In 2013, Seven Stars in Kyushu was launched and dubbed Japan’s first luxury sleeper train. From the start of its journey, the train company has adopted an exclusive and quite unique approach. Tickets for two- and four-day journeys cost thousands of dollars, a price tag many were skeptic about before the launch. Yet people proved to be interested in the concept and with room for just 20 people aboard, Seven Stars in Kyushu has been oversubscribed since the start – meaning interested travellers enter a ballot before being able to book a spot.

Following that success, the train company has added three new itineraries to its 2026 offer. Just like before, the train will still set off from Hakata Station in Fukuoka. From there, travellers will journey to the mountain gorge town of Takachiho, to the volcanic onsen resort Unzen, or to the highland plateau of Kuju – all part of Kyushu island’s less-visited yet visit-worthy regions.

The goal of Seven Stars in Kyushu remains unchanged.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ななつ星in九州 | SEVEN STARS IN KYUSHU | EXCLUSIVE JOURNEY (@sevenstars_in_kyushu_official)

“Through the journey of Seven Stars in Kyushu, we would like to show you about Kyushu’s traditions and cultures, which have been passed down for over 100 years and also how wonderful Kyushu is. With this desire, we have organised unique Kyushu trips. Enjoy the Seven Stars journey and make unforgettable memories through the Seven Stars, a masterpiece of the artisans of Kyushu,” the company explains on its website.

What does a Japanese luxury sleeper train look like?

As said before, voyagers aboard the Seven Stars in Kyushu should not expect to be met with a large crowd. Overall, the train has seven cars, five of which are used as (deluxe) suites. The ten suites each offer room to two people, meaning there won’t be more than 20 passengers aboard during one of the train’s journeys.

Aside from the cars containing suites, the luxury train also has a lounge car called Blue Moon and a salon bar called Jupiter, where passengers can meet each other and talk. A bar, tea room, and gallery shop complete the onboard offer.

“The Lounge Car Blue Moon is a saloon on wheels, where you can wind down during the day. At night, sip drinks at the bar and mingle with fellow passengers in the modern Japanese atmosphere as the pleasant sound of the live piano performance tinkles in the background. Enjoy the starry sky that peers in from the panoramic windows with a glass of bliss in your hand and relax on the sofas to take in the stunning views that pass by. This space provides the perfect setting for social gatherings as well as solo time,” Seven Stars in Kyushu explains.

Travellers who are eager to enter the ballot and catch a ride aboard the Seven Stars in Kyushu are invited to keep an eye on the website. Fares include all transportation costs, as well as onboard service, tour buses, meals, beverages (not including select vintage wine, champagne and the fare at KAZ BAR), sightseeing, and accommodation costs for the 4-day 3-night journey.

L’article Japanese luxury sleeper train expands its offer with three new routes est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Local officials say the decision comes after previous efforts to encourage better behaviour did not work as expected. “We cannot tolerate littering simply because there are no rubbish bins,” Shibuya Ward authorities said, highlighting that awareness campaigns and warning notices alone were not enough. The ward is aiming to make rules clearer and easier to enforce, especially in areas that attract large crowds every day.

The system is being rolled out in response to Japan’s record tourism growth, with 42.7 million international visitors recorded in 2025. Shibuya officials say the increase in foot traffic has led to more cases of public drinking and littering, particularly around train stations and busy pedestrian zones. The authorities stress that rules will apply equally to both locals and foreigners.

@cashmeow Trash Everywhere! #fyp #fypシ #tokyo #shibuya #japan ♬ Cute – Aurel Surya Lie

To enforce the new rules, around 50 patrol officers are being deployed across the district. Staff include English, Chinese, and Korean speakers to ensure that visitors can understand the rules clearly at the moment of enforcement. The multilingual approach is intended to reduce confusion and make communication easier between officers and tourists. Fines can be paid on the spot using cash, credit card, or QR code payments. 

