Japan's movement to promote "anime sacred site pilgrimages"—where fans visit real-life locations featured in anime—gains momentum across the country. By 2025, 36 prefectures will feature at least one site on the "88 Japanese Anime Sacred Sites" list, based on votes from fans in Japan and abroad, matching the previous record...
The number of employed people is at an all-time high. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced on January 31st that in 2024, the number of employed individuals reached 67.81 million...
The influx of visitors to Japan is boosting the Japanese economy. Consumption is expected to reach 8.1395 trillion yen in 2024, with the number of visitors projected to be 36,869,900, both of which are record highs...
Night buses are increasingly becoming "moving hotels." A bus company in Kochi Prefecture will be the first in the country to introduce buses with seats that transform into fully flat sleeping berths...
Hotel Okura will offer tatami mats and open-air baths to attract local and Southeast Asian customers interested in Japanese culture. Okura focuses on overseas expansion and plans to raise its domestic and international hotels to 150 by 2030. ..
In 2023, the average runtime of the top 30 global box office hits was 132 minutes, 13 minutes longer than a decade ago. Notably, films longer than two and a half hours now comprise about a quarter of the total...
In Shirakawa Village, located in Gifu Prefecture and known for the World Heritage site "Shirakawa-go," approximately 70% of its 1,500 residents work in tourism. The Gassho-style village embodies the quintessential Japanese landscape, and due to its increasing popularity with international visitors...
ANA HD will connect central Tokyo to Narita Airport (located in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture) in only 10 to 20 minutes. This will be Japan's first service to charge passengers for rides, with expected fares comparable to those of a taxi...
Manhole covers featuring local landmarks, specialties, and characters are increasingly popular. With the growth of tourism initiatives such as stamp rallies, 40% of local governments have begun issuing "manhole cards" that showcase these designs nationwide...
An increasing number of individuals are choosing to rent clothing instead of buying it, motivated by convenience, savings, and environmental considerations. This trend is particularly noticeable among local consumers and visiting tourists, broadening the way people engage with fashion fashion...
Osaka Gas is set to launch a groundbreaking system that harnesses weather data to forecast restaurant demand, revolutionizing the way eateries manage their operations. In collaboration with restaurant chains, the company is developing a demand forecasting system that predicts customer volumes based on weather patterns...
Sales for the new French wine "Beaujolais Nouveau" began on November 21. Import costs have increased due to a weak yen and higher fuel prices, but there’s a clear trend towards maintaining stable prices due to low demand. Sapporo Breweries has halted sales...
On November 18, Marriott International, headquartered in the US, opened its 100th hotel in Osaka. Room rates are expected to be between 15,000 and 16,000 yen per night. This initiative aims to cater to the influx of inbound tourists (foreign visitors to Japan)...
On November 18, Mori Trust revealed plans to bring the international hotel brand 1Hotels to Japan for the first time. 1Hotels will be part of the extensive redevelopment project Tokyo World Gate Akasaka in Minato-ku, Tokyo, which is set for completion in 2025...
Konica Minolta is planning to introduce an AI-based translation service for hotels and other lodging facilities by the end of 2024. The service will use large transparent displays to show real-time subtitles of translations and convert complex technical terms into plain language...
The trend of using ramen to drive regional revitalization is gaining momentum. With over 20,000 ramen stores in Japan, it's a hit among locals and tourists. Many local governments hope to benefit from the ripple effect, such as increased tourism...
Supermarket companies are empowering their employees by gradually relaxing their regulations on personal appearance, including part-time workers. In May, Summit announced that hair color is now allowed and employees are permitted to wear nail polish and false eyelashes...
Wireless earphones are convenient for listening to music and watching videos. Many people find that they can't return to wired earphones once they've used them. As their popularity grows, so does the number of lost items...
Located just an hour outside of Tokyo in Ami-machi, Ibaraki, lies the calming site of Tree House Bonsai. Tree House Bonsai is unique as it is the only Western-owned bonsai garden in Japan...
In February, the Ibaraki Prefectural Government organized the "One-Day Ibaraki Fun Tour" for Tokyo's expatriates. This tour is part of the Ibaraki PR promotion project, which introduces Ibaraki's attractions to hotel concierges...
