Japan Domestic Travel

EY Strategy and Consulting (EY Japan) has issued an insight report on over-tourism in Japan to introduce countermeasures taken in foreign countries and to reveal results of the survey on over-tourism.

The MICHELIN Guide announced the first 108 MICHELIN Key hotels and ryokan, six Three Key hotels and ryokans, 17 Two Key and 85 One Key, out of 243 MICHELIN Guide Hotel Selections (as of July 1 2024).

JAL has launched its original platform to match human resources in urban areas with challenges in local areas. The platform helps users search areas, contents, term or budget meeting their own needs.

‘Tourism EXPO Japan 2025’ will be held in Aichi Sky Expo in Aichi Prefecture for the first time, appealing Chubu and Hokuriku areas. Tourism EXPO Japan 2024 will open in Tokyo Big Sight on September 26 2024.

The total number of guest nights in April 2024 (provisionally) was up 11.9% year on year to 50.9 million, which were also up 0.5% compared to the same month of 2019, and guest nights of foreigner travelers were up 16.5% to 13.2 million.

Yamanashi Prefecture will introduce a pre-booking program to collect admission fees from climbers to Mt.Fuji on July 1 2024. The prefecture placed a gate in the Mt. Fuji fifth entrance station to collect admission fees this year.

63% of dog owners hope to travel together with their dogs. The ratio of owners who are eager to travel with their pets (except owners who want to if possible) reduced to about 10% of all.

ANA X, a ANA Group company, unveiled the TaaS (Travel as a Service) Platform concept for seamless travel on an smartphone app to expand an ANA economy zone by providing more opportunities to live or travel with accumulated miles.

The Japan’s first private jet membership service was launched, providing members with an opportunity to charter Honda Jet in preference to individual charter.

This year's cherry blossom season is expected to start blooming first in Tokyo on March 18, according to Weathernews. Full blooming will be earlier than usual nationwide.

Niigata, Toyama and Fukui Prefectures have decided to receive bookings for financial aid package on March 8 2024. The package will be applicable to travel from March 16 to April 26.

Japan Tourism Agency officially announced outlines of a travel discount program in the devastated Hokuriku. International visitors to Japan are eligible for the program, too.

TradFit, a Japanese AI speaker provider for accommodation, launched a new service to recommend a right hotel in a destination based on data acquired from a user’s smartphone.

The total number of guest nights in December 2023 (provisionally) was up 9.4% year on year to 51.5 million, which were also up 9.3% compared to the same month of 2019. Foreigner travelers were up 32.3% to 12.1 million.

Asia-Pacific Institute of Research (APIR) estimated spending by visitors to EXPO 2025 Osaka Kansai at 891.3 billion JPY in a basic case, which of 224 billion JPY for transportation, 173.5 billion JPY for accommodation, 161.9 billion JPY for drinking and eating, 186.7 billion JPY for shopping and 145 billion JPY for entertainment.

To support the Noto Peninsula Earthquake-hit regions, a travel discount program is launched for four prefectures, which will be available from March to late April before Golden Week period starts.

Total number of guest nights in November 2023 (provisionally) was up 16.9% year on year to 53.6 million, which were up 7.9% compared to the same month of 2019. The share of foreigners’ guest nights was 22.8% of the total in October.

Airbnb Japan has introduced new specific functions for Japan in line with the recent trends in the Japanese market, saying that guests choose locations other than famous tourist spots and prefer to group travel.

Sato-koya, a mountain cabin located in the 5th station of Mt.Fuji, will begin providing a tour to stay in the winter. The price is 79,200 JPY a night a person, including a variety of activities and a guide tour.

Hoshino Resorts, a Japan’s hotel chain, has started selling an unique stay plan without a smartphone, named ‘No Smartphone Stay.’ In checking in, smartphone is sealed in the box.