Spending by foreign visitors to Japan from January to March rose 2.5% from a year earlier to 2.3378 trillion yen, the Japan Tourism Agency said, marking the third-highest quarterly total on record, while the number of inbound visitors in March increased 3.5% to 3,618,900, setting a new record for the month.
Passengers will be limited to carrying no more than two mobile batteries on board aircraft, with in-flight charging effectively prohibited under new regulations taking effect on April 24th, following a series of smoke and fire incidents.
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route connecting Toyama and Nagano fully reopened on April 15th, marking the start of the spring tourism season along one of Japan’s most celebrated mountain routes.
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced it will significantly revamp its disaster-related weather information system from April 28th, introducing a new category called “Danger Warning” in addition to existing warnings and advisories.
Japan’s transport ministry has issued a business improvement recommendation to All Nippon Airways (ANA) after multiple cases of improper conduct were confirmed in its aircraft maintenance operations, raising concerns over the effectiveness of its safety management system.
A male polar bear cub has gone on public display at Oga Aquarium GAO in Oga, where visitors are being charmed by its determined efforts to get used to the water.
The Spring Takayama Festival, which signals the arrival of spring in Hida Takayama, opened on April 14th, drawing large crowds to the historic town.
The cherry blossom front has finally reached Hokkaido, with Matsumae Town in southern Hokkaido declaring the start of the blooming season on April 13th.