JAPAN TRIPLED DEPARTURE TAX TO FUND TOURISM BUT IS USINGMONEY ON CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND BEARS - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPAN TRIPLED DEPARTURE TAX TO FUND TOURISM BUT IS USINGMONEY ON CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND BEARS - TOKYO JAPAN  

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On 1 July, Japan increased its departure tax for everyone flying out of the country, raising it from 1,000 yen to 3,000 yen per departure, with the cost included in the price of the airfare. While the threefold increase applies to both foreign tourists and Japanese citizens, the government acknowledged that most of the additional revenue would be collected from overseas visitors, estimating they would contribute around 646 billion yen this year, compared to roughly 164 billion yen from Japanese citizens.

To soften the blow, the government told the public that the extra revenue would go back into travel-related initiatives, like lowering passport fees for Japanese citizens, and funding programs to combat overtourism, including the promotion of lesser-known parts of Japan.

However, it was revealed this week that the 2026 fiscal budget, which was approved in April before the higher departure tax came into effect, also allocated departure tax revenue to cover the costs of bear control and pest prevention for cherry blossom trees – measures that are largely aimed at protecting the lives and environment of people living in Japan rather than improving the experience of foreign visitors.

According to Japanese media reports, the government allocated 6.2 billion yen for bear-related countermeasures in the 2026 fiscal year, with 6 billion yen of that amount coming from departure tax revenue. A newly created 600 million-yen budget for pest control of sakura trees is reportedly being funded entirely by the departure tax.

The Environment Ministry has justified the spending, saying that foreign visitors could benefit from countermeasures against bears, and many people from abroad come to Japan specifically to see the cherry blossoms.

Bear encounters have become an increasingly serious issue in Japan, with both local residents and foreign tourists sustaining injuries from the animals, including at tourist spots. However, after news of the allocations came to light this week, questions have been raised over whether the heavy funding of bear and sakura pest control aligns with the original intention of the increased tax, which was introduced to fund tourism-related initiatives.

It’s also important to note that bear control and cherry blossom tree pest prevention measures had traditionally been funded from the government’s general budget, which draws on taxes such as income and corporate tax without being restricted to a particular use. Those defending the new funding argue that money from the general budget can now be used to cover other costs, but it’s unclear where the resulting funds will be redirected.

In light of these revelations, and amid growing concerns from the public, Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Yasushi Kaneko, announced on Tuesday that the government would consider reviewing how the money is allocated. He said the government would examine the spending carefully and work to ensure the money is directed towards projects with greater effectiveness and without raising concerns.

With tourism-related initiatives covering such a broad spectrum of issues that affect everyday life in Japan, it’s quite possible for the government to justify any use of funds if it has the slightest connection to tourism. As the government aims to increase the number of annual foreign visitors from over 40 million in 2025 to 60 million by 2030, the revenue collected from the departure tax is set to rise with it, making responsible use of funds even more vital to ensuring that the problems of overtourism don’t get lost amid concerns over sakura pests and bears.

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JAPAN TO REUSE FUKUSHIMA CLEANUP SOIL IN MIYAGI, SAITAMA PREFECTURES - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPAN TO REUSE FUKUSHIMA CLEANUP SOIL IN MIYAGI, SAITAMA PREFECTURES - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

Japan's Environment Ministry says it plans to reuse soil collected in decontamination work near the disaster-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex at national government branch offices in Miyagi and Saitama prefectures.

The government has already reused the soil at 12 sites in Tokyo since July last year, including the prime minister's office and other buildings in the Kasumigaseki district. Excluding demonstration projects in Fukushima Prefecture, the expansion to the cities of Sendai and Saitama will mark the first reuse of the soil outside Tokyo.

The government aims to further expand the soil's reuse to other branch offices in Japan to reduce the total amount of soil that eventually needs to be dealt with.

