Toho Steps Out Into the World With New Confidence

Above, Toho Studios in the Setagaya section of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two years ago, Godzilla Minus One won an Academy Award for Special Effects, the first Japanese movie to accomplish this.

Toho Co., Ltd. is hoping that lightning will strike twice as they are pushing for another Academy Award. They are doing so with new confidence this time. 

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- The COVID pandemic may be long over but Americans have yet to resume going to the movies nearly as often as they used to. Could a three-hour, subtitled, behind-the-scenes drama about the careers of two Kabuki actors turn things around?

Hiroyasu Matsuoka thinks it is worth a shot. Toho, the Japanese entertainment and real estate company he heads, put on a week of showings of "Kokuho," Japan's most popular local live-action movie in decades, in Los Angeles and New York in November ahead of a planned general release next month that is to reach at least 100 screens across North America.

Virtually every one of the November screenings sold out. Actor Tom Cruise kicked off one Los Angeles showing by telling the audience, "This is a very, very special movie, and one that you must see on the big screen."

Next week, Matsuoka and Toho will learn whether "Kokuho," Japan's official nominee, has been shortlisted for the Academy Award for best international feature film. Two years ago, he and the company celebrated "Godzilla Minus One" becoming the first Japanese movie to win the Oscar for best visual effects.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Hotel Rates Hit September Record

Above, Tsukuba Hotel in the Ueno section of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hotel rates in Japan hit a record in September due to the tourism boom.

Rates went up an average 12.6% according to Nikkei Asia. For American travelers, that isn't too bad of an increase considering that the dollar and yen exchange rate is around ¥152 per dollar in Tokyo.

They reported:

TOKYO -- The average hotel rate in Japan increased 12.6% on the year in September to 19,381 yen ($127) per night, led by an influx to tourists from overseas, new data from analytics company STR shows.

Cities popular with foreign travelers, like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, helped drive the average rate up to its highest for September in data going back to 1996.

The number of foreign visitors in Japan was up 31.5% on the year on the first days of the two three-day weekends in September. Still, hotel rates rose less than during longer holidays, having little effect on stays by domestic guests.

To read more, go here. 

Rising Credit Card Usage Giving Headaches To Japan's Merchants

Above, Shibuya Crossing in Shibuya's shopping district. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan is generally known as a cash-only country. Credit cards have historically been rarely used.

However, since there is now a tourism boom of foreigners to Japan, credit card usage has been rising. Along with that, they come with a few headaches for merchants.

During my eight trips to Japan, I have never used a credit card. I strictly used cash obtained from the foreign exchange window at Narita Airport.

Nikkei Asia reported:

TOKYO -- As international visitors flock to Japan, their shopping and dining have put such a strain on credit card companies here that some are considering charging higher fees for foreign-issued cards.

When a foreign-issued credit card is used in Japan, the Japanese card company that processes transactions for the merchant must pay fees to both the overseas issuer and the international brand holder, such as Visa or MasterCard.

These payments can outweigh the merchant fees they collect in Japan, leaving losses that are expected to top 30 billion yen ($205 million) this year, about 50% more than in 2023.

Seven out of eight major Japanese credit card companies surveyed by Nikkei say their losses have grown from last year. Of these, six said they were considering or already had begun applying different fees to overseas cards.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Braces For New Surge In Overtourism

Above, the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the weak yen making Japan travel more attractive, the country is bracing itself for a new surge of overtourism.

It is interesting that ten or more years ago, Japan was trying to get more foreign tourists to visit. Now that they are flocking in, Japan has opened a Pandora's Box. They are having a difficult time in coping with the influx.

This is happening from Kamakura to Kyoto. 

Nikkei Asia posted:

TOKYO -- Major tourist destinations in Japan have been scrambling to prepare for the strain that visitors will put on public transit systems during the upcoming Golden Week holidays, the first since major pandemic restrictions were lifted.

Packed city buses have become a constant in Kyoto. So from April 27 to May 6, the city is calling on riders to make free transfers from the buses to the city-run subway system via special tickets. A rider will need only pay the 230 yen ($1.46) bus fare to take advantage of the service.

In particular, the free subway program aims to decrease the crowding on buses connecting the Kinkakuji temple to Kyoto Station. The route runs through the center of town, and ridership is high even among Kyoto residents alone.

The addition of tourists -- many with bulky luggage in tow -- has led to a critical overcrowding of buses.

