This video provides 10 New Things to Know before traveling to Japan. If you plan to visit Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto, you must watch this video and enjoy your travel in Japan.
#japantourism #typhoonjapan #japanvisa #japanrailway #jnto #okinawa #hokkaido
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Time Stamp
0:00 Opening
0:23 01. Welcome Suica Mobile
2:10 02. Benefits of a weak yen
3:24 03. Dual Pricing
5:00 04. Illegal cab
6:12 05. Blinders of Mt. Fuji
7:32 06. New Nomad Visa
9:28 07. On-road-parking
11:17 08. New Tours
12:35 09. Information Center
14:14 10.Shinkansen Extension in Hokuriku Area
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❤️ MegLog Travel from TOKYO ❤️
My channel focuses on the Japan Travel Guide and suggests Spots, Food and Hotels.
🌸 Meg’s Profile 🌸
Local Japanese woman living in Tokyo. I am suggesting a lot of Spots, Foods and Hotels in Japan for travelers from all over the world through Youtube channels.
#travelguide #japan #tokyo2023 #japantraveltips #thingstodo #JapanHasChanged #thingstoknow #update
Please note as follows:
*The prices might be different from this video upload.(価格は当時のものですので、変動する場合があります。)
*Business hours might be different from this video uploaded as well.(営業時間も当時のものと異なる場合があります。)
*We do NOT take any responsibility or liability for any damage or loss caused through our video. (当動画によって生じたいかなる不利益、損害に関しても一切の責任を負いません。)
Reference
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/2049134/
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/rkb/1143802?display=1
https://www.travelvoice.jp/english/60-of-japanese-people-agree-to-dual-pricing-for-inbound-travelers-while-50-of-60s-disagree
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20240316/k10014392841000.html
https://www.cnn.co.jp/travel/35218731.html
https://www.sankei.com/article/20240513-V6IIFGRELVL6HFSDXBYP6NFA64/
https://www.travelvoice.jp/20240401-155403
https://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/701919
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/e6245ca041d411beca6a838f8c9b7626c13b366e
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/shutoken-news/20240520/1000104728.html
https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/20240214-OYT1T50222/
https://skyview.airos.jp/tokyo/fuji
https://www.travelvoice.jp/20240425-155544
https://www.city.marugame.lg.jp/site/castle/25530.html
[Music] hi I’m M from Toyo in this video I will show you the top 10 new things to know before traveling to Japan recently Japan has been getting many foreign TS with over 3 million visitors in both March and April I’d like to share what you need to know in advance about the problems and traffic that will be caused by the increase in the number of tourists okay then let’s go number one welcome Sia Mobile in May 2024 the Jr Group which handled sua announced a new mobile I card for foreign tourist called Welcome sua Mobile iPhone owners may already be using mobile Suka but with the introduction of the new welcome Suka mobile convenience has been further enhanced until now mobile sua could be created from Apple pay however it was necessary to purchase the ticket separately at the ticket machine or ticket counter when boarding a shinka cent train with the new welcome sua mobile you can recharge your sua card using credit card linked to your Apple pay this allows passengers to board and reserve seats on the tohoku Akita yamata Jo and hok by simply touching the ticket gate with your sua card in addition since sua tickets can be issued and recharge before entering Japan there’s no need to wait in line to purchase an i card once you enter Japan you can also use the C smoothly at Transportation facilities such as rails and convenience stores however pleas please note that the card is only valid for 118 days from the date of issue you can solve this problem recharging little by little and not all at once on the other hand welcome SAA mobile is only compatible with iPhone and Apple watch so it is not available for Android users Android users should continue to consider other IC cars when I recently contacted J directly they replied we are aware that there’s demand for Android models but we have no plans to support them at this time due to technical issues please watch this video to learn more about other IC cars number two benefits of a weak Yen recently the Yen has been weakening in Japan temporarily falling to 160 Yen to the dollar in April 2024 this has created a great opportunity for foreign tourists to visit Japan as the cost of living in Japan seems really relatively cheap the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan is increasing rapidly in March 2024 for the first time ever over 3 million tourists visited Japan is a single month set it a new record one of the reasons for the increase in tourists is the depreciation of the Yen but that is not the only reason many people want to visit Japan because there are numerous good restaurants and eat RS where prices are low and one can easily eat alone in fact I also hear from my tour clients that if they ate the same food in their own country it would cost at least three times as much Japan is also very popular with families and solo tourist because of the safe and clean environment diverse tourist destinations cultural experiences and beautiful natural scenery are also part of the appeal of visiting Japan in any case now is a great time to visit Japan so don’t miss it number three Dural pricing the weekend in 24 offers a great opportunity for foreign tours to travel to Japan however for Japanese citizens who are in Yan the rising prices caused by the weekend are making life more difficult in particular hotel prices in Tokyo have doubled or tripled compared to a few years ago and there are