The campaign is also being promoted with a direct message aimed at visitors: “if you throw trash, you lose cash.” The slogan is part of a wider effort to make anti-littering rules more visible and easy to understand in a busy urban environment. Authorities say the goal is not only to penalise behaviour but also to encourage awareness of local rules.

Japan’s wider approach to waste management also helps explain the context behind the policy, especially for visitors unfamiliar with local systems. Public rubbish bins are relatively rare in many cities, including Tokyo, and this is partly linked to past security concerns. After the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, carried out by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, authorities removed many public bins from train stations and busy public spaces to reduce the risk of hidden explosives or dangerous materials. Similar security concerns in later years reinforced this approach, and bins have never fully returned to public areas at the same scale.

@tsuru_ton_tan99 日本で1番、夜が眩しい街 Shibuya #渋谷 #tokyo #japan ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – yama_vv

As a result, people in Japan are generally expected to carry their rubbish with them until they find appropriate disposal points, such as convenience stores or designated facilities. While this system is widely understood by residents, it can be confusing for visitors who expect public bins to be readily available in urban areas. In a government survey, more than 20% of tourists said the lack of bins was their biggest inconvenience when travelling in Japan.

The littering issue in Shibuya reflects a broader pattern across Japan as tourism reaches record levels. Popular destinations such as Kyoto and areas near Mount Fuji have also experienced congestion, waste problems, and pressure on local communities. In some cases, local authorities have taken unusual steps to manage the impact of visitor numbers, including cancelling events that became too difficult to organise safely.

National authorities are now introducing a range of measures to manage the situation, including higher tourism-related taxes and crowd-control tools that help distribute visitors more evenly. Digital systems are also being developed to show real-time crowd levels in popular areas, helping tourists avoid peak congestion times. These policies are part of a wider effort to balance tourism growth with livability in cities like Tokyo. In Shibuya, the new fines represent one of the most visible examples of this shift toward stricter and more direct enforcement in public spaces.

L’article Tokyo’s Shibuya introduces on-the-spot fines for littering amid overtourism est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Noto Satoyama Airport, a domestic hub on the Noto Peninsula of Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture, is being temporarily rebranded as a Pokémon attraction, complete with decorations and events themed around the world-famous multi-billion-dollar universe.

Also sometimes known as Wajima Airport for its nearest city, Noto will evolve for the next three years into the “Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport.” Between 7 July 2026 and 30 September 2029, over one hundred pocket monsters of the “flying type” will be spottable in and around the airport’s four storeys. Central characters such as Pikachu will naturally take the limelight in the hub’s atrium, sitting aboard an aircraft surrounded by birds, insects, and dragons.

The transformation is taking place as part of an initiative to rehabilitate tourism-dependent Noto in the wake of the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the peninsula in 2024, killing over 600 people, and destroying or severely damaging around 30,000 buildings, including the airport.

Those regeneration efforts will include a new airport logo and a bespoke “Sky of Hope” artwork portraying characters soaring together with an aeroplane. The observation deck, renamed “Pikachu’s Village,” will depict numerous Pikachu set against a satoyama-inspired rustic landscape. The chosen imagery,” the airport explains in a statement, “features numerous Pokémon flying through the sky, dazzling light, and sparkling rainbows”, and “expresses a longing for the sky, the joy of flying freely, and the ‘hope’ of embarking on a new journey.”

Restaurants in the airport will also get in on the action, offering Pokémon-themed refreshments in the form of pancakes and drinks, while retail shops will be selling Pokémon souvenirs, such as luggage tags, keychains, and clothing, as part of the fun. Eagle-eyed visitors will also notice Pokémon-themed manhole covers nearby, and they can even indulge in a Pokémon hot spring footbath if desired.

Visitors can also access original short videos on their smartphones while in the airport, including a story called “Fly, Bagon!” about a blue Rock Head wingless Dragon who yearns to fly.