For Golden Week, Kyoto is also increasing the frequency of buses connecting Kyoto Station to the Kiyomizudera temple. Buses will make arrivals every three to four minutes. Direct-service buses will launch in June.

To further ease crowding, there will be higher frequencies of buses serving other tourist destinations in Kyoto, such as the Heian-jingu Shrine.

Kamakura, another temple city, has been experiencing a large influx of tourists because it is easily accessible from Tokyo. Crowds of international visitors have milled in front of stations, obstructing foot traffic.

To read more, go here. 

U.S.-Asia Airfares Jump 30%

Above, Japan's Narita Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that the pandemic is over, demand for travel to Asian destinations are on the rise, and so are airfares, particularly those from the U.S. to China and Japan.

Nikkei Asia has posted an article on hikes in airfares since the pandemic ended.

They begin it with:

HOUSTON/NEW YORK -- Airfares from the U.S. to China and Japan rose about 30% last year as more travelers headed to the countries after pandemic-era travel restrictions were lifted.

Fares on 29 routes between the U.S. and Japan's Narita, Haneda and Kansai airports increased 20% to 50% on the year in 2023, according to an analysis by Nikkei and U.K. aviation information company Cirium.

The average increase was 25%, compared with a 7% rise the previous year.

Fares for travel from Denver, Colorado, to Narita rose 46%, as United Airlines' hub airport attracted Japan-bound travelers from other parts of the country.

The study analyzed 2023 economy-class fares from major U.S. airports to popular overseas destinations. Of the 200 routes that saw the highest price increases, 80 were to Japan or China.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Train Fares To Surge For Foreign Tourists

Above, Sendai Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Starting Sunday, October 1, the cost for JR Rail Passes will sharply increase for foreign visitors.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- The Japan Railways Group (JR Group) will sharply increase fares for foreign travelers under the Japan Rail Pass program for unlimited access to all JR trains, effective on Sunday.

Depending on how the pass is purchased, hikes will be 49% to 69% for economy-class train cars and 56% to 77% for first-class cars, called Green Cars.

At present, the over-the-counter price of the seven-day pass is roughly the same as the fare of a Tokyo-Osaka round trip aboard a bullet train, known in the country as shinkansen. The low fare has become possible "as a result of efforts to expand and upgrade services," the JR Group said.

But Japanese travelers have complained that the program unfairly favors foreign visitors.

The generous program started when prices were extremely high in Japan. Recently, however, it has become difficult to maintain the low prices because of a steep increase in the number of users. 

The surge of foreign visitors is causing other problems in Japan, to read further, go here. 

2 Million Visitors Arrived In Japan In August

Above, Asakusa's 5-storied pagoda. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's tourism industry is making a steady recovery in the numbers of foreign tourists coming into the country.

Over two million visitors arrived in Japan in August.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Japan welcomed more than 2 million visitors for a third straight month in August, recovering to more than 80% of pre-pandemic levels for the first time, official data showed on Wednesday.

The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure was 2.16 million last month, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) showed.

Visitor arrivals improved to 85.6% of the levels seen in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic led to travel curbs around the world.

The August numbers were down from a post-pandemic high of 2.32 million in July, but the recovery is continuing, aided by increases in international flights and a weak yen, which makes trips to Japan more affordable than they have been in decades.

To read more, go here. 

Japan's Tourism Boom Stirs Accident Jitters

Above, climbers with lanterns climb Mt. Fuji at night. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In recent weeks, accidents at U.S. national parks have been making news. Just last week, a woman fell off a mountain at Grand Teton National Park to her death. There have been other accidents as well.

Concerns over similar accidents by climbers of Japan's Mount Fuji has made the news today.

From Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- As foreign visitors return to Japan in droves for the first summer since 2019, authorities in the country are bracing for another potential surge -- in the number of accidents at tourism magnet Mount Fuji and on the nation's roads.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the estimated number of foreigners who visited the country in June exceeded 2.07 million, more than 16 times the same period last year when arrivals were heavily restricted by travel curbs designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

As for Mount Fuji, according to the Ministry of the Environment around 42,000 climbers visited Japan's iconic peak in the first 16 days of July. That represents a jump of 40% from the comparable number four years ago, the last summer before Japan introduced travel restrictions to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Though not typically considered a dangerous climb, Mount Fuji can be problematic for some. In a regular year, more than 1,000 visitors get lost during the summer climbing season. Some visitors attempt what's called a "bullet climb" -- going up and down without reserving spaces to stay overnight in mountain huts -- without bringing enough equipment and without proper planning.

