit the southernmost of Japan's main islands. This documentary contrasts modern Japanese cities with traditional customs in the countryside. (DW Documentary)
The coronavirus is having a crushing effect on Japan's tourism industry. The number of foreign visitors in 2020 fell nearly 90 percent from the previous year.
(NHK)
Scoop up the rich tapestry of traditional culture and natural beauty of Ojiya, a small city in Niigata Prefecture's snowy mountains that's had to scale back as it steers through a global pandemic. (NHK)
Train services in greater Tokyo are scheduled to end earlier at night starting from Wednesday, due to a state of emergency declared in the region over the spread of the coronavirus.
(NHK)
Japan's health ministry plans to establish a system to effectively track foreign nationals who tested positive for coronavirus after entering the country.
(NHK)
To celebrate the new year, we're taking to the skies to check out Tokyo with an unobstructed view! (JapanPro)
The Tokyo Disney Resort is one of the best Disney Resorts in the entire world which is rather ironic as... it's not Disney. (ReviewTyme)
Shooting in Shinjuku/新宿, Shibuya/渋谷, Asakusa/浅草, Akihabara/秋葉原, showing how the town looks like on the first weekend. (Rion Ishida)
The Japanese government is stepping up coronavirus countermeasures for people entering the country.
(NHK)
The Japanese government plans to suspend the entry of all foreigners as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world.
(NHK)
Little change was seen in the flow of commuters at major train stations in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures Friday morning as a fresh state of emergency came into effect in the metropolitan area to stop the spread of COVID-19.
(Japan Times)