The redevelopment project has been conceived with the support of the Pokémon With You Foundation, which came to life after the 9.1-magnitude earthquake—Japan’s worst ever— in 2011. The foundation works to support communities in disaster zones.

L’article Japan transforms airport into Pokémon themed destination until 2029 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The project is designed as a phased experiment rather than a simple short-term test. Teams will first analyse airport operations in detail to identify where robots can be used safely and effectively. This will be followed by repeated trials that simulate real working conditions on the ground. The idea is to gradually build a system where robots and humans work together in a structured way. In the long term, the partners hope to create a more sustainable model for airport operations. 

The robots will initially be used for physically demanding tasks such as loading and unloading cargo containers and moving equipment on the tarmac. These machines are built in a humanoid form, meaning they can move in a way that is similar to humans and operate in spaces designed for people. This allows them to work within existing airport infrastructure without major changes. During demonstrations, a robot measuring around 130 centimetres was seen carefully pushing cargo onto a conveyor belt and even waving to a colleague. The robots can operate for two to three hours before needing to recharge, and they are currently controlled remotely by human operators, mirroring human movements. 

One of the main reasons behind this initiative is the growing labour shortage in Japan’s aviation sector. The country is dealing with a declining working-age population while at the same time welcoming a rising number of international visitors. More than seven million tourists arrived in Japan in just the first two months of 2026, adding pressure to airport services. Ground handling work is often physically demanding and requires long shifts, making it harder to attract and retain staff. By introducing robots, airlines hope to reduce the physical strain on workers and maintain smooth operations. 

The issue goes beyond aviation and reflects a broader national challenge. Japan may need more than 6.5 million foreign workers by 2040 to meet its economic goals as the domestic workforce continues to shrink. This creates political and social pressure, as immigration levels remain a sensitive topic. In this context, automation and robotics are increasingly seen as part of the solution. The use of humanoid robots in airports is therefore not only about efficiency, but also about responding to long-term demographic changes. 

The technology behind the robots combines artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, and remote operation. This allows them to perform tasks that require both strength and precision while still being supervised by human operators. GMO Internet Group, the parent company involved in the project, has even declared 2026 as the “First Year of Humanoids”. The aim is to accelerate the use of this technology across different industries, not just aviation. Airports are being used as a testing ground because they present real-world challenges that require adaptable solutions. 

Robots are already present in some Japanese airports, where they are used for tasks such as security patrols and customer service. The introduction of humanoid robots for ground handling is, therefore, a continuation of an ongoing trend rather than a completely new development. What makes this project different is the focus on physically demanding back-end operations that have traditionally relied on human labour. These tasks are less visible to passengers but are essential for keeping flights running on time. 

Japan’s labor shortage is so severe it burned through its entire 5-year quota for foreign restaurant workers in record time.

The food service sector (restaurants, hospital/nursing home meal services) hit its 50,000 cap early – new Specified Skilled Worker visa applications…

— World of Statistics (@stats_feed) April 26, 2026

Despite the growing role of automation, human workers will remain essential in airport operations. Certain responsibilities, especially those related to safety and decision-making, cannot be handled by robots. Officials involved in the project have made it clear that the goal is to support employees rather than replace them. By taking over repetitive and physically heavy tasks, robots could help improve working conditions and reduce fatigue. Human oversight will continue to be necessary to ensure that all operations meet strict safety standards.

The trial at Haneda Airport reflects a wider shift in the global aviation industry. Airports around the world are exploring new technologies to handle increasing passenger numbers and improve efficiency. These include biometric boarding systems, automated baggage handling, and autonomous vehicles. Humanoid robots could become another tool in this transition, especially in locations where labour shortages are becoming more severe. Their ability to work in human-designed environments gives them an advantage over more specialised machines.