To read more, go here. 

Tokyo Nightlife Not Fully Recovered

Above, the Wako Department Store in Ginza in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan fully reopened to foreign visitors last October. COVID has also been downgraded. Businesses in Tokyo have also reopened.

However, satellite images of Tokyo has shown that nightlife in Japan's capital city has not fully recovered from the pandemic.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- Tokyo is darker at night now than in 2019 before COVID-19 ravaged the city's entertainment districts. Nighttime satellite images show the city last year had luminosity only 90% that of 2019, while Paris and London had fully regained their glow.

Based on NASA satellite image data processed by Colorado School of Mines, a research university in the U.S., Nikkei has calculated nighttime brightness in various cities during the April-October period of 2022. Data showed that illumination levels increased 3.2% in Paris and 1.4% in London from 2019 averages, but fell 3.2% in New York and 11.6% in Tokyo.

The sharp drop in Tokyo is mostly attributed to a slow recovery in city centers frequented by business people for after-work socializing.

Nighttime luminosity fell much more in entertainment quarters than in residential areas, with light levels falling more than 15% in popular nightspots like Roppongi, Shinjuku and Ginza. People traffic downtown was about 20% less in February than three years earlier, according to mobile location data provided by Docomo InsightMarketing. 

To read more, go here. 

Japan's Hotel Room Rates Soar

Above, Hotel Sunroute Asakusa in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Finding affordable accommodations in Japan is getting just a bit harder to do.

Since Japan has ended its restrictions on foreign visitors, the room rates of Japan hotels have soared. Some of the hikes have been month-by-month. 

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- Hotel prices in Japan have soared as government subsidies boosting travel kick in and foreign tourists return, with room rates nearly 20% higher in December compared to the same month before the pandemic delivered a serious blow to the sector.

Not only are more tourists coming in, but a labor crunch has forced some hotels to limit the number of rooms on offer, which in turn has cut supply and driven prices up.

The average December room price in Japan was 17,127 yen ($131), according to American hotel market data company STR, 10.8% higher than the previous month. The figure is 18.4% higher than the average in December 2019.

That marked the second consecutive month the average price was higher than the same month in 2019. December's growth rate over the same month in 2019 was 15 percentage points higher than that of November, while the occupancy rate stood at 75%, just under the 2019 rate of slightly over 80%.

Japan isn't the only place where hotel rooms have soared. A friend and I have been checking hotel room rates in Phoenix, Arizona and many of them are $200 and above per night. 

To read more, go here. 

Japan: Accepting Tour Groups June 10

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

Nikkei Asia just reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a resumption of tourism:

TOKYO -- Japan will reopen its borders to international tourists on June 10, starting with tour groups, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Thursday.

To read more, go here. 

Additionally, Time Out Tokyo posted:

Despite many setbacks, Japan has started to slowly resume travel and tourism. This month, a limited number of foreign tourists were allowed to enter on a trial basis and more border restrictions are set to ease further from June 1. 

As reported by The Yomiuri Shimbun, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced tonight (Thursday May 26) that Japan will now allow foreign tourists to enter the country via package tours from Friday June 10, ahead of a full resumption of inbound tourism. Additionally, international flights will be expanded to cover Sapporo's New Chitose Airport and Okinawa's Naha Airport. 

To read more, go here.

Foreigners Visit "Timid Japan" On Trial Basis

Above, Narita Airport international arrival lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some years back, Japan had travel posters that read, "Discover Japan" and the like. Today, they should issue new posters that read, "Timid Japan".

Japan is now taking "tippy-toe" steps in restarting tourism into the country. Small tour groups are being allowed in with ridiculous restrictions.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- Japan's government on Tuesday started a trial reopening to foreign tour groups, as a first step toward a planned wider relaxation of rules in June, as the country emerges from a long border shutdown due to COVID-19.

The government will draw up guidelines for a safe revival of tourism from information gathered in this trial. However, with only 50 participants in the project, there are worries that there will not be enough data collected, which could delay a full reopening.

Japan has already opened to foreigners, to an extent, with a limit of 10,000 visitors per day but these arrivals tend to be workers and students under special visas.

