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Travel Alerts and Disaster Updates

2024 noto peninsula earthquake.

In the afternoon of January 1, 2024, a strong earthquake caused widespread damage and the loss of many lives on the Noto Peninsula and surroundings.

The northern part of the Noto Peninsula was most affected. Particularly badly hit were the city of Suzu and the city of Wajima , where the earthquake did not only topple many buildings, but also caused a large fire, which destroyed a considerable part of the city center, including the site of the famous local morning market.

The intensity of the earthquake in the nearby cities of Kanazawa , Takaoka , Toyama and Niigata was also strong, but it caused no widespread damage.

Transportation

Service along many train lines in the region resumed within a couple of days of the earthquake, except on the peninsula itself, where the disruptions lasted longer. The last affected railway, the Noto Railway, resumed service along its entire length on April 6.

It will take several months for the Noto Peninsula to open to tourism again, especially the northern part. But also in Wakura Onsen further down the peninsula, almost all lodgings remain closed until further notice.

Outside the Noto Peninsula, tourism is much less affected. In Kanazawa , most tourist attractions reopened within four days of the quake. An exception was the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art , which suffered some damage, but reopened partially on February 6. The full reopening is scheduled for June 22. Read our report from Kanazawa from early February .

Coronavirus Outbreak

Japan dropped all remaining COVID-related entry requirements (including the need of COVID testing/vaccination certificates) on April 29, 2023. With this, over three years of COVID-related border measures have came to an end.

Volcano Closures

No-entry zones are currently maintained at the following prominent volcanoes :

• Sakurajima (Level 3 - do not approach the volcano) Do not climb the mountain. Does not affect transportation and tourism.
• Aso (Level 2 - do not approach the crater) No-entry zone 1 km from crater. Closure of road and hiking trails.
• Shinmoedake (Kirishima) (Level 1 - potential for increased activity) Closure of hiking trails.
• Kusatsu-Shirane (Level 1 - potential for increased activity) Closure of hiking trails.

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Coronavirus in Japan: Travel Updates

Last updated: Oct 15th 2022

Follow our latest updates on the coronavirus (Covid-19) situation in Japan.

Since October 11th 2022 , Japan has fully reopened its borders to tourists, allowing visa-free, independent travel to Japan once again 🙌

• A visa is no longer required for short stays (up to 90 days).
• It's not necessary to book through a travel agency.
• Daily entry caps have been phased out entirely.

Table of contents

• Travel updates
• Staying safe in Japan: Covid FAQ
• Travel Advisories
• Official resources  

As borders re-open, we'll no longer be updating this page regularly. Always check official venue websites for their latest updates.

Travel Updates

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Borders set to Reopen to Independent Travel

Japan will allow visa-free, independent tourism and abolish daily arrival caps from Oct 11th, announces Prime Minister Kishida. Via Japan Times

Borders open for Tour Groups

Japan's cautious reopening to overseas tourists coincides with strict infection-prevention measures and rules for those hoping to visit Japan. Via Nippon

Temporarily Closed Places in Japan: A-Z Directory

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Mazda Museum

The Mazda Museum is currently closed. Tour reservations are also temporarily unavailable. Further updates will be posted to the Mazda Museum official..

Naeba Ski Resort

Robot Restaurant

Temporarily closed until further notice due to coronavirus measures

Toei Animation Museum

Cancelled events, covid in japan faq, what precautions work best against coronavirus.

The World Health Organization's advice  is as follows:

• Wash your hands regularly – with soap and warm water, or alcohol-based hand sanitizers (at least 60% alcohol)
• Maintain social distancing – avoid those who are coughing or sneezing (at least 1m). Some countries are implementing lockdowns and recommending keeping 2m from strangers.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth – potential points of entry for coronavirus particles
• Practice respiratory hygiene – covering your mouth when you cough, and disposing of tissues promptly followed by washing hands.
• Wear a mask – wearing a face covering can help prevent the spread of infection. See their dedicated guidance here on face masks .

Should I wear a mask?

Summary : The WHO  recommends wearing face masks as of June 2020.

If you are travelling in Japan, wearing a face mask in certain contexts (e.g. riding public transport, crowded areas) can be an effective measure as part of a wider strategy against infection/transmission, as per WHO guidelines .

Do I need travel insurance?

Whether you are already in Japan, preparing for a trip, or are planning ahead, we recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance. This is both to insure against the prospect of unforeseen medical expenses if the need arise, but also against changing travel plans as the situation develops.

Note that it is essential to check your home country travel advice  if you plan to travel to Japan. This is to ensure there is no impact on your insurance coverage.

What should I do if concerned by coronavirus in Japan?

Contact JNTO's Visitor Hotline. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) operate a 24/7 visitor hotline service, available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. It can be called for assistance in case of accidents or emergencies relating to the coronavirus:

• From Japan 050-3816-2787
• From Overseas +81-50-3816-2787

What should I do if I feel sick?

