Japan raises visa fees fivefold to tackle overtourism

Passport fees slashed to encourage more citizens to venture abroad

Narita Airport near Tokyo bustles with international visitors to Japan in June 2023. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)

TOKYO -- The Japanese government raised visa fees immediately for overseas travelers entering the country, while cutting passport application fees on Wednesday, as it looks to deal with a sharp rise in overseas visitor numbers and overtourism.