In the future, the role of these robots could expand beyond cargo handling. Japan Airlines is already considering using them for tasks such as cleaning aircraft cabins and operating ground support equipment. As the technology improves, robots may become more autonomous and capable of interacting more naturally with both staff and passengers. If the current trial proves successful, similar systems could be introduced at other airports in Japan and beyond. This would mark an important step towards a more automated and flexible airport environment.

L’article Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to trial humanoid robots for ground operations est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The change marks the first revision to the pass in three years and will affect passes sold to foreign visitors through official channels and travel agents. The Japan Railways Group (JR Group) said the adjustment reflects cumulative fare changes across several of its member companies, following earlier increases in domestic ticket prices.

JR Group will raise prices for the Japan Rail Pass from October 1, 2026, but only for passes purchased through overseas sales agents. The last major Japan Rail Pass price update was in October 2023.

Prices on the official Japan Rail Pass online reservation service will remain… pic.twitter.com/oMeT6c9aru

— Japan Station (@JPNStation) April 9, 2026

Under the new pricing structure, an ordinary seven-day adult pass will rise by 3,000 yen to 53,000 yen (about €284), while the Green Car premium version will increase by 4,000 yen to 74,000 yen (about €395). Longer-duration passes are also affected: the 14-day ordinary pass will increase to 84,000 yen (€520), and the 21-day version will rise to 105,000 yen (€650) for adults in standard cars, and by 7,000 yen to 147,000 yen (€910) for those travelling in premium seats.

The JR Group has said the price revision follows earlier adjustments made by individual regional rail companies, including East Japan Railway, West Japan Railway, Hokkaido Railway and Kyushu Railway. These changes have contributed to a broader reassessment of the nationwide pass pricing. 

The Japan Rail Pass is a key product for inbound tourism in Japan, offering unlimited travel on most JR-operated services, including many shinkansen bullet trains, as well as rapid, express and local trains. It is available only to foreign visitors entering Japan under “temporary visitor” status and is typically purchased before arrival at the designated sales offices and through official agents overseas, as well as via the official online platform, Japan Rail Pass Reservation. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Travel Tomorrow (@traveltomorrow.eu)

The increase has sparked renewed attention among travel planners, as it follows a major price hike implemented in 2023. However, JR Group has also indicated that online purchasing incentives may remain temporarily unchanged to encourage direct bookings through official channels.

Japan’s record tourism boom has heightened concerns over overtourism, prompting authorities to introduce measures to manage crowds and visitor behaviour. Access gates and fees have been imposed at major attractions, including Mount Fuji and several shrine sites. At the same time, Kyoto officials have urged tourists to respect the privacy of the local geisha community. The city also introduced Japan’s highest hotel tax in March 2026 as pressure on infrastructure continues to grow.

Meanwhile, popular destinations are facing mounting environmental strain. At Oshino Hakkai, a well-known village famous for its eight natural pools, authorities have called on visitors to stop throwing coins into the water after the practice was found to cause damage to the fragile ecosystem, underscoring the broader challenges linked to surging tourist numbers.

The impact has led to stricter actions in some areas, including the cancellation of a cherry blossom festival near Mount Fuji after years of overcrowding and disruptive behaviour. The decision reflects wider efforts across Japan to balance booming visitor numbers with the need to protect local communities and cultural heritage.

L’article Japan rail pass price to rise in October, pushing tourist travel costs higher est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The eight pools in the village of Oshino Hakkai at the foot of the country’s highest peak offer scenic views and reflections featuring the volcano’s iconic form. They are fed by an underground reservoir of Mount Fuji’s meltwater and historically followers of the Fuji-ko faith, who worship the peak, bathed there in a purification ritual before climbing it. The waters were also once said by locals to bring insight into moral dilemmas.

Now, though, they are dominated by tourists who have imported coin-tossing customs that they believe bring good luck. The pond beds are said to be littered with coins, even though official workers have removed around 50,000 of them to date in a battle that has seen signs erected pleading in multiple languages for visitors to cease the practice.

Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram

Публикация от @laloena_

“It’s an endless cycle — as soon as we pick them up, more are thrown in,” an official spokesperson said. The village has even set up offering boxes to receive the coins instead of the pools.

The way coins erode is one of the main worries due to potential pollution of the ponds’ pristine waters, though, to date, water quality tests have found no environmental residues.

Coin-tossing or offering for luck at tourist sites occurs in many places around the world. Concerns were raised in 2025 at the Giant’s Causeway, a renowned Northern Irish UNESCO World Heritage site estimated to be up to 60 million years old, that is being damaged by tourists determined to leave their mark on the place by wedging coins that then rust between the rocks, resulting in a plea from the UK’s National Trust for visitors to “leave no trace.”

One of the most famous examples of coin-based tourist rituals happens at Rome’s Trevi Fountain, where coin throwing was immortalised by the hit 20^th-century movie theme Three Coins in a Fountain. Municipal authorities in the Italian capital regularly collect the coins and distribute them to charitable causes. But Japan has no such native tradition.

The problem has reportedly worsened since 2013, when the ponds were recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site, attracting more visitors to the area. As part of efforts to clean up Mount Fuji and deal with overtourism, its trails now come with an access fee. But the issue continues. An annual cherry blossom festival had to be cancelled this year amid mounting pressure on locals.

The negative effect of the UNESCO designation has been in the news elsewhere recently, after villagers in the Slovakian hamlet of Vlkolínec complained about being outnumbered more than 7000-to-one by the 100,000 annual visitors that descend upon the area since the UN body included it on its list. “UNESCO has turned us into a tourist ‘zoo.’ This supposed honour has become not just a burden – but a living nightmare,” one villager told press.

L’article Tourists asked to stop throwing coins into iconic Japanese ponds est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Named NOT A HOTEL Setouchi, the development is located on the remote island of Sagishima in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea and comprises three villas embedded into a 30,000-square-metre coastal site. The project also includes a beachfront restaurant and private beach, with the architecture designed to merge closely with the island’s mountainous terrain. 

“The archipelago around Sagishima is like a Japanese landscape painting. Steep rolling hills covered in lush green vegetation erupt from the tranquillity of the Seto Inland Sea. The four pavilions are conceived as extensions of the dramatic topography,” said BIG founder Bjarke Ingels.

The villas are constructed using soil sourced directly from the site, applied through the traditional rammed earth technique, allowing them to appear carved out of the landscape, smoothly integrated into the hillside’s natural topography.

BIG arranged the three four-bedroom residences along the natural contours of the hillside, following existing infrastructure and unfolding “like a ribbon” across the terrain. Each villa is named according to the degree of panoramic view it offers — 180, 270 and 360 — reflecting the project’s emphasis on framing vistas of the surrounding archipelago. 

The design draws on both Scandinavian and Japanese architectural traditions, combining contemporary forms with references to traditional elements. Large glass facades reinterpret shoji screens, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior. The roofs are topped with low-reflective solar tiles that reference traditional Japanese roof forms, while adjustable facades and overhangs are used to support passive cooling strategies. Rainwater is collected on site and reused for landscape irrigation.

The homes are organised as open-plan living spaces, with Japanese-style baths, storage set within separate skylit pods, and heated infinity pools. Subdued colour palettes are paired with black slate flooring that references the proportions of traditional tatami mats.

“The project stands as a remarkable convergence of Danish design and philosophy, traditional Japanese architecture, and the technical sophistication and construction precision of contemporary Japan,” said Ryohei Koike, BIG associate.

Each villa responds to its specific position on the site. The 360 villa sits at the highest point and is arranged as a ring around a central courtyard, offering uninterrupted views in all directions. The 270 villa frames a wide panorama and incorporates outdoor leisure areas including a pool, sauna and firepit, while the 180 villa follows the curvature of the shoreline at the water’s edge. 