If you are feeling unwell, please consult the following:

• List of medical institutions with foreign-language services  (English),
• The JNTO Hotline: 050-3816-2787

Can tourists enter Japan?

As of Oct 11th 2022, visitors can now enter Japan visa-free for short-term stays (up to 90 days).

Official Japan travel advisories

Please consult these official advisories from countries overseas to gauge the current advice on travelling overseas at this time.

Official resources

Let us know how we can help.

Security Alert May 17, 2024

Worldwide caution, update may 10, 2024, information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

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Japan Travel Advisory

Travel advisory january 8, 2024, japan - level 1: exercise normal precautions.

Japan – Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions

Reissued after periodic review without changes.

Exercise normal precautions in Japan.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Japan.

If you decide to travel to Japan: 

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Follow Embassy Tokyo’s American Citizen Services section on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Review the  Country Security Report  for Japan.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .

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Japan Has Reopened for Tourism: How to Plan Your Next Trip

As a digital nomad for nearly five years, JT is a freelance writer that proves through experience that credit card rewards can drastically reduce the cost of travel. After working as a tax accountant for a decade, JT turned his analytical skills to points, miles and credit cards. He published over 2,000 articles as a writer for The Points Guy.

Meghan Coyle started as a web producer and writer at NerdWallet in 2018. She covers travel rewards, including industry news, airline and hotel loyalty programs, and how to travel on points. She is based in Los Angeles.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Table of Contents

What to know before visiting Japan

Best things to do in japan, best ways to fly to japan on points and miles, japan has reopened for tourism recapped.

Finally. After being closed to tourists for over two and a half years, Japan reopened to visa- and agent-free foreign tourism in October 2022. Americans can visit Japan without applying for a visa, needing to book a group tour or special agent, testing on arrival or having to quarantine. Fully vaccinated travelers don't even have to get a pre-departure test if they show a vaccination card on arrival.

Japan is one of my favorite countries in the world. I've spent over 50 nights in Japan over the past six years, visiting eight different cities.

Whether you're a first-time visitor or it's been a while since you've visited, here are my must-knows and must-do's now that Japan has reopened for tourism.

Japanese culture has more layers, rules and norms than any culture I've explored. However, the good news is that you don't need to know too much to start.

Japan is a very cash-based society

Bring your favorite travel credit card with you, but be prepared to pay for a lot of expenses in cash. A vast majority of Japanese consumers prefer to pay with cash, and cash may be the only way to pay at many places, such as vending machines, food stalls and many restaurants.

To reduce your ATM fees, use one of NerdWallet's favorite banks for international travel , such as the Schwab Investor Checking account .

Hotel rooms are tiny

(Photo by JT Genter)

Prepare for culture shock when you open your hotel room door. Japanese hotels can be tiny — even by New York City standards. Hopefully, you won't spend too much time in your room. However, make sure to check the room size when searching for hotel rooms and factor that into your booking decision.

Be considerate

Although the Japanese have plenty of outlets for creative expression, typically, being loud or boisterous in public isn't one of them. 

Be careful not to cut in lines. Don't spit or throw trash on the ground. Try to be thoughtful and considerate of others, even more than you would back home.

Don't tip

The advice for tipping in Japan is rather simple: Don't do it. 

Japanese people who aren't familiar with visitors' tipping culture might be confused or even insulted by your well-meaning gesture. Instead, try to use your words and actions to communicate your appreciation.

Use technology

Technology makes travel so much easier , and that's especially true in Japan. Use your tools throughout your visit to make the trip easier. 

For example, Google Maps is incredibly useful in Japan — including recommending which subway car to board and which subway exit to use. And Google Translate is a critical tool for translating the complex Japanese language.

One of the best things about Japan is that there’s something for everyone. Enjoy exhibits? Japan offers incredibly diverse museums filled with antiquities. Are you a foodie? With fresh tuna from Tsukiji fish market and more types of ramen than you knew existed, Japan is a gastrophile's paradise.

Eat noodles

Honestly, it doesn't matter what kind. Just find a noodle shop — preferably one with a line — and order something from the menu. I've yet to be disappointed when doing this. 

Take a photo before you dig in so you can reference afterward to determine which kind you like best.

After plenty of experimentation, I'm an absolute sucker for tonkotsu ramen, particularly from Ichiran.

Go to a festival

It seems no one has dared to compile a list of all Japanese festivals, but estimates place the number over 100,000 per year. So, you should have no trouble finding one to attend.

Japanese festivals are generally unique, each providing a window into the culture it celebrates. Plus, festivals can be a great way to explore delicious food and interact with locals.

