Kyoto Prefecture recorded more than 30 million overnight visitors last year, reinforcing its status as one of Japan’s most popular travel destinations. (News On Japan)

A fierce debate has erupted in western Japan over plans to extend the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture to Shin-Osaka, as competing route proposals, political rivalries, and local opposition have thrown the decades-long project back into uncertainty. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government approved a bill on March 10th to revise the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act to establish an electronic travel authorization system called JESTA that would screen foreign visitors before they arrive in Japan. (News On Japan)