As of the end of July, about 14.46 million cubic meters of removed soil and other waste had been placed at an interim storage facility near the nuclear complex.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011, suffered fuel meltdowns at three of its nuclear reactors, releasing radiation into the atmosphere.

The government aims to recycle 75 percent of the soil with relatively low levels of radioactivity for use in public works, but the outlook for achieving that target remains uncertain, with only 2 cubic meters to be used in the two cities.

While the timing has yet to be decided, the soil will be used in plantings at a government building in Sendai's Aoba Ward, and in flower beds at a government building in Saitama's Chuo Ward.

Sendai Mayor Kazuko Kori noted at a press conference Tuesday that as the soil is also being used at the prime minister's office, "I don't think it will be a problem."

Meanwhile, Saitama Gov Motohiro Ono and Saitama Mayor Hayato Shimizu have asked the government to disclose information such as monitoring test results and proceed only after obtaining residents' understanding.

Okuma Mayor Jun Yoshida and Futaba Mayor Shiro Izawa, whose towns host the interim storage facility, separately expressed hope that the move will contribute to progress toward final disposal outside the prefecture.

The expansion beyond Tokyo is "a new step, and I want to help people in regional areas further understand its safety," Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara said at a press conference.

The soil waste currently at an interim storage facility near the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant must by law be moved outside the prefecture by March 2045.

But with the search for final disposal sites making little progress, the government hopes that expanding soil reuse to regional branch offices will help win public understanding.

According to a roadmap for final disposal outside Fukushima Prefecture drawn up in August last year, the government will begin selecting candidate disposal sites around 2030 and make the selection around 2035.

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JAPAN REVEALS PLAN TO ENHANCE ENERGY SUPPLY STRUCTURE - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPAN REVEALS PLAN TO ENHANCE ENERGY SUPPLY STRUCTURE - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

Japan's government on Wednesday revealed a comprehensive plan to strengthen its energy supply structure, focusing on diversifying oil procurement sources and supporting pipeline construction in crude-producing nations amid the conflict in the Middle East.

The package of policies, which also seeks to promote decarbonization and enhance Japan's energy self-sufficiency through renewable and nuclear power, was presented at a government meeting on green transformation held at Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's office in Tokyo.

Takaichi said the government will confront changes in the global energy landscape head-on and "protect the lives of our people and their economic activities." The meeting was partly open to the media.

The move came after Takaichi expressed her intention in June to craft a plan for a more solid energy structure by the end of August and instructed industry minister Ryosei Akazawa, who doubles as minister in charge of green transformation, to advance preparation.

Highly reliant on Middle Eastern crude imports, Japan has taken a heavy blow from the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil-shipping route for the resource-poor Asian nation, in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran since late February.

As part of efforts to promote supply diversification, the government will introduce a system for oil wholesalers and trading firms to share the extra costs of importing crude from regions other than the Middle East, according to the new plan.

A levy collected from the wholesalers and trading companies will be used to fund subsidies for businesses that import oil that does not pass the Strait of Hormuz.

To reduce the dependence on transportation routes through the strait, Tokyo will also cooperate with Middle Eastern countries in laying pipelines via the government-backed Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security.

Among other measures specified in the plan is the stockpiling of oil-derived naphtha, commonly used as a raw material in the production of plastics, packaging materials and printing ink solvent. A shortage of naphtha has recently disrupted the business activities of many Japanese firms.

Given naphtha's high volatility and the difficulty of long-term storage, this will likely involve securing extra reserves of crude oil to be allocated for naphtha refining needs during a shortage or storing it in the form of solid petrochemical derivatives.

Although the Japanese government has said that crude oil supplies are expected to be stable for the time being, reviewing a supply chain heavily dependent on the Middle East and higher costs of alternative procurements remain key challenges.