On Tuesday afternoon, a group of tourists arrived from the U.S. at Tokyo's Narita Airport. They will stay for eight days, taking tours to popular destinations such as Nikko Toshogu Shrine in Tochigi Prefecture and Matsumoto Castle in Nagano Prefecture.

Six travel agents will take a total of 15 groups during the trial period that lasts until early June. Tourists from Singapore, Thailand and Australia are also expected to take part in the project.

Each tour group will comprise up to four people, who will be accompanied by a tour guide.

Nippon Travel Agency will use cars for travel within a prefecture. Tourists will be required to wear face masks on bullet trains.  

These tourists will have their temperatures taken daily. The tour guides will also carry antigen test kits, and if an infection is suspected, arrangements will be made with local medical facilities.

To read more, go here. 

Luxury "Ryokan" Style Inn To Be Built In Ginza

Above, the Wako Department Store at Ginza Crossing. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign tourism is still in limbo as the Japanese government currently has "no plans" to reopen Japan. 

However, that won't last forever (even it now seems like forever that the country has been closed off) and hoteliers are betting that once Japan does reopen, accommodations will be in high demand. 

Japan's Hulic is to build a luxury ryokan in the Ginza shopping district of Tokyo.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- Japanese property developer Hulic will open a luxury ryokan -- a traditional Japanese inn -- in Tokyo's Ginza district in 2025, the latest sign that companies are betting on a strong rebound in travel demand as governments around the world relax COVID-19 restrictions.

The most expensive room at the inn will go for about 300,000 yen ($2,426) per night.

Development of lodging facilities is picking up steam globally, with investment in 2022 expected to be 40% higher than last year, rising to levels last seen in 2015, which saw record investment. Major projects in Japan include reconstruction of the iconic Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

Hulic's ryokan is tentatively named Fufu Tokyo Ginza. The company will spend 20 billion yen to convert an office building on a main street in the upscale district into a 12-story complex. Six of the upper floors will become a 38-room ryokan. It will be Hulic's 13th luxury Japanese-style inn.

It is doubtful that once the Fufu Tokyo Ginza opens, your average Godzilla fan would not be able to afford staying there. But, you never know.

To read more, go here.

McDonald's Japan Potato Shortage

Above, an Asakusa, Tokyo toy store with a handy McDonald's next door. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you thought we have supply chain problems, take a look at what Japan is going through.

McDonald's in Japan is going though a potato crunch (pun intended).

From Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- Concern is rising among Japan's fast-food chains as pandemic disruptions extend to supplies of potatoes for their staple french fries.

McDonald's Holdings Japan will suspend the sales of medium- and large-size french fries for a week starting on Friday.

The chain is facing delays in potato shipments due to the pandemic-induced supply crunch plus shipping disruptions at the port in Vancouver, Canada, following recent flooding. McDonald's will only be able to sell small-size french fries at its 2,900 outlets until Dec. 30.

McDonald's said it aims to ensure that "as many customers as possible will continue to eat our french fries."

McDonald's fries are processed in the U.S. and Canada, where they are frozen before being shipped to Japan. The company said it plans to secure sufficient inventory to restart normal sales by limiting portions for a week.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Extends Tight Entry Rules

Above, the Godzilla statue at Toho Studios in Setagaya. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like foreign visitors to Japan will have to wait a bit longer to visit the country.

The prime minister said that the tight entry restriction rules will be in place longer so that the details of the omicron variant are more known.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday Japan will extend its tight entry rules until at least early next year to prevent the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The government initially said the rules, banning new entries by foreigners worldwide and requiring returning Japanese nationals and foreign residents to quarantine in government-designated facilities, would be in place for about a month to the year-end.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Suspending Entry of Overseas Travelers

Above, the International Arrival Lobby of Narita Airport during normal times. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Just when we see the light at the end of the coronavirus-related restrictions tunnel, the light gets shot out when a new variant strain of the virus appears.

Japan has suspended entries of overseas visitors due to the Omicron Variant originating from South Africa.

First, it was the Delta Variant, and now it's the Omicron Variant.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- The Japanese government will suspend all new entries into the country by foreign nationals, citing the emergence of the omicron variant of COVID-19. It had lifted its entry ban earlier this month for foreign business travelers and students, but has reversed course in hopes of preventing another wave of infections.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters on Monday that the government is dealing with the threat of the omicron variant "with a strong sense of crisis."

