Travel

Toy Story Hotel opening at Tokyo Disneyland resort this year
soranews24.com - Apr 08
Pixar’s hit franchise serves as the inspiration for a new class of Tokyo Disney Resort accommodations.

The Best National Parks in Visit in Japan
newsonjapan.com - Apr 06
One of the nicest things about visiting Japan is that there is so much to see and do.

Sakura selfies: Japan enjoys cherry blossoms despite virus warning
INQUIRER.net - Apr 04
Japan's sakura or cherry blossom season is feverishly anticipated by locals and visitors alike, although this year foreign tourists have been kept away by virus border restrictions.

Cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino reach peak bloom, 30,000 sakura trees
Kyodo - Apr 03
Cherry blossoms covering Mt. Yoshino, renowned for its 30,000 sakura trees of 200 varieties, in the western Japan prefecture of Nara reached their peak blooms Friday, 10 days earlier than usual.

Law urges companies to keep workers until 70
NHK - Apr 01
A new law requiring companies to try to keep their workers on the payroll until age 70 takes effect on Thursday in Japan.

ANA 'passengers' savor $540 first-class dining -- on parked plane
Nikkei - Apr 01
All Nippon Airways looks to sate the curiosity of those who wish to dine in the first-class cabin, debuting a service that raises revenue even while the planes remain grounded during the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreign tourists spend record low in Japan in 2020 due to pandemic
Kyodo - Apr 01
Foreign tourists in Japan spent 744.6 billion yen ($6.7 billion) in 2020, the lowest since the survey began in 2010, as the coronavirus pandemic has led to restrictions on entry into the country, a government estimate showed Wednesday.

Universal Studios Japan marks 20th anniversary amid pandemic
Kyodo - Mar 31
Universal Studios Japan in the western city of Osaka marked its 20th anniversary Wednesday, but without any large-scale events to celebrate the occasion due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alert level raised as volcano erupts in Japan
Kyodo - Mar 31
A volcano on a southwestern Japan island erupted late Tuesday, sending large rocks nearly 1 kilometer from the crater, prompting the weather agency to raise its alert level.

ANA conducts COVID digital health passport trial at Tokyo airport
Japan Today - Mar 30
All Nippon Airways Co on Monday conducted Japan's first trial of the "CommonPass" app indicating a traveler's COVID-19 status at Tokyo's Haneda airport as part of efforts by the global travel industry to make cross-border travel easier and safer.

National parks to offer free parking for eco-cars
NHK - Mar 28
Japan's Environment Ministry has decided to allow drivers to park their eco-friendly vehicles at some national parks and gardens for free, starting in April.

Cherry blossoms draw crowds after emergency lifted
NHK - Mar 28
A popular cherry blossom viewing site in Tokyo, Ueno Park, was packed on Saturday, the first weekend since a state of emergency was lifted for Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures.

Tokyo Disney parks abandon 'ladies and gentlemen' announcements
Japan Times - Mar 28
Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have stopped referring to visitors as “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls” in their English announcements, opting instead to use gender-neutral terms, operator Oriental Land Co. said Friday.

Japan's cherry blossom blooms in early spring
Reuters - Mar 28
An early spring in Japan is drawing cherry blossom fans to Tokyo's parks.

Japan to provide up to Y7,000 discount per person per night for staycations
timeout.com - Mar 27
As some regions have fewer cases of Covid-19, prefectural governments have set out to give their residents a small travel allowance to boost local economies.

The Man Who Explores Japan's Abandoned Buildings
Abroad Perspective - Mar 26
Deep in the mountains of North Japan, one of Japan's biggest mining towns lies abandoned and forgotten.