Bjarke Ingels described the project as an exploration of contrasts between openness and enclosure. “On one hand, each home is like an inhabited view, open and extroverted,” he said. “On the other, their spinal walls outline a private and protected space — open only to the sky.” 

Landscape restoration formed a key part of the masterplan. Indigenous vegetation was harvested and temporarily removed during construction and later restored, including native grasses, olive trees and lemon trees, in an effort to return the site to its natural state. 

The project represents a milestone for BIG, not only as the studio’s first completed work in Japan, but also as a synthesis of cultural influences. According to the studio, the villas seek to balance “traditional and modern” approaches, forming a striking architectural statement while pushing forward the luxury hospitality sector in Japan.

L’article BIG completes NOT A HOTEL Setouchi trio of villas in Japan’s Seto Inland Sea est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Soon after it opened in 1994, the Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel turned into something of a local landmark. Situated inside the Shinjuku Park Tower, designed by Kenzo Tange and with interiors designed by John Morford, the glass structure and the city views enjoyed from inside became part of Tokyo’s skyline and overall experience.

However, the hotel was really projected into cinematographic eternity with Sofia Coppola’s ‘Lost in Translation’. The movie featuring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, which appeared in 2003, quickly became a classic and piqued the curiosity of many a traveller, especially those who were taking their first steps into the travel world around that time.

Thus, although a renovation was necessary after being in business for approximately 30 years, renovating the Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel was no matter to be taken lightly. The task was given to Paris-Based design studio Join Manku, and their objective was clear: how to change exactly enough, without doing too much?

“There are places that do not ask you to transform them, but to listen. The Park Hyatt Tokyo is one of those places. A hotel suspended in the sky, formed by Kenzo Tange, inhabited by the quiet restraint imagined by John Morford, and marked forever by the luminous melancholy of Lost in Translation. A place where the city is as much sensed as it is seen. Where each step invites not only forward movement, but a turn inward,” Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku explain.

Tour the hotel

The Peak Lounge, situated on the 41^st floor and one of the first things guests get to see when entering the hotel, was simply purified during the renovation. Lines were made more subtle, colours softened. Yet the overall feeling remains the same, as does the splendid view over the city.

“When we were given the commission, the question was never what shall we change, but rather how has time itself already changed this place, and what can we reveal of that silent maturation. It was not about adding novelty. It was about discerning what needed to remain untouched, what called for transformation, and what simply hoped to be carried forward with greater gentleness,” Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku say.

It is perhaps in the rooms that the renovation of the hotel becomes most clearly visible. While the shapes of the spaces remained untouched, the inside flow was facilitated through the use of muted tones, subtle light additions, and custom-made furniture. The central cabinet, one of the hotel’s characterising features, was kept yet softened.

As far as the suites are concerned, the Tokyo Suite was restored to its original design, the Diplomat, Governor’s, and Presidential Suites were given an overhaul, and the new Park Suite was added to the list of options.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Park Hyatt Tokyo / パークハイアット東京 (@parkhyatttokyo)

“The Park Hyatt Tokyo is not only architecture. It is an atmosphere. A particular way of being in the world. A verticality that soothes. A light that absorbs. A silence that holds. We sought to prolong that presence, to make it more human, more tactile, to free the hotel from what felt too austere without ever weakening its inner strength. To understand this transformation, one must follow a visitor, perhaps the one from the film, perhaps another, arriving for the first time or returning after twenty years, and sensing in every space a different vibration, as if the hotel itself had learned to breathe in a new way,” Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku conclude.

The 5-star Park Hyatt Tokyo, with its 171 rooms (including 29 suites), pool, and unbeatable views, is once again open for business. Room rates start at about $800-$1,000 per night.

