Japan's amended immigration law passed on May 29, 2026. On July 3 the draft ordinance set the numbers: permanent residency applications rise from 10,000 yen to 200,000, and status changes and renewals go from a flat 6,000 to a tiered scale topping out at 75,000. New fees apply from October 1; public comment closes August 2. JESTA arrives by March 2029.
Japan's departure tax tripled from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 (about $19) on July 1, 2026, driven by a record 42.68 million visitors. Japanese citizens pay it too. Here's what changed, Kyoto's new five-tier lodging tax, Fuji's ¥4,000 gate, how it compares to Australia and the UK, and where the ¥130 billion is supposed to go.
From April 24, 2026, Japan's transport ministry banned charging a power bank onboard an aircraft and charging other devices from one. Carry-on is capped at two units of 160Wh or less. The change follows an emergency revision of ICAO standards after the Air Busan 391 fire. Here are the rules, which breaches actually carry penalties, how to convert mAh to Wh, and the sodium-ion batteries banned outright the same day.
Japan plans to launch JESTA, its version of ESTA, during fiscal 2028, and raised its departure tax from 1,000 to 3,000 yen on July 1, 2026. Together that is roughly 6,000 yen more per visitor. Here is how the combined cost compares with ESTA, K-ETA, and ETIAS, and where the money is supposed to go.
Nearly 1 in 5 Japanese travelers now prefer solo trips, the highest rate among 39 countries. "Suitcase Cancel," a trend of ditching wheeled luggage for a single backpack, is reshaping how Japan travels. We explore the coin locker crisis and the rise of minimal travel.
A former Olympic gold medalist turned commentator was stunned by an Italian hotel’s open-plan shower at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. With no partition, no bathtub, and only a thin curtain, Japanese guests face a real challenge. Explore the fascinating cultural gap between Japanese and European hotel bathroom design.