Osaka Castle Reigns As Top Draw To Foreigners

Above, yours truly at Osaka Castle in 2015.

Over the years, I have been to Osaka Castle twice.

The first was during the 2004 G-TOUR, a tour of Japan of Godzilla fans to sites and attractions associated with "The King of the Monsters." Osaka Castle was featured in Godzilla Raids Again (1955). The second time was during my 2015 trip to Japan.

Above, Osaka Castle in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to an article posted by Kyodo News, Osaka Castle reigns as the top draw among foreign visitors.

It begins with:

TOKYO, Japan Wire - Osaka Castle was the most popular of Japan’s castles among foreign visitors in 2025, topping rankings for both Asian and Western tourists, according to an analysis by travel app provider Navitime Japan Co. 

While the two visitor groups showed different preferences further down the rankings due to travel styles, Osaka Castle reigned as the universal favorite between January and December last year, in rankings based on an association list of 100 notable castles in Japan.

Tokyo-based firm Navitime Japan used GPS data and survey responses gathered from users of its travel service app for foreign visitors, Japan Travel by Navitime, to compare the number and length of visits to castles between Asian and Western visitors for the analysis published in April.

Among visitors from Asia (predominantly Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, and China), Nagoya Castle and Kumamoto Castle made up the top three behind Osaka. 

Nijo Castle, in Kyoto, and Himeji Castle completed the top three for Western visitors (predominantly from the United States, Australia, and France). 

To read more, go here. 

Tokyo's Yamanote Line Marks 100 Years of Operation

Above, a Yamanote Line train in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While in Tokyo during my eight trips to Japan, I have used the Yamanote train line many times. The Yamanote Line encircles central Tokyo and is quite handy in exploring the city.

According to Kyodo News, the train line has reached 100 years of operation.

They begin with:

TOKYO - JR East on Saturday marked exactly 100 years of operation of the iconic Yamanote loop line train that encircles central Tokyo.

Connecting with private railways entering from the outer suburbs, bustling commercial districts formed around hubs such as Shinjuku and Shibuya stations, and laid the foundations for the capital's development.

Redevelopment continues along the line today and its status as the main artery of Tokyo, carrying huge numbers of people daily, remains unchanged.

JR East held a commemorative event using a train enveloped in a past train design that departed from Ikebukuro Station and made a complete circuit in about an hour. 

To read more, go here. 

Foreign Visitors To Japan Set New May Record

Above, an advertising sign for Asahi Beer in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign visitors to Japan set a new record for May.

Kyodo News reported:

TOKYO - The number of foreign visitors to Japan in May rose 21.5 percent from a year earlier to 3.7 million, a record for the month, government estimates showed Wednesday, as travel demand remained strong even after cherry blossom season.

By country and region, South Korea topped the list with 825,800 visitors, up 11.8 percent, followed by China with 789,900, a 44.8 percent increase, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

To read more, go here. 

February Foreign Visitors To Japan Hit Monthly Record

Above, the Saikai Bridge near Sasebo on Kyushu. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's economy is being driven by the surge of foreign tourists, according to CNBC.

This isn't surprising given the favorable foreign exchange rate in Tokyo between the U.S. dollar and other currencies against the Japanese yen.

February's number of foreign visitors hit a new record.

According to an article from Kyodo News:

The number of foreign visitors to Japan in February rose 16.9 percent from a year earlier to a record 3.26 million for the month, driven by strong demand for winter sports and the Chinese New Year holiday trailing into the month, government data showed Wednesday.

The figure topped 3 million for the first time in February, driven by a surge in visitors from Australia and the United States, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.

By country and region, South Korea led with 847,300 visitors, up 3.5 percent and a record for the month. China followed with 722,700 visitors, a 57.3 percent increase, driven in part by expanded flight connections between the two countries.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Visitors and Spending Hit Records In 2024

Above, Senso-Ji Temple in Tokyo's Asakusa district. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thanks to a weak yen, Japan saw record numbers of foreign visitors and spending during 2024.

 Kyodo News reported:

The number of foreign visitors to Japan topped 36 million in 2024 in a new all-time high, boosted by a weak yen and the resumption of flight routes to Japan following the COVID-19 pandemic, while their spending surpassed 8 trillion yen ($50.8 billion) for the first time on record, government data showed Wednesday.

Foreign tourists spent a total of 8.14 trillion yen on accommodation, shopping and other expenses in 2024, surpassing the previous record of 5.31 trillion yen set in 2023, preliminary figures from the Japan Tourism Agency showed.

A record 36.87 million foreign tourists visited Japan in 2024 as peak travel periods, including the seasons for cherry blossoms and autumn foliage, contributed to annual visitor numbers from 20 markets setting new record highs, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

To read more, go here. 