Visit a temple or shrine

Both of Japan's major religions — Shinto and Buddhism — feature ornate temples and shrines. Whether it's the famous Sensō-ji temple in Asakusa or a shrine you stumble across, make sure to visit at least one temple or shrine. 

Pay attention to signs at temples and shrines advising visitors what to do (e.g., remove their shoes) and not do (e.g., take photos).

Ride the Shinkansen

Japan christened the Shinkansen in 1964, and the high-speed rail network still stands as one of the best in the world. Zipping across the Japanese landscape at around 200 mph is something you have to experience to really appreciate. 

And you have plenty of opportunities to do so. Just the Tokaido Shinkansen line — which connects Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka — averages 373 trains per day, carrying an average of almost half a million passengers daily.

Visit an onsen

To really get a taste of Japanese culture, visit an onsen. These public baths are where many Japanese people go to communally bathe in the nude. You won’t find that in many spas in the U.S. Note that many onsens in Japan won't let you bathe if you have tattoos.

Ready to book your trip to Japan? Many travelers are flocking back to Japan as it reopens to tourism, driving up the price of paid flights. But thankfully you can leverage points and miles to cut your out-of-pocket cost.

Here are some of the best sweet spots for booking award flights to Japan:

Use Virgin Atlantic points to book ANA business class from 75,000 to 90,000 points each way between the U.S. and Japan.

Transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to ANA Mileage Club to book business class award flights from 75,000 miles round-trip .

Redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles for Japan Airlines business class for 60,000 miles each way, or splurge for first class for 80,000 miles each way.

Alaska Mileage Plan members can book Japan Airlines flights for 35,000 miles each way in economy, 60,000 miles in business class or 70,000 miles in first class. Plus, you can add a free stopover in Tokyo on your way to another destination in Asia.

Tourists are finally getting a chance to visit Japan after two and a half years of the country keeping its borders closed to tourism. Whether you've never been or can't wait to return, it's important to review the cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan.

Japan may feel intimidating to those who have never visited before. However, I've found from my travels that Japan can be a welcoming place in its own way. It's worth putting in a bit of effort to learn about the culture and things to do to enrich your experience there.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

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Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Japan, famously polite, struggles to cope with influx of tourists

Huge numbers of visitors are causing chaos at such popular spots as Mount Fuji and Kyoto, leading to some extreme measures to tamp down the crowds.

TOKYO — Japan is proud of its “omotenashi” spirit, its practice of wholeheartedly caring and catering for guests. But a post-covid surge in tourist numbers, coupled with a weak yen that makes Japan cheaper for many visitors, is pushing Japan’s world-famous hospitality to the brink.

One town is installing a huge screen to stop tourists causing traffic jams while they take selfies in front of Mount Fuji. At least one overrun restaurant is reserving Friday nights for locals only. Even the deer of Nara, usually very proactive about coming forth for snacks, have had their fill.

This is because international tourists, unable to enter Japan for 2½ years during the covid pandemic, now appear to be making up for lost time.

The Japanese yen has been steadily weakening, losing more than 40 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar in the past five years and making Japan a much cheaper place to visit.

A staggering 25.1 million tourists visited the country last year, marking a sixfold increase from 2022. In March, at the start of the cherry blossom season, 3.08 million visitors arrived in the country, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization ( JNTO ), with the monthly number surpassing 3 million for the first time since records began in 1964.

Just over a quarter of tourists this year have come from South Korea, while about 17 percent are from Taiwan and 15 percent from China. Americans have made up less than 7 percent of tourists since January.

The influx has been good for the Japanese economy: Spending by visitors to Japan in the first quarter of this year totaled $11.4 billion (1.75 trillion yen), the highest quarterly figure ever recorded, according to the Japan Tourism Agency . The average spending per person was about $1,300 (208,760 yen), up 41.6 percent from the same period in 2019.

But, in many popular places, it has not been good for the locals. There have been widespread complaints about overcrowding, litter, strain on infrastructure and a particularly Japanese worry: not being able to devote the requisite amount of care to each visit.

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The concept of “omotenashi” is at the heart of the Japanese service sector. This wholehearted hospitality and level of attentive service can be felt in hotels, restaurants and shops from the moment one arrives in Japan — in fact, from the moment the air marshallers on the airport tarmac bow as planes taxi up to the boarding bridge. It’s in the white gloves of taxi drivers and the individually wrapped wet wipe that accompanies even the cheapest cup of coffee.

“Overtourism is a serious issue in Japan with tourism concentrated in the major centers, lacking the infrastructure to deal with the volume of visitors,” said Max Mackee, founder of adventure travel company Kammui.

“This can ruin the tourists’ experience, particularly as the beauty of Japan is often found in its peace and meditative moments, even in cities like Tokyo. It’s also a serious issue for the local population, which is not equipped to handle visitors, which can lead to local resentment, environmental impact or even closure of restaurants and bars and other establishments on the tourist trail.”

