TRAVEL

Japan will start issuing passports featuring art by ukiyoe master Katsushika Hokusai for people applying as early as February.
(NHK)

An amazingly affordable way to see Japan and live like a local. (soranews24.com)

Tokyo has no shortage of theme parks to entertain visitors and residents. Tokyo Disneyland is the
biggest and most well known but on the other side of the city, a 39 minute train ride from Shinjuku
is Sanrio Puroland – the Tokyo home to Hello Kitty and her universe of friends. (ONLY in JAPAN)

Nagasaki priest says over-tourism, vandalism and theft of amulets led to his controversial decision. (soranews24.com)

The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a record high of 31.88 million in 2019, but the growth was limited by a sharp fall in tourists from South Korea amid deteriorating bilateral ties, the tourism minister said Friday.
(Japan Today)

As the cultural and historical heart of the country, Kyoto deserves a spot on any Japan travel itinerary. However, with the city welcoming so many travelers, sometimes it can be hard finding a hotel with vacant rooms on the nights you wish to stay. (soranews24.com)

All Nippon Airways Co. said Thursday that all flights on its route between Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture and Honolulu will employ Airbus A380 aircraft featuring livery with a sea turtle theme from July 1. (Japan Times)

Japan’s cherry blossoms are its most iconic symbol of spring, and if you’re planning a trip to the country, plenty of people will tell you that the most beautiful time to come is during sakura season. (soranews24.com)

A bridge linking two of Japan’s main islands will light up almost every night starting in fiscal 2020 as neighboring communities hope to draw more visitors with a million-dollar view. (Nikkei)

Work has begun to carry snow to the northern Japanese city of Sapporo for an annual festival featuring huge snow sculptures.
(NHK)