World’s Best Airports 2025 - Haneda 3rd, Narita 5th

Japan made a strong showing again this year in the Skytrax World Airport Awards. Haneda Airport (Tokyo) rose one place from last year, to finish third. Narita International Airport remained in fifth place for the second consecutive year. Haneda continued to rank highly in a number of categories, including “World’s Cleanest Airport” for the tenth consecutive year and 13 times in the World’s Best Domestic Airports category.

Here is this year’s top ten:

1. Singapore Changi Airport (Singapore)
2. Hamad International Airport (Qatar)
3. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) (Japan)
4. Incheon Airport (South Korea)
5. Narita International Airport (Japan)
6. Hong Kong International Airport (Hong Kong)
7. Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (France)
8. Roma Fiumicino Airport (Italy)
9. Munich Airport (Germany)
10. Zurich Airport (Switzerland)

Created by Nippon.com based on data from Skytrax.

Have you traveled through any of these airports? Do you agree with these rankings or have another airport to nominate?

Only 17% of Japanese Hold Valid Passports

 

I was surprised to read that only 17% of Japanese citizens hold valid passports. I don’t know what I expected, but 17% seems like a small number. Currently 51% of Americans hold valid passports, up from 46% in 2023, and 30% in 2008.

I read that before the pandemic about a quarter of Japanese held valid passports. In addition to not traveling during the pandemic, the weak yen has compounded the issue. In the last five years the yen has lost a third of its value. My students tell me that they don’t often get a big enough block of time off from work to enable them to travel abroad. The one time in their lives that they do take a big international trip is for the honeymoon. 

One of the good things about living in Japan is that even though this is a small country, there are countless beautiful, cultural, historical, and natural places to visit. When the yen gets stronger, I will think about traveling out of the country again, but for the time being, I’m happy to stay in Japan. In any case, I will keep my passport up to date.

A Journey Through the First Shogun’s Path of Worship

I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a three day tour offering an immersive experience into Japan’s history and culture. 

Here is the trip itinerary:

This unforgettable 3-day, 2-night tour takes you to three sacred sites deeply connected to Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of samurai governance. Guided by experts, you will retrace the faith, martial arts, and lifestyle of the era, gaining profound insights into the essence of Japanese spiritual culture while creating lasting memories.

Schedule:

• Dates: Tuesday, January 14, 2025 – Thursday, January 16, 2025

• Locations: Hakone Shrine, Izusan Shrine, and Mishima Taisha

Tour Highlights:

Embark on a journey to three sacred sites linked to Minamoto no Yoritomo, delving into history and culture with expert guidance. Relive the faith, martial traditions, and way of life of the Kamakura period while exploring the depths of Japan’s spiritual culture.

Visiting Sites:

• Hakone Shrine: A site where Yoritomo prayed for victory.

• Izusan Shrine: A place of prayer during his exile and a significant faith center.

• Mishima Taisha: A vital sanctuary that supported the revival of the Minamoto clan.

Activities:

• Worship: Special prayers and commemorative stamps at each shrine.

• Martial Arts: Swordsmith demonstrations and martial arts experiences.

• Gastronomy: Reimagined cuisine inspired by the Kamakura period.

• Crafts: Hands-on carving of a miniature Buddha statue.

• Trails: Walk along ancient paths to relive history.

There were six participants, in addition to the organizer, the guide, the travel agent, the photographer, and other support staff. We ate fabulous food, stayed in comfort, bathed in onsens, and had great weather for our travels.

I’m still going through my many photos, but soon I will be posting the day by day details. (You may want to take this tour in the future!)

Record Number of Overseas Visitors to Japan 2024

 

In 2024, a record 36.9 million international visitors came to Japan, up 47.1% from the year before. The Japan National Tourism Organization reports this is 5 million more than previous record of 31.9 million set in 2019, before the covid-19 pandemic. 

A major reason for many tourists coming to Japan is the weak yen. In 2019, the exchange rate was about 110 yen to the US dollar. The yen has continued to weaken going from 140 yen to 160 yen to the US dollar, making Japan seem like a bargain. The largest number of international travelers came from South Korea, at 8.8 million. This is followed by China at 7.0 million, Taiwan at 6.0 million, and the United States at 2.7 million.

