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Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Brits travelling to Japan issued warning about five tourism rule changes
If you're planning a trip to Japan this summer, you might want to take note of some new rules that are reportedly set to be enforced on foreign tourists heading to the Asian island Before you set off to Japan this summer, make sure you're up to speed with the latest rule changes that are set to impact tourists. Japan is fast becoming a favourite among holidaymakers worldwide, and over 437,000 UK visitors flocked there in 2024 alone - the highest number in the last decade. While the number of Brits heading to Japan last year may seem small compared to the whopping 17.8 million who jet off to our favourite holiday destination, Spain, those seeking an authentic adventure and complete cultural immersion are placing the Asian island at the top of their must-visit lists. Japan's tourism industry has been on the rise, and according to the Conde Nast Readers' Choice Awards, it is the best country to visit worldwide. With the current weak state of the Japanese yen, where £1 will get you 188 yen, Japan has become an enticing destination for even budget-conscious travellers, leading to a significant spike in visits. However, the tourism surge has placed strain on Japanese businesses and attractions, which are seeing rises in overcrowding, littering, and inappropriate behaviour. To combat this, Japan is set to introduce several new regulations that could impact all tourists entering the nation, possibly making your trip pricier. A Japanese local, known as Meowko, posted details about these imminent rule adjustments on TikTok, including plans for a "tourism tax" applicable to anyone not residing in Japan. She said: "The price will be increased only for tourists, which means you have to pay more than locals in Japan. Anywhere you go, anything you buy, literally everything will be more expensive for tourists." This price change was confirmed in a CBC report, which stated Japan is set to introduce a dual pricing system that will see tourists paying more across the board, from eateries to amusement parks. Come July, those wishing to scale Mount Fuji will be charged 4,000 yen (£21) for a climbing permit, twice the figure from last year. In addition, the newly opened nature-themed attraction Junglia Okinawa is asking tourists to fork out 8,000 yen (£42) for a single-day pass, while residents pay just 6,300 yen (£33). But the hike in prices isn't the only shift on the horizon for visitors. Meowko has also revealed that "tax-free" shopping is over in Japan. Tourists will need to pay the full price upfront and seek a tax rebate at the airport when departing. Meowko further suggested that currency exchange could become trickier, although details on how this will be implemented remain vague. She explained: "That's the only thing I have heard from the government. I don't know how they are going to make it more difficult, but more information is coming soon." Additionally, she claimed that certain spots might begin denying access to tourists and mentioned that Japan is considering the introduction of a tourist visa. At present, Brits can visit Japan for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes without needing to apply for a visa in advance, as one is granted upon arrival. However, changes to this policy could require you to apply for a tourist visa before your trip, potentially adding an extra expense to your holiday. Travel advice for Japan As per there are several travel regulations you should be aware of prior to travelling to Japan. Your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay, but no additional period of validity beyond this is necessary. You'll also need a blank page in your passport for your visa stamp. Currently, there's no need to apply for a visa before entering the country, as you can obtain one upon arrival. If you require a multiple-entry visa or need to stay for more than 90 days, you should consult with immigration officials. It is prohibited to bring meat products into Japan, including sausages, bacon, and ham, without permission from the Japanese Animal Quarantine Service. While whale meat can be purchased in Japan, importing it into the UK or the EU is illegal and can result in a fine of up to £5,000 and a prison sentence.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Japan, amid an unprecedented travel boom, is starting to charge tourists more to visit
There's a meme circulating that the average millennial midlife crisis unfolds like this: Take up running. Make house plants your entire personality. Buy an air fryer. Start planning a trip to Japan. First of all, ouch. But second of all, the accuracy. The allure of Japan has called to travellers (young and old, for the record) for years, but especially since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The unique mix of cultural traditions and cutting-edge modernity, its emphasis on wellness and aesthetic of comfort, and its natural landscapes and popular attractions are just part of what makes Japan so appealing to many. Last year, Japan was named the best country to visit in the world by the Conde Nast Readers' Choice Awards. And now, bolstered by a weak yen, it's also more affordable, leading to an unprecedented travel boom that saw the country cross the 10-million visitor mark at its fastest-ever pace this year. For many, it's a welcome boost, after tourism to Japan was all but halted for more than two years during the pandemic, as the country put up some of the world's strictest border controls. Visitors stroll through the grounds of Nezu Shrine during the annual Azalea Festival in Tokyo on April 17. (Richard A. Brooks/AFP/Getty Images) But now as Japan grapples with the surge, it has a new problem: overtourism, with crowds affecting everything from some of its most sacred traditions to increasing housing and hotel prices. "I'm happy there are so many visitors to Japan, but I'm agonizing every day," Yoshiki Kojima, who owns an IT company, told the Japan Times in January about his struggles to find affordable hotel rooms for his employees when they travel to Tokyo. "I've already given up," Natsuki Sato, a mother who realized she could not afford to buy a home because she lives near a popular ski resort where tourism has driven up property