On January 9, JATA (Japan Association of Travel Agents) held a New Year’s press conference at its headquarters in Tokyo, where Chairman Hiroyuki Takahashi explained future initiatives. The following are excerpts from Chairman Takahashi’s comments. Excerpts from the press conference Looking back on last year, it was, in a word, a year in which the…

JCB will conduct the “30% cash-back campaign for riding public transportation with JCB touch payment” from January 16 to March 16. During the period, when you use the public transportation with a JCB card that has a touch payment support mark or a smartphone with a JCB card installed, you will receive 30% of the…

JTB will open the “Berabo Edo Taito Taiga Drama Museum” at Taito Kumin Kaikan (2-6-5 Hanakawado, Taito-ku, Tokyo). The period is from February 1 to January 12, 2026. The museum is operated on behalf of the Taito City Taiga Drama “Belabo” Promotion Council, as Tsutaya Shigesaburo, the main character of the NHK drama “Belabo: Tsutaju…

Vision has begun offering SmartRyde, an airport pickup service, as an option for its NINJA WiFi Wi-Fi rental service. NINJA WiFi is a service that rents Wi-Fi routers and other equipment to tourists visiting Japan from airport counters. By selecting an option at the time of reservation, a maximum of four people can be picked…

Conference Title: Southeast Asia Co-Creation Roundtable Date: Thursday, December 19, 2024 Organized by JICA Location: JICA Kojimachi Headquarters and online (hybrid format) Background and Objectives As part of JICA’s Private Sector Engagement (PSE) initiative, the “Southeast Asia Co-Creation Roundtable” was held to promote efforts to solve development issues through co-creation with the private sector. (More…

Tokyo Metro and Mitsubishi Estate will release “Tokyo Machimeguri Coupon” on January 15, which includes a 24-hour Tokyo Metro ticket, a special coupon booklet, and a Marunouchi Point 1,000 yen coupon. The price is 1,000 yen per set, and the number of sets sold is limited to 20,000. Passenger information booths at Tokyo Metro Ginza,…

Weathernews released the “First Cherry Blossom Bloom Forecast” on January 9. In 2025, cherry blossoms are expected to bloom on March 21 in Tokyo, followed by Kochi and Yokohama on March 22, and in late March in western and eastern Japan. In late March, the cherry blossoms are expected to bloom in western and eastern…

Amazon (Amazon Japan) is having a time sale on the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. Normally priced at 39,899 yen, it is 36% off at 25,555 yen at the time of writing. The main unit is black/nickel in color and power cord type (cord length is 1.9 m). The main unit weighs 720g and has a…

Amakusa Airline, Oriental Air Bridge, Japan Air Commuter, ANA, and JAL, all members of the Regional Air Service Alliance Council (EAS Alliance), will conduct a “Joint Campaign to Promote Use” from January 7 to February 28 to make regional airline code-share flights more accessible. The campaign will be held from January 7 to February 28….

On January 8 (London local time), Henry & Partners (UK) released the latest edition of the 2025 Henry Passport Index, which evaluates the world’s most powerful passports. Based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), passports from all 199 countries and regions of the world are ranked according to the number of visa-free…