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SPECIAL HEAVY RAIN WARNING ISSUED FOR AREAS IN ISHIKAWA, TOYAMA PREFECTURES - KANAZAWA JAPAN

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KANAZAWA

Japan's weather agency issued a special heavy rain warning on Thursday for some areas in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures in central Japan, with roads flooded, a river in danger of overflowing and residents warned to evacuate or take immediate steps to ensure their safety amid life-threatening conditions.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a Level 5 warning, the highest warning for heavy rain, indicating that a disaster has likely occurred or is imminent, for municipalities including Himi in Toyama Prefecture and Hakui, Shika, Hodatsushimizu, and Nakanoto in Ishikawa Prefecture.

The residents were urged to heed local authorities' evacuation advisories and remain vigilant against landslides. Around 180,000 people in five municipalities in the two prefectures were urged to take the safety measures.

With a high possibility that Oyabe River was flooded, residents had been urged to evacuate.

Over a 24-hour period through 6 a.m. Friday, the agency is expecting up to 180 millimeters of rain in the Hokuriku region on the Sea of Japan coast, up to 150 mm for the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions.

Heavy rain has also hit Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. Authorities have issued a Level 4 landslide warning for Itoigawa, cautioning residents in areas under alert to find safety in case of a possible landslide.

Earlier this month, a Level 5 warning was issued in some municipalities in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, due to heavy rain, which resulted in flooding, leaving 13 people dead. Cars on roads across the prefecture were subsequently immobilized by the flood, with around 2,500 vehicles abandoned at one point.

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GERMAN WOMAN RESCUED FROM MOUNT FUJI AFTER SUFFERING ALTITUDE SICKNESS SYMPTOMS, HIKING TO PEAK ANYWAY - TOKYO JAPAN

GERMAN WOMAN RESCUED FROM MOUNT FUJI AFTER SUFFERING ALTITUDE SICKNESS SYMPTOMS, HIKING TO PEAK ANYWAY - TOKYO JAPAN 

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TOKYO

August 20 was a bad day for good judgement on Mount Fuji. We already looked at the story of a 7-year-old Japanese boy whose dad left him to fend for himself on the side of Japan’s tallest mountain, and it turns out that on the same morning, a German woman had to be transported down from Mount Fuji by rescue workers.

The 33-year-old woman began hiking the Fujinomiya Trail on the morning of August 19, beginning at the trail’s fifth station. In the afternoon, the woman, along with a traveling companion, reached the eighth station, representing a rise in elevation from 2,400 meters to 3,250 meters. However, by this time the woman was suffering from altitude sickness symptoms, which typically include dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. After undergoing a medical examination at the eighth station’s medical center, the woman secured accommodations in a mountain hut and rested through the night.

The next morning, before dawn, the woman got back on the trail and pressed on to the summit, an ascent of a further 526 meters that, according to the official Mount Fuji climbing website, takes around two hours under ordinary conditions. She eventually made it to the peak, but she would not be able to make it home under her own power.

It’s not clear whether it started happening during her climb to the summit or on her way back down, but at some point, the woman began to once again suffer from altitude sickness symptoms. She was able to make her way back down to the eighth station, but felt so unwell that she again visited the medical center, where it was deemed too dangerous for her to continue the descent on her own. A doctor called for members of the Shizuoka Prefectural Police’s mountain rescue team, who were posted near the ninth station, to come and assist the woman, which they did by transporting her in a bulldozer back down to the fifth station, where the trail meets up with the road network, after which she was transferred into the custody of paramedics who took her to the hospital for examination and treatment.

Following the German woman’s rescue, the Shizuoka Prefectural Police issued a statement reminding hikers, and not for the first time, that if they feel any concern about their physical condition while on the trail, they should call of their ascent.

The details of the woman’s first examination at the eighth station haven’t been made publicly available at the time of this writing, so it can’t be said whether or not her pre-dawn hike to the summit on August 20 was in defiance of the medical staff’s recommendations. However, much like with the incident involving a 99-year-old Japanese woman who needed to be rescued on the mountain last month, should you suffer from injuries or symptoms that require you to rest overnight in a mountain hut, it might be best to take that as a sign that your body isn’t currently up for a hike all the way to the top of Mount Fuji, and that once you’re able to move under your own power again, down, not up, should probably be the direction you’re walking.

