Japan lowered passport application fees from July 1, drawing large crowds to application counters such as the one in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, although applicants are being warned that issuance could take as long as about one month.
Tokyo will introduce a 3% accommodation tax on hotel and other lodging stays from April 2027, formally replacing its current flat-rate system and extending the levy to private lodging services.
The steam locomotive C57 No. 180, affectionately known as the "Lady," is marking 80 years since its manufacture as it continues to run as the SL Banetsu Monogatari.
A good connection matters in Japan because so much of the trip depends on your phone working smoothly. You may need it for station directions, translation, booking confirmations, digital tickets, or finding the right exit in a large city.
A hiking trail on Mount Rausu in Shiretoko, Hokkaido, reopened on July 5 after being closed since last August following a fatal brown bear attack on a climber.
Oiso Long Beach, a popular summer destination in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, opened its pools for the season on July 4, drawing about 1,300 visitors as the facility strengthened heatstroke prevention measures.
A bear was seen walking openly through a residential street in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, on the morning of July 3, appearing in a popular hot spring area with a history of 1,200 years that attracts many tourists.
Mount Fuji’s Yoshida Route on the Yamanashi Prefecture side opened for the climbing season on July 1, with favorable weather at the 3,776-meter summit giving visitors a clear view of the sunrise at around 4:30 a.m. as sunlight broke through gaps in the clouds.