Dollar At ¥159 In Tokyo

Happy April Fool's Day!

Yes, today is April 1 but the following is not an April fool joke. 

As we're in a new month, it is time to take a peek at how the U.S. dollar is faring against the Japanese yen in foreign exchange for those planning a vacation in Japan.

According to The Mainichi:

The U.S. dollar briefly weakened to the lower 158 yen range in Tokyo, as buying on flight-to-safety demand subsided amid speculation of a cease-fire, dealers said.

At 5 p.m., the dollar fetched 158.79-80 yen compared with 158.66-76 yen in New York and 159.62-64 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

To read more, go here. 

Dollar Around ¥150.18 In Tokyo

Since we are now in a new month, it is time to take a peek at how the U.S. dollar is faring against the Japanese yen in Tokyo trading.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks fell Tuesday, pressured by fears over a trade war triggered by U.S. tariffs imposed on China, Mexico and Canada, while exporters were sold on the yen's brief appreciation.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 454.29 points, or 1.20 percent, from Monday at 37,331.18. The broader Topix index finished 19.38 points, or 0.71 percent, lower at 2,710.18.

On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by nonferrous metal, securities house and mining issues.

The U.S. dollar briefly weakened to as low as 148.60 yen in Tokyo as the yen was bought after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Japan is pursuing a policy to devalue the yen, dealers said. The U.S. currency later rebounded to the lower 149 yen level.

At 5 p.m., the dollar fetched 149.34-36 yen compared with 149.45-55 yen in New York and 150.17-18 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Monday. 

To read more, go here. 

Hotel Stays In Japan Hit Record

Above, I stayed at this Tokyo hotel in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I first visited Japan in 2001 and seven subsequent visits since, it was relatively easy to get a hotel room in Tokyo and elsewhere in the country.

Due to the exchange rate between the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar along with other currencies, Japan is seeing what they are calling overtourism. Several years ago, Japan sought more foreign tourists and had a goal of 10 million tourists. That has been far exceeded during recent years before and after the pandemic.

Now, hotels and other accommodations in Japan are seeing record numbers in hotel stays.

The Mainichi Shimbun reported:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Overnight stays at accommodation facilities in Japan by Japanese and foreign travelers rose 5.5 percent in 2024 from the previous year to a record 651.49 million, preliminary government data showed Friday.

The growth was largely driven by foreign visitors, whose stays at hotels and Japanese inns surged 38.8 percent to 163.48 million on the back of a weak yen, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

Overnight stays by Japanese residents, meanwhile, fell 2.3 percent to 488.01 million, with an agency official suggesting a slowdown in the post-coronavirus pandemic domestic travel boom.

The previous record high was 617.47 million marked in 2023.

To read more, go here. 

Dollar In ¥144 Range

Now that we're in a new month and the fall season should entice more Americans to visit Japan thanks to cooler weather, it is time to take a peek at how the U.S. dollar is faring against the Japanese yen.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

The U.S. dollar rose to lower 144 yen range in Tokyo on buying after Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell said the U.S. central bank is not in a rush to cut interest rates, fueling expectations that the U.S. and Japanese rate differential would remain wide, dealers said.

At 5 p.m., the dollar fetched 144.16-19 yen compared with 143.57-67 yen in New York and 142.37-39 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Monday.

To read more, go here. 

Yen Fall May Prove Debilitating To Japan

Above, a food market at the Tokyo Skytree. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Despite price hikes at some restaurants, hotels and, coming this fall, the price of Japan Rail Passes, the dollar is seeing the best purchasing power in Japan in years.

As good as this is for American and other foreign travelers, it may not be good for the financial health of Japan itself.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The yen's recent weakening may not be as rapid as last year when it lost around 20 percent of its value relative to the U.S. dollar, but the prospect of it staying longer at current levels is already a cause for alarm for Japan Inc. and consumers.

The yen is in the 143 zone to the U.S. dollar, far from around 130 that major Japanese firms expect the currency pair to average in the current business year to next March. The euro has also hit a 15-year high versus the yen near 157.

While Japanese authorities say they are closely monitoring forex developments due to the importance of stable currency moves that reflect economic fundamentals, the yen's recent weakness is largely due to the divergence of monetary policies between Japan and its peers in the United States and Europe.

To read more, go here. 

Japan To Allow Hotels To Refuse Guests Shunning Infection Prevention Measures

Above, Hotel Asia Center of Japan in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Even though Japan is opening up the country to foreign travelers in three days, the Japanese government has introduced a bill in the Diet allowing hotels to refuse guests who don't comply with infection prevention measures. 

If one is heading to Japan after the bills passes, they'd better pack masks in their luggage.

According to The Mainichi:

TOKYO -- The Japanese government is preparing to allow accommodation facilities to turn away guests who do not comply with infection prevention measures, such as wearing masks, without a valid reason in times of infectious disease outbreaks.

A bill to revise the Hotel Business Act was approved in a Cabinet meeting on Oct. 7, and the government hopes to see it enacted during the ongoing extraordinary Diet session.

In the revision, a new stipulation was created to allow businesses to ask guests to cooperate with infection prevention measures such as wearing masks and measuring their temperatures when there are outbreaks of diseases specified in the infectious disease law, including COVID-19. The bill states that accommodation providers can refuse guests who have fevers or other such symptoms but fail to comply with anti-infection policies without a legitimate reason. It says businesses must not turn away people if they have difficulties wearing masks due to disabilities or allergies.

To read more, go here. 

Survey: 72% Say Border Controls Keeping Them From Visiting Japan

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

Japan's current policy of only allowing group tours along with strict rules are not inviting to potential overseas tourists. At least not inviting enough to get them to come to Japan according to a July survey.

