Shinkansen Trials Overnight Service Arriving in Kansai Next Morning

Oiso Long Beach, a popular summer destination in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, opened its pools for the season on July 4, drawing about 1,300 visitors as the facility strengthened heatstroke prevention measures.

A bear was seen walking openly through a residential street in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, on the morning of July 3, appearing in a popular hot spring area with a history of 1,200 years that attracts many tourists.

Mount Fuji’s Yoshida Route on the Yamanashi Prefecture side opened for the climbing season on July 1, with favorable weather at the 3,776-meter summit giving visitors a clear view of the sunrise at around 4:30 a.m. as sunlight broke through gaps in the clouds.

A man in his 70s was injured early on June 30 after being attacked by a bear near an elementary school in Tochigi Prefecture, as bear-related incidents continue to rise across Japan ahead of the full onset of summer heat in July.

Japan’s tourism recovery has entered a new phase in 2026, marked not just by rising visitor numbers but by a deeper structural shift in how the country manages entry procedures.

Kyoto’s Gion Festival, one of Japan’s three major festivals, began on July 1 with the Osendo ritual at Yasaka Shrine, where the child messenger and his attendants prayed for the safe completion of their major role in the monthlong event.

A Kintetsu Railway train derailed inside Kyoto Station on the morning of June 29, forcing partial suspensions on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line for the rest of the day and causing long delays that hit commuters, students and tourists.

A section of stone wall at Hikone Castle, one of Japan’s few surviving original Edo-period castles and a National Treasure whose main keep remains intact more than 400 years after its construction, collapsed after heavy rain caused by Typhoons No. 7 and No. 8, Hikone city officials said.