Kyoto To Hike Lodging Tax

Above, Kyoto's Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Visitors to Kyoto, Japan will be paying more when staying in the city's hotels and other accommodations.

The municipal government will be hiking the lodging tax up to ¥10,000 per person per night starting in March 2026.

According to Kyodo News:

KYOTO - The city government of Kyoto said Tuesday it will raise its lodging tax for people staying at hotels and other accommodations from March 2026, setting the maximum rate at a sharply higher 10,000 yen ($64) per person per night.

The new rates will range from 200 yen to 10,000 yen, compared with the current ones of between 200 yen and 1,000 yen, it said. The top rate will be the highest for fixed amounts imposed by municipalities, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The city introduced a three-tiered accommodation tax system in 2018, with 200 yen levied on rooms costing less than 20,000 a night and 1,000 yen on those priced at 50,000 yen or higher.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Foreign Visitors Top 33 Million In January-November

Above, Tokyo Tower as seen from Roppongi Hills. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A new record was set in the number of foreign visitors to Japan in January to November of 2024.

According to Kyodo News:

The number of foreign visitors to Japan topped 33 million from January to November, setting a new annual record, driven by a tourism boom and a weak yen, government estimates showed Wednesday.

The total stood at 33,379,900, surpassing the previous full-year high of 31.88 million set in 2019, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

In November alone, foreign visitors rose 30.6 percent year-on-year to 3.18 million. Each month this year has recorded at least 30 percent growth compared with the same period last year.

With airline routes to Japan recovering to 2019 levels, November visitor numbers were further boosted by increased demand during the fall foliage season.

To read more, go here. 

Mt. Fuji Light Rail Line To Transport 3 Million Hikers Annually

Above, a Shinkansen view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The big symbol of Japan, Mount Fuji, may be getting a new rail line to the Fifth Station on the mountain.

Yamanashi Prefecture is proposing a double-track rail system to bring hikers to the mountain.

Kyodo News reported:

A proposed light rail transit service connecting the foot of Mt. Fuji to its 5th station would be capable of transporting 3.36 million passengers annually, a recent report by a local government showed.

Yamanashi Prefecture is proposing a double-track line operating two-car trains every six minutes for 10 hours per day to disperse the summer influx of tourists while reducing vehicle emissions, according to its interim report.

The line would run along the Fuji Subaru Line, the toll road to the 5th station that serves as the starting point to one of the mountain's most popular hiking trails.

The prefecture projects capital investment would total 148.6 billion yen ($970 million), deeming it optimal for the prefectural government to construct the tracks while a private company operates the trains.

Assuming 3 million passengers per year at 10,000 yen per person, the transit system is expected to yield a profit of 184.8 billion yen for the prefecture and 420.7 billion yen for the operator over a 40-year period, according to the report.

To read more, go here. 

Japanese Photographer Spotlights WWII Native American Code Talkers

Above, the Navajo Code Talker statue in Window Rock, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In recent years, the famed Native American (Navajo) code talkers used during World War II have been receiving much recognition.

It has come to light that a Japanese photographer has been chronicling the code talkers' lives since then.

Kyodo News reported:

Until the 1960s, few knew of a special unit of Navajo code talkers in the U.S. Marine Corps who helped ensure the secrecy of U.S. military communications in the Pacific theater during World War II.

For the past several decades, however, their story has been chronicled by a photographer from Japan, the country with which they were at war, who has not only celebrated their pivotal wartime contributions but also shed light on the complex legacy of cultural suppression they endured.

The young Native American men experienced combat in several battles including the Battle of Okinawa, which raged for nearly three months until June 1945 and is widely considered the war's bloodiest conflict in the Pacific theater.

 To read more, go here.

Foreign Visitors To Japan Top 3 Million For 3rd Straight Month

Above, Toho Studios' Godzilla mural. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like the tourism industry in Japan has recovered, and then some.

For the third straight month, three million foreign visitors came to Japan.

According to Kyodo News:

TOKYO - The number of foreign visitors to Japan totaled 3.04 million in May, up 60.1 percent from a year earlier and exceeding the 3 million mark for the third consecutive month, boosted by the weak yen, government data showed.

The Japan National Tourism Organization attributed the strong tourist arrivals to China's holiday season and an increased number of flights and ships coming from East Asia.

The number of visitors from more than a dozen countries and regions, including South Korea and the United States, reached record highs for the month.

To read more, go here. 

Town Near Mt. Fuji Counts On UFO Tourism

Above, a Shinkansen view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Roswell, New Mexico has the distinction of having a UFO crash in 1947. But Roswell doesn't have any monopoly of UFO sightings or close encounters.

