News
Four major Japanese travel agencies launch a new organization to promote higher-valued sports hospitality tourism
KNT, JTB, Pia and Tobu Top Tours launched Sports Hospitality Promotion Council (SHPC) to develop the sports industry and activate local economies in Japan.
The best time to see the autumn leaves in Japan is expected to be latter than usual, around November 24 in Arashiyama, Kyoto
The best time to see the autumn leaves in Japan is expected to be latter than usual due to higher temperatures than usual nationwide.
The most poplar overseas destination is Hawaii in the five-consecutive holidays in September, according to JTB
In so-called ‘Sliver Week,’ five-consecutive holidays (September 19 to 23 2026), The most popular FIT (without tour conductor) overseas destination is Hawaii, according to JTB.
The top Japanese amusement park operator in sales is Oriental Land operating Tokyo Disneyland Resort
Sales of 122 amusement park operators in Japan were up 3.4% year on year to 1.1 trillion yen in total in FY2025. Oriental Land (Tokyo Disney Resort) topped the list at 588.171 billion yen.
Domestic travel consumption by Japanese travelers was up 12% to 7.5 trillion yen in Q2 of 2026
The total amount of domestic travel consumption by Japanese travelers for the 2nd quarter of 2026 (April to June) was up 11.7% year on year to 7.5 trillion yen.
Haneda Airport Terminal 1 is expanded with additional six boarding gates, reducing bus transfers
The Terminal 1 North Satellite for domestic flights of Haneda Airport opened with six additional boarding gates on September 1 2026, reducing bus transfers required for boarding and disembarking aircraft
HIS offers ‘AI Avatar’ for Japanese travelers to South Korea, integrating knowledge of 275 HIS experts
HIS offers AI Concierge ‘HIS AI Avatar’ for Japanese travelers to South Korea, integrating knowledge of 275 HIS experts for South Korea.
United Airlines will launch San Francisco-Naha, Okinawa services on March 27 2027
United Airlines will begin serving three flights a week between San Francisco and Naha, Okinawa on March 27 2027 as a part of the airline’s international network expansion plan in 2027.
Narita Airport will restart free ‘Transit & Stay Program’ for international transit travelers in October 2026
Narita International Airport will restart ‘Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program,’ free tourism programs, and ‘special paid experience tours’ for international transit travelers.
Uber Japan selects Hinomaru Taxi as an operation management for the ‘Robot Taxi’ demonstration
Uber Japan signed a partnership agreement with Hinomaru Taxi for the ‘Robot Taxi (Auto-driving taxi)’demonstrations in Tokyo in late 2026.
JTB forms a partnership with ‘Bounce’ to deliver travelers’ baggage on Shinkansen on the same day
JTB and baggage storage service provider Bounce forms a partnership to provide "same-day long-distance delivery" services, such as between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, using the Tokaido Shinkansen.
JTB Outbound Tourism Resort 2026 shows the departure rate of Japanese travelers was 12% in 2025
JTB Outbound Tourism Resort 2026 shows that the ratio of overseas travelers (total count) to the population was just 12.0%. The rate for women in their 20s was 34.0%.
International arrivals in Japan in July 2026 reached record-high for July with 3.44 million
The number of international arrivals in Japan in July 2026 slightly increased by 0.1% year on year to 3,442.100, which were record-high for July.
VERTRA, a Japanese activity booking platform, signs MOU with Big Bus Tours for Hop-on Hop-off in Japan
VERTRA, a Japanese activity booking platform, signs MOU with London-based Big Bus Tours to look for feasibility of Hop-on Hop-off in Japan.
International travelers to Japan use more Japanese booking platforms than global booking platforms for local activities
According to Deloitte Tohmatsu survey, international travelers to Japan use more Japanese booking platforms than global booking platforms for local activities.
Japanese outbound travelers still prefer to short-haul destinations, such as South Korea or Taiwan
Travelers in the APAC region, including Japan, tend to select trusted destinations and plan flexible itineraries capable of adapting to changing circumstances, according to Visa Worldwide Japan.
Japanese expenditure to domestic travel was up 2.5% to 8.4 trillion yen in FY2025, boosted by spending in destinations
Jalan Research Center (JRC) survey finds that rise in travel spending per person underpinned the domestic travel market, while the number of travelers slightly reduced.
ANA will reduce international fuel surcharges after September 1 2026
ANA will reduce fuel surcharges on international flights ticketed from September 1 2026 to October 31 2026.
The demonstration experiment in Japan shows how ‘Sleep Tourism’ works to improve quality of sleep
‘Sleep Tourism,’ a new travel style to improve quality of sleep, was demonstrated at MAE’s ‘Healthianwood,’ a beauty and health complex in Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture.
Being a Japanese company becomes a brand in itself for hotels operated by Japanese operators in foreign countries
At ‘HOTERES EXPO Tokyo 2026,’ Kazuyoshi Shimojima, Polaris Holdings COO, and Rei Matsuda, Koko Global Hospitality (Thailand) CEO talked about how stay-oriented hotels can win in the future.