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FOREIGN TOURIST ATTACKED BY BEAR NEAR LAKE TOWADA IN AOMORI - AOMORI TOKYO JAPAN

FOREIGN TOURIST ATTACKED BY BEAR NEAR LAKE TOWADA IN AOMORI - AOMORI TOKYO JAPAN

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AOMORI

A male foreign tourist was attacked by a bear near an observation deck overlooking Lake Towada, a popular tourist spot, in the northeastern prefecture of Aomori, local authorities said Saturday.

The man, whose right arm was bitten by the bear, was airlifted to a hospital but was able to communicate, according to the city of Towada and the local fire department.

At around 10:10 a.m., the man aged around 30 was taking a walk when he encountered the bear. He fled to a nearby accommodation facility from which an emergency call was made.

It is not immediately clear how big the bear was or if there were multiple bears.

Surrounded by mountains, the lake is known for its beautiful scenery and visitors can participate in a number of outdoor activities such as hiking and canoeing.

A sharp increase in bear encounters has alarmed authorities in various parts of Japan.

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ONLY 1 OF 2 REQUIRED TRAIN HORNS CONFIRMED IN FATAL JAPAN ACCIDENT - UTSUNOMIYA JAPAN

ONLY 1 OF 2 REQUIRED TRAIN HORNS CONFIRMED IN FATAL JAPAN ACCIDENT - UTSUNOMIYA JAPAN

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UTSUNOMIYA

Only one of two warning blasts the train driver was required to sound was confirmed to have gone off in the fatal accident north of Tokyo on Thursday, Tobu Railway Co. said Saturday.

An express train travelling at around 50 kilometers per hour struck and killed four workers in their 50s and 60s on the tracks at Shin-kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line in Tochigi Prefecture on Thursday.

Police suspect communication failures may have contributed to the accident and are investigating whether the workers were adequately warned of the approaching train.

Tobu Railway said two relay lookouts were stationed about 315 meters either side of the work site, while another was positioned about 80 meters from the work crew.

The two furthermost lookouts were responsible for alerting the one closer to the work site when a train approached so the workers could clear the tracks.

The driver was required to sound the horn twice -- first after receiving a signal from a relay lookout and again after receiving a signal from the lookout near the work site.

It has been confirmed the driver sounded the horn after receiving the signal from the lookout closest to the work site, but Tobu Railway said it is still investigating whether there was a previous blast.

One of the relay lookouts at the site was reportedly unable to communicate with the lookout near the work area.

Ten workers were at the site, employed by several companies, including the prime contractor.

The site supervisor and work leader were provided by one company, the three lookouts by two other companies, while the remaining workers were supplied by a third company. One of the four workers killed was the site supervisor.

Two of the lookouts are experienced workers who have been handling jobs for Tobu for several years, according to people associated with the subcontractor who dispatched them.

The accident occurred at about 10:45 a.m. Thursday. Tochigi prefectural police have formed a 45-member special investigation team and are considering possible charges of professional negligence resulting in death.

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QUAKE M5.9 SHAKES EASTERN JAPAN, INJURING MORE THAN 20 PEOPLE - TOKYO JAPAN

QUAKE M5.9 SHAKES EASTERN JAPAN, INJURING MORE THAN 20 PEOPLE - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday, injuring more than 20 people, most of them slightly, officials said. There was no danger of a tsunami.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake occurred at 2 a.m. in Ibaraki Prefecture, at a depth of 70 kilometers, an area of Japan prone to frequent quakes. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a preliminary magnitude of 5.8.

Twenty-three people were injured in four prefectures in the region — nine in Saitama, another nine in Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki — according to prefectural officials.