situations where Japanese people aren able to stay at hotels because they’re too expensive in response to this situation Dr pricing in which higher prices are set for foreign tourist is being discussed this issue has been picked up by the Japanese media and has become a Hot Topic examples of different prices for foreign tourists and locals include the pyramids in Egypt the Lal Museum in France Diamond Head in Hawaii and more similar Trends have begun to emerge in some stores in Japan as well a seafood all you can eat restaurant in Shibuya Tokyo which opened in April introduced the Japanese discount offering a 1,100 Yen discount to Japanese and foreign residents in Japan according to the owner this is because foreign tourists are not accustomed to all you can eat system which requires a lot of upfront customer services and cost money restaurants can choose to use drawer pricing and other restaurants might start doing the same in the future in any case the store needs to provide a proper explanation when the price is differently displayed do you agree or disagree with the introduction of jewry pricing please share your thoughts in the comment section number four illegal cap recently a 64-year-old man from Taiwan was arrested for running an unlisted taxi service the man is suspected of picking up foreign tourists at Narita Airport in his private car and charging them a fee a few month ago a total of five Chinese and Japanese men and women were arrested for operating illegal taxes at Han aort surprisingly two of the five arrested were picking up passengers who had booked through booking a major travel website as you can see the Japanese police are also keeping a very close eye on the Shiro taku a shiraku is a taxi likee business conducted by a vehicle that doesn’t have a business license normally CS that have a business license from the government have green license plates ashiru has a white license plate which is used for private cars because the fear is set by the driver himself unlike a regular Cal there are some cases of scams even if you you have applied for a taxi from a major website it is not always safe to do so one of the key points to recognize a taxi is to make sure that the license plate is green in color If a driver solicits you avoid using that cap number five blinders of Mount Fuji the loan convenience store and the nearby district office in Fuji kawago Town yamachi FF facture have become popular spots for foreign tourists to take pictures with Mount Fuji towering in the background the location became known through SNS about 2 years ago since then however it has been flooded with tourists causing several problems specifically problems such as littering illegal parking and authorized entry into private homes became frequent complaints were received from nearby residents and businesses to address these problems the town installed warning signs and cones in four languages and posted security guards to ensure the traffic rules were followed but the Bad Manners contined finally as a desperate measure the town decided to install a blindfold Carton and construction began at the end of April by installing a blindfold carton approximately 2.5 M High the town aims to prevent TS from gathering at certain photo points this problem has been seen in other areas as well recently in Kyoto Kodi where M Go pass through was closed due to bat MERS by tourists not only tourists but also locals including myself should be be careful not to litter or enter private property number six new Nomad Visa the ministry of justice has launched the digital NAD Visa program on April 1st 2024 this Visa is for foreigners who work remotely under contract with a foreign country and can be issued for a maximum of six months in other words it allows you to leave and work in Japan for trial period of 6 month eligible occupancies include it and software development digital design online secretly work and business management for foreign companies the requirements for obtaining a Visa are as follows one eligible nationality you must be a citizen of a country or a region that allows Visa free entry into Japan approximately 50 countries and regions are eligible including the US Australia Germany France South Korea Hong Kong and Taiwan sometimes applicants can bring their spouses and children with them two annual income annual income must be 10 million Japanese Yen or more applicants must submit documents such as tax certificate or income certificate issued by the country region where they worked three medical insurance the applicant must have private medical insurance with coverage of at least 10 million yen for treatment of injury or illness this Visa is easier to obtain than a regular visa and is similar to a working holiday Visa while a working holiday Visa is mainly intended for work with a Japanese company or other companies in Japan the M Visa does not usually allow you to work in the country where you are staying the main purpose of this Visa is to work remotely this Visa program is a great opportunity for foreigners who want to try out life in Japan although it can be challenging for people with work nursing care or Child Care responsibilities anyone who wants to live in Japan should consider applying for a Visa number number seven onroad parking as you all know many foreign tourists have been visiting Japan since the pandemic settled down apparently because of the weekend this is a welcome development but on the other hand there is the problem of tourist concentrating on famous tourist destination such as Tokyo and Kyoto I’ve already discussed over tourism several times in my previous videos one of the new problems caused by over tourism is on street parking by tour buses tour buses parking on street where it’s not allowed