Visitors to Japan Hit Single-Month Record High in April

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
People in short sleeves take photos in the Asakusa district of Taito Ward, Tokyo, in February 2024.
Tokyo, May 21 (Jiji Press)—The monthly number of foreign visitors to Japan hit a record high in April amid the cherry blossom season, a Japan National Tourism Organization report showed Wednesday.
The number of inbound visitors is estimated to have risen 28.5 pct from a year before to 3,908,900 in April, topping 3.9 million for the first time for a single month.
Demand for travel to Japan, especially from China, Hong Kong, the United States and Australia, surged as cherry blossoms bloomed in many parts of the country. The reporting month also included Easter holidays.
By country or region, the number of visitors from mainland China jumped 43..4 pct to 765,100, followed by 721,600 visitors from South Korea, up 9.1 pct, 537,600 from Taiwan, up 16.9 pct, and 327,500 from the United States, up 43.1 pct.
The record monthly figure 'seems to be attributed to brisk demand in China for visiting Japan and an increase in the number of flights,' Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa said at a press conference.
Meanwhile, the number of Japanese nationals traveling overseas rose 8.2 pct to 961,000 in April, after tow consecutive months of double-digit growth.
The slower increase is apparently because this year's Golden Week holiday period from late April to early May included several weekdays, and also due to a decrease in the number of travelers to Thailand following a major earthquake in neighboring Myanmar in late March.

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Sulnoon: Serving Up the Authentic Flavor of Pyongyang Cold Noodles in Chiba