I totally understand why travelers want to come to Japan! The culture, the beautiful places, the friendly people, the delicious food, I could go on and on. Stay tuned, and I will have posts in the days ahead about a fantastic three day trip I took in my own prefecture!

Haneda Airport - World's Cleanest Airport for 2024

Each year, the UK based airline review site, Skytrax, releases survey results identifying the best airports, scored by airline passengers. The survey ranks features such as shopping experiences, dining options, staff friendliness, and immigration services. 

For the ninth consecutive year, Tokyo's Haneda Airport ranks as the world's cleanest airport. Narita International Airport is celebrated as having the world's friendliest staff. Both airports made it into the top 10 in the overall world ranking. (Although Osaka Airport did not make the top 10, it did receive high praise for baggage handling.)

1. Hamad International Airport (Qatar)
2. Singapore Changi Airport (Singapore) 
3. Incheon International Airport  South Korea)
4. Haneda Airport (Tokyo, Japan)
5. Narita International Airport (Chiba, Japan) 
6. Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (France) 
7. Dubai International Airport (UAE) 
8. Munich Airport (Germany) 
9. Zurich Airport (Switzerland) 
10. Istanbul Airport (Türkiye) 

What do you think about any airports you've used this year?

Henn na Hotel, Nara

I took a two day trip and visited some places in Osaka, Nara, Koriyama, and Kyoto. I stayed one night at the Henn na Hotel in Nara. The novelty is that there are no live people at check-in, just hologram type creatures/people. When I first entered the lobby area, there was a dinosaur helping another person check-in.

When I walked up, a ninja appeared. I was asked to type my name onto the screen. I mistakenly typed my given name, then my family name on the screen (as in done in the US) and the ninja told me (in English) to start with my family name first (as is done in Japan). My reservation popped up on the screen, then the machine spit out my room key and breakfast ticket.

How cool was that?  The lobby area also had a fun look.

My room was on the 6th floor. It was comfortable and clean, but pretty ordinary.

Breakfast was included in my reservation. There was a choice of cheese toast or French toast, plus a little buffet.  I chose French toast and had scrambled eggs with almonds and a salad with caesar dressing.

After breakfast, I packed up my few things and checked out because I had many things to see and do.

Inconveniences of Traveling in Japan According to Foreign Tourists

The travel website Good Luck Trip recently conducted an online survey, asking people who have visited Japan what kind of inconveniences or problems they encountered. Of the 891 responses (106 using English, 102 Korean, 103 simplified Chinese, and 580 traditional Chinese), the website has released the top ten results. 

1. Wi-Fi environment (31.5% of respondents) 

2. Not being able to communicate with facility staff (20.2%) 

3. Lack of non-Japanese signage and difficulty understanding it (17.5%) 

4. Difficulties using public transportation (approximately 16%) 

5. Lack of trash cans (approximately 16%) 

6. Difficulty using mobile payment apps (approximately 15%) 

7. Difficulty using credit/debit cards (approximately 15%) 

8. Lack of places to smoke/understanding where to smoke (approximately 14%) 

9. Exchanging currency (approximately 14%) 

10. Discount train/subway tickets (approximately 9%)

Granted, I don't know where the respondents to this survey came from or what their travel experience has been, but I may have responded differently. Here is what I think about these answers:  

Wi-Fi seems to always be available in hotels and convenience stores, but free wi-fi isn't as available in other places as in the US and Europe. I have a rental pocket wi-fi gadget, so public free wi-fi hasn't bothered me. Many airports offer rental pocket wi-fi gadgets on a short term basis. If a tourist is used to free wi-fi everywhere, Japan's lack of it would be a surprise.

Lack of English skills in facilty staff. In cities and many tourist areas this hasn't been a problem.  Even in out of the way places, people try to express the basics in English. Also, Google Translate is very helpful. I would not consider this a problem.  Even when I broke my arm when I was vacationing in Okinawa and the hospital staff there didn't speak English, I didn't think it was a problem. 

Lack of non-Japanese signage and difficulty understanding it. In cities and most tourist areas this hasn't been a problem. In hotel rooms, it might be difficult to figure out the kanji signage (such as how to use the television or air conditioner), but again, Google Translate is very helpful. Museums often have only basic signage in English and none in other languages, but offer audio headsets or other language help. 