The Mainichi reported:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A survey released Tuesday by a Tokyo-based company that encourages tourism to Japan showed that 72 percent of respondents will not, or will probably not, visit the country if it continues with its current entry controls.

The D2C X Inc. survey also showed 91 percent of the 1,717 overseas respondents found the entry controls, which include COVID-19 testing within 72 hours of departure to Japan, too strict or rather strict, illustrating how the country's pandemic border measures have deterred visits from overseas.

The online survey, conducted in early July, was answered by people from across 52 countries and territories.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Reopening Causing Confusion

Above, Senso-ji temple in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The reopening of Japan to foreign tourism last Friday should have been a happy occasion.

But, as the following article shows, it has caused confusion and some travel agencies are not at all happy with what Japan requires. The reopening either wasn't fully thought out or it was designed by control freaks.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- As Japan resumed visa procedures to accept foreign tourists last week, travel companies have been thrown into confusion over the lack of communication regarding entry procedures and last-minute COVID-19 guidelines.

The government's sudden moves have generated discontent among many in the travel industry, with some domestic companies pulling out of operating tours for inbound tourists amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on May 26 that Japan would reopen to foreign tourists from last Friday, initially limiting eligible tourism arrivals to guided tours from 98 countries and regions deemed to have the lowest risk of infection.

A main crux of the problem is the visa requirement.

"Overseas agencies had been looking for tour participants on a spur-of-the-moment basis, so they were confused after discovering visas would be required," said the manager of a Japanese company supporting inbound tourism.

Before the pandemic, Japan offered visa-free travel for tourists from 68 countries and regions including the United States, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia.

But border restrictions due to COVID-19 mean that currently "everyone needs a visa," according to the Foreign Ministry.

Many overseas travel agencies were also unaware that, in order to apply for a visa, they first needed to input the traveler's details into Japan's health ministry system, which did not begin operating until midnight Thursday.

There are other restrictions and requirements that Japan is imposing, so much so that people are backing away.

To read the full article, go here. 

Japan Mulls Allowing Foreign Tourists In June

Above, the Asahi Beer Hall and the Tokyo Skytree. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This has to be one of those cases of "when I see it, I'll believe it."

The Japanese government is expected to announce their foreign tourism plan tomorrow. They are going to double the quota of foreign tourists allowed in to 20,000 and relax other restrictions.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government is making final arrangements to resume accepting foreign tourists in June, further relaxing its border controls imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.

Since March, Japan has been easing its COVID-19 border controls, planning to double the cap on overseas arrivals to 20,000 per day starting on June 1. The country will accept foreign tourists within the quota, the sources said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to announce the plan Thursday at the earliest, they added.

To read more, go here. 

Panel: Japan Should Ease COVID Border Controls For Foreigners

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japanese government panel met today and they say Japan should ease COVID-19 border controls for foreigners.

They call for a gradual reopening of Japan's borders for foreign tourists.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan should aim to normalize its coronavirus travel controls for foreigners as soon as possible, some members of a government panel said Wednesday, calling for a gradual reopening of its borders for tourists to boost the economy.

The government should relax its daily limit on foreign visitors and ease additional immigration procedures needed to enter Japan once such restrictions are confirmed less effective in curbing infection cases, private-sector members of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy said.

Amid criticism of the country's strict border controls, Japan raised the daily cap on overseas entrants on April 10 from 7,000 to 10,000. Visitors are limited to business people, technical interns and students. The ban on tourists remains.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Tourism: No Plans To Reopen

Above, the Nagasaki Peace Statue. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like foreign tourism to Japan won't be happening anytime soon.

That is the position of the Japanese government. They've relaxed entry restrictions for students and business, but not for tourism.

According to The Mainichi:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan has no plan for now to resume the entry of foreign tourists to the country but will make a judgment after looking at the COVID-19 infection situation and border control steps taken by other nations, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday.

To read more, go here.

Ultraman Pop-Up Cafe At Tokyo Skytree

Above, the Tokyo Skytree. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those of you who are Ultraman fans, there's some good news.

A new pop-up cafe at the Tokyo Skytree has opened.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

TOKYO -- To commemorate the 55th anniversary of the "Ultraman" TV series, a pop-up cafe opened on July 16 in the Tokyo Solamachi retail complex at the foot of Tokyo Skytree.

"Ultraman Cafe: Go Beyond 55th Anniversary," located in the capital's Sumida Ward, is designed to give customers a sense they are in the popular TV series' world. It will trade on the complex's first floor until Aug. 29.

The menu is themed on series characters including from the original "Ultraman" (1966), "Ultraman Tiga" (1996), the latest "Ultraman Trigger" (2021), and popular monsters including Alien Baltan and Dada.

Unfortunately, there's some bad news.

None of us can go there to see it and dine as Japan has extreme restrictions for entering the country for tourists. Persons from Canada and the U.S. are denied permission to enter the country.

To read more, go here.

Mt. Fuji Gets First Snow Dusting

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

This may be seen as a good omen for skiing enthusiasts in Japan. Yes, there are two ski resorts on Mount Fuji.

One of the biggest symbols of Japan, Mount Fuji, got its first dusting of snow.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun: 

Japan's iconic Mount Fuji got its first dusting of snow of the season, the central Japan city of Fujiyoshida in Yamanashi Prefecture announced on Sept. 21.

According to the city, cooler temperatures prevailing over the four-day long weekend that started on Sept. 19 turned rain that had been falling on the mountain into snow, leaving a light sprinkling of the white stuff near the peak.

 To read more, go here.