TRAVEL NEWS

Last month residents of Yokohama, as well as anime fans around the globe, were thrilled to get their first glimpse of the life-size RX-78 Gundam anime mecha standing in the city’s bayside district, roughly 45 minutes south of Tokyo. But even that was just a precursor to the real excitement. (Sep 22). (Sora News)

Tourism businesses in Japan are starting to sell travel packages to and from Tokyo under the government's "Go To Travel" campaign to stimulate domestic tourism. (NHK)

Tokyo Disneyland's new area with attractions featuring characters and sets from 'Beauty and the Beast' will welcome the public starting Sept. 28, operator Oriental Land Co. said Thursday. (Japan Times)

Japan's government is easing entry restrictions for travelers from Singapore on Friday to allow short-term visits by businesspeople between the two countries. (NHK)

Scary fun preempted by scary reality of pandemic. (soranews24.com)

Japan will resume short-term business travel with Singapore from Sept 18, marking the first time that Tokyo has decided to allow the entry of businesspeople without requiring a 14-day self-isolation period amid the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday. (Japan Today)

An expert panel advising the Japanese government has yet to approve a plan to add Tokyo to the "Go To Travel" campaign from October. (NHK)

There is lots to see and experience in Europe and while it is great to have options it can also make it harder to pick and choose. (newsonjapan.com)

All Nippon Airways Co. will resume flights from Japan to Hawaii in October after suspending its service to the popular U.S. destination about six months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, sources familiar with the plan said Monday. (Kyodo)

Disruption to train and flight services is expected in western Japan from Saturday due to the approach of powerful Typhoon Haishen. (NHK)

Universal Studios Japan will skip its annual horror-themed offerings this Halloween season to help alleviate crowding, instead creating a festive entertainment program for guests wanting a break from the new coronavirus. (Nikkei)

The central Japan city of Sanjo registered a temperature of 40.4 C on Thursday, a national record high for September, as a wide area along the Sea of Japan coast witnessed extraordinary heat. (Kyodo)

The famed golden pavilion at the Kinkakuji temple in Kyoto began Tuesday a three-month renovation of its shingled roof amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has drastically reduced the number of visitors. (Japan Times)

Starting Tuesday, Japan is set to lift its entry restrictions on foreign residents, allowing those who left before the strict coronavirus curbs were imposed to return, and those planning to leave temporarily to proceed without fear of being locked out. (Japan Times)

Japanese airline companies are working to reduce physical contact during check-in at airports to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (NHK)

Starting from September, Japan will loosen its widely criticized entry restrictions on travelers from abroad, allowing all its foreign residents with a legal residence status to travel freely and thus enabling those seeking re-entry to the country to return, government officials said Friday. (Japan Times)

Japan raised its travel advisory Wednesday for 13 countries mainly in Africa, warning against traveling to them amid concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Kyodo)

Nowadays, with the Covid-19 marching all over the world, a new type of tourism was developed, virtual reality tourism. (newsonjapan.com)

More than 2 million people have used Japan's travel subsidy campaign since it kicked off in July in a bid to revive a domestic tourism industry hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the nation's top government spokesperson said Monday. (Japan Times)

Typhoon Bavi (Igme) formed on August 19 from a low pressure system north-east of the Philippine archipelago. (Japan Times)

Japan and Laos have agreed to ease entry restrictions imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Long-term residents will be allowed to travel between the two countries as early as September. (NHK)