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July 24, 2026
 

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VISAS

Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jul 20, 2026
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Japan¡¯s small but growing ranks of digital nomads have embraced the opportunity to embed themselves in a Japanese life ¡ª and take advantage of a weak yen.
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jul 3, 2026
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Under the new structure, fees will vary depending on the length of the permit, with those in the top bracket required to pay at least ?65,000.
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 1, 2026
¡®My dream is broken¡¯: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
¡°I always wanted to become a bridge between Japan and Nepal ... but my dream is broken,¡± Budhathoki Samjhana said.
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ?3,000 from ?1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 1, 2026
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Previously set at ?1,000, the tax has risen to ?3,000 for all travelers departing Japan, regardless of nationality.
Tourists from abroad wearing kimonos pose for a souvenir photo with cherry blossoms in the city of Kyoto in March.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jun 20, 2026
Japan to raise visa fees for foreign nationals in first revision in 48 years
The fee will be increased from the current ?3,000 to ?15,000 for a single-entry visa and from ?6,000 to ?30,000 for a multiple-entry visa starting July 1.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is calling for ¡°strong and effective¡± controls on land acquisition to prevent individuals or entities deemed security risks from acquiring sensitive properties, regardless of nationality.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jun 12, 2026
LDP pushes tougher land and visa rules while avoiding nationality trap
Legal experts have argued that nationality-based restrictions could conflict with domestic law and international agreements.
The fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers was raised from about $2,000 to $5,000, depending on various factors, to $100,000 following an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump in September last year.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 9, 2026
Trump¡¯s $100,000 H-1B visa fee is unlawful, U.S. judge rules
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin concluded that the fee on the visas for highly skilled foreign workers constituted an unlawful tax Congress never authorized.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Sakura Uchikoshi (right) and Kazuki Yuda of Touch Immigration Law Firm during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Monday
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jun 8, 2026
Tighter immigration rules could tarnish Japan¡¯s image, opposition lawmaker says
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Sakura Uchikoshi cautions against a shift in Japan toward exclusionism and xenophobia.
Manish Kumar, who asked that his face not be shown, at his restaurant in Tsurugashima, Saitama Prefecture, on June 1.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 8, 2026
Fear and uncertainty for foreign business owners after Japan revises rules
The life that restaurateur Manish Kumar built in Japan for he and his family has been upended after Japan enacted stricter rules for the business manager visa.
Shady business manager visa applications using shell companies can often be identified from the paperwork, with unusually small offices and addresses shared by multiple firms among the red flags.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / FOCUS
Jun 5, 2026
Dubious immigration brokers helped spark business manager visa crackdown
Shady immigration consulting firms, many in China, help people set up shell companies to apply for a business manager visa, or advertise the option of renting out properties.
Members of the Kawasaki Foreign Resident Council discuss issues faced by foreign residents during a meeting on May 17.
COMMUNITY / Issues
May 31, 2026
As immigration rises, Kawasaki¡¯s foreign council shows path toward inclusion
The council aims to improve the lives of foreign residents and foster a harmonious co-existence with native Japanese.
Haneda Airport in April 2025. An immigration bill enacted Friday includes plans to introduce an electronic travel authorization system by March 2029.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
May 29, 2026
Japan enacts bill to drastically raise visa-related fees
Under the bill, the statutory upper limit for fees to change residency statuses or extend a period of stay will go from ?10,000 to ?100,000.
Yachts moored to a pier in Auckland. New Zealand will let wealthy foreign nationals count philanthropic donations toward the investment requirement of its most popular golden visa category.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 25, 2026
New Zealand to ease golden visa investment criteria to allow philanthropy
Demand for New Zealand¡¯s golden visa ¡ª which offers residency in exchange for investments ¡ª has been strong since the government revamped the rules in April 2025.
Foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the U.S. will now have to leave the country to apply for green cards, a change with potentially far-reaching ramifications for legal immigration amid President Donald Trump¡¯s sweeping crackdown.
WORLD
May 23, 2026
Trump to make foreign nationals leave U.S. to apply for green cards
The change could have far-reaching ramifications for legal immigration amid President Donald Trump¡¯s sweeping crackdown.
Taro Tsurugashima presents a petition with 53,000 signatures calling for a revision to the stricter business manager visa eligibility requirements, on May 13 in Tokyo.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 21, 2026
Foreign business owners face frantic scramble to leave Japan amid tighter visa rules
Stricter criteria for the business manager visa has left many owners, some of whom have been in Japan for decades, out in the cold.
Manish Kumar, an Indian national who has run an Indian restaurant in Saitama Prefecture for 18 years, speaks at a rally in Tokyo in protest of new business manager visa requirements.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 13, 2026
After rule change, Japan sees 96% drop in business manager visa applications
Immigration chief Kimi Onoda says the revision of the approval criteria has alleviated concerns that the visa was being misused as a means of obtaining residency.
The streets of Ikuno Korea Town in the city of Osaka in December 2023
BUSINESS
Apr 30, 2026
Foreign business owners in Japan feeling the strain of tighter visa criteria
A survey by Tokyo Shoko Research has found that about 5% of foreign business owners are considering closing up shop while 45% expect impacts to operations.
Starting Wednesday, Japan will require certain foreign nationals applying for its most common white-collar work visa to prove language proficiency.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Apr 15, 2026
Japan implements language proficiency requirements for certain visa applicants
The requirement applies to jobs in which language skills are central, such as translation, interpretation and customer-facing roles.
Filipinos with specified skills qualifications learn how to prepare fish for sushi in Tokyo in 2022.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Apr 13, 2026
Japan freezes visa applications for foreign restaurant workers
Visas will not be issued for applications received after Monday, but for those submitted prior to that, certificates will be issued in order as long as the quota is not exceeded.
The Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau in the capital's Minato Ward. The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill that would see the first major revision to the statutory ceiling on immigration-related residence fees for foreign nationals since 1982.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Mar 10, 2026
Japan visa fee cap to surge more than tenfold under new immigration bill
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved legislation to sharply raise the upper limit on fees for foreign nationals in the biggest revision of its kind in more than four decades.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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