Korean-style cold noodles is a familiar dish in Japan, where it is known as reimen . Brought by Korean immigrants in the 1950s, the chewy noodles in chilled broth are relished as a cooling treat during the warmer months and other times of the year. Moon Yeon-hee takes the cuisine back to its northern roots at her restaurant Sulnoon with a recipe for Pyongyang cold noodles that has been in her family for generations. The tradition of making the noodles started with her grandmother, who operated a restaurant specializing in raengmyon , the North Korean variation of the dish, in Haeju in South Hwanghae Province. Her mother also served up bowls as a cook at one of the best hotels in Pyongyang and taught the technique to Moon, who now carries on the culinary tradition. Moon followed a circuitous route to Japan after fleeing her homeland when she was 25. Wanting to share the traditional flavors of her home with Japan, she opened Sulnoon with her Japanese husband in the prefectural capital of Chiba in March 2024. The restaurant's name means 'New Year snow' in Korean, carrying with it an auspicious connotation of good things to come. A bowl of Pyongyang cold noodles at Sulnoon. (© Gomi Yoji) Pyongyang cold noodles are made primarily from buckwheat flour, giving them a distinct fragrance and dark tint not unlike Japanese soba. The dish dates from around North Korea's founding in 1948. It first appeared at stalls and restaurants in the capital and quickly proved a popular favorite, with connoisseurs even purporting that the flavor would haunt the dreams of anyone who had eaten a bowl. The dish has deep cultural and social importance as the culinary symbol of the North Korean capital. When South Korean President Moon Jae-in met his counterpart Kim Jong-un for a historic summit in 2018, the leaders famously dined on raengmyon prepared by a chef from the iconic Pyongyang restaurant Okryugwan, sparking interest in the noodles in the south. Moon notes that most renditions of cold noodles enjoyed today have changed from the original form of the dish. In North Korea, for instance, starch is commonly added to noodles to make them chewier, and chicken is the norm for making the broth rather than pheasant meat, which was used early on. Toppings typically include generous helpings of sliced cucumber and pear along with boiled eggs. In South Korean, too, the dish has taken on a distinct local flair as Pyongyang cold noodle restaurants, most of which were opened by northerners who came around the Korean War (1950–53), have adjusted their offerings to match local tastes. Japan's Morioka reimen is another regional rendition that features wheat noodles stiffened with starch and a soup made from beef, pork, and chicken topped with a hardy serving of kimchi to add a touch of heat and sourness. At Sulnoon, though, Moon recreates the authentic taste of Pyongyang's beloved dish. She makes her noodles in the traditional style with buckwheat flour and uses beef, pork, chicken, and all-natural seasonings to create her stock, making certain to carefully skim off any impurities for a clear broth rich in flavor. Customers who prefer more of a kick can ask for red chili paste, but the clear soup is the best way to experience the original flavor of raengmyon . Moon Yeon-hee at her restaurant Sulnoon, near Keisei Inage Station. (© Gomi Yoji) Whispers from the Outside Moon was born in the eastern port city of Wonsan in 1991, where lived until her parents moved to Pyongyang when she was in junior high. However, her family roots are in the south of the Korean Peninsula and Japan. In the 1930s, her grandparents left their home on Jeju Island and settled in Asakusa in Tokyo, where they served in the leadership of Chongryon (the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan). When North Korea called on Zainichi Koreans (ethnic Koreans living in Japan) to return during the repatriation movement (1959–1984), her grandparents along with her mother and father, who were still children at the time, were among the initial wave of the some 93,000 people who eventually relocated from Japan. Boats moored at a port in Wonsan, North Korea. (© Pixta) Moon's family was well off by North Korean standards. When famine ravaged the country in the mid-1990s, they received financial support from connections in Japan and were mostly untouched by the calamity, although the hordes of orphaned children called kotjebi who roamed the streets in search of food served as a stark reminder of the disaster. Although among the privileged class, Moon began to harbor doubts about her homeland. In high school she witnessed the public execution of a friend who had been caught selling pirated DVDs of South Korean dramas, a shocking event that struck her as inordinately cruel. Having connections with Japan made her and her family members the brunt of discrimination and claims of having been 'poisoned' by capitalist ideas. Moon's skepticism grew, and seeing no future for herself in North Korea, she made the decision to flee to the south. A Treacherous Journey Getting out of the country was an arduous and dangerous task. The first leg of her journey was a 12-hour car ride from Pyongyang north to the border town of Hyesan. There she paid a Chinese broker $3,000 to facilitate her escape. On a dark, rainy May night, she crossed the swollen river dividing North Korea from China alone and spent the next two days waking nonstop without food or water to evade Chinese authorities. Over the next three weeks she made her way by train and car to Laos, where she charged into the South Korean embassy and asked for asylum. A truck crosses from China to North Korea over the Tumen Border Bridge in 2009. (© Jiji) Having made her escape, Moon settled into a new life in South Korea. She initially relied on government support provided to those who had defected from the north, which included a monthly stipend, a one-room apartment, and basic necessities. She found work and studied to become a certified bookkeeper She felt immense gratitude for being welcomed into South Korean society and took citizenship after about a year—she remembers tears welling up in her eyes the first time she looked at her new passport. Her mother and younger brother had also defected, and in 2019 the three opened a Pyongyang cold noodle shop in Seoul. Recreating the Flavor of Home Running her restaurant, it was obvious that her beloved raengmyon was in decline. North Korea was still shut to foreigners due to the pandemic and many of the Pyongyang cold noodle restaurants in China and Southeast Asia had been forced out of business by UN sanctions. In Japan, too, the dish had changed to fit local tastes, making an authentic bowl almost impossible to find. It was around this time that Moon met and married her Japanese husband Katsumata Shigeru. Looking at the state of raengmyon and hearing stories from her parents' time in Asakusa, she was inspired to come to Japan and open a restaurant specializing in cold noodles based on her mother's recipe. When the couple opened Sulnoon, Moon's story drew the media's attention, bringing with it a steady stream of customers eager to try 'real' Pyongyang cold noodles. The cozy shop quickly gained a reputation as a must-try place, and it still enjoys a steady stream of weekend foot traffic. Dappokusha Support Network Moon is among some 200 North Korean defectors, known as dappokusha in Japanese, who have settled in Japan. Most, like Moon, are from long-established Zainichi Korean families. South Korea, by contrast, has around 33,000 North Korean defectors, to whom the government provides training programs and other assistance to aid in adjusting to life in the country, which has enabled many to forge successful careers in fields like journalism, politics, and business. Japan, on the other hand, lacks a well-established support system for dappokusha . The Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan) offers some assistance, but the amount is far below what most recipients need to become fully independent. Subsequently, many dappokusha are forced into insecure jobs in construction or the night entertainment industry just to make ends meet. Dappokusha are stigmatized in Japan, but Moon is open about being from North Korean and readily shares about her life and experiences in the country as well as her escape. She is aware that some people are prejudiced toward Koreans, but she is undaunted by such views, declaring that 'I want to show what life is like for North Koreans. It's a dark reality, but by being frank and upfront about it, I want to change people's perspective for the better.' Looking Back, Looking Forward Japan has proved to be different from what Moon initially expected. 'In South Korea, I often heard that Japanese can be quite cold and distant,' she says. 'But nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone has been so incredibly kind and supportive.' She looks forward to interacting with her customers each day, some of whom have traveled from as far away as Hokkaidō and Okinawa just to taste her Pyongyang cold noodles, and takes great pleasure in hearing their satisfied exclamations after a meal. The homemade kimchi she serves at the restaurant has been especially well received, and Moon's next ambition is to establish a factory to up production, confidently declaring, 'I've set myself a goal of five years.' Moon packs her homemade kimchi. (© Gomi Yoji) Moon has big dreams, including opening restaurants in other areas of Japan. As she plans for the future, she takes strength from her memory of crossing the swollen river at the North Korean border on that dark, rainy night. 'Nothing compares to the fear I felt at that moment,' she says, a smile spreading across her face. 'Not even close.' The interior of Sulnoon. (© Yamashita Tatsuo) Sulnoon 2-5-27 Chitose Building 1F, Inage Ward, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture Tel.: 043-216-2866 Open 11:30 am to 2:30 pm for lunch, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm for dinner (except on Tuesdays) Closed Wednesdays and the second and fourth Tuesday of each month (Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Moon Yeon-hee and her husband Katsumata Shigeru; Sulnoon's specialty, Pyongyang cold noodles. © Gomi Yoji.)

