Things To Know If Travelling To Japan This Year

Above, the Mitsukoshi department store at Ginza Crossing in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer

It is funny how Japan for years clamored for more foreign tourists. Now that foreigners have coming into the country in droves, Japan is deeply concerned with overtourism.

Much of this overtourism is due to the weak yen. This is drawing foreigners as Japan is seen as a huge bargain as a result. One the other side of the coin, the weak yen is keeping Japanese citizens to refrain from foreign travel (Hawaii is a good example).

Condé Nast Traveller has an article on what four things we should expect if one is planning to travel to Japan this year.

They begin with:

Japan is experiencing a serious boom in tourism since the pandemic. With visitor numbers crossing three million in March this year, parts of the country are taking several measures to fight overtourism. Tourists must pay a fee and reserve a spot to hike Mt. Fuji’s Yoshida Trail. The alleys of the geisha district are also out of bounds. Here’s what you need to know if you travel to Japan this season.

To read more, go here.