Difficulties using public transportation.  I would disagree with this for the most part. There are always picture signs for how to board and pay for the bus. It is very easy to buy local train tickets by machine.  The one thing I have found difficult is buying a shinkansen (bullet train) ticket from a machine. Most places have a person who can sell the ticket, but twice in Tokyo, there were only machines, and that would have been difficult to do on my own. 

Lack of trash cans. This is totally true, but not a problem.  In Japan you are expected to take your trash home with you.  Many/most drink machines have a place to put your empty PET bottle. 

Difficulty using mobile payment apps. This has not been a problem for me because I don't use any mobile payment apps. Many people have told me they love using payment apps, but I don't have a phone and I am happy to use cash for most everything. 

Difficulty using credit/debit cards. I don't use credit cards for day to day purchases (like I did in the US). If I buy something online or something big, like a plane ticket, I use a credit card. 

Lack of places to smoke/understanding where to smoke. I don't smoke, so I don't pay attention to where smoking is allowed. In large train stations and airports, I see glassed in areas for smoking. 

Exchanging currency. This might be a problem for foreign tourists.  I have seen currency exchange places in airports and some hotels, but since I live here and deal with yen, I don't look for where to exchange currency. 

Discount train/subway tickets. Travel/tourist websites offer this kind of information. Also, tourist information places in or near train stations can tell you about these things. Some places have an all day unlimited use ticket or a discounted weekend ticket.

Even with some minor inconveniences, Japan is still the best! Service people are incredible and there is not the culture of tipping in Japan. 

If you have been to Japan, did you have any problems or inconveniences? What about in other countries?

Two Japanese Airlines Are In The World's Best

The airline rating site Skytrax, which has hosted the World Airline Awards every year since 1999, announced the 2023 winners on June 20th at the Air and Space Museum in Paris. There were 325 airlines included in the survey. It was no surprise to me that two Japanese airlines were in the top ten, All Nippon Airways in second and Japan Airlines in fifth.  

The rest of the top ten are:

1. Singapore Airlines
2. Qatar Airways
3. All Nippon Airways (ANA)
4. Emirates
5. Japan Airlines
6. Turkish Airlines
7. Air France
8. Cathay Pacific Airways
9. EVA Air
10. Korean Air

All Nippon Airways was also in first place for the Cleanest Airline, third for Best Cabin Crew, fourth for Best Business Class and ninth for Best Economy Airline.

 Japan Airline came in first for Best Economy Airline, tenth for Best Cabin Crew, fifteenth for Best Business Class, and eighth for the Cleanest Airline. 

You can check out how your favorite airline came out here.

Tokyo Ranked Second Safest City in the World for Solo Travellers

I often travel alone, and although I am very careful of my surroundings, I consider cities to be the most dangerous areas.  Overall Japan is considered a safe place to live and travel, but cities everywhere seem to be dangerous.  I was happy to read that Tokyo is ranked second in the Travel Safety Index for Solo Travellers conducted by the UK's Post Office. The survey ranks features such as crime rate, total number of police officers, healthcare standards, internet connectivity, road traffic mortality rates,  and food hygiene ratings.  Here is the full top ten list.

1. Seattle, USA
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Portland, USA
4. Vancouver, Canada
5. Copenhagen, Denmark
6. Oslo, Norway
7. Cairo, Egypt
8. Dublin, Ireland
9. Zurich, Switzerland
10. Singapore

What do you think?  Have you been to any of these cities? Do you agree with the results?

Domestic Travel Incentives

Travel and tourism industries have had a difficult time of it the last few years. Last week Japan introduced a new travel subsidy program for residents, in all prefectures except Tokyo, which will begin on October 20th. 

The program can be used multiple times throughout the campaign which runs through late December.  It provides discounts of up to 8,000 yen per traveler per day for package tours which combine public transportation and accommodation or 5,000 yen per person per day for lodging only or vouchers of equal value for day long shopping trips. There are also daily vouchers of up to 3,000 yen on weekdays or 1,000 yen on weekends for restaurants and shopping. 

It sounds like a great discount deal, but it is a little difficult to figure out, especially for those not able to read Japanese.  I'm sure there will be many people who take advantage of it and hopefully help the Japanese economy.

Open to Tourists

Japan's borders were closed to tourists for almost two and a half years.  Since June 10th, Japan is allowing tourists to come into the country, sort of. Japan is still a little nervous about tourists coming into the country, even though the economy needs tourists.