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2 SDF planes leave Japan for Djibouti for possible Mideast evacuation

KYODO NEWS - 4 minutes ago - 17:46 | All, Japan Two Self-Defense Forces planes departed Japan on Saturday for eastern Africa to stand by for a possible evacuation of Japanese nationals from the Middle East amid mounting safety concerns over the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The C-2 transport planes left Miho Air Base in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, carrying about 120 personnel, according to the Defense Ministry. They will stand by at a Self-Defense Forces base in Djibouti, with no specific airlift plans at present as major airports in Israel and Iran remain closed. Since Israeli strikes on Iran on June 13, the two countries have exchanged attacks, with tensions further escalating after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested using military options to pressure Tehran to abandon its nuclear program. On Friday, a total of 87 Japanese nationals and their family members were evacuated, with 66 traveling from Iran to Azerbaijan and 21 from Israel to Jordan on government-arranged buses, according to the Foreign Ministry. Before the bus evacuation began, about 280 Japanese citizens were in Iran, and around 1,000 were in Israel, the ministry said. On Tuesday, Japan raised the travel alert for all of Iran to its highest, Level 4, advising nationals to "evacuate and avoid all travel." Most of Israel has remained subject to the second-highest Level 3 advisory, which urges people to "avoid all travel." Related coverage: 87 Japanese nationals, family members evacuated from Iran, Israel

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15 hours ago

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All you need to know about Japan's unasked-for restaurant appetizers that you have to pay for

