LIFESTYLE & TOURISM
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Japan’s Population Sees Sharpest Decline on Record, Offset by Historic Rise in Foreign Residents

On August 6, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced its annual population data based on the Basic Resident Register. As of January 1, 2025, Japan's population was 120,653,227, a decrease of 908,574 from the previous year...

Regional Sake Breweries Tap into Inbound Tourism to Boost Revenue

Over the past decade, "sake brewery tourism" has become a growing trend in Japan. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 drastically reduced visitor numbers, forcing many breweries to rethink their strategies and visitor experiences...

When Anime Meets Tradition: Detective Conan Osechi Sells Out Year After Year—A Reflection of Japan’s Growing “Character Culture” Craze

Japan’s traditional New Year cuisine, osechi ryori, has experienced an unexpected change in recent years—not driven by culinary experts, but by the influence of anime. One notable example is the Detective Conan Osechi, a boxed meal set themed after the long-running mystery series Detective Conan (Case Closed)...

Japan's Local Regions Capitalize on Anime Sacred Sites for Economic Boost

Japan's movement to promote "anime sacred site pilgrimages"—where fans visit real-life locations featured in anime—gains momentum across the country. By 2025, 36 prefectures will feature at least one site on the "88 Japanese Anime Sacred Sites" list, based on votes from fans in Japan and abroad, matching the previous record...

Japan's Workforce Reaches a Record High of 67.81 Million

The number of employed people is at an all-time high. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced on January 31st that in 2024, the number of employed individuals reached 67.81 million...

Visitor Spending in Japan Hit a Record High of 8 trillion Yen in 2024, Equal to that of the Apparel Market

The influx of visitors to Japan is boosting the Japanese economy. Consumption is expected to reach 8.1395 trillion yen in 2024, with the number of visitors projected to be 36,869,900, both of which are record highs...

Overnight Buses Introduce Bunk Beds to Meet Demand Amid Surging Hotel Prices

Night buses are increasingly becoming "moving hotels." A bus company in Kochi Prefecture will be the first in the country to introduce buses with seats that transform into fully flat sleeping berths...

Hotel Okura to Open Two New Luxury Hotels in Thailand in 2028

Hotel Okura will offer tatami mats and open-air baths to attract local and Southeast Asian customers interested in Japanese culture. Okura focuses on overseas expansion and plans to raise its domestic and international hotels to 150 by 2030. ..

The Increase in Movie Runtimes and the Conflict with Time Performance

In 2023, the average runtime of the top 30 global box office hits was 132 minutes, 13 minutes longer than a decade ago. Notably, films longer than two and a half hours now comprise about a quarter of the total...

Towards revitalizing the local economy

In Shirakawa Village, located in Gifu Prefecture and known for the World Heritage site "Shirakawa-go," approximately 70% of its 1,500 residents work in tourism. The Gassho-style village embodies the quintessential Japanese landscape, and due to its increasing popularity with international visitors...

ANA Holdings (HD) will start utilizing "flying cars" in the fiscal year 2027

ANA HD will connect central Tokyo to Narita Airport (located in Narita City, Chiba Prefecture) in only 10 to 20 minutes. This will be Japan's first service to charge passengers for rides, with expected fares comparable to those of a taxi...