Japan is open to travel. So why aren't tourists coming back?
That is especially striking in Japan, which reopened to much fanfare in June 2022, just in time for peak travel season. Between June 10 and July 10, the country welcomed about 1,500 leisure tourists, according to data from Japan's Immigration Services Agency. That's down 95% from the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.
Although Japan is accessible again, the country currently only permits leisure tourists to come in organized groups rather than as individuals. For many in the West, who prefer spontaneity and don't want to follow a strict itinerary, that issue was a dealbreaker.
Japan's not-fully-open policy doesn't just apply to visas. The country still has mask rules in many areas, the group tours can be pricey, and Japan requires quarantine upon arrival, which make it a tougher sell.
Odds are good that when and if Japan does decide to fully reopen to individual leisure tourists, they will want to come. The catchphrase "revenge travel" was created to describe the people who saved up their money during Covid and now want to blow it on a big bucket list trip, and Japan remains a popular wish-list destination. ...continue reading
Sustained rains in Japan leave damage, landslide risks
Kyodo - Aug 06
Torrential rains have continued to fall across a wide part of Japan on Friday, with record downpours reported in Fukui and Shiga prefectures as rivers have overflowed and many areas are left at increased risk of landslides.
Heavy rain lashes Sea of Japan coast
NHK - Aug 05
Officials are warning of more rain on Friday after record rainfall hit parts of the Japanese region of Hokuriku and Niigata and Yamagata Prefectures from Wednesday through Thursday, causing flooding and landslides. They are urging vigilance over landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.
JAL system makes air travel easier and lets you keep laptops, liquids in bag for security check
soranews24.com - Aug 05
Passengers can keep computers and liquids inside their carry-on until they actually want to use them, thanks to new system.
Revitalization of Japanese tourism to Hawaii slower than expected
kitv.com - Aug 04
The highly anticipated return of Japanese travelers to Hawaii was expected to dramatically increase with foreign border restrictions loosening back in June 2022.
Heavy rain causes wide damage in north, central Japan
NHK - Aug 04
Japan's Meteorological Agency has issued an emergency heavy rain warning for Niigata Prefecture, next to Yamagata Prefecture, where the same warning was issued on Wednesday night. It's a level 5 alert, the highest on the emergency scale.
Kanto lighting up the night sky for the first time in three years
時事通信トレンドニュース - Aug 04
"Kanto Festival" is being held in Akita City for the first time in three years.
JAPANESE FESTIVALS are CRAZY (it was too hot!) *street food, dancing, and games*
ちゅーそんちゃんねるChuson Channel - Aug 04
We are going to Tokyo SkyTree for a festival.
Ohtaki No Yu - Kusatsu, Japan
Sauna Channel - Aug 04
Time to relax in one of Kusatsu’s natural hot spring baths, commonly known as onsen, with Sho Ikushima at Ohtaki No Yu.
Heatwave continues to grip western, eastern Japan
NHK - Aug 03
The ongoing heatwave is gripping wide areas of western through eastern Japan on Wednesday, with the mercury reaching 39 degrees Celsius in some cities near Tokyo. Officials are urging people to take full precautions against heatstroke.
Japan swelters as temperatures climb over 30 C
Japan Today - Aug 02
Temperatures rose across Japan on Tuesday, topping 30 C from the morning in 380 locations, with the weather agency warning of heat-related illnesses.
Mercury tops 39 degrees in Obama City on Sea of Japan
NHK - Aug 01
Scorching heat prevailed again on Monday over wider Japan, with temperatures soaring above 39 degrees Celsius in Obama City on the Sea of Japan coast.
Japan is open to travel. So why aren't tourists coming back?
CNN - Aug 01
Summer 2022 has been dominated by stories about travel mishaps, overcrowding at major destinations and airports and life-threatening heat waves in Europe. Yet in Asia, where many countries are reopening in a more gradual fashion -- with fewer flight cancellations or horror stories about lost luggage -- tourists have been slow to come back.