often cause major traffic jumps in downtown Kyoto according to an interview with fnn a major Japanese media Outlet a bus driver who was parking on the street said I know that parking is prohibited I feel bad about it but I hope you understand the bus driver as well the background is that while in Tokyo and Osaka visitors can Tour all major tourist attractions by train Kyoto is different in Koto Kiza Tempo and King Kakui temp are well-known tourist attractions but both are located in places that are difficult to access without using buses or CS therefore Coto city is also promoting over tourism measures starting in June 2024 the city plans to establish a new s sing express bus schedule connecting Jr Kyoto station with the popular sing spots hiom Z Temple and gaku Temple they were around 16 to 24 times a day on weekends and holidays to ease the congestion of city buses over tourism can lead to congestion and other unpleasant experiences not only for residents but also for tourists I want to become more popular on YouTube to help attract visitors to Hidden attractions I hope you all will introduce my channel to your family and friends number eight new tours with the growing demand for inbound tours in Japan a number of interesting tours are appealing on the market for example helicopter tours from Tokyo to Mount Fuji these tours are very popular because they allow you to see all of Japan’s famous tour spots at once from the sky the Fright time varies depending on the tour company and their various plane available ranging from 30 to 120 Minutes prices can quite High sometimes reaching 1 million yen or more but this experience is unique to Japan there are tours where you can stay overnight in the castle the marami castle experience is an exclusive tour developed jointly by mugami City and the mugami tourism Association the tour includes staying at mugami Castle which is 400 years old along with a traditional Japanese meal and a welcome performance by Japanese drummers a variety of programs are available including a private guided tour of the existing castle tower a Night Lounge experience and more the price for this tour is also very expensive over 1.2 million yen for a one night save for two people including breakfast and dinner finally I offer Private Tours myself in too if you’re interested please contact me through the link below number nine information center at Major Jr stations there is a window that serves as an information center called the mid noi at the midi you can purchase shinkansen and limited Express tickets for example if you’re going from Tokyo to Osaka or Kyoto by shans you can purchase tickets from a ticket vending machine however firsttime buyers might feel safer buying tickets at the ticket counter Jr East has been planning to reduce the number of midino badui offices due to the decrease in demand for train since the pandemic initially the company announced its plan to reduce the number of Windows in May 2021 planning to reduce the number of windows at 440 stations to about 140 stations they expected to reduce personal cost by about 2.5 billion yen per year over the medium to long term however after the pandemic e the rapid Rising foreign tourists especially during the peak season led to long lines at ticket counters and more complaints from customers even now the long lines are still a Hot Topic taking up a significant amount of time on social networking sites there are many criticism such as the number of ticket counters has been reduced too much and it is difficult for Elder people to make reservations online in response Jr East reviewed its window reduction plan and decided to basically make maintain the current 209 station Windows it is also considered opening some of the already closed windows during peak season the midino mogui counters are usually crowded so be ready to wait in line if you need to use them number 10 shinkansen extension in hokiku area Japan has about 10 different shinkansen lines including the tokaido shinkansen line connecting Toyo to Kyoto and Osaka among these the hok shasan line between kazawa and open in March this now provides a direct connection between Tokyo Station and fukui station which used to require a transfer in Japan the basic plan for the hokiku shanson line connecting Tokyo and Osaka via hokiku was decided in 1973 the Nagano to kanazawa service is already running and the extension to tuuga will finally open 52 years after the first Nagano line was completed the new line greatly improves access to the hakik region if you interested interested why not visit the hokar region using the newly open shinin Line don’t forget to subscribe to my channel and like button please share your thoughts in the comment section see you at the next video [Music]
44 Comments
Thank you Meg for meeting us in Tokyo and taking us on a great tour. We really enjoyed it🤗 we had fun, learned and met amazing people🤗 we can’t wait to go back to Japan!!!
dual pricing is a huge mistake. clearly, you don't understand market forces when you create an artificial measure like this. when market forces change (and they will), this measure will become an obvious mistake.
may i know currently what IC card can support foreign Android Phones?
Why Android users which is more than iPhones are not a priority
It’s unfair to have different prices for tourists and locals, you’re pushing the tourists away if your government will do that, what if the Japanese visits other countries-will it be ok for them to pay higher price than the local residents? Besides, tourists help to boost your economy, tourists pay taxes too while they are in 🇯🇵
Discrimination with pricing is never good. I would avoid Japan if this is widely practiced. Whatever the excuses, we would not feel welcomed in Japan.