Screening off Mount Fuji

Fed up with badly behaved tourists, the town of Fujikawaguchiko is building a screen to block views of Mount Fuji at a popular photo spot.

The Lawson convenience store in the town has become a hit on social media because the renowned volcanic cone sits perfectly above the store’s neon sign. Tourists have flocked to the store’s parking lot to take photos of themselves in front of the Instagrammable scene.

Residents complained about the traffic problems, unauthorized parking, trespassing and littering this was causing. The Ibishi Dental Clinic, across the street, even installed a barrier to keep tourists away and ensure customers could get in.

“When we asked people to move their cars, some yelled back, and some even threw lit cigarettes. There are days where it’s difficult to provide proper medical services,” the clinic wrote in a statement on its website .

“Obviously it’s regretful for us too, to lose that view from our clinic, but we believe that it’s now an inevitable measure that needs to be taken in response to the unthinkable violations that exceed all measures we have taken until now.”

Lawson even issued a statement apologizing to residents and customers for the inconvenience.

The town has decided on more extreme measures: It is constructing a mesh net that is 8 feet tall and 65 feet wide to block the view, expected to be finished next week. “To ensure the safety of both tourists and drivers, and to ensure the peaceful life of residents, we have regrettably come to the difficult decision to proceed with this construction,” the town of Fujikawaguchiko posted on its website .

Then there are the crowds on the mountain itself.

Mount Fuji — Japan’s highest peak and a popular tourist destination — has been dealing with overcrowding in recent years, and the influx of overseas tourists has led the prefecture to take measures.

Starting this week, authorities have instituted an online booking system to stop Mount Fuji’s most popular trail from becoming excessively crowded during the summer hiking season. A maximum of 4,000 people will be allowed on the Yoshida Trail each day during the July-to-September hiking season, with 3,000 of the spots requiring advance bookings at $13 a pop.

Kyoto crackdown

In February, Koji Matsui was elected as Kyoto’s new mayor after campaigning against overtourism. Kyoto, just over two hours from Tokyo by bullet train, is famous for its temples and shrines and its traditional wooden buildings.

The city, once Japan’s capital, has a resident population of about 1.5 million but saw more than 20 times that number — about 32 million — of tourists arriving last year.

One major attraction is the Gion district, where geisha and their apprentices can be seen walking around in traditional kimonos and makeup. Kyoto last month banned tourists from entering private alleys in Gion after locals complained that the neighborhood was “not a theme park” and urged the government to act against unruly tourists.

Matsui’s other campaign pledges included charging tourists more than residents to take public transport fares and creating special tourist bus routes. The new mayor also plans to introduce “smart” garbage cans that send signals to the management bureau when full to try to curtail littering.

“ While we are very grateful for the large number of tourists attracted by the charms of Kyoto, we are now facing serious challenges in achieving a healthy balance between tourists and local citizens, ” Matsui said during his inauguration news conference.

The picturesque temples and gardens of Nara, just south of Kyoto, make it a popular side trip. And almost every visitor goes to Nara Park, where deer wander freely and vendors sell rice crackers, which the deer love. Usually.

Nara deer usually approach people and famously “bow” to — or sometimes butt — them to ask for the crackers. Not anymore.

This month during Golden Week, a popular Japanese holiday period, visitors to Nara found that deer were done with the rice snacks.

“Deer crackers have now become absolutely worthless due to the sudden surge in deer crackers during Golden Week,” one visitor wrote on X, posting a photo of an unimpressed deer lying beside four uneaten crackers.

これはＧＷの急激なシカ高せんべい安によって紙くず同然の価値となった鹿せんべい。 pic.twitter.com/hJNus8d0MA — 魅惑のなめろうフィットネス (@cqFv4ntcLoT6Sk6) May 5, 2024

Hiroshima, another regular stop on the tourist trail due to the Peace Memorial Museum commemorating the site of the 1945 U.S. nuclear bombing, is also feeling the strain.

Hiroshima is famous for okonomiyaki, a savory vegetable and meat pancake cooked on a griddle in front of the customer. But okonomiyaki restaurants are becoming so overcrowded that one popular place, Momiji-tei , has reserved Friday evenings exclusively for locals.

“It feels wrong for us to become a restaurant that is inaccessible to our regulars who supported us throughout the pandemic,” owner Ryota Fujiwara told local media. “We want to make sure to preserve their place even if it’s just once a week.”

Popular Japan Attractions Restrict Visitors in Effort to Curb Bad Tourist Behavior

The crackdown—including in kyoto and mount fuji—comes amid growing concerns about overtourism..

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The city of Fujikawaguchiko plans to install a barrier to block the view of Mount Fuji to deter crowds looking to snap a photo, local media reported.

