
Record number of foreign passengers used Narita Airport in June
The increase was led by flights to and from China, Narita Airport said.
The total number of international passengers, including Japanese, at the airport in Chiba Prefecture, was up 2% in June, at 2,670,104.
In the January-June period, the number of non-Japanese international passengers using the airport climbed 15% from a year earlier to 12,224,789, a record for the first half, thanks to brisk demand for short-distance flights within Asia and a weak yen.
The overall number of international passengers, including Japanese, at the airport jumped 12% to 17,333,344.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Mainichi
8 hours ago
- The Mainichi
'Speaking' tactile sidewalks enrich lives of visually impaired in Japan
KANAZAWA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Tactile paving for people with visual impairments in Japan has recently been enhanced with audio guidance, as the developers of the technology aim to improve the lives of people with partial sight and assist sighted tourists. The new braille blocks are marked with black stickers in special patterns. By scanning the coded blocks with a smartphone camera and app, users can listen to audio information about the location and its surroundings. "There is a zone where people can enjoy the smells of earth and young green leaves on the right side, about 2 meters ahead," a voice from a smartphone said as Ikuko Kawaguchi tried the system in a trial held in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, in April. "I'm excited that I can visualize the scenes," said the visually impaired 61-year-old, adding, "The system encourages me to go out alone." The system was jointly developed by the laboratory of Kanazawa Institute of Technology professor Kunio Matsui and Tokyo-based W&M systems LLC. Those behind the technology hope it can also be made available to tourists and foreigners as they walk the streets of Japan, whether they are sighted or not. The special braille blocks were first introduced in Kanazawa, central Japan, in 2019 and have since been installed in other areas, appearing at train stations, pedestrian streets and public offices in 10 prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, as of April. The developers plan to make the system available in multiple languages and are considering enabling it to answer questions by incorporating generative artificial intelligence capabilities. "We want more people to understand the importance of braille blocks as we enhance their functions and expand their use," Matsui said.


Japan Times
11 hours ago
- Japan Times
Japan's new auto sales log first fall in seven months
New automobile sales in Japan in July fell 3.6% from a year before to 390,516 units, marking the first fall in seven months, industry data have shown. The drop included declines of over 10% for Nissan and Honda. Of the total, sales of passenger and freight vehicles declined 4.2% to 252,196 units, and minivehicle sales dropped 2.6% to 138,320 units, according to the data released Friday by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association. Nissan's sales fell 18.9%, reflecting delays in releasing new models. Honda posted a 12.3% drop, while Toyota and Subaru also saw their sales fall. On the other hand, Mitsubishi Motors and Mazda continued to post strong sales figures.


Kyodo News
16 hours ago
- Kyodo News
"Speaking" tactile sidewalks enrich lives of visually impaired
KANAZAWA, Japan - Tactile paving for people with visual impairments in Japan has recently been enhanced with audio guidance, as the developers of the technology aim to improve the lives of people with partial sight and assist sighted tourists. The new braille blocks are marked with black stickers in special patterns. By scanning the coded blocks with a smartphone camera and app, users can listen to audio information about the location and its surroundings. "There is a zone where people can enjoy the smells of earth and young green leaves on the right side, about 2 meters ahead," a voice from a smartphone said as Ikuko Kawaguchi tried the system in a trial held in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, in April. "I'm excited that I can visualize the scenes," said the visually impaired 61-year-old, adding, "The system encourages me to go out alone." The system was jointly developed by the laboratory of Kanazawa Institute of Technology professor Kunio Matsui and Tokyo-based W&M systems LLC. Those behind the technology hope it can also be made available to tourists and foreigners as they walk the streets of Japan, whether they are sighted or not. The special braille blocks were first introduced in Kanazawa, central Japan, in 2019 and have since been installed in other areas, appearing at train stations, pedestrian streets and public offices in 10 prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, as of April. The developers plan to make the system available in multiple languages and are considering enabling it to answer questions by incorporating generative artificial intelligence capabilities. "We want more people to understand the importance of braille blocks as we enhance their functions and expand their use," Matsui said.