Travel

More Tokyo Trains Are Supporting Credit Card Touch Payments

Is this another stake in the heart of Japan's beloved IC cards? Several Tokyo train companies announce credit card tap payment support.

Japan’s Duty-Free System For Tourists Will Change to Refunds in November 2026

Japan's planning to change how tourists shop: the country's new duty-free laws will now require requesting a refund at the airport.

“China-fication” of Japan? New 10-Year Visa for Wealthy Chinese Tourists Stirs Backlash

A plan to extend the current five-year visitor visa to 10 years for China's elite has many on Japan's far right up in arms.

Onsen City in Japan That Gets 85x More Tourists Than Residents Institutes New Rules

A popular onsen in Yamagata Prefecture brings in so much traffic that the city has instituted new rules to reduce congestion.

Expo 2025 Can’t Sell Tickets, Might Need Japanese Taxpayer Bailout

Will the World Expo 2025 in Osaka be a financial bust? It's trending that way - and Japanese taxpayers might be on the hook for it.

Japan’s Domestic Tourism Languishes Due to Costs, Crowding

Japan's tourism boom is generating profits for many local businesses. However, it may be leaving domestic travelers out in the cold.

“Slam Dunk” Tourism Spot Installs Camera to Deter Naughty Tourists

A site in Kamakura made famous by Slam Dunk is the latest Japanese tourism destination trying to clamp down on bad manners.

GACKT: Japan Should Return to Isolationism, Maybe

Singer-songwriter GACKT appears to have the solution for overtourism: return the country to isolationism.

As Japan Tourism Booms, Domestic Business Travelers Settle for Crappy Hotels

With tourists continuing to stream into Japan, the cost of hotels - even those geared towards domestic travelers - is skyrocketing. That's forcing business travelers, who are assigned fixed budgets, to settle for capsule hotels - or worse.

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