The hot spring inns, set to open in Yufu City, Oita Prefecture; Yakushimacho, Kagoshima Prefecture; and Hakonemachi, Kanagawa Prefecture, will offer a unique blend of traditional Japanese hospitality and modern luxury...
UV rays affect us regardless of the season. While skincare for UV protection is well recognized, it's not widely known that UV rays can cause fatigue throughout the body when they affect the eyes. Taking the proper measures can help reduce this fatigue...
Over the past 20 years, global auction sales have increased 25-fold. The growth stage is set in emerging countries, particularly in Asia, where a younger generation emerges as artists and collectors. Amidst the unstable global situation, wealthy individuals seek to diversify their investments...
When it is closed, the museum will be utilized for facility tours and street reenactments to promote local attractions. This will allow more people to be exposed to the content without having to visit and may help generate more interest in the content...
In the subscription business model, customers pay a recurring fee to access a product or service. Publishers pioneered this model in the 17th century, and it is now widely used by businesses, websites, and pharmaceutical companies in partnership with governments...
JTB and Nippon Travel Agency are strategically focusing on attracting more visitors to Japan's local regions. This shift, a response to the current market conditions, where the weak yen has led to a decrease in Japanese overseas travel, which is yet to return to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels...
31 local governments have been selected for the government's "Expo International Exchange Program" in preparation for Expo 2025. This unique program not only fosters cultural understanding but also opens doors for significant business exchanges with participating countries and regions...
Many people who try Japanese food for the first time during their trips to Japan or at Japanese restaurants abroad fall in love with “tatami,” and some start to incorporate it into their own lives...
The depreciation of the yen has led to a rise in the consumption of intangible goods for experiential services. On the other hand, various regions are taking steps to combat the problem of over-tourism and create sustainable tourist destinations...
JTB, a leading travel agency in Japan, announced that they started offering evening tours to inbound tourists in partnership with Asahi Breweries in March 2024...
Compass Corp., a Tokyo-based company specializing in services for foreign visitors to Japan, plans to expand its kimono rental stores by the end of 2024 by opening two new stores...
Cross C Inc. based in Tokyo, Japan, started providing medical tourism packages in March. Although Chinese tourists, who were the significant contributors to the consumption of "tangible goods"...
The Ibaraki Prefectural Government hosted a monitor tour entitled “One-Day Ibaraki Fun Tour” to increase the number of foreign tourists to the Prefecture...
An increasing number of specialty onigiri shops have recently opened in Tokyo, attracting Japanese and friends from abroad. These shops offer onigiri with various toppings and fillings that are Instagram-worthy at affordable prices...
With the COVID-19 pandemic under control, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan is increasing rapidly. Not only famous tourist destinations such as Kyoto but also places less familiar to Japanese people are creating spots crowded with foreigners one after another...
JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) will begin offering evening tours for inbound tourists in March in cooperation with Asahi Breweries. They plan to organize 10 to 15 tour programs per season, or about 50 per year, on themes such as "traditional performing arts" and "boats," mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Kansai region...
Ibaraki Prefectural Government will host the “One-Day Ibaraki Fun Tour” to increase the flow of foreign tourists to the prefecture, inviting “expats” living in the Tokyo Metropolitan area...
TKP, a primary rental conference room provider, will open a trailer house-type accommodation facility on the "AEON MALL Hanyu" (Hanyu City, Saitama Prefecture) shopping center in the spring of 2025...
As listening to music via the Internet becomes more commonplace, cassette tapes are being reevaluated in the country and abroad. It has attracted the support of young people who find the soft sound quality and appearance unique to analog fresh and new...
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its 2024 revenue forecasts for the world's airlines. Net income in 2023 is expected to be $23.3 billion...
The removal of travel restrictions in response to the new coronavirus has rekindled travel to Japan by people from South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan...
NTT Data will develop capsule hotels that automatically measure heart and respiratory rates while sleeping, starting in the summer of 2024. Sleep data will be analyzed by artificial intelligence (AI) to propose measures to improve sleep for guests...
The Palace Hotel will increase the number of hotels by 2.5 times by 2030. The Imperial Hotel will open its first new hotel in 30 years. These hotels envision filling most of the guest rooms with foreign guests...
While "sports hospitality," in which spectators are treated to luxurious services at sporting events, is familiar overseas, it is still in its infancy in Japan...
