Overview
- Japan has begun charging tourists more at tours, lodging, and cultural sites, with many prices set higher for non-Japanese visitors ahead of the cherry blossom season.
- A popular boat tour near Tokyo’s Imperial Palace charges 800 yen for locals and nearly double for foreign guests, according to Berliner Morgenpost reporting cited by watson.
- Kyoto raised its accommodation taxes with cases reported of tourists being charged up to nine times more than before.
- Himeji Castle and several museums now list higher entry prices for people from abroad than for local residents.
- Complaints about packed trains and poor behavior at sacred sites are growing, with reporters also noting rising anti-foreigner sentiment and greater influence for right-wing voices.