The Japanese government has recently announced an action plan with the objective of increasing consumption by foreign visitors to Japan. This plan, which was approved at a ministerial meeting on Tuesday, focuses on attracting visitors for business, research, and other non-sightseeing purposes. The goal is to enhance their spending to ¥860 billion by 2025, representing a 20% increase compared to the pre-pandemic level in 2019. Rather than solely prioritizing the number of visitors, the action plan was developed to introduce a series of measures that encourage higher consumption by foreign visitors. In total, 78 measures will be implemented in three key areas: business, education and research, and culture, arts, sports, and nature.   One of the key objectives of the plan is to increase the number of international conferences hosted in Japan, aiming to reach the top five in the world rankings by 2030. Additionally, the plan seeks to raise the number of foreign visitors who visit...

“Unmasking" trend in Japan's service industry Starting from May 8, more companies in Japan's service industry plan to let their employees go maskless at work. This follows the government's decision to downgrade COVID-19 to a less-severe Category 5 under the infection diseases prevention law. The shift in anti-virus mask policies at these companies reflects the rising desire in the industry to return to pre-pandemic normality.   While some companies will maintain their mask-wearing mandates out of "consideration for customers," they appear to be in the minority. For example, employees of Hoshino Resort Co., a Nagano Prefecture-based operator of inns and hotels, will stop wearing masks at work on May 8. The company believes that it's important for the tourism industry that staff greet guests with a smile to communicate a welcoming feeling.   So far, Hoshino Resort's mask rules have been situation-based, such as whether staff members are indoor...