Most of them were injured when they fell down or hit themselves against furniture or doors as they were caught off guard by the quake while sleeping and got out of bed in a panic, officials said. Among them was a woman in her 80s who fell off the bed and suffered a serious hip injury in Yokohama, in the Kanagawa prefecture, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

The quake caused delays to express trains serving Tokyo and Narita Airport and other local trains serving northeastern regions, but Shinkansen bullet trains were running normally, their operator East Japan Raiway Co said.

The government set up a task force to assess the extent of possible damage, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on X.

The temblor set off emergency quake alerts on mobile phones and also significantly shook Tokyo. NHK public television showed traffic on roads in nearby cities, including Mito and Saitama, seemingly normal.

An underground water pipe ruptured in Tokyo’s eastern ward of Koto, with water pouring out onto the road, NHK footage showed. The pipe has been repaired and the leak stopped later. The earthquake caused blackouts to about 460 homes in Tokyo but power was restored by later Sunday morning, according to TEPCO Power Grid.

There were no reports of anomalies from about a dozen nuclear power plants and other facilities that handle nuclear materials, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said.

Last month, a magnitude 7.1 quake struck the Kumamoto area on Japan's southernmost island of Kyushu, killing 38 people and injuring 364. It also destroyed more than 1,500 buildings and damaged nearly 20,000 others.

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AEON SAYS STAFF WERE ALLOWED TO REENTER QUAKE-HIT MALL DESPITE BAN BEFORE BLAST - TOKYO JAPAN

AEON SAYS STAFF WERE ALLOWED TO REENTER QUAKE-HIT MALL DESPITE BAN BEFORE BLAST - TOKYO JAPAN   

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TOKYO

Major Japanese retailer Aeon Co said Tuesday that employees were allowed to reenter a quake-hit shopping mall in Kumamoto Prefecture despite a company rule barring evacuees from doing so, and seven workers were subsequently killed in a blast at the facility in late July.

The retailer said on-site personnel at Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima allowed employees to reenter after they asked to retrieve valuables such as car keys and mobile phones and to close cash registers following the powerful earthquake.

The magnitude-7.1 quake, which registered the maximum level of 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in some areas in the southwestern prefecture on July 28, left some employees who commuted by car unable to return home.

Aeon said its rules and drills had not covered post-evacuation cases involving personal belongings or employees unable to leave after commuting by car, adding that the absence of procedures left such decisions to on-site personnel.

The retail giant said it will revise its rules to allow employees to keep valuables with them while working. Aeon President Akio Yoshida said at a press conference on July 29 that internal rules barred evacuees from reentering buildings.

The explosion at the shopping mall occurred at around 5:50 p.m., about 1 hour and 20 minutes after the devastating earthquake.

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STRAY CATS ALMOST BECAME CLASSIFIED AS INVASIVE SPECIES IN JAPAN BUT CHANGE TO LAW OVERTURNED - TOKYO JAPAN

STRAY CATS ALMOST BECAME CLASSIFIED AS INVASIVE SPECIES IN JAPAN BUT CHANGE TO LAW OVERTURNED - TOKYO JAPAN

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TOKYO

Given Japan’s love for all things feline in the modern day, it’s easy to forget that the domestic cat isn’t actually native to the island nation. They were originally introduced during the Heian period (794-1185) via trade ships as a way to deter rats from eating Buddhist scrolls and kept almost exclusively by nobility. It wasn’t until later eras that they became more widespread and grew immensely in population–at times having negative effects on the local ecosystem.

On August 4, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment announced its intent to withdraw a proposed revision that included stray cats – those that depend on humans for survival – on its list of invasive alien species causing damage to local ecosystems. Previously, only feral cats in the wild had been included on the list, and the Ministry was in the final stages of adding an entry for all domestic cats lumped together under their collective species name (Felis catus). However, the decision was met with a flood of public criticism that such a designation might result in pet house cats being unintentionally exterminated if they were to escape. Consequently, the ministry reverted back to its previous classification of feral cats on the list.

