Japan has enacted a revised Passport Act that will sharply reduce passport application fees from July 1, as the government seeks to encourage more citizens to obtain passports.
All Nippon Airways is considering introducing a fuel surcharge on domestic flights as early as the next fiscal year, amid surging fuel costs driven by tensions in the Middle East.
In Nara, where inbound tourists continue to crowd major sightseeing areas, a shopping arcade slightly removed from the main attractions has achieved a striking turnaround.
Footage released by the Nagano Prefectural Police mountain rescue unit captured the moment an earthquake struck during an operation to save two climbers who had fallen on a steep slope of Mount Shirouma in the Northern Alps.
Taxi fares in Tokyo's 23 wards, as well as Mitaka and Musashino, rose by about 10% on Monday, marking the first increase in the central Tokyo area in roughly three and a half years.
JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.
Typhoon No. 4, Sinlaku, moved northeast on April 19 while accelerating over waters near Minamitorishima, east of the Ogasawara Islands, according to weather officials. Although the storm is rapidly moving away from Japan, rough seas are expected to persist, prompting continued caution across the island chain.
The city of Nara is preparing to search for geothermal sources, hoping onsen facilities can help increase overnight stays in the ancient capital, where the city has long struggled to turn day-trippers into hotel guests despite being one of Japan's best-known sightseeing destinations, ranking last nationwide in annual overnight visitors in 2021 and underscoring weak tourism spending.