Otoshi is a unique part of Japan's restaurant culture that can feel like a scam if you're not ready for it. With record-breaking numbers of foreign tourists visiting Japan, that means there are also record-breaking numbers of foreign tourists eating in Japanese restaurants. And while there's a lot to love about dining out in Japan, from delicious food to sterling service, there's also a potentially awkward, annoying, and confusing aspect to it. When eating at non-fast-food restaurants in Japan, right after you're seated the waitstaff will usually bring you a moist towel. Some restaurants might bring you a cup of tea as well, and another possibility is that your server will bring you an appetizer in a small dish. However, while unasked-for towels and tea are complementary services, the small dish of food is not, and you will be required to pay for it. This unsolicited appetizer is called an otoshi, which comes from the word tosu meaning to pass or be led though, as in a customer being led through the restaurant's entrance to their seat. In the vast majority of restaurants that have otoshi, the type of food you're brought is entirely up to the restaurant, so you won't be asked what sort of otoshi you'd like. A plate will simply be brought to the table for every member of your party, generally with the waitstaff matter-of-factly saying Otoshi desu or Otoshi de gozaimasu ('Here is your otoshi'). The otoshi is never anything particularly fancy, often some pickled or simmered vegetables, a bit of tofu, or a morsel of meat or fish (the otoshi in the photo above is a few omelet slices and some squid). It's also never very big. Most otoshi can be consumed entirely in two or three big bites. And no, otoshi aren't especially tasty either. While they sometimes use regional or seasonal ingredients, otoshi are routinely the most forgettable part of the meal, in terms of flavor, and there aren't any restaurants that have customers lining up because of their high-quality otoshi. ▼ Shredded cabbage with a bit of dressing, served as an otoshi So why do otoshi exist? As a substitute for service charges. Japan, famously, has no tipping in its restaurant culture, and while bars (as in places that serve drinks only) often have a table charge, restaurants generally don't. The otoshi is a sort of compromise: the restaurant doesn't want to charge customers simply for the privilege of dining within its walls, but the otoshi's small portion size and simple ingredients mean the cost to make them is negligible, and so the price customers pay for otoshi is almost entirely profit. Still, for many foreign travelers in Japan, being bought something you didn't order, aren't allowed to send back, and yet have to pay for can be shocking, and perhaps the most confusing thing of all is that rarely, if ever, do restaurants mention how much they charge for their otoshi until they bring you your bill. There's no sign at the door or sticker on the menu letting you know how much extra you're going to have to pay for your meal. You might expect that that sort of vagueness would make Japanese people angry too, but the otoshi system causes very few arguments between Japanese customers and restaurants. It's rare for otoshi to be less than 300 yen (US$2.10), most are 600 yen or less, and even at more expensive places they're unlikely to hit quadruple-digit prices. So when Japanese people are going out to eat at izakaya (Japanese-style pubs), 'dining bars' (i.e. fancy izakaya), or high-end traditional Japanese restaurants, the types of restaurants where otoshi are most commonly encountered, they're generally braced to pay about 500 yen or so more than the cost of the food and drinks they ordered. What's more, the clientele at those kinds of restaurants tends to be either groups of friends or coworkers, for whom splitting the bill is the norm in Japan, or couples on dates, and so generally no individual person themselves is paying all that much extra. Meanwhile, at fast food or casual restaurants, including teishokuya (set meal restaurants), ramen joints, and revolving sushi restaurants, the sorts of places where you might find a family dining together and a parent paying for several other people's meals, there's no otoshi. Still, it's understandable if you, as a traveler in Japan, feel uneasy about otoshi. Maybe you're still new to the Japanese restaurant scene and not 100-percent confident you can tell an izakaya from a teishokuya, or maybe you're on a tight budget and not in a position to take a loosey-goosey attitude about how much your dinner is going to cost. And yes, while they're by no means common, there are unscrupulous restaurants in Japan that charge exorbitant prices for woefully small and low-quality otoshi, but picking up on their shady aura can be tricky if you're only recently arrived in the country. So with that in mind, here are two Japanese phrases to keep in your linguistic back pocket in case you want to confirm the otoshi situation before you sit down and get brought a dish: ● Otoshi wa arimasu ka? / お通しはありますか？ 'Is there an otoshi?' ● Otoshidai wa ikura desu ka? / お通し代はいくらですか？ 'How much is the otoshi charge?' That way you can be sure that you and the restaurant are on the same page regarding Japan's appetizers that don't appear on the menu. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Follow Casey on Twitter, where he could really go for some chilled edamame right now.