As an emergency precautionary measure, Japan will ban all foreigners from entering the country, starting from Tuesday. Japanese nationals returning to Japan from South Africa and other countries where infection has been detected will be placed in strict quarantine at designated facilities, depending on the risk. The temporary measure is meant as a precaution until more information on the omicron strain becomes available.

To read more, go here.

COVID-19: Russia's Daily Deaths Hit New Record High

Above, St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo by Asya.

There seems to be a new surge of coronavirus infections and deaths around the world. One has to take that with a "grain of salt" as much of the hysterical media cannot be trusted these days, which is unfortunate. 

Nikkei Asia has posted a "round-up" of coronavirus-related news from around the world.

The start it with:

Nikkei Asia is tracking the spread of the coronavirus that was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Cumulative global cases have reached 256,121,417 according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The worldwide death toll has hit 5,133,242.

For more information about the spread of COVID-19 and vaccination progress around the world, please see our interactive charts and maps.

On Russia, they posted:

6:00 p.m. Russia reports 1,254 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, a record daily high that follows a surge in cases. The government coronavirus task force also reports 37,156 nationwide infections, including 3,371 in Moscow, down from a peak of 41,335 recorded on Nov. 6.

I forwarded the link to this to Asya in St. Petersburg, Russia.

To read more, go here. 

Japan To Ease Entry For Businesspeople, Students But Not Tourists

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

Japan is easing entry into the country for businesspeople and students, but not for tourists.

This policy is due to the drop in coronvirus cases in Japan.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- Japan looks to let foreigners visit the country for short business trips, study abroad and technical training in an easing of its strict coronavirus-related entry rules, Nikkei has learned.

Tourists are not included in this round. The government is expected to announce the policy changes as early as this week, with implementation to begin this month.

With new COVID-19 cases down substantially from record levels over the summer, Japan aims to gradually loosen a de facto entry ban on foreigners that has become a source of growing frustration among businesses. Top corporate lobby Keidanren has been among the advocates of a more flexible approach.

The quarantine requirement for short-term business travelers will be cut to as little as three days for vaccinated visitors, from 10 days now. Companies and organizations receiving foreign nationals will be required to monitor their activities.

The shorter quarantine requirement will also apply to Japanese nationals returning from business trips abroad.

To read more, go here. 

Tokyo Tower To Headline New Retail District

Above, Tokyo Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Plans are underway to make Tokyo Tower the centerpiece in a new retail and cultural development project.

Nikkei Asia reported:

TOKYO -- Opened in December 1958 as a multipurpose radio tower, the 333-meter high Tokyo Tower has stood as a landmark of the capital for over six decades. 

But with the taller Tokyo Skytree (634 meters) opening in 2012, taking over the role as the main broadcasting facility, Tokyo Tower is looking for a new purpose in its second life. 

Real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan has been tasked with developing the area around the red-and-white tower. The company was recently chosen among five bidders by the tower's owner, The Tokyo Tower Company.

The plan involves developing a 25,000 sq. meter area around the tower by 2030. With an eye on recovering international tourism in the post COVID-19 era, the area is set to be one of Tokyo's most iconic shopping districts.

Mitsui and The Tokyo Tower Company will form plans to develop buildings that house retail stores as well as cultural facilities. Mitsui specializes in incorporating parks into its development, and the neighboring Shiba Park, a public park, is expected to play a major role in the project.

The cost of the project and the completion date will be determined in line with the overall recovery from COVID. But the companies expect the new facility to be running by 2030. 

To read more, go here. 

Japan Keeps Foreign Visitor Ban

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

It is sure going to be interesting to see how the Tokyo Olympics this summer fare considering that there are still restrictions on foreign nationals on entering Japan.

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- Japan will maintain tight controls on the entry of foreign nationals following the extension of a state of emergency covering Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures to curb COVID-19, just weeks before preparations for the Olympics begin in earnest.

The emergency extension comes as authorities have been particularly vigilant in guarding against spikes in coronavirus cases as the countdown to hosting the Tokyo Games this summer begins. Once the declaration is lifted, currently scheduled for March 21, less than a week before the Olympic torch relay is set to begin, the government will welcome visitors first from countries that have not detected new coronavirus variants.

Business travel exemptions with China, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam for short trips are likely to remain suspended as virus variants have been found in these countries.

To read more, go here.