Major foreign hotel operators are promoting a business strategy called "collection," which is more "individuality" than "unity." It is a method of loose collaboration among hotel owners in various regions while maintaining a degree of freedom...
Singapore's "Soneva" and Hong Kong's "Rosewood" plan to expand into Okinawa and other areas. As tourism to Japan recovers with the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, they aim to capture lodging demand from wealthy foreigners...
The 8th Organic Lifestyle EXPO was held for three days, from September 14 to 16, 2023, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center. Mr. Graham Wolland, known as an upcycling artist in the UK, was standing at the booth of the Aromatherapy Company...
Neo Career (Shinjuku, Tokyo), a human resources services company, and others held a joint corporate information session on the Metaverse this summer, with approximately 750 companies exhibiting, four times as many as six months earlier...
Transportation to rural areas is a challenge in attracting wealthy foreigners. Honda will sell the product as a package with local experiential services to help attract affluent visitors....
While there has been a rapid recovery in the number of foreign visitors to Japan, there is also an aim to have residents enjoy the area in cooperation with businesses and hotels...
In this age, when the nature of capitalism and the monetary economy is being reexamined, efforts to return to "barter" and exchange unused clothing and other items are attracting attention...
According to the White Paper on Gender Equality, 45% of Japan's employed population is female. However, the percentage of women in management positions is only 12.9%. The difference with foreign countries, where more than 30% are in the market, is evident...
According to a survey by the Japan Capsule Toy Association, the capsule toy market became worth 72 billion yen in the fiscal year 2022. The increase in the number of specialty capsule toy stores supports the popularity...
"Nikkei Woman," a monthly magazine of Nikkei Group for working women, conducted the "Corporate Women's Activity Survey" and compiled the 2023 edition of "The 100 Best Companies for Women in Business."...
Royal Holdings (HD) launched a full-fledged system in April in which artificial intelligence (AI) proposes room rates at all 43 directly managed hotel facilities. Based on past reservations and competitor data, it derives sales prices that lead to higher unit prices and occupancy rates...
Hilton in the U.S. will double the number of domestic hubs to 40 by 2026, mainly in rural areas such as Toyama. It will also consider contracting the management of facilities that are experiencing difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic...
MLIT has shifted the emphasis of its tourism policy from "quantity" to "quality," including attracting wealthy foreign visitors and extending the length of their stay. The proposal is to increase the number of nights per person in inbound tourism by 10 percent...
Frozen foods have taken root in households as an alternative to eating out under the new coronavirus, with the market size reaching a record high in 2022. Sales are strong despite high prices, and significant food suppliers such as Nichirei Foods are introducing high-value-added products as staple foods...
The increase in room rates is particularly noticeable in the high-price range hotels, which is 30% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of inbound tourists (foreigners visiting Japan) is more likely to increase further after the completion of the waterfront measures by the end of April...
Old private homes with tatami mats and alcoves are gaining popularity. The high evaluation of the architecture, filled with good ancient Japanese culture, combined with the sense of affordability due to the weak yen, stimulates the desire to purchase...
Japan is truly a modern-day "Zipangu," the land of gold, where treasure-trove sleeps, with abundant second-hand goods, including hit products and rarities from the 1980s and 1990s, when Japanese products dominated the World. More and more people are visiting Japan for shopping...
AEON will label and sell up to 23 items, including vegetables, from June onward. European companies are leading the way in "decarbonization labels" that inform consumers about the level of emission reductions...
The popularity of "real bookstores" is reviving in the United States. The new coronavirus rekindled the reading boom, and U.S. consumers rediscovered the pleasure of visiting bookstores and buying paper books...
The decline in citrus imports is also a long-term effect of changing consumer preferences. A fruit and vegetable distributor noted, "In recent years, people prefer sweeter fruit."...
According to a detailed labor force survey released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on the 14th, the number of people who became non-regular staff or employees because of "I want to work when it's convenient for me" was 6.79 million on average in 2022...
As the rush to raise the prices of manufacturers' products continues, the presence of private brands (PB) in supermarkets is expanding. The industry group's 2022 survey showed that the percentage of supermarkets that carry PB reached 76.5%...
Okura will increase the number of hubs, especially in Southeast Asia and other foreign countries. With the COVID-19 pandemic under control, international tourist and business traffic will grow again...