Photo by Siddhesh Mangela/Unsplash

In the year and a half since Japan reopened its borders to travel following the COVID-19 pandemic, hordes of foreign visitors have returned to the Land of the Rising Sun. More than 25 million travelers descended on Japan in 2023, and nearly 5.5 million people visited in the first two months of 2024 alone, exceeding figures for the same period in 2019 by 7 percent.

Now Japan is outlining new plans to counter problems with bad visitor behavior and overtourism, including banning tourists from select streets in a popular geisha district in Kyoto and limiting the number of trekkers who can climb Mount Fuji, the tallest peak in the country.

Kyoto to restrict tourists from entering areas of the Gion district

The restrictions to Kyoto’s Gion neighborhood, where traditional geisha entertainers and their maiko (teenage apprentices) work, are scheduled to roll out this spring. The area has long been a magnet for tourists hoping to catch a glimpse and take a photo of the performers known for wearing elaborate kimonos, traditional hair pins, and characteristic white makeup as they walk from teahouse to teahouse. Over the years, there have been reports of overzealous tourists harassing the women and traipsing onto private property, even though signage informs visitors not to photograph the performers without their consent.

In Kyoto’s Gion district, travelers will still have access to popular tourist attractions such as the 1,300-year-old Yasaka Shrine.

Photo by Ceci Li/Unsplash

Local district official Isokazu Ota told the Associated Press , “We are going to put up signs in April that tell tourists to stay out of our private streets.” The signs will say in both Japanese and English that these are private roads and that those who walk on them will be fined 10,000 yen (US$68 based on current conversation rates).

It’s worth noting that the ban is limited to certain private streets in Gion; travelers are still able to walk the public streets to visit popular tourist attractions such as the 1,300-year-old Yasaka Shrine and the scenic Tatsumi Bridge.

There have been reports of tourists harassing traditional geisha entertainers and entering private property in Kyoto’s popular Gion district.

Photo by Andre Benz/Unsplash

Mount Fuji to require a fee and limit daily climbers, and a new barrier will prevent nearby crowds

One hundred fifty miles from Kyoto, Mount Fuji isn’t banning tourists outright, but the famed UNESCO World Heritage site is implementing a daily visitor cap of 4,000 people and charging climbers 2,000 yen (US$13.50 based on current conversion rates) for the opportunity to make the trek to the top of the 12,388-foot snow-capped stratovolcano. The new rules will begin July 1, 2024, when the trekking season begins.

In recent years, more than 400,000 people have summited Mount Fuji in the two months in late summer when it is allowed—that’s roughly 7,000 people a day—not counting the many more who hike to lower elevations on the mountain (the largest base station, called Subaru, saw 4 million visitors in the summer of 2023, for example). The result is human traffic jams and garbage problems , both of which pose environmental concerns to the volcano that is sacred to many Japanese people. The visitor cap and additional fee are meant to help unburden Mount Fuji and keep it clean. Additionally, the funds will be used to hire guides to enforce safety measures, like deterring ill-equipped hikers from wearing the wrong clothing or footwear, not allowing people to sleep on the side of the trail or build fires, and educating climbers about general mountain etiquette (in 2023 alone, 61 rescue calls were made by unprepared trekkers).

Starting this summer, Mount Fuji will cap the number of daily visitors at 4,000.

Photo by simpletun/Shutterstock

Additionally in the nearby town of Fujikawaguchiko, a black barrier is being installed to block the view of Mount Fuji as seen from a Lawson convenience store, the Japan Times reported . The spot has become an all-too-popular location for snapping images of the famous peak rising up in the background behind the store. Consequently, authorities are reportedly erecting a net that will measure 8 feet high and 65 feet long.

An official from Fujikawaguchiko was quoted in the Japan Times as saying that “it’s regrettable we have to do this, because of some tourists who can’t respect rules.” There have been issues with trash being left behind and visitors not abiding by traffic rules.

Although Japan is limiting who can visit the areas of Gion and Mount Fuji, the country is rolling out the welcome mat for foreigners in other ways. Japan’s Immigration Services Agency recently announced plans to issue six-month digital nomad visas to citizens from 49 countries, including the United States, up from the previous limit of 90 days. The program is slated to launch by the end of March.

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Japan Likes Tourists, Just Not This Many

The country has politely handled travelers for years, but as international visitors spill into previously untouristed spots, some residents are frustrated.

By Yan Zhuang

The writer spent several days elbowing through crowds in Kyoto and Fuji City, Japan.

On two recent occasions, a foreign tourist walked into Shoji Matsumoto’s barbershop, through a front door that grates loudly when opened more than halfway, wanting a haircut.

One was Italian, the other British. Mr. Matsumoto, who is 75 and speaks neither of their languages, didn’t know what to tell them. He picked up his scissors and began to cut, hoping that his decades of experience would carry him through the stilted encounters.

