News
Japan National Tourism Organization recommends five prefectures for foreign visitors to visit in 2027
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) recommends five prefectures for foreign visitors to visit in 2027: Nara, Kagawa, Shimane, Niigata and Kanagawa.
‘Hotel Plaza Osaka’ in Osaka ranks first among popular hotels for foreign visitors based on reviews, with five hotels in Tokyo making the top 10
‘Hotel Plaza Osaka’ in Osaka Prefecture took the number one spot nationwide in 'Ranking of Popular Hotels and Ryokans for Inbound Tourists,' based on an analysis of Google Maps reviews.
The best time to see the autumn leaves will be late October in Nikko and Late November in Kyoto
Weathernews reported the best times to see the autumn leaves in major tourist destinations, expecting to be around October 23 in Nikko of Tochigi Prefecture and around November 24 in Arashiyama of Kyoto Prefecture.
The TrustYou analysis on 3.17 million reviews for hotels in Japan show that 13% refer to housekeeping
The TrustYou 'Cleanliness Benchmark Report 2026' finds that 424,731 (approximately 13%) referred to housekeeping (guest room cleaning).
Japan National Tourism Organization launches a special webpage for Japan-based cruise travels to raise awareness of them
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has launched a dedicated webpage to introduces overseas audiences to basic ship details and features of onboard facilities like cabins and restaurants.
JTB and Taiwan-based travel tech work together to establish a cross-border digital base for local activities in Japan
JTB, Good Fellows JTB and Taiwan-based Fontrip Technology Japan are collaborating in accelerating cross-border tourism. ‘TOHOKU FunPASS,’ a digital sightseeing pass for the Tohoku region, was launched.
Rakuten Travel Xchange connects Japan with the world in distributing hotel inventories
Rakuten Travel Xchange distributes the world’s hotel inventories through global OTAs and whole sellers as well as Rakuten Travel and Rakuten STAY inventories in Japan. CEO James Park talked about its innovative B2B distribution.
Tourism EXPO Japan 2026 welcomed 183,270 visitors in total, more than the last EXPO in Tokyo
Tourism EXPO Japan 2026, held for four days from September 24 to 27 2026, welcomed 183,270 visitors in total. Tourism EXPO Japan 2027 will be held at Tokyo Big Sight for four days from September 23 to 26 2027.
Japan National Tourism Organization signs MOU with Emirates to increase travelers from Middle East to Japan
JNTO and Emirates have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at further promoting tourism exchange between Japan and the Middle East.
JAL starts selling NDC international air tickets via Amadeus for 26 countries and regions
JAL is launching the global rollout of NDC (New Distribution Capability) contents for international air tickets via the Amadeus Travel Platform.
145 Michelin Key Hotels, including seven 3 Michelin Keys, are selected in Japan with 19 new entries
‘Michelin Key Hotel Selection 2026' was announced. In Japan, seven 3 Michelin Keys, 23 2 Michelin Keys and 115 1 Michelin Keys were awarded.
WTTC, JATA and Tourism EXPO Japan form a partnership to strengthen global competitiveness of the Japan’s travel industry
WTTC, JATA and the Tourism EXPO Japan (TEJ) Executive Committee signed a new MOU to strengthen collaboration between Japan's travel and tourism industry and the global tourism industry.
Japanese Prime Minister says that tourism should be a ‘strategic industry’ in Japan at Tourism EXPO Japan 2026
The 12th Tourism EXPO Japan (TEJ) 2026 with a theme of ‘The Changing Nature of Travel’ opened at Tokyo Big Sight on September 24 2026. Japanese Prime Minister says that tourism should be a ‘strategic industry’ in Japan
The Japan’s first ‘complete unmanned taxi’ will be commercialized in Tokyo by the end of 2027
Taxi app GO, US-baed auto-driving mobility Waymo under Alphabet and taxi operator Nihon Kotsu aim to start the Japan’s first complete unmanned taxi business under the auto-driving level 4 by the end of 2027.
JTB tests AI Smart Glasses for International guests at hotels and tourist information, eyeing the future commercialization
JTB Inbound Trip (JIT) and ThinkAR Japan signed an agreement on expansion of AI wearable solutions in the tourism and hospitality industry of Japan.
GREEN×EXPO 2027 overview was unveiled 6 months before opening, featuring National Days for 59 countries and organizations
‘GREEN×EXPO 2027’ with a theme of ‘Scenery of the Future for Happiness’ will open on March 19 2027 in Yokohama City. Outlines of the event was unveiled.
Japanese international travelers were down 3.6% to 1.59 million in August 2026
The number of Japanese international travelers in August 2026 was down 3.6% year on year to 1,588,600. Compared to May 2019 (2.1 million travelers), the number was still down 24.7%.
International arrivals in Japan in August 2026 were down 9.6% to 3.1 million, despite record-high in 14 source markets
The number of international arrivals in Japan in August 2026 decreased by 9.6% year on year to 3,098,900, while arrivals from 14 source markets reached record-high for August.
Tourism Australia promotes tourism marketing ‘Chosen by AI,’ expecting further growth of the Japan market
Catherine O'Brien, Executive General Manager of Global Markets at Tourism Australia talked about the 10-years ‘Tourism 2035’ strategy and AI adaptation.
Uber Japan works together with Fujiyoshida City, a gateway for Mt.Fuji, to tackle the over-tourism challenge
Uber Japan and Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture, signed a comprehensive partnership agreement for countermeasures against over-tourism.
