Top News

According to the latest Henley Passport Index, Japanese passport holders can travel to 190 destinations without a visa, only after Singapore’s 193.

Despite this remarkable privilege, only 17.5% of Japanese citizens currently own a passport, based on recent research from the Newt travel app.

This rate is significantly lower than that of other developed economies such as South Korea (40%), the United States (50%), and Taiwan (60%), the South China Morning Post reported.

Japan has historically had low passport ownership, hovering between 22% and 24% during the 2010s, The Japan Times noted. The number dropped further during the Covid pandemic and has remained low ever since.

Hiroshi Tanimura, CEO of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), attributed the decline to several factors: the weakened yen, soaring international airfares, and growing concerns about safety in foreign destinations.

The yen’s recent 35% depreciation has made overseas travel prohibitively expensive for many middle-income earners.

In addition, rising reports of gun violence, tourist-targeted crimes, and thefts abroad have made Japanese travelers increasingly wary of venturing overseas.

As a result, more people are opting for domestic travel instead.

Experts are urging the Japanese government to roll out initiatives that promote international exposure for young citizens such as offering free passports to first-time travelers.

Japan, named the world’s most favorite travel destination last year by readers of Condé Nast Traveler, has seen a record number of foreign tourists recently. The country welcomed 21.5 million tourists in the first six months of the year, a 21% increase year-on-year.