Tourists, propelled in part by a weak yen that makes their money go further in Japan, have been pouring into the country ever since it eased its coronavirus-related entry restrictions in 2022. Some officials, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, have raised concerns about overtourism. In March, there were more than three million international arrivals, a monthly record, and a more than 10 percent jump compared with March 2019.

Nearly two thirds of international visitors tend to be from South Korea, Taiwan and China. Last year, spending from foreign tourists made up about 9 percent of Japan’s gross domestic product.

Popular sites in cities like Kyoto, Japan’s ancient royal capital, feel increasingly unmanageable. Visitors are spilling into previously untouristed places, like small towns near Mount Fuji or the commercial district of Kyoto where Mr. Matsumoto cuts hair.

“Before, it was normal to see tourists in certain spots,” Mr. Matsumoto said from a low chair in his barbershop on a recent Saturday. “But now, they’re spreading out to random and unexpected places.”

That influx is testing the patience of a generally polite society.

In Kyoto and other heavily visited cities, some residents grumble about being priced out of hotel rooms or crowded out of buses and restaurants. Others say that tourists sometimes disrespect local customs by, say, chasing after geishas to photograph them or eating while walking, a behavior that is considered rude in Japan.

One day last month, it took Hiroshi Ban six hours — twice as long as usual — to visit Kyoto’s Heian Jingu shrine. Mr. Ban, 65, attributed the delay partly to tourists who hold up buses by counting out coins for the fare.

“Every day feels like a carnival here,” said Mr. Ban, an event organizer. “We can’t enjoy our daily lives in peace.”

Even those who directly benefit from tourism revenue worry that it might be unsustainable.

Hisashi Kobayashi, a taxi driver in Kyoto, said business was so good that taking a day off felt like passing up easy money. But many tourism-related industries were struggling to keep up with demand as they recovered from pandemic-era labor shortages, he said.

“When Japanese people come here, they feel they’re in a foreign land because there are so many tourists,” Mr. Kobayashi, 56, added as his taxi approached a bottleneck near a popular temple. “It’s not Kyoto anymore.”

Some rural locations are feeling the strain for the first time. One is Fuji City, about 200 miles by road east of Kyoto in Shizuoka Prefecture.

After a bridge with a direct view of Mount Fuji started to become popular on social media late last year, Shizuoka’s tourism department said on Instagram that it was a good spot for “beautiful, dreamlike pictures.” Left unsaid was that the bridge sat in a residential area with no visitor parking spaces, public toilets or garbage cans.

Many visitors littered, parked in driveways and in some cases dodged traffic to take photos from the bridge’s median strip, residents said in interviews.

Over a public holiday last month, about 300 tourists arrived daily for four days, standing in a line for photos that coiled down the street, said Mitsuo Kato, 86, who lives by the bridge.

“They just park here,” Mr. Kato said outside his home on a recent Sunday, as groups of tourists from South Korea diligently took photos of clouds that were obscuring Mount Fuji. “So we had to put up signs.”

Officials across Japan have been responding to the tourism surge with varying degrees of efficacy.

In Fuji City, the authorities erected a makeshift six-car parking lot and started to build a larger one that would fit 15 cars and include a bathroom, said Motohiro Sano, a local tourism official.

In a neighboring prefecture, Yamanashi, officials in the town of Fujikawaguchiko put up a billboard-size screen last month to deter tourists from photographing a Lawson convenience store whose blue awning sits beneath the mountain and became a staple of social media posts. The screen is now dotted with holes large enough to fit a phone camera lens, the local news media reported .

In Shibuya, a heavily visited area of Tokyo, officials announced plans to ban drinking alcohol outdoors at night in an attempt to curb bad behavior by young people and tourists.

And in Kyoto, where signs in train stations ask visitors to “mind your manners,” the government began running special buses for tourists this month.

At the city’s Nishiki market, where some residents have complained of finding grease stains on their clothing after squeezing through throngs of snacking tourists, Yoshino Yamaoka gestured to two signs hanging outside her barbecue eel restaurant.

Both said in English, “No eating while walking.” One had a larger font, and its text was underlined in red.

“People weren’t following it, so I put up this one with a stricter tone,” Ms. Yamaoka, 63, said of the bolder sign. But she wondered whether her new approach was too strict.

“Business depends on the tourists,” she said.

To beat the crowds on a recent weekend, some tourists visited popular Kyoto sites at sunrise or waited 40 minutes to eat at a popular ramen joint at 11 p.m. A few complained about the congestion they had helped to create.

“It’s a disaster,” said Paul Oostveen, 70, a tourist from the Netherlands, after leaving the Kiyomizu-dera Temple, a popular attraction.

From his empty barbershop, Mr. Matsumoto said that he had successfully cut the hair of his two foreign clients and that he wouldn’t turn away others who stumbled through his door.