There was an encounter in Japan at the foot of Mount Fuji that took place in 1975 and the town of Kofu is capitalizing on it as a tourism draw.

According to Kyodo News:

 Local residents in Yamanashi Prefecture, at the foot of Mt. Fuji, are striving to make their city Kofu a tourist magnet with extraterrestrial help from an alien.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of an incident in which two elementary school children claimed to have encountered unidentified flying objects and an alien. It is dubbed one of "three major UFO incidents" reported in Japan.

Radio personality Kiichi Tokutake is among a group of people organizing events to celebrate the anniversary and boost the city's appeal. "I want to make Kofu a mecca for UFO enthusiasts," he said.

Tokutake's passion grew after he was told by a guest during his show that the UFO sighting in Kofu had recently grabbed attention among some overseas enthusiasts.

The alleged incident dates back to Feb. 23, 1975, when two boys playing near a vineyard in Kofu saw what they described as two saucer-shaped UFOs flashing in orange at around 6:30 p.m. They said a 120- to 130-centimeter tall alien with a big head, long ears and three fangs then descended, according to Tokutake. The alien reportedly had a brown face with no eyes or nose.

The boys left the scene to call their family. When they returned, the objects started blinking and glared briefly before disappearing. Their family and local residents provided similar descriptions.

To read more, go here. 

Phishing Scam Victimized Over 100 Japanese Hotels

Above, the front desk of an Atami ryokan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over 100 Japanese hotels have fallen victim to a phishing scam involving Booking.com.

Kyodo News reported:

TOKYO - Over 100 hotels in Japan have fallen victim to email scams that try to steal customers' credit card information using accommodation reservation site Booking.com, a Kyodo News tally found Saturday.

Some of the hotels said their customers lost money after the fraudsters stole their card details. The Japan Tourism Agency has instructed Booking.com Japan K.K., the Japanese unit of the major lodging booking site operator, to conduct a full investigation.

Booking.com Japan declined to comment on the financial damage. 

The phishing scams come as similar cases are reported worldwide, and Japan sees a return to booming tourism levels after COVID-19 border restrictions were lifted.

With the help of anonymous cybersecurity specialist Piyokango, the Kyodo News count found that as of March 26, some 118 accommodation businesses in at least 21 prefectures have been affected since June last year.

Fraudsters send emails to Japanese hotels to access their Booking.com management system. The email contains a link, which infects a computer once clicked.

Personally, whenever I have traveled to Japan, I book rooms directly with the hotels. 

To read the full article, go here.

Visitors To Japan Surge In February

Above, a view of Tokyo Tower from Tokyo City View in Roppongi. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Inbound tourism to Japan is still surging according to an article posted by Kyodo News.

They reported:

TOKYO - The number of foreign visitors to Japan rose 89.0 percent in February from a year earlier to about 2.79 million as it continued to rebound from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Tuesday, although visitors from mainland China only showed a limited recovery.

The figure represents a 7.1 percent rise from the same month in 2019 when there was no impact from the pandemic, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

The largest number of travelers came from South Korea at 818,500, up 14.3 percent from pre-pandemic levels, followed by those from Taiwan at 502,200, up 25.6 percent.

To read more, go here. 

Foreign Visitation To Japan Reached Pre-Pandemic Level In January

Above, a photo/movie shoot in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The numbers of foreign visitors to Japan reached pre-pandemic levels in January.

According to Kyodo News:

TOKYO - The number of foreign visitors to Japan soared 79.5 percent in January from a year earlier to about 2.69 million, reaching the level seen in the same month in 2019 before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday.

The number of overseas visitors has been growing after Japan lifted border control measures related to COVID-19 in late April. A weak yen has also been fueling the return of inbound tourists.

The impact of a powerful earthquake that rattled central Japan on New Year's Day has been "limited," although some people in South Korea and China canceled their trips to Japan in the wake of the quake, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

To read more, go here. 

Nagasaki Marriott Hotel Opens

Above, the JR Nagasaki Station in 2007. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my 2007 trip to Japan, I went down to Kyushu for a few days.

One of my stops was in Nagasaki, the site of the second atomic bomb drop that ended World War II. While there, I visited the Nagasaki atomic bomb park and museum.

I arrived in Nagasaki at the JR Nagasaki Station. As there were no shinkansens there at the time, I traveled there on a commuter train from Sasebo.

Nagasaki Station has a new neighbor that has just opened: the Nagasaki Marriott Hotel.

According to Kyodo News:

The first Marriott hotel in Japan's southwestern Kyushu region opened Tuesday adjacent to JR Nagasaki Station amid hopes of boosting local tourism.

