Has Tourism Finally Returned to Japan?

April turned out to be a big month for the tourism industry in Japan. For the first time since 2019, 10 million foreign travelers stayed overnight at a hotel in Japan. This certainly shows that tourism is on the rebound after years of COVID protocols essentially shut the entire industry down.

Of course, cherry blossom season is getting a lot of credit as to why it was the month of April that finally pushed Japan above the 10 million mark. Whether Japan can build upon that number remains to be seen. Suffice it to say, it will be interesting to see what the numbers for May turn out to be.

It seems more and more that Japan is returning to a pre-pandemic state. Anecdotal evidence suggests that fewer people are wearing masks on trains and other public spaces. And, as travelers return to Japan, that will only push things in the right direction.

It seems that, within a reasonably short amount of time, the Japanese public may even forget about COVID entirely — a suggestion that seemed impossible just a year or two ago. But things have been changing at a fairly rapid pace, and, as the pandemic stays out of the headlines, people move on with their lives.

Of course, this may change if the situation changes. But, for now, that appears to be the trajectory.

Brett

A Look at the Recent G7 Summit in Hiroshima

The G7 Summit wrapped a few days ago in Hiroshima, and some promising developments came from it. Overall, the allies seem more united than have been in a long time, and it seems they are going to make a serious play for a more peaceful world.

One such item in the agenda was pursuing the elimination of nuclear weapon. This, of course, would be a wonderful development. However, it remains to be seen how this could be carried out in a world where dictatorships like China and Russia will never give them up.

On another front, the G7 countries all offered support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Russia has repeatedly threatened Ukraine with nuclear annihilation, which once again raises questions about the wisdom of pursuing a nuclear-free Western world.

Prime Minister Kishida seems to have revitalized his premiership with foreign policy, much like his predecessor Abe. Despite the current economic doldrums of Japan, Kishida’s foreign policy efforts have raised his approval ratings at home. It’s hard to imagine that just a year ago his cabinet was mired in scandal related to its manifold connections to the Unification Church.

But, for now, the G7 Summit in Hiroshima can largely be credited as a success. It certainly looked good in the media. But the real test will be the policies that get implemented and how they work. Well have to wait and see.

Brett

LGBTQ+ rights in Japan

LGBTQ+ rights in Japan have long been dismissed by politicians, however they are facing new pressure from Western countries to formally recognize and protect these rights. 15 diplomatic missions in Japan made a video, which featured many top ambassadors, urging the country’s politicians to pass legislation granting equal rights. So far, the Japanese government has refrained from commenting. This issue is brought to the forefront purposefully right before Japan hosts the G-7 summit in Hiroshima. Between the G-7 countries, Japan is notably lagging in terms of women’s and  LGBTQ+ issues.

This issue has been laying beneath the surface for many years but was brought to the limelight when Prime Minister Kishida’s, now former, close aide made headlines for his discriminatory and offensive remarks about the LGBTQ+ community. Even though he was promptly fired, Kishida himself made noncommittal comments that expressed his concern that same-sex marriage would alter the concept of family and ultimately Japanese values and society. 

 Japan’s ruling leaders are not known for their diversity and are largely made up of older men who cherish “traditional” values and have thus far resisted passing basic legislation that explicitly forbids discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. These views are opposed to the 72% of voters in Japan who are in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage according to the Asahi Shimbun.

Now with the backing these 15 missions, LGBTQ+ groups are demanding that the government pass legislation for anti-discrimination, same-sex marriage, and equal protection of freedoms ahead of the G-7 summit. The summit will take place in a few days, later this week, so we have yet to see what will happen.

Lani

COVID Is Now Just the Flu in Japan

The Japanese government has officially downgraded the threat level of COVIDo that of the seasonal flu, and decisions regarding how to handle the virus are now to be made by individuals. This is an enormous policy change for Japan, and it probably happened quicker than some expected.

Of course, Japan lags behind the rest of the world in terms of trying to return to a normal, post-coronavirus world. And Japan’s slow changes seemed like they would last for several more years, if not permanently.

Thus, the recent change that classifies the coronavirus as dangerous as the flu must come as a big surprise to those who have been paying attention to the government and its decision-making process.

Many people thought Japan’s COVID protocols would last years longer, as Japan seemed to worried about potential infections to try life in a post-coronavirus world. But now we know that isn’t the case.

It will be interesting to see how Japan handles its return to normal life.

Brett