There are plenty of iconic symbols that come to mind when I think of Japan — like towering pagodas and red torii gates. But the country has also become famous for its breathtaking cherry blossoms.
09.02.2024 - 20:35 / forbes.com
Japan is jumping on the digital nomad bandwagon with a new visa that allows visitors from 49 visa-exempt countries, including the United States, to stay in the country for up to six months—doubling the length of stay permitted with the current 90-day tourist visa. Foreign remote salaried workers with an annual income of more than 10 million yen ($68,200) will be eligible to apply. The new visa is slated to launch by the end of March.
The initiative comes as Japan’s government struggles to make good on its 2020 pledge for a national “digital revolution.” Since 2019, Japan has fallen further behind its G7 counterparts, dropping nine places to No. 32 in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, which assesses 64 nations on their readiness to adopt digital technologies for economic and social transformation. That’s well behind Asian neighbors Singapore (No. 3), South Korea (No. 6), Taiwan (No. 9), Hong Kong (No. 10) and China (No. 19).
In a press conference last week, Japan’s Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi said that digital nomads “can become a source of innovation.”
The number of countries offering digital nomad visas has soared the Covid-19 pandemic, as hundreds of millions of remote workers globally have embraced the idea of location independence. Today, 17.3 million American workers describe themselves as digital nomads, according to a 2023 report by MBO Partners. That’s up 2% from the previous year, after exploding by 131% between 2019 and 2022.
Two thirds of digital nomads (64%) are Millennials (37%) and Gen Xers (27%), with the oldest Gen Zers (born 1997-2012) coming of age and already making up one in five (21%) digital nomads, according to the report.
For countries like Japan, allowing salaried workers—who won’t take jobs from Japanese citizens—to live in the country and spend their earnings for a longer but finite period of time makes a lot of sense.
For the growing number of remote workers who dream of living abroad for as long as half a year, the world is their oyster. Digital nomad visas are now available in Canada, Mexico, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Spain, Estonia, Hungary, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and more than a dozen other countries.
Minister Koizumi acknowledged that Japan was just one of many countries competing for digital nomads. “While many countries are making efforts to attract them, we hope those people will work in Japan, too,” he said.
There are plenty of iconic symbols that come to mind when I think of Japan — like towering pagodas and red torii gates. But the country has also become famous for its breathtaking cherry blossoms.
Osaka is half the size of Tokyo but just as much fun. Lightning-quick shinkansen trains link the two cities in a little over two hours while nearby cities of Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara are an easy day trip. Osaka itself is home to its namesake castle, scores of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, and a belting street food scene. The central districts are defined by Honmachi, Dōtonbori, Namba (Minami), and Kita (Umeda) although Osaka Bay is a handy base for visiting Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) and Universal Studios Japan. Mingling Japanese and Western traditions, these are the top-rated Airbnbs in Osaka’s coolest neighborhoods.
Travelers from around the world have long been fascinated by South Korea's outsized pop culture influence, paradisiacal islands, and stylish, high-tech metropolises. Now, in a K-fan dream come true, international remote workers can live and work in the East Asian hub for up to two years thanks to a new digital nomad visa.
If it seems like everyone and their mother is trying to use points and miles to go to Japan these days, you’re not wrong. But can you really blame them? Between the people, the history, the culture, the architecture, the nightlife, the shopping, and of course, the food, Japan is an absolute dream of a destination for so many, including honeymooners planning their once-in-a-lifetime vacations.
This spring, United Airlines plans to launch a new route to Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND).
When I first stepped into Snow Peak's Williamsburg store, I knew this wasn't the rickety, mismatched camping gear I'd grown up with. As I pawed through racks of quilted jackets and pants, in shades of ivory and denim blue, and poked my head into a campground setup where everything boasted clean, taut lines, and gleaming titanium details (these pieces were sturdy), I found myself yearning for the simplicity of the outdoors—well, the simplicity I would be afforded by having this entire, gleaming collection and spending a weekend living among it.
A four-hour drive from Denver, the rural town of Granada, Colorado, is home to just 450 people—and, at the end of a bumpy dirt road, the now-empty barracks and haunting buildings of “Camp Amache.” Also known as the Granada Relocation Center, Amache was once an internment camp for nearly 10,000 Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes between 1942 and 1945. Now, after decades of preservation efforts by local volunteers, this site has officially become America's newest national park.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tiffany Chan, a 32-year-old dog owner based in Hong Kong. This essay has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider verified Chan's receipts.
Japan, slightly smaller geographically than California, boasts a much wider array of activities and attractions than most countries its size. Technically a volcanic archipelago consisting of four main islands, almost four-fifths of Japan is covered with mountains. The Japanese Alps run down the center of the largest island, Honshu. The highest peak and Japan's most famous mountain is Mount Fuji, a cone-shaped volcano considered sacred by many Japanese.
A trip to Japan offers travelers a range of unforgettable experiences, from sampling the rich culinary heritage to discovering remnants of the country's samurai past. What you might not know is that Japan is also a prime destination for outdoor adventure sports. If you are into skiing fine powder snow or diving with sea turtles, hiking sacred peaks or heading off on rural bike rides, Japan has all that and more.
Travelers can't get enough of Japan, voted the best country in the world in the 2023 Readers' Choice Awards. But until now, remote workers looking to live and work on the alluring archipelago were limited to 90-day stays.
If you’re on the lookout for a truly sustainable safari experiences that combines animal welfare with an unforgettable, immersive travel experience, then check out the tours offered by InsideAsia Tours and InsideJapan Tours.