Marriott International of the United States will increase the number of hotels it operates in Japan by 30% from the current level to approximately 100 by the end of 2024...
Combining the manufacturing technology of a local factory, the product has been made into a highly unique product. The company plans to test-market the product through crowd-funding to raise small amounts of funds, with the aim of making it a standard product..
According to a survey by Cross Marketing (Tokyo), about 10% of those interested in the "metaverse," a virtual space, owned a virtual reality (VR) headset device...
The government will relax the border control for COVID-19 by October, bringing the situation closer to one before the spread of the virus...
Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) will attract people from other countries to "Virtual Akihabara," a metaverse space that reproduces the streets of Akihabara, Tokyo, utilizing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)...
Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd. will begin selling insurance through Amazon Japan's e-commerce site on 22nd...
On 7th September, Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, the governing body for EXPO 2025 OSAKA, KANSAI, JAPAN announced that NTT will design a virtual reproduction of the Expo site in Osaka...
Capturing the demand to avoid face-to-face medical treatment due to infection risk, Medline and LINE systems had the highest single month of usage in August...
AEON will begin a service that delivers physician-prescribed medications to the home on the same day the order is placed...
These spoons and forks will be offered as to-go tableware at "Mos Burger" stores in Tokyo and Osaka from August, and will be expanded to approximately 1,250 stores nationwide from October...
Ryonetsu Kogyou (Ota-ku, Tokyo), a company that designs air conditioning systems, has developed a machine that can process whole soybeans into meat substitutes...
On July 16, the number of new cases of the novel coronavirus reached approximately 110,600 nationwide, the highest number ever recorded per day...
Ajinomoto will launch a three-color "instagrammable" congee based on Taiwanese and Korean cuisine toward the end of June, proposing it as a guilt-free healthy snack...
According to a private survey, moving costs for family households as of February were 10% higher than in the same month last year...
Nara, Cradle of Kampo, Medicinal Herbs, and the History and Culture of Health...
Supermarkets are switching from plastic to wooden cutlery, such as spoons and forks, which are given to customers when they buy lunch boxes...
Speaking of hot springs, they are “ryokan”. Ryokan is a wonderful culture and content that represents Japan...
It is aimed to collect information on users connected to DoCoMo lines after visitors arrive in Japan, creating a database for tourism policy in anticipation of post-Corona tourism.
Lack of sleep costs the Japanese economy JPY15 trillion in losses
Other countries are moving to loosen restrictions on entry, looking ahead to economic restart
It is building sales areas adapted to be showrooms for new brands
Backed by an enormous budget, they are pushing to round up anime talent...
Supplementing over-exploited fishery resources...
Pursuing their own style beyond gender differences...
Successful test flight using the fuel in a privately-owned jet...
Clear is opening directly-managed stores in Japan and raising its brand value...
Vegan Bistro Jangara aims to be a comfortable dining space which pursues delicious cookery from plant-based ingredients. Deputy manager Kazuo Anzai, nicknamed Kazu, is the key person in that effort...
The company is ahead of competitors in mass producing raw materials for paper diapers that do not use oil...
AI generates “avatars” based on face and voice data from real people...
In the world population ranking, Japan has been overtaken by Mexico, dropping to 11th place...
The first sale of plant-based egg products by a Japanese food manufacturer...
Covid-19 is accelerating the move in payments and transfers worldwide...
Hotel Okura will open a high-grade hotel in Kyoto in January 2022...
Fuji Oil aim to enter the European and North American markets by investing in plant-based meat feedstocks to replace soy...
Simultaneous strength training and aerobic exercise in spare moments at home...
Their key words are automation, touchless, and a push in city centers...
Toto is Developing a “Wellness Toilet” that Judges the User’s Physical Condition Using Sensors in the Seat...
Various countries have started setting rules related to the diffusion of cultured meat...
Visitors only numbered one tenth of the government's target of 40 million in 2020, with no recovery in sight...
The spread of cashless payments has been accelerated by the avoidance of interpersonal contact and the increase in home nesting consumption, which are both responses to the spread of COVID -19...
Eat Just, the US startup, is the first company in the world to start selling artificial chicken...
Seven and i Holdings is building a system for bundled home deliveries of Group products from convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and the like...
The expansion of the novel coronavirus pandemic brought the proportion of Japanese households using online sales to 49.9% in September, up 6.9 points from the preceding September...