Headed to Japan in July. Duel pricing is total bullshit. It pisses me off when I go to Hawaii to the point I don’t want to go. I also live in a state that relies on tourism (Alaska) I’ve never seen duel pricing for Tourists here. If faced with a duel price I’ll walk away.
Happy to see a new video from you Meg 😃 I would say the things that most attract me to Japan is how clean the country is and how amazing the food is! Also in my personal experience how friendly everyone was to me as a tourist my Japanese wasn't so great the last time I was in Tokyo but everyone was so supportive of my attempts, I even had Japanese locals invite me to their table at an Izakaya and they covered my tab, and a restaurant that I went to more than once the owner recognized me and gave me a free dish as a thank you for supporting my business 😄 I wish more tourists would respect the rules though it ruins things for the people who actually respect the country and its people, Japan is an amazing place so please lets keep it that way 😃
What do you mean not accustomed to all you can eat. In the US theres so many restaurants that do that
As a person living in a country that tried that dual pricing, albeit not legally, I have to warn y'all Japanese people that it did more bad than good. Especially when someone insists to see papers that they're not entitled to, like ID and/or Passport, and then you find that your information has been leaked because someone took photos of it photocopied it. It also made tourists actually spend less than the average local on services, foods and shopping. That actually exacerbated the problem because all the local business were running at the same cost but way less profit. I mean, we got people in local taverns only sharing a salad or having a couple of cheap dishes, still occupying table and needing service but leaving way less. And it's not that the big-ass fast-food chains are going to take a hit, quite the contrary. When the hunger hits, the McDonald's is always there as a cheap alternative with standard prices.
Maybe it's time for government to take better measures. Capitalism screwed Japan once so maybe it's time to swoop in and put some limits on goods and services that will be applied nation-wide and for everyone. Like, put a ceiling on certain lodging services and moving it up or down depending on the time of the year. Maybe lower taxes for businesses and have more incentives. As far as I checked, having a low currency helps if the policy is right. Also, I hear that municipalities, like the one in Kyoto, is doing a very shoddy job managing tourists when it comes to the city's infrastructure and blaming tourism for their shortcomings. It's a very one-sided talk that needs to be very well considered, because if it's done fast and based solely on how angry the locals are, in the long run it will lead to disaster just as it did to my own country. And I think no country needs that right now, in this economic climate.
Dual pricing based on nationality or residency doesn't exist in France, it wouldn't be allowed because racism and anything related to judging people based on their foreign origin is a legal offense there, so much so even ethnic surveys are forbidden! There might be discounts for locals such as parking for Parisian residents or occasional promotional discounts by proof of address, but it is very uncommon. Dual pricing exists in Third World countries precisely because typically the locals don't enjoy the same economy as the tourists, and in the case of Egypt, the majority of their tourists come from ultrarich Gulf states. If dual pricing is decided for Japan, soon enough when the Japanese yen recovers, traveling to Japan will be unaffordable for 90% of the foreign tourists, just like it was up to the 2000s.
Mobile mobile mobile lol
I’m visiting Japan in September and I’m worried about contributing to the bad feelings that come with over tourism. Unfortunately the trip is booked, paid for, and non refundable. Are there destinations that I should avoid due to the over tourism?
Japan has channel ten new this to know before training Japan two hundred twenty-four years of communication the budget licenses career co-workers transportation speech
My son suggests to cancel tax rebate for tourists. He doesn't agree with dual pricing. He thinks it's not fair.
literally planning a trip right now for almost a month in oct..(was going to treat my fiancé and I to a $7k trip..).If dual pricing becomes a thing frankly I don't know if long stays will be worthwhile any longer if you aren't planning to become a citizen. Reason we wanted to visit Japan is the affordability aside from the culture and sights/etc. If the affordability is removed, I suspect a large amount of people who are staying over there (retirees, digital nomads, non citizens) will likely leave for greener pastures. Not sure what the argument is for dual pricing, in my mind it doesn't make sense. You are just risking eliminating a large pretty constant flow of money that gets pumped into your economy…isn't a large portion of Japan's economy from tourism? What the heck is the government thinking….if anyone knows what the augment for this is please do lmk.
"Local" or as we say in Hawaii, "Kamaaina" pricing is not new. Instead of 2 tier pricing, shops should consider calling it a discount instead. Proof of residency is usually required. By offering a discount, the shops only need to post one sign showing what the price is. If a person aware of a discount, then provide the proof and the cashier will discount accordingly.
