MIYAKO GALAXY-DOME, billed as Japan's first facility to pair a working observatory with an LED-dome planetarium, opened in June 2026 on Kurima Island, Okinawa. Southern Cross skies, live telescope-to-dome projection, prices and how to visit, explained for overseas readers.
Foreign visitors spent ¥2.07 trillion (~$12.9B) on food in Japan in 2025, 21.9% of all inbound spending. What 42 million tourists eat, the dietary-diversity gap, and how to plan a gourmet trip.
Niseko, Japan's premier ski resort, is moving beyond its winter-only image. We break down 'Niseko by Nature'—the new brand from the Niseko Promotion Board (NPB)—what a tourism DMO actually does, and how to enjoy Niseko's green season.
Printer and sewing-machine maker Brother opens BROTHER JOYFACTORY TOKYO in Kyobashi on June 30, 2026. Become a samurai, record a song, or do calligraphy, then walk out with a printed T-shirt or record. Prices, access, booking and what this maker-led tourism experiment means.
Mitsui Fudosan, Canada's Moment Factory, and The Pokémon Company International unveil a touring immersive experience that casts visitors as real Pokémon Trainers, debuting in Europe in spring 2027. Here's how it differs from Pokémon Centers and PokéPark, why it starts in Europe, and what fans hope for.
A new private tour called NINJA ORIGINS lets travelers train as real ninja in Iga and Koka, the birthplace of ninjutsu. From 200,000 yen (about $1,260) per night, guests sleep in restored historic buildings and join shrine rituals and a museum infiltration mission, as part of a model that funnels tourism revenue back into heritage conservation.
Eleven days, 44 countries, 400 delegates. We score the five expectations from our pre-meeting article against the MOFA outcome communique: emperor penguin protection blocked, tourism rules deferred, Annex VI stalled, only the transparency resolution delivered.
Japan welcomed 3.69 million foreign visitors in April 2026, down 5.5% from a year earlier, even as the yen sat near 159 to the dollar. We unpack the three forces behind the drop—China's travel advisory, an Easter calendar quirk, and Middle East flight cancellations—and ask whether this is actually the right moment for foreigners to book that long-postponed Japan trip.
Air Canada launches the first-ever direct flight between North America and Hokkaido in December 2026, connecting Vancouver and Sapporo's New Chitose Airport with three weekly Boeing 787 services. We unpack who it targets, why now, and what makes Hokkaido a winter prize.
At Inazumi Underwater Cave in Oita Prefecture, professional diver Yuji Ohama (60) and his team reached 97.4m depth on March 20, 2026—likely a Japanese national record for underwater limestone caves. Formed 300 million years ago and submerged by an Aso volcanic eruption 85,000 years ago, the cave's deepest section revealed primordial stalactites and geological strata never seen above ground. We compare this discovery with Mexico's cenotes and Florida's cave systems, and explore Japan's only commercially diveable underwater limestone cave.
Oriental Land Company, operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, posted record revenue of 704.5 billion yen ($4.4 billion) for fiscal 2026—yet operating profit fell, and the stock has been cut nearly in half since 2023, hitting a fresh year-low days before the earnings release. Here is what is making investors nervous about the 'house of mouse' in Japan, from shrinking margins and demographic headwinds to a 330 billion yen cruise gamble.