Under the Covid-19 pandemic, major pharmacies are jumping into competition to offer digital services...
In December, Asics launched new shoes with internal sensors that analyze how you run...
Mirror Fit is starting an online fitness business that uses a device which combines a display with a mirror...
Home meal delivery companies are broadening their retail partners and their delivery ranges...
A growing number of companies are working on "sleep tech", which uses advanced technologies to improve the quality of sleep...
Toyota Motor Corporation's Kinto flat-fee car subscription business is performing well...
Now that carrier bags cost money and carrying one's own shopping bag is the norm, the furoshiki, an idea handed down for over 1,000 years, is in the spotlight...
An NTT-affiliated company is planning digital streaming of paintings and other cultural assets as high-resolution digital images...
Facelabo Co., Ltd., the contracted manufacturer of skin care products, makes J-Beauty its keyword and communicates the things that Japanese people see as most important in skin care...
The Nouvelle Epoque of French cuisine began in September 2019, when The Okura Tokyo opened. Chef Tetsujiro Takahashi is seeking for dishes that are founded on the classics, but also present "health and gastronomy" by using the seasonal ingredients of all parts of Japan...
Online tourism is spreading. In an environment where the novel coronavirus continues to make travel difficult, online tourism is an effort to see and interact with locations through video and other media...
Palace Hotel Tokyo had its grand opening in May 2012, as a newly rebuilt hotel which blends traditional Japanese hospitality with the latest innovative fixtures. We talked to Executive Chef Masatoshi Saito and Chief Concierge Mayako Sumiyoshi...
Online tourism is spreading. In an environment where the novel coronavirus continues to make travel difficult, online tourism is an effort to see and interact with locations through video and other media...
Why not enjoy the fusion between the country's traditional culture and its sub-cultures, such as anime, manga, and cosplay...
Finding popular products to sell can be a challenge for overseas suppliers. We will introduce here ten product categories in series to help you uncover new trending product ideas...
On July 31, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that the average lifespan for Japanese people had reached a new record in 2019, at 87.45 years for women and 81.41 years for men...
Veganism has been gaining worldwide attention in recent years due to the growing awareness of global environmental protection and animal welfare...
“Worcation” is a coined word that combines work and vacation. It's a new working style, which you can take advantage of remote working while enjoying a vacation in a natural tourist destination away from your workplace...
Tourism is facing an unprecedented crisis. Although it is a business that can be enjoyed on a trip away from everyday life, the spread of the new coronavirus has stopped the movement of people all over the world....
June 13, a Saturday afternoon in heavy rain. A tower had been erected in a former quarry in Tochigi. The rain had already formed deep mud on the ground of the site...
Glamping is gaining popularity with men and women of all ages as a new outdoor-style camping. This series will present the characteristics and advantages of glamping...
Two of the top interests for foreign travelers visiting Japan are “to experience Japanese food” and “to shop in Japan.”...
Nihonshu, or Japanese sake, is Japan’s national drink, and the epitome of Japanese culture. Made from rice and water, the blessings of Japan’s land and climate...
Washoku (Japanese Food) was registered by UNESCO as an intangible cultural asset in December 2013. That means the traditional food culture of the Japanese people has been globally recognized as...
The basement food floors of department stores are a paradise for souvenirs and gifts. They are abbreviated to “depachika” in Japanese. Big department stores are clustered around each of the major station in Tokyo, and their depachika floors...
One word can be seen on signs wherever you look while walking around Tokyo. That word is “コンビニ” (conbini, short for “convenience store”). There are 55,000 convenience stores in Japan...
General Merchandising Stores (GMS) are places for the masses, good for shopping and for eating out. How about adding a GMS to your urban sightseeing itinerary? And if you’re wondering...
Japan is an isolated archipelago, surrounded by sea on all sides. Centering on the main islands of the archipelago (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, etc.), the Izu and Ogasawara island groups...
Tokyo is a world-renowned city for excellent food. It is bursting with an endless variety of restaurants and shops. As a world culinary metropolis, offering ramen, tempura, soba, sushi, kaiseki, and teppan yaki...
TripAdvisor announces its annual Top 30 tourist attractions in Japan based on reviews and comments by international travelers. We present here those top 10 with some introductions from the websites of those facilities...
