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July 01, 2026
 

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TOURISM

The Chinese embassy in Tokyo in November
JAPAN / Society
Mar 4, 2026
Chinese Embassy in Japan issues warning against ‘bumpers’ after viral video
The call for vigilance comes as Tokyo was pushing back against Beijing’s claims that Japan’s safety environment is deteriorating.
An Emirates plane with German tourists evacuated from the Middle East arrives from Dubai, in Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 4, 2026
Airline and travel industries scramble with fallout from Middle Eastern conflict
Gulf hubs such as Dubai, the world’s busiest international airport, remained closed or severely restricted for a fourth day, leaving tens of thousands stranded.
James Gaskin brushes his teeth in the Vogo Grand Hotel in Dubai on Monday.
WORLD
Mar 3, 2026
From hand-washed underwear to fake Adidas, stranded travelers wait out chaos
“It’s the unknown, and I’ve never been in a war zone.”
Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, operated by Qatar Airways, are parked outside Terminal 8 at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 3, 2026
Flight prices soar on Asia-Europe routes after Gulf conflict closes major hubs
Key hubs including Dubai — the world’s busiest international airport that normally handles over 1,000 flights a day — remain closed, slashing capacity on popular routes.
A can containing air from Hiroshima Prefecture and sold under the name Hiroshima Air
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Mar 2, 2026
Vending machine in Hiroshima offers cans of air from the prefecture
The company behind the cans says they’re going viral and hopes they will become the prefecture’s new specialty.
With Taiwan visible from its western shores, Yonaguni has always been more linked to events in Asia than other stretches of Japan.
LIFE / Travel
Feb 28, 2026
On westernmost Yonaguni, geopolitics can’t spoil the island’s aura
Residents are split on plans for development and militarization, but a visit to the island reveals an enduring atmosphere of peace above all else.
For Kagoshima, leveraging the Kyushu Shinkansen — which allows visitors to get from Fukuoka to Kagoshima in roughly 90 minutes — is seen as a way to tap into foreign visitors already arriving in Fukuoka and other gateway cities.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2026
Critics decry Kagoshima’s free shinkansen plan for tourists as ‘unfair’
Prefectural officials have defended the plan to fully subsidize one-way fares for foreign tourists as a necessary bet on inbound demand.
The Austrian team at this year’s International Snow Sculpture Contest — (from left) Michelle Steinmetz, Karl Pont and Daniel Nachbaur — pose with their creation.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Feb 27, 2026
In Sapporo, snow becomes a shared language
Working in temperatures as low as minus 6 degrees Celsius, artists from around the world convened in Sapporo this February to continue a tradition 50 years running.
Tokyo Skytree, in the capital's Sumida Ward, reopened to visitors Thursday following an incident that saw people trapped in an elevator in the tower.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2026
Damaged cable led to Tokyo Skytree elevator incident
Officials said the cable was damaged after being caught in the roller of a device that limits the shaking of the elevator car.
Haneda Airport in Tokyo. With the Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization, the government is aiming to reduce congestion at airports while tightening immigration controls.
JAPAN
Feb 25, 2026
Japan considers obliging airlines to deny boarding without JESTA
Also in the outline, the government indicated a plan to raise fees for foreign nationals applying for residency by up to 30 times.
Tokyo Skytree in November 2025. One of its elevators came to a standstill on Sunday around 8:15 p.m. All of its passengers were rescued about six hours later, close to 2:00 a.m. on Monday.
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2026
Tokyo Skytree shuts down after 20 people trapped in elevator for six hours
The Skytree is closed on Monday and Tuesday for a safety inspection as officials work to determine the cause.
Rising prices are making Japanese consumers more frugal, slowing the recovery of domestic tourism despite record per-trip spending and strong inbound travel.
BUSINESS
Feb 22, 2026
Recovery stalling in Japan’s domestic tourism
The annual tourist figure was around 600 million before the COVID-19 pandemic but tumbled below 300 million in 2020, when an emergency was declared over the pandemic
The Department of Homeland Security ​is "making tough but necessary workforce and resource ​decisions" ‌and prioritizing the "general traveling population" at entry points, The Washington Post cited Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as saying in a statement.
WORLD
Feb 22, 2026
U.S. to pause two key travel programs amid shutdown, report says
The PreCheck and Global Entry programs that speed airport security checks for some travelers would be temporarily suspended from Sunday.
Arrivals from China shrank 61% in January from a year earlier, the Japan National Tourism Organization said on Wednesday, citing a shift in the timing of the Lunar New Year holiday and warnings against travel to Japan.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2026
Chinese tourist decline fuels first drop in visitors to Japan since pandemic
Arrivals from China shrank 61% in January from a year earlier, compared with a 45% decline in December, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
From 2026, applicants in Japan without residence cards will generally be barred from taking the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in the country.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2026
Tourists no longer allowed to take JLPT in Japan from 2026
The change was driven by problems linked to overseas applicants using Japanese addresses without permission or submitting invalid phone numbers.
Japan’s passport is among the world’s most powerful. Still, according to the Foreign Ministry, as of 2024, the total number of valid passports stood at about 20.77 million out of a population of 123 million.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 17, 2026
Japan’s inbound tourism booms as outbound travel lags
Passport ownership remains low at 16.8% of the population, and outbound travel and study have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
Yamanashi and eight other prefectures hope to strengthen cooperation with India in fields such as tourism, corporate expansion, education and culture.
JAPAN
Feb 17, 2026
Nine prefectures set up framework to boost ties with India
In a joint declaration, the nine prefectures said they will call on other prefectures to join the framework and advance initiatives that will help deepen engagement with India.
A float with people dressed as characters from "Peter Pan" is seen as people attend the "Festival of Fantasy" parade at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida, in 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 16, 2026
Looking for Disney magic elsewhere: Canadians lead declines in travel to U.S.
President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war, threats to seize Greenland, and immigration enforcement efforts have made the U.S. a less desirable destination, travel agents said.
The woman behind the Lost Filipina blog says typical social media fame interests her much less than the hikes she continues to map out.
LIFE / Travel
Feb 16, 2026
Off the beaten feed: Comprehensive site steers hikers in Japan past social media noise
English-language guides to hiking Japan’s many mountains can be scarce, but one Filipina resident has taken it upon herself to map out the country’s many trails.
Narita Airport in Chiba Prefecture is pictured crowded with inbound tourists in June 2025.
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2026
Japan to subsidize measures to ease airport congestion
The transport ministry is considering subsidizing costs for expanding passenger walkways at airports and increasing baggage conveyor belts
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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