I experienced dual pricing in Thailand, and let me tell you that the experience was massively ruined when I was charged x3, x5, x10 more than my Thai friend. 🙂 if we do the same in EU, most people will have big trouble to visit places they always wanted
Thank you. Very informative 👍
My wife and i honeymooned in Japan in Nov 2022, we booked almost everything before going but needed an extra nights accommodation in Tokyo, my wife booked, but when we arrived they had increased price as we were not Japanese. They were nice about it and lowered it a little. Dual pricing in the long run will harm Japan and anyone else using it.
if suica, icoca & pasmo can be added into android phone, the ticketing queue will be shorter.
And don't go to the restaurants that charge x2 or more. The restaurants will not be able to sustain a lower price for locals.
I don't agree with dual pricing. What Japan needs to realise is that foreigners have to save to come to Japan. For a lot of people, it's 'a once in a lifetime' trip and it's money that they are not using in their country's economy. They also need to consider the same prices for all means that foreigners will spend more money. The excuses that they make are pathetic. They are just greedy.
色々いない インフォメーション ありがとうございます🙇♂ お疲れ様でした Meg san
Completely agree with the dual pricing!
Great information.
I wish suica or similar card was available for non japanese android devices.
The castle stay sounds awesome, but waaaaay too expensive for me.
Where was the photo of Mt fuji in front of the blue flowers taken?
I thought different pricing was a proposal?!?
I say, let the Japanese Government make tourism by invitation only. Let them choose tourists that respect Japanese culture and unique discipline in caring for the cleanliness of their beautiful cities. Keep producing and posting videos of rude and obnoxious people trashing Japan. I wanna see more of those please.
I disagree on the dual prices this only leads to overall higher prices even for the locals. This is happening in mexico. Locals cant afford things they could jn the past.
why tourist have to pay more? 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️ not everyone is as rich as japan. we just want to see mt fuji. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Hello by any chance do you know how to go to Kansai Airport from Universal Studios Japan?
Am I the only one who doesn't mind the discount for locals and residents? And as a visitor, I would gladly pay for things at-cost. Don't travel if you can't budget for your vacation.
Thank you for the information
Hi, i would like to thank you as i have pnfited a lot from you in my last week visit to Japan. You have gave a lot of great info and great suggestions. But one, as you have recommended in one of your video to stay in ‘Shinagaawa Price Hotel’ if in Tokyo. The hotels is really bad and dated and shouldn’t be recommended at all.
thank you so much for these informative videos. How do we get in contact with you? We have a upcoming trip late August of this year. I’ll be interested in having you set up a couple tours for me.
thank you so much for these informative videos. How do we get in contact with you? We have a upcoming trip late August of this year. I’ll be interested in having you set up a couple tours for me. By the way, I think door pricing is the wrong way to go.
Dual pricing isn’t fair. If they don’t want tourists, let us know we can go somewhere else.
Le système de dual pricing peut être acceptable pour des biens (au sens large) payés avec de l’argent public.
Par exemple, j’ai déjà payé avec mes impôts une partie du coût de visite d’un musée national à Paris, il est donc logique que je paye moins cher qu’un Japonais ou un Américain.
Ça se complique quand c’est co-financé par l’Europe car ce serait alors tous les Européens qui devraient payer moins cher…
Au final, il faut aussi prendre en compte l’effet psychologique négatif où cela peut renforcer un sentiment de xénophobie.
I generally disagree with the dual pricing bit. I grew up in Big Sur, CA – a very tourist-driven economy – and prices were just generally high, both for tourists and "locals". The only concession we had as locals was an early/late access window for the hot springs; two hour before opening, and two hours after closing.
I think it's better to either open as a tourist restaurant and deal with the lack of "local" customers, or to open as a standard restaurant and make it work. Dual pricing just feels discriminatory and sleazy, more like an opportunist tactic than a true business vision.
Places in the United States such as Vail Colorado have done local’s discounts for many years. The duel pricing is the same thing. I have no problem with it.
Dual pricing is completely BS. I live in Japan as a foreign worker. I pay my taxes, pay for healthcare, and pay the same as any local Japanese resident. But because I'm White and a Foreigner, I'm now going to be charged the "tourist" price? Because, they're not going to ask me if I live here. And this is already happening in Osaka with restaurants and bars. I happily report their business practices to local governments for this form of discrimination.
Thanks Meg for your restless explanation. I know it's not your fault. Japanese government knows that tourism is important to Japan's economy. But instead of thinking of ways to work it, your government put all sorts of limits here and there. It's like I want your money but I don't want you to be here. And, how hard can it be to have mobile Suica for android phones? Procrastination! Japan is following behind.
Dual pricing just produces negativity to local people. Hopefully this will never happen.
Very informative, thank you!