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July 02, 2026
 

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TOURISM

Penguins are seen on an iceberg as scientists investigate the impact of climate change on Antarctica's penguin colonies, on the northern side of the Antarctic peninsula in 2022.
JAPAN
May 12, 2026
Emperor penguins in focus as Antarctic talks start in Japan
Officials from the nearly 60 countries signatory to the Antarctic Treaty are meeting in Hiroshima for annual discussions on protecting and managing the fragile region.
A convoy of ambulances believed to be carrying at least one of the passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius believed to be infected with hantavirus is escorted by Dutch police on motorcycles as it arrives near Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, Netherlands, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 7, 2026
Hantavirus ship passenger: ‘They didn’t take it seriously enough’
The Turkish travel vlogger, who has since disembarked, said life on board the vessel carried on as usual even after the first death was announced.
A person in a hazmat suit is escorted to an ambulance from a medical aircraft allegedly carrying some of the passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius believed to be infected with the hantavirus, at Schiphol airport near Amsterdam on Wednesday.
WORLD
May 7, 2026
Countries scramble to track passengers of virus-hit cruise ship
Three people have died in the outbreak on the luxury cruise ship, and a total of eight people are suspected to have contracted the virus.
Cruise ship MV Hondius is seen docked off the port of Cape Verde on Monday. Passengers have not been allowed off the ship as health authorities investigate suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel following the deaths of three people.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 5, 2026
How an ocean cruise turned into a hantavirus nightmare
About 150 people remain stuck ⁠on the ship marooned off the Cape Verde islands in the Atlantic Ocean after the deaths of three passengers.
A Shiite Muslim man gestures while visiting the Imam Ali Shrine during the fasting month of Ramadan in Najaf, Iraq, on March 10.
WORLD / Society
May 4, 2026
‘No pilgrims’: Regional war hushes Iraq’s holy cities
The conflict has stemmed the influx of pilgrims from Iran, Lebanon, the Gulf states, India, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
The school's flag is returned to the city during a closing ceremony at Shimoibano Elementary School in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on Feb. 14.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
May 4, 2026
Shrinking city in Miyagi Prefecture braces for uncertain future
Faced with school closures and declining births, the city of Osaki is struggling to find a way forward.
Shorebirds gather in dense flocks at Higashiyoka Higata (tidal flats), pushed together by the rising tide.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Perspectives
May 4, 2026
At 70, chasing birds across a changing Japan
From subtropical islands to northern coasts, a quest for rare sightings becomes a meditation on memory, effort and environmental change.
A hot spring facility in the city of Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, has suspended the operation of its open-air baths since March.
JAPAN
May 3, 2026
Water shortages hit tourist spots in Japan during Golden Week
Sightseeing boats, operators of hot springs and other businesses have been forced to reduce service hours.
Each winter, countless tourists flock to Japan's famous snow-covered mountains, but a lack of top-down regulation on the country's outdoor sports industry can make certain activities unnecessarily risky.
LIFE / Travel
May 2, 2026
For tourists in Japan’s outdoor sports scene, safety is not guaranteed
Recent data suggests accidents involving foreign tourists are disproportionately represented in certain high-risk activities.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways reported year-on-year growth in reservations for both domestic and international flights for the eight-day period ending Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 30, 2026
Air travel bookings for Japan’s Golden Week holiday robust
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways reported year-on-year growth in reservations for both domestic and international flights for the eight-day period.
A plastic surgery clinic advertisement displayed in a subway station in Seoul. Of the total number of medical tourists to South Korea in 2025,the largest share (62.9%) went for dermatological treatment and 11.2% for orthopedic treatment.
JAPAN
Apr 28, 2026
Number of Japanese heading to South Korea as medical tourists rises in 2025
The number of Japanese medical tourists to South Korea in 2025 stood at about 600,000, or up 36.0% from the previous year.
A tour guide gives explanations to visitors from an observation platform overlooking the damaged No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 nuclear reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture, last month.
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2026
Japan’s wrecked nuclear plant becomes a tourist destination
The Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant is now a destination for “dark tourism” — travel to sites associated with tragedy, violence, or disaster, like Auschwitz, the killing fields of Ca
Rooms at Capella Kyoto, a new luxury hotel located steps from one of the city's most historic geisha districts, start from ¥394,200 per night for two people.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 24, 2026
Capella Kyoto continues ancient capital’s luxury hotel boom
The newly opened lodging occupies the site of Shinmichi Elementary School between the Kaburenjo Theatre and Kenninji, Kyoto’s oldest Zen Buddhist temple.
The Japan Transport Safety Board has proposed setting up multi-language warnings and pictograms at railroad crossings as foreign visitor numbers surge.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2026
Multilingual alerts, pictograms proposed for railroad crossings after tourist accident
The accident occurred at a railroad crossing near Saga Prefecture’s Sueyama Shrine, a popular tourist spot.
Jimbocho, Tokyo’s book town, has gained popularity online and some travel companies are already selling book-centric tours for foreign visitors.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 20, 2026
Now on the multilingual margins, can Japanese bookstores be more than just a vibe?
While some travel companies are now offering book-centric tours around Jimbocho, foreign visitors are often leaving bookstores empty-handed, despite intentions to buy books.
When the family planned a trip to Japan, Lily Romero was determined to visit a salon in the country well-known for its expertise in straightening treatments.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 19, 2026
Japan’s latest tourist destination: hair salons
Travelers cite high skill levels, excellent service and attention to hygiene as top reasons for having their hair treatments done in the country.
Buildings in the historic area of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Apr 19, 2026
Japan’s tourism industry begins to feel pain of Iran war
With the Iran war continuing, travel costs between Europe and Japan have increased to the point that many European travelers are canceling their plans.
Travelers at Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai. The Chinese travel and tourism economy grew 9.9% last year, more than twice the global rate.
BUSINESS
Apr 16, 2026
China on track to be top tourism economy as travelers skip U.S.
The U.S. has seen a sharp pullback in foreign arrivals amid tighter immigration restrictions and rising geopolitical frictions.
Tourists take photos of blooming cherry blossoms in Kyoto on March 28.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2026
Japan tourism hits record despite China spat and Iran war
The number of international visitors was 3.6 million, up 3.5% year-on-year, a new record for March.
Johnny Somali received a prison sentence of six months with 20 days detention after repeated acts of disturbing the public in South Korea.
LIFE / Digital
Apr 15, 2026
‘Nuisance streamer’ Johnny Somali sentenced to six months in prison
The 25-year-old American influencer received a prison sentence from a South Korean court for repeated acts of disturbing the public.
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ¥3,000 from ¥1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
More facilities in Japan placing sanitary bins in men’s restrooms
A sanitary bin with an awareness sticker placed in a men's restroom in the Nagasaki Municipal Government building
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
‘My dream is broken’: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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