prices, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on April 12. And now, to help cope, some of Japan's most popular tourism destinations are reportedly rolling out a two-tier pricing system on everything from restaurants to theme visits on the rise Arrivals of foreign visitors for business and leisure reached 3.5 million last month, bringing the total through the first quarter to 10.54 million, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) showed. Last year, Japan reached 10 million visitors in April. For the whole of 2025, tourist arrivals are on pace to eclipse last year's all-time level of 36.87 million. The nation's famed cherry blossom season helped boost demand in March, which saw record arrivals for any single month among travellers from the United States and Canada, the JNTO said. And Canada was among the top 20 countries whose residents have visited Japan recently, with 44,500 visits from Canadians recorded in February alone, up 31 per cent from last February. Over 550,000 Canadian tourists visited last year, up 37 per cent from the year before. Right now, $1 Cdn gets you about 103 yen — or in other words, a bowl of ramen can cost about $5, and a standard hotel room about $200 a night. The weakness of the yen against the Canadian dollar is a big draw right now, says Aaron Petrowitsch, 32, a Calgarian who travelled to Tokyo and Kyoto for his honeymoon in February. "A lot of people don't want to travel to the States right now, and fair enough," Petrowitsch told CBC News. "But looking at other places where your money goes a long way, Japan is definitely one of those places." He and his wife Sarah had originally planned a trip to Japan in 2020, which they had to cancel due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. When they rebooked for their honeymoon, Petrowitsch says he was pleasantly surprised that the trip would be more affordable than it would have been five years ago. "It's getting more and more popular, that's for sure," Petrowitsch said, adding that about two weeks after he got back to Calgary, a colleague of his travelled to Japan with his girlfriend, and he knows at least one other colleague planning a trip. Aaron Petrowitsch, left, and Sarah Petrowitsch, of Calgary, are seen here visiting Mount Fuji in Japan in February 2025. Japan recorded 44,500 visits from Canadians in February alone. (Aaron Petrowitsch) Overtourism But as more tourists flock to Japan, many of them inspired by social media, what's called overtourism has become a hot topic. "The issue is not so much with too many people going to Japan, but with too many people going to the same places while they're there," James Mundy of Inside Japan explained on the Responsible Travel website. "What tourists and local communities want to do is not sometimes harmonized," Kenji Hamamoto of the Japan Tourism Agency told Travel Voice, a Japanese travel news site, in January. This picture taken on July 3, 2023 shows tourists posing for photographs with former sumo wrestlers at the Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka restaurant in Tokyo. (Yuichi Yamakazi/AFP/Getty Images) Some regions and attractions have taken extra measures. The historic geisha district of Gion in Kyoto, for instance, has banned tourists from some of its alleyways and private streets in an attempt to control those who have reportedly tried to force geisha and maiko to pose for photos or touched their kimonos. Tourists flocking Kamakura for a photo op have become so problematic that the town had to add security guards to keep people away from its famed railway crossing. And in Fujikawaguchiko, so many people have blocked roads or trespassed to get an Instagram-famous photo of the Lawson Convenience Shop by Mount Fuji that authorities had to put up a barrier to block the view. (They eventually, quietly, took it back down, CNN reports.) Meanwhile, a 400-year-old temple in Kyoto has been plagued by litter and unauthorized photo shoots. And Mount Fuji has become so overcrowded and littered by tourists that some have called it "trash mountain." A worker installs a barrier to block the sight of Japan's Mount Fuji emerging from behind a convenience store to deter badly behaved tourists, in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture in May 2024. (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images) Two-tier pricing? To manage overtourism, some tourist hotspots are increasing their prices. Starting in July, anyone who climbs Mount Fuji will have to pay 4,000 yen, or about $39 Cdn, for a permit — double the price of last year's so-called "tourist tax." Starting next year, Himeji Castle in western Japan will charge tourists more than double its normal rate. A new nature-themed park called Junglia Okinawa is charging 8,000 yen for a one-day pass for tourists, versus 6,300 yen for citizens. It's been reported that some restaurants are charging a tourist tax, such as an all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant in Tokyo that offers a discount for residents of Japan. And in 2023, officials rolled out a 100-yen tourist tax to visitors at Miyajima, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine, to anyone entering "by boat." Petrowitsch, from Calgary, says he didn't really notice a two-tier system on his visit, and when there was a lower price for Japanese locals, it was "minimal." He also says it likely won't deter him from visiting again, unless the price difference becomes drastic. "We had such a great time." Foreign and domestic visitors crowd the street at the popular tourist area of Tsukiji fish market as the country marks the 'Golden Week' holidays in central Tokyo on April 30, 2024. (Richard A. Brooks/AFP/Getty Images)
CBC
20-04-2025
- CBC
Japan, amid an unprecedented travel boom, is starting to charge tourists more to visit