But he worried about providing good quality service to customers he couldn’t understand, he said, and would prefer that non-Japanese speakers go elsewhere.

Even though tourism is good for the nation, he added over the drone of a radio, “There’s a part of me that’s not fully content.”

Yan Zhuang is a Times reporter in Seoul who covers breaking news. More about Yan Zhuang

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For Travelers Process Map and Checklist

All information here is gathered from the relevant authorities. Due to the regularly changing situation, it is essential for you to always check and follow the latest guidance.

Last updated: Wednesday, May 31st, 2023

Get ready for your dream trip to Japan! Japan is now open to travelers from all countries or regions! Those who enter Japan on or after April 29th 2023 are not be required to present a valid vaccination certificate or a Covid-19 negative test certificate.

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There’s no need to tip in Japan. Here’s what else travelers should know.

The Land of the Rising Sun has fascinated travelers for centuries, and this summer is no exception. 

Tokyo is among the top five international cities Americans are visiting this summer, according to Expedia and Google Flights. And with the exchange rate currently so strongly in Americans’ favor, it’s an especially good time to visit if you can take the hot and humid weather .

Before you book your flight though, there are some things you should know. From cultural customs to customs and immigration, here are 10 things to do when visiting Japan.

1. Learn basic Japanese

Some people, particularly in Tokyo, may speak English, but it’s best to learn a few basic phrases in Japanese like “hello,” “excuse me,” “where is the restroom?” and “thank you.” There are free tutorials available across social media and language apps like Duolingo or Babbel. 

You’ll also want to download a free translation app like Google Translate that can handle both verbal and written translation.

2. Fill out the Visit Japan Web form 

U.S. citizens don’t need a visa to visit Japan for stays under 90 days, but you will need to fill out a Visit Japan Web immigration and customs form . Save time by doing this in advance online instead of at the airport when you arrive.

What to know about Tokyo Disney Resort: Why Disney fans will travel all the way to Japan for its theme parks

3. Get a transit card 

A prepaid Suica or PASMO transit card isn’t just for public transportation. It can also be used to pay for things at vending machines, convenience stores and some shops. 

You can download a digital version through Apple Wallet or get a physical card once you arrive in Japan. Just keep it loaded with as much money as you want to spend.

4. Keep cash on hand

Cash is still king in some places, including food stalls and small shops that may not accept credit cards or digital payments. 

You can withdraw cash for low fees and fair exchange rates from ATMs at Japanese convenience stores like 7-Eleven. A Suica or PASMO card can tide you over until you can get to an ATM.

5. Skip the tip

There’s no tipping culture in Japan. In fact, some servers have been known to follow customers out and return tips like they were accidentally left behind. Instead of tipping at restaurants, offer thanks. 

Before eating, it’s customary to say “ itadakimasu ” like a quick prayer to show appreciation for the food and those who grew it. When you leave, you can say “ gochisousama deshita ” to staff to show gratitude for the meal.

6. Stand aside on escalators

In Tokyo, people stand to the left of escalators and keep the right side open for others walking up or down the moving steps. In Kyoto, like in most U.S. cities, people stand on the right. Don’t worry about trying to remember which side to stand on. It will be immediately clear once you’re there. Just do what everyone else is doing and don’t block foot traffic.

7. Keep the noise down on trains

It’s considered rude to talk on your cell phone or play music or videos out loud on subways and trains. You may hear some small groups of friends chatting, but many commuters keep quietly to themselves.

8. Wear or carry socks

Some places, like temples or restaurants with tatami mats, may require you to remove your shoes. If you’re not wearing socks, you may want to carry a clean pair with you, just in case.

9. Prepare to bare all at onsens

If you’re not comfortable sporting your birthday suit around others, you may want to skip public hot springs. Swimsuits and other garments aren’t allowed in the communal water. Some onsens may also bar tattoos or ask guests to cover them up with a patch. However, there are some tattoo-friendly onsens as well as private onsens available.

Additionally, it’s customary to shower before entering the springs to keep the water clean.

10. You’ll have to wait to open some souvenirs

If you plan to load up on Japanese beauty products, snacks and other consumables to take home, you can buy them tax-free at stores like Don Quixote, but they’ll seal them in a bag indicating they were purchased without paying tax. You can’t open the bag until you leave Japan. 

Bonus: Eat all the things, including at convenience stores or vending machines

From egg salad sandwiches to fresh onigiri rice balls, there’s so much good, affordable food in Japan. Don’t miss the delicious and cheap treats at Japanese convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Lawson and Family Mart. The same goes for the wide variety of readily available vending machines selling cold and hot drinks, depending on the season. 

Japan’s tourism is a victim of its own success

Faced with the arrival of 33 million travelers taking advantage of the weak yen, the country is taking measures to curb visitor numbers.