Along with a new shinkansen bullet train service connecting Nagasaki and the Takeo Onsen hot spring resort in neighboring Saga Prefecture launched in September 2022, the new luxury hotel is expected to help attract visitors and revitalize the economy.

The Nagasaki Marriott Hotel, which is Marriott's ninth in Japan, offers restaurants and rooms with panoramic views of local attractions such as Nagasaki Port and Mt. Inasa. 

To read more, go here. 

30% of Japan's Prefectures Seeing Tourism Exceeding 2019 Numbers

Above, Fukuoka Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It took Japan longer than the rest of the world to reopen following the pandemic. But since Japan reopened, tourism is recovering.

Right now, 30% of Japan's prefectures are seeing tourism exceeding numbers prior to the pandemic.

According to Kyodo News:

TOKYO - Nearly 30 percent of prefectures across Japan experienced crowds surpassing pre-coronavirus pandemic levels in the first half of this year, with local areas outpacing Tokyo, according to private sector data.

Based on an analysis of major train stations in each of Japan's 47 prefectures, 13 locations, or 28 percent, recorded more people than during the same period in 2019. Conversely, 21 locations, or 45 percent, witnessed a decline in crowds, but this decrease was less than 10 percent. 

To read more, go here. 

Japan's Hotel Guest Numbers Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels In June

Above, the front desk of the Atami Shinkado ryokan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that the tourism industry in Japan is well on the road to a full recovery after the pandemic.

The number of hotel guests exceeded pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

Kyodo News reported:

TOKYO - The number of Japanese and foreign tourists staying at hotels and other accommodation facilities in June exceeded pre-pandemic monthly levels for the first time in more than three years, rising 1.0 percent from the same month in 2019, government data showed Monday.

There were around 46.3 million guests, according to preliminary data by the Japan Tourism Agency, with pandemic restrictions completely lifted and COVID-19's classification downgraded in May to a level equivalent to the seasonal flu.

The number of travelers had dropped drastically from February 2020 after initial cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Japan.

But with the country's abolishment of pandemic border controls in April, the number of foreign guests in June rose 15.6-fold from a year earlier to 9.43 million, reaching 98.4 percent of what it was in June 2019.

To read more, go here. 

Foreign Arrivals To Japan Top 10 Million

Above, Senso-ji temple in the Asakua section of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign arrivals to Japan is surging for the first time since before the pandemic in 2019.

Kyodo News reported:

TOKYO - Foreign arrivals to Japan from January to June topped 10 million for the first time since the same period in 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic, as the country sees a continued recovery in inbound travelers, government data showed Wednesday.

Japan saw 10.71 million arrivals in the six months, equivalent to 64.4 percent of the level seen from January to June in 2019 and exponentially higher than the 507,630 logged in the same period in 2022, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.

By country or region, the most arrivals came from South Korea at 3.13 million, followed by 1.77 million from Taiwan, 972,200 from the United States and 909,700 from Hong Kong, it said.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Tourism Agency Urging Japanese People To Travel Abroad

Above, Narita Airport Arrival Lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign nationals are coming to Japan in higher numbers than Japanese traveling abroad.

The Japan Tourism Agency is trying to correct this. They, along with the Japan Association of Travel Agents, are urging people to travel abroad.

Kyodo News reported:

The Japan Tourism Agency and the Japan Association of Travel Agents on Wednesday urged people to take trips abroad in a bid to boost the airline and tourism industry, as demand for international travel struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the number of visitors to Japan has grown steadily since border restrictions were eased last year, infection concerns and the weak yen are believed to be putting Japanese nationals off traveling abroad.

The number of Japanese people who left the country in March totaled 694,300, just 36.0 percent compared to March 2019 before the pandemic, according to government data.

Foreign arrivals to Japan, in contrast, have recovered to 65.8 percent of the level in March 2019.

To read more, go here. 

Price Hikes Decided On Over 20,000 Items In Japan

Above, Japanese consumers are paying more for food and beverage items. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Bird flu hasn't just hit the poultry industry, especially eggs, in the United States, it has hit Japan's food prices hard as well.

Kyodo News reported:

Price hikes have been decided for over 20,000 food and beverage items in Japan for this year so far, with the number crossing the threshold at a faster clip than last year, hitting a public already struggling with inflation, according to a credit research company.

A recent survey by Teikoku Databank Ltd. said that the price increases of products for household consumption are partly due to bird influenza that boosted egg prices and poor seaweed harvests.

The prices of 9,667 products had already risen through March. The figure for April stood at 5,116, while those for May and June reached about 820 and 3,300, respectively.

Mayonnaise and numerous other foods with eggs as key ingredients have become expensive. So have yogurt and cheese due to the rise in raw milk prices.

To read more, go here.