This year marks the first time that the list of invasive alien species is being revised in approximately 10 years. Despite holding no legally binding power, the list’s proposed revision for feline kind was intended to caution people not to let their house cats roam around outside unsupervised or to abandon them. As Japan has seen time and time again, invasive species such as the red-necked longhorn beetle can have devastating effects on the local environment.

▼ The Amami rabbit, an Endangered species that is endemic to only two of the Amami Islands in southern Japan, is one species threatened by stray cats.

Hirotaka Ishihara, the current environment minister, said at a press conference on the same day that the proposed revision had the possibility of inviting misunderstandings such as that someone’s pet house cat would be put down if it escapes, also citing the high risk of unintended consequences that are unrelated to the list’s original objective. The list’s final revised policy was subsequently determined at an assembly of experts he convened on August 7, a move that is extremely unusual at that stage in the process.

Online reaction to the elimination of the proposed revision was largely met with negative backlash, with many net users upset at what they felt to be a step in the wrong direction:

“Even though prevention ≠ extermination…”

“Who’s going to protect the environment if not the Ministry of the Environment?!”

“Do they really have to withdraw the language out of fear it will be misunderstood? Can’t they just implement measures to prevent the language from being misinterpreted?”

“It feels like a governmental betrayal when a lot of us were finally raising awareness of the importance of keeping cats indoors.”

“So it’s OK when the raccoons or nutrias are being exterminated but it’s considered abuse when it comes to cats?”

It’s unclear how the government plans to tackle the prevalence of stray cats in certain parts of Japan, but there’s already proof of certain localities taking matters into their own hands, including Japan’s most famous “cat island,” Aoshima, which revealed that all of its stray cats will be gone in the very near future due to the population being too large for the small, aging human population to manage.

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JAPANESE FLAG DESECRATION LAW GOES INTO EFFECT - TOKYO JAPAN

JAPANESE FLAG DESECRATION LAW GOES INTO EFFECT - TOKYO JAPAN  

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TOKYO

A law introducing punishments for desecrating Japan's national flag went into effect Thursday, fulfilling a longtime legislative aim of conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that has prompted concerns over freedom of expression.

The law states that individuals who publicly damage, remove or defile the national flag, known as the "Hinomaru," in a way that arouses "strong feelings of discomfort or disgust" in others could face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 200,000 yen ($1,300).

The introduction came after the lack of provisions against national flag desecration was identified as a contradiction to be resolved, as criminal law only punishes individuals who damage foreign states' flags.

It was submitted to parliament as a sponsored bill by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Japan Innovation Party, along with some opposition parties, with the aim of protecting "public views that the national flag should be treated with respect."

Following parliamentary debate that included opposition pushback on its implications for constitutional rights and concerns that its application may be overly broad, it was enacted in mid-July.

In enforcing the law, the National Police Agency has instructed prefectural police to make careful organizational assessments on whether an act constitutes a violation, and to closely examine the grounds and necessity for making an arrest.

The law states that punishment of an act will be determined based on the circumstances of each case. A supplementary provision states the law will be reviewed around three years from its enforcement, with measures to be taken if required.

An individual who damages their own national flag can still be punished. But scenes depicting flag desecration in live-action films shot in non-public settings, as well as in anime, manga, video games and videos created using artificial intelligence are not subject to punishment under the law.

In discussions about the bill to criminalize damage to the national flag, small paper decorations included with children's meals are not considered to represent the national symbol by socially accepted standards and are therefore not subject to punishment.

A joint statement backed by around 200 constitutional scholars on Aug. 4 called for the bill's repeal, saying it could suppress critical views of the government and that there is little need for the law as Japan sees few incidents of national flag desecration.

Public opinion appears to be more receptive to the law. A Kyodo News opinion poll in late July showed 55.8 percent of respondents viewed the law positively, while 38.9 percent did not.

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