L’article Park Hyatt Tokyo reopens after renovation, preserving ‘Lost in Translation’ legacy est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Officials from the Japan Meteorological Agency looked at the Somei Yoshino tree variety in three destinations, and found more than five flowers on the benchmark tree in Shikoku Island’s Kochi, Gifu, north of Nagoya, and Yamanashi in central Japan. Marking an early bloom year, the standard was met six days earlier than average in Kochi, and nine days earlier in Gifu and Yamanashi, thanks to meteorological conditions such as low rainfall over the winter and early sunshine.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Travel Tomorrow (@traveltomorrow.eu)

But visitors and Japanese lovers of spring do not need to wait for authorities to announce the cherry blossom season to begin the annual sakura rituals of photography and picnicking beneath the ornamental bloom-laden trees that accompany the back-to-school and vibes of the new business year.

Japan has recorded consecutive years of high visitor numbers that have caused consternation and complaints about overtourism and its negative effects on local residents. Popular trails at some floating shrines and at Mount Fuji now come with access fees, and in Kyoto, overzealous tourists and Instagrammers have had to be warned to give the city’s geisha community privacy.

Cherry blossom season is likely to draw large numbers of Japanophiles again in 2026, especially since prices have dropped for accommodation, flights and tour packages to temptingly low levels this year, amid a decline in visitors from mainland China. Despite the decline from that source market, the season’s popularity around the world means visitor numbers may again trigger concerns about littering and crowds. One cherry blossom festival has already been cancelled for those very reasons.

But not everyone is there just for the sakura phenomenon. Mark Matthew, a British visitor to Japan in mid-March 2026, told Travel Tomorrow that it’s “nice to see the cherry blossom, though it’s not the reason why we came.” Even so, he waited near the radio and television broadcast structure known as the Tokyo Skytree, close to a tree in blossom where a young couple were posing for pictures, and managed to score an iconic shot of the tower alongside the pink blooms and a young woman with her parasol.

He also found trees in blossom near the river, and in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, where a small crowd had gathered near a popular tree. He described this garden as his personal “highlight of Tokyo.” Elsewhere, he saw blossoming cherry trees in Nara’s deer-friendly parklands.

L’article Japan’s cherry blossom season now officially under way est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

In 2024, the institute found there were 123 mobile battery incidents in 2024 alone, including mid-flight fires, some of which were captured in mobile phone footage that has gone viral, causing widespread public concern. South Korea’s Air Busan banned power banks from overhead storage compartments in early 2025, after a blaze on one of its aircraft blamed on lithium batteries of the type found in electronic cigarettes, laptops, and power banks. All 127 people on board escaped with their lives, but 27 suffered injuries.

Elsewhere on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Haneda in spring 2025, another mobile battery fire occurred, and smoke began filling an All-Nippon Airways (ANA) flight from Naha to Haneda in the autumn. As a result of fears around the issue, most major Japanese airlines have brought in power bank rules requiring passengers to keep the items at their seats instead of inside lockers, where problems are more difficult to detect.

In the wake of such near-disasters, South Korea extended similar restrictions to those now in force in Japan, across major carriers, including Asiana Airlines, Korean Air, and a number of low-cost carriers. China Airlines, Scoot, and Thai Airways implemented “no-charge” policies in 2025 that strictly prohibit the use or charging of portable power banks during flights.

The propensity of lithium batteries to overheat, catch fire, and emit toxic fumes means the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) classifies them as dangerous goods and has increased monitoring and safety campaigns, as well as trialling screening equipment to improve detection rates when lithium batteries are hidden in checked luggage.

EASA says devices from mobile phones to laptops and power banks or spare batteries should travel in the cabin, have their terminals taped or be placed in individual plastic bags to prevent short circuits.

Watt-hour limits are also in place and are usually 100Wh for most standard consumer electronics (phones, laptops), or between 100Wh and 160Whonly with prior approval for items such as specialist cameras or portable medical devices. Anything over 160Wh is usually not allowed on passenger aircraft.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation, part of the United Nations, is due to rule on the use and carriage of such devices and their batteries imminently.

L’article Japan outlaws the use of power banks on aircraft due to safety concerns est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.