In this week’s news roundup, foreign visitors continue to flock to Japan in record numbers. We also report on a third-generation Korean woman living in Japan who is suing a Tokyo hotel operator, claiming she was unfairly refused accommodation. Shinjiro Koizumi takes over from Taku Eto as agriculture minister. The National Diet enacts a revised law aimed at curbing predatory behavior at male host clubs. The remains of a Connecticut mother are found in Japan two years after she went missing. And Yuki Tsunoda survives a terrifying crash before finishing 10th at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Italy.
Number of Foreign Visitors to Japan Hits Record High in April
Foreign visitors continue to flock to Japan in record numbers. According to data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) on Wednesday, the country received some 14.45 million foreign arrivals in the first four months of 2025, compared to 11.60 million for the same period last year. April saw a single-month record of 3.91 million inbound tourists, a 25.8% rise from 12 months earlier. It’s also the first time the figure has topped the 3.9 million mark. The previous high was in January, when 3.78 million foreign visitors arrived in Japan.
“Spring cherry blossom season boosted demand for visits to Japan in many markets, as in the previous month, and overseas travel demand increased in some Asian countries, in Europe, the US and Australia to coincide with the Easter holidays,” said the JNTO. Most visitors in April came from China (765,100), ahead of South Korea (721,600) and Taiwan (537,600). Inbound tourists from Canada (72,600) and Great Britain (69,500) hit record monthly highs. Speaking at Wednesday’s press conference, Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Naoya Haraikawa said the number of foreign visitors this year may exceed 45 million.
Korean Resident in Japan Sues Hotel Operator, Claiming She Was ‘Unfairly Refused Accommodation’
Shinjiro Koizumi Named New Agriculture Minister After Taku Eto Resigns Due to Rice Gaffe
On Wednesday, Taku Eto became the first minister to resign from Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet. His position became untenable after he said that he “had never had to buy rice” as he got it free from supporters. Speaking at a political fundraising party on Sunday, he added that he received so much of it, he had enough to sell. The comments angered consumers who are having to deal with skyrocketing prices for the country’s staple grain. Eto later apologized, stating that he exaggerated the point. The damage, however, had already been done.
“Eto decided to resign because if the confusion over his remark had continued, it would affect the implementation of agricultural policies. I approved his offer,” said Prime Minister Ishiba. Following Eto’s resignation, Shinjiro Koizumi was appointed as the new agriculture minister. “I was instructed to put rice before anything,” the former Environment Minister told reporters. “At this difficult time, I will do my utmost to address the high rice prices that people are struggling with daily.” The current price of rice is around double what it was a year ago.
Japan Takes Aim at Predatory Practices in Host Clubs
On Tuesday, the National Diet enacted a revised law aimed at curbing predatory behavior at male host clubs. The new legislation prohibits establishments from threatening to force indebted customers into prostitution or jobs in the sex industry. It also bans manipulative sales tactics, such as telling customers they will no longer be allowed to see their preferred host or that the host will face penalties, like demotion, unless the customer continues to spend money on drinks and food. The amended law is set to take effect within six months of promulgation.
Any business seen violating these new regulations will receive a warning and instructions to change their policies. Those that fail to comply will be threatened with the revocation of their business license. In addition, operators of sex-related businesses are now prohibited from paying male hosts to introduce women to work in their establishments. Violations of this provision could result in up to six months in prison, a fine of up to ¥1 million, or both. According to the National Police Agency, there were 2,776 consultations nationwide related to male host clubs in 2024.
The GoFundMe page for Patricia Wu-Murad
Remains of Connecticut Mother Found in Japan Two Years After She Went Missing
The body of Patricia Wu-Murad, a mother of three from Connecticut, has been discovered more than two years after she went missing along the Kumano Kodo trail in Nara. Her husband, Kirk, announced the news on Saturday on the Facebook page the family set up to help find her. According to the message, on April 27, a member of the original US research team retraced the area where Wu-Murad’s backpack had been discovered in September 2024. He then found several of her personal items and what appeared to be a femur.
“He delivered the remains to the local Japanese police, who confirmed they were human,” read the message. “DNA testing was performed, and on May 9, we were notified that the remains were a match to Pattie, through comparison with our daughter’s DNA.” Wu-Murad disappeared on April 10, 2023, after checking out of a guesthouse in Higashiomi city. She planned to follow a scenic hiking trail to Osaka, which was expected to take between seven and nine hours. After she failed to show up at the Taiyo-no-yu guesthouse that evening, staff called the police to report her missing.
Yuki Tsunoda Recovers After Terrifying Crash To Finish 10th at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
Japanese Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda walked away unscathed on Saturday despite his Red Bull car somersaulting into barriers while he was driving at approximately 240 kilometers per hour during the qualifying round for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. He started from the pit lane the following day after his mechanics pieced the vehicle back together. A determined single-stop strategy salvaged a point for the Sagamihara-born driver as he finished 10th. The race was won by his teammate, Max Verstappen. The Dutchman is now third, 22 points behind leader Oscar Piastri from Australia. Britain’s Lando Norris is second.
In men’s soccer, Daichi Kamada became the first Japanese player to start in the FA Cup final. He played the full 90 minutes as Crystal Palace defeated Man City 1-0 to claim the club’s first major trophy in its 120-year history. In the English topflight, Kaoru Mitoma scored his 10th league goal of the season as Brighton defeated Liverpool 3-2. Ritsu Doan, meanwhile, grabbed his 10th Bundesliga goal in Freiburg’s 3-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt. In Portugal, Hidemasa Morita helped Sporting CP win the league for the second successive year. In the women’s FA Cup final, Hinata Miyazawa’s Man Utd lost 3-0 to Chelsea, for whom Maika Hamano was an unused substitute.
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