International tourists, who are part of guided package tours from 98 low-risk countries (low levels of covid-19 positivity), are now allowed to enter the country. 

Visitors who are part of these guided tours must take measures to prevent infection. 

1. Tour guides must make sure visitors wear masks, disinfect their hands, and avoid the "Three C's" (confined and enclosed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings). 

2. Visitors must purchase medical insurace. 

3. Visitors must register in advance at the Visit Japan website.  

4. Visitors must agree that infractions may lead to them not being able to continue on the tour. 

5. In order to limit contacts, there must be a record of tour participant activities with fixed seating arrangements in restaurants and other places. 

6. Tour guides must have information about multilingual medical institutions and specialist medical interpreters. 

7. Tour participants who test positive should be promptly removed from the tour group and examined at a medical institution. Other participants who are not close contacts will be allowed to continue with the tour. 

8. As always, tourists need a tourist visa.

I haven't read anything about how the tour business is going or how long it is taking to secure tourist visas in order to sign up for the guided package tours. Currently, the Japanese yen is trading at a 24 year low ($1 USD = 135 JY), which is very good for foreign tourists coming to Japan. 

Personally, I would not like a guided tour and having to stay with the group. (Luckily for me, I live and work here). What do you think about this guided tour situation and the weak yen?  Would you come to Japan under these conditions?

Visit Japan in Two Minutes

Here's a great two minute ten second video that covers all 47 prefectures of Japan. 

I've been to 27 of the prefectures, so there are still many places I want to go.  Where in Japan would you like to visit?

The Summer Vacation

The company where I work gives its employees a week and a half (11 consecutive days)  for summer vacation.  This happens every year in mid-August and coincides with the Obon period in Japan. 

Normally, I would plan some kind of summer adventure by plane or train or both. This year, due to the pandemic, my summer adventure will have to be safely at home. I can walk to nearby places.  I have some books downloaded to my iPad to read or listen to. I can listen to music or watch programs on YouTube. Since I'm not carrying my things, I don't have to choose only three projects to work on, like I usually do for an away trip. I can choose from any in my apartment or even start new ones.  

I don't know when it will be safe to travel again, but I can spend some vacation time this year planning for that next trip. I can work on my destination files - files where I save links or articles about locations I want to visit.  

One of the places I want to visit is Sado Island. It's in the Sea of Japan and part of Niigata Prefecture. 

Hiroshima is another place in Japan I'd like to visit.  

There are many castles I want to visit.

Matsue Castle

Kochi Castle

Uwajima Castle

Are you making any "some day" travel plans? Where do you want to visit?

Dog Toilet Area

At Itami airport in Osaka, traveling dogs have their own toilet area. The dog toilet area is in a fenced area outside the terminal and has water bowls and a shower area.  In addition, the “pee pole” flushes. This is the first canine rest room facility at a Japanese airport.  

Is there a dog toilet at your airport?

Babies on the Plane

When I am traveling, there is nothing I like less than a screaming baby on the plane. I know, I know, they can't help screaming.  That doesn't mean I like it or want to be near it.  

Japan Airlines (JAL) has unveiled an online booking tool that indicates where toddlers will be seated.  When passengers with children between eight days and two years old reserve their seat, a child icon automatically appears on the seat plan, alerting other passengers who have not yet selected their seats. Another Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways, says its seat maps also show where children are seated. I think this should be mandatory for all online airline booking sites. This isn't fool proof, I realize.  A baby could book after I do, and some babies can be heard no matter how far away you are. 

Does it bother you to be seated near a baby?  Is there anything else that annoys you on a plane?

Winter Vacation

Happy New Year! I'm spending my new year holiday on an island that is part of Tokyo Prefecture, but is quite a distance from the city of Tokyo.  I'll tell you all about it when I return.

Kofu Castle

On Friday December 22nd, I had a holiday due to the Emperor's birthday on Saturday, so I took a three day castle holiday, using my Seishun 18 Kippu. I left on the 6:08 am train.

I could see Mt. Fuji from the train.

I got off the train in Kofu and the castle area was only a short walk from the train station. The castle here was originally established in 1582.

Inside the Turret is a small museum.

After visiting Kofu, I returned to the train station and headed to Matsumoto.

(If you are interested in Japanese Castles, check out my Castle Page to see the castles I've visited.)