There's a meme circulating that the average millennial midlife crisis unfolds like this: Take up running. Make house plants your entire personality. Buy an air fryer. Start planning a trip to Japan. First of all, ouch. But second of all, the accuracy. The allure of Japan has called to travellers (young and old, for the record) for years, but especially since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The unique mix of cultural traditions and cutting-edge modernity, its emphasis on wellness and aesthetic of comfort, and its natural landscapes and popular attractions are just part of what makes Japan so appealing to many. Last year, Japan was named the best country to visit in the world by the Conde Nast Readers' Choice Awards. And now, bolstered by a weak yen, it's also more affordable, leading to an unprecedented travel boom that saw the country cross the 10-million visitor mark at its fastest-ever pace this year. For many, it's a welcome boost, after tourism to Japan was all but halted for more than two years during the pandemic, as the country put up some of the world's strictest border controls. But now as Japan grapples with the surge, it has a new problem: overtourism, with crowds affecting everything from some of its most sacred traditions to increasing housing and hotel prices. "I'm happy there are so many visitors to Japan, but I'm agonizing every day," Yoshiki Kojima, who owns an IT company, told the Japan Times in January about his struggles to find affordable hotel rooms for his employees when they travel to Tokyo. "I've already given up," Natsuki Sato, a mother who realized she could not afford to buy a home because she lives near a popular ski resort where tourism has driven up property prices, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on April 12. And now, to help cope, some of Japan's most popular tourism destinations are reportedly rolling out a two-tier pricing system on everything from restaurants to theme parks. WATCH | There's a global matcha boom: Global matcha boom driving a shortage in Japan, impacting Vancouver businesses 6 days ago Duration 2:20 Global demand for matcha is skyrocketing, but experts say Japan's limited production and declining number of tea farmers are causing supply shortages. As Leanne Yu reports, some Vancouver businesses hope by directly sourcing from matcha farms, it will help lessen the impact. Canadian visits on the rise Arrivals of foreign visitors for business and leisure reached 3.5 million last month, bringing the total through the first quarter to 10.54 million, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) showed. Last year, Japan reached 10 million visitors in April. For the whole of 2025, tourist arrivals are on pace to eclipse last year's all-time level of 36.87 million. The nation's famed cherry blossom season helped boost demand in March, which saw record arrivals for any single month among travellers from the United States and Canada, the JNTO said. And Canada was among the top 20 countries whose residents have visited Japan recently, with 44,500 visits from Canadians recorded in February alone, up 31 per cent from last February. Over 550,000 Canadian tourists visited last year, up 37 per cent from the year before. Right now, $1 Cdn gets you about 103 yen — or in other words, a bowl of ramen can cost about $5, and a standard hotel room about $200 a night. The weakness of the yen against the Canadian dollar is a big draw right now, says Aaron Petrowitsch, 32, a Calgarian who travelled to Tokyo and Kyoto for his honeymoon in February. "A lot of people don't want to travel to the States right now, and fair enough," Petrowitsch told CBC News. "But looking at other places where your money goes a long way, Japan is definitely one of those places." He and his wife Sarah had originally planned a trip to Japan in 2020, which they had to cancel due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. When they rebooked for their honeymoon, Petrowitsch says he was pleasantly surprised that the trip would be more affordable than it would have been five years ago. "It's getting more and more popular, that's for sure," Petrowitsch said, adding that about two weeks after he got back to Calgary, a colleague of his travelled to Japan with his girlfriend, and he knows at least one other colleague planning a trip. Overtourism But as more tourists flock to Japan, many of them inspired by social media, what's called overtourism has become a hot topic. "The issue is not so much with too many people going to Japan, but with too many people going to the same places while they're there," James Mundy of Inside Japan explained on the Responsible Travel website. "What tourists and local communities want to do is not sometimes harmonized," Kenji Hamamoto of the Japan Tourism Agency told Travel Voice, a Japanese travel news site, in January. Some regions and attractions have taken extra measures. The historic geisha district of Gion in Kyoto, for instance, has banned tourists from some of its alleyways and private streets in an attempt to control those who have reportedly tried to force geisha and maiko to pose for photos or touched their kimonos. Tourists flocking Kamakura for a photo op have become so problematic that the town had to add security guards to keep people away from its famed railway crossing. And in Fujikawaguchiko, so many people have blocked roads or trespassed to get an Instagram-famous photo of the Lawson Convenience Shop by Mount Fuji that authorities had to put up a barrier to block the view. (They eventually, quietly, took it back down, CNN reports.) Meanwhile, a 400-year-old temple in Kyoto has been plagued by litter and unauthorized photo shoots. And Mount Fuji has become so overcrowded and littered by tourists that some have called it " trash mountain." Two-tier pricing? To manage overtourism, some tourist hotspots are increasing their prices. Starting in July, anyone who climbs Mount Fuji will have to pay 4,000 yen, or about $39 Cdn, for a permit — double the price of last year's so-called "tourist tax." Starting next year, Himeji Castle in western Japan will charge tourists more than double its normal rate. A new nature-themed park called Junglia Okinawa is charging 8,000 yen for a one-day pass for tourists, versus 6,300 yen for citizens. It's been reported that some restaurants are charging a tourist tax, such as an all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant in Tokyo that offers a discount for residents of Japan. And in 2023, officials rolled out a 100-yen tourist tax to visitors at Miyajima, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine, to anyone entering "by boat." Petrowitsch, from Calgary, says he didn't really notice a two-tier system on his visit, and when there was a lower price for Japanese locals, it was "minimal." He also says it likely won't deter him from visiting again, unless the price difference becomes drastic. "We had such a great time."
