A crowd of tourists are seen at Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto, western Japan, March 30, 2023. Photo by Reuters
Japan, recently named the world’s most favorite destination, has tightened visa slots for Filipino travelers to manage the surge in tourist arrivals from the Southeast Asian country.
A travel agency official in Manila revealed that Japan’s embassy in the Philippines has reduced the daily cap on visa applications by about 50%, according to Kyodo News Agency.
The embassy is now advising Filipino tourists to submit their visa applications up to two months in advance, Mainichi reported.
Typically, Filipino travelers apply for Japan visas through authorized agencies.
Data from the Japan National Tourism Organization showed that 818,700 Filipinos visited Japan in 2024, marking a 31.6% increase from the previous year and setting a record high for the second consecutive year.
Within Southeast Asia, the Philippines ranked second after Thailand in terms of visitor numbers to Japan in 2024, but it recorded the highest growth rate.
Insiders attribute the surge in Filipino travelers to factors such as the weak yen and an increase in direct flights by budget airlines.