In a far cry from the isolationist Samurai era, the Land of the Rising Sun has become a victim of its own success when it comes to receiving visitors. A destination that was once considered off the map for the majority of tourists due to its remoteness and the language barrier, Japan has managed to multiply its tourist figures in 2023, making a quantum leap from three to 25 million tourists compared to 2022, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). And this tourist tsunami is expected to become even more overwhelming in 2024: the country has already welcomed around 12 million visitors and expects this figure to reach 33 million by December, surpassing 2019′s record of 32 million.

Admiring views of Mount Fuji through the mist or taking a selfie in Kyoto’s geisha district are among the country’s top tourist attractions. Now, however, if visitors try to take the iconic roadside photo of the mountain, their view will be obscured by 1.8-meter fencing that was recently installed by the Ministry of Transportation and Tourism to prevent the flood of visitors to the mountain village of Kawaguchi from collapsing the road. Now, if they want to climb the mountain, they have to pay a tax of 2,000 yen (€11.78 or $12.64).

The sudden uptick in tourist numbers is undoubtedly a consequence of the strategy announced by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to push tourist numbers to 60 million annual visitors by 2030. Although more than half the arrivals to Japan have been from other Asian countries, the most considerable increase has been from Mexico, up 104% from before the pandemic, followed by U.S. travelers (47.3%) and Middle Eastern visitors (44.6%), according to the JNTO. The influx of tourists, bolstered by an attractive dollar-yen exchange rate, contributed 5.3 trillion yen (€31.4 billion or $33.7 billion) to the Japanese economy in 2023. In May, the yen hit its lowest level since 1990, at 160 to the dollar, following the Bank of Japan’s historic reversal of its negative interest rate policy in March.

Despite the success of the Prime Minister’s tourist strategy, local areas, burdened by labor shortages, have begun to experience the hidden cost of mass tourism. More than half of Japanese companies say they do not have enough employees, according to a recent survey by Teikoku Databank, a credit research firm. The lack of staff has led to a record number of corporate bankruptcies: 1,016 bankruptcies were recorded in May, with the service and transportation sectors among the hardest hit.

New measures

Famous for its omotenashi or hospitality culture, Japan has had to take sweeping measures, targeting tourism everywhere from Tokyo to the most remote islands. In Shibuya, for example, the capital’s trending district, the authorities have curbed nightlife due to noise and bad behavior. Japan’s islands have also begun to feel the aftershocks of this tourist boom . The surge of foreigners to some remote islands in the Okinawa region has prompted several local governments to impose an entry tax on travelers. Miyajima Island, off the coast of Japan, began to charge 100 yen (€0.59 or $0.63) to foreigners arriving by boat to visit Itsukushima Shrine last October. This may seem negligible, but the local government expects to earn 250 million yen (€1.4 million or $1.5 million) from the fee this year, according to the Japanese media.

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Flood of tourists prompts call to charge foreign visitors more

As the flood of overseas tourists shows no sign of slowing, complaints about overcrowding and poor behavior by visitors are prompting some in Japan to look at ways of controlling the flow without losing income, including by charging higher prices for foreign visitors.

While many businesses benefit from visitors’ spending in aging and shrinking Japan, the crowds have started to rile some local residents, who are annoyed about being crowded out of their favorite attractions or even being unable to squeeze on to the bus to work.

In the latest sign of a growing backlash, the mayor of the city of Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture on Sunday said he would like to start charging foreign tourists six times more than locals to visit the city’s famed 400-year-old castle. Overseas visitors should pay the equivalent of around $30 to visit the World Heritage-listed Himeji Castle, compared to about $5 for local residents, the mayor said. All visitors to the castle age 18 or older are currently charged ¥1,000 ($6).

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura this week expressed support for the idea and said he’d like to do the same at Osaka Castle, broadcaster FNN said.

In Kyoto, tourists have been banned from parts of the historical Gion geisha district, and local authorities in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture, at the base of Mount Fuji, last month erected a barrier to stop tourists from taking photos of a convenience store with the mountain in the background — a spot that had gone viral on social media.

Yamanashi Prefecture, one of the two prefectures Mount Fuji straddles, has also limited the number of people allowed to climb the mountain this summer amid concern about overcrowding, trash and waste. Just 4,000 people a day will be allowed on the most popular route, with a new ¥2,000 fee imposed on each climber.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Himeji Castle — which was completed in 1609 and is one of only a dozen "original castles" that have withstood war, earthquakes and fire — reached a record 400,000 last year, accounting for around 30% of total visitors.

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Japan visitors top 3 mln for third month as yen fuels boom

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Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Eileen Soreng and Jacqueline Wong

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Thomson Reuters

Reports mainly on pharma, retail and breaking news in Japan. Previously worked at U.S. Department of State and Bloomberg News before that. New College of Florida and University of Hawaii alum. Former Poynter and JAIMS fellow.

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