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The story
An event was held at Haneda Airport to mark the 60th anniversary of Japan Airlines’ (JAL) Haneda-New York route. Staff dressed in uniforms from the route’s launch era appeared to hand out commemorative gifts, while Motosada Komano, Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Economic Affairs Bureau, voiced concern over Japanese people’s “inward-looking” mindset, citing the low rate of passport ownership among Japanese citizens. According to JAL, the passenger mix on the route has shifted following the pandemic and the weak yen, with foreign travelers now accounting for roughly 60% of passengers. On 5ch, posters pointed to high prices and the weak yen in New York, and explained why they now choose domestic trips over overseas travel — with many attributing the “inward-looking” trend to economic circumstances rather than attitude.
On November 12, 2026, Japan Airlines (JAL) held an event at Haneda Airport to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its Tokyo-New York route. At the boarding gate, staff wearing uniforms from the era the route launched appeared and handed out commemorative gifts to passengers.
At the ceremony, Motosada Komano, Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Economic Affairs Bureau, noted the low rate of passport ownership among Japanese people and expressed hope for a revival in overseas travel and international exchange. Meanwhile, JAL executives revealed that the passenger makeup on the route has changed through the pandemic and the weak yen, with foreign travelers now making up about 60% of passengers.
■ Citing “Ultra Quiz” as an example: “We hope young people can reclaim that burning passion” (a reference to “America Oudan Ultra Quiz,” a beloved Japanese TV show from the 1980s built around overseas travel)
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
That kind of thing gets stopped at customs over there.
Though if you actually go to a proper supermarket locally, you can keep costs down.
Re: #54
In Manhattan, pizza's the better bet.
So we've even been overtaken by Portugal, which used to be called one of Europe's poorer countries lol
That data's from 2024, so with the yen weakening even further since then, we've probably been overtaken by the Czech Republic too… If the yen drops another 10% or so, Slovakia could pass us as well, and eventually we'll be down in South American territory…
Whose opinion is that?
You know what I hate most about traveling abroad?
Running into Japanese tour groups.
I avoid areas where they show up.
Chinese tourists, at least they're not speaking Japanese —
they're just loud, so their bad manners don't bother me as much.
Plus the lack of time off.
Even these days, there are companies where just trying to take two consecutive days off gets you major side-eye.
Highly recommend it.
As a bonus, you might get to see the Big Boy steam locomotive running right now too.
Foreign countries are great.
It's like your life changes, or really
it genuinely does.
If you think of prices and wages compounding over time, that's probably where it's headed.
Once the baby boomer generation (dankai sedai) is gone, the age balance will return to normal, so things should get better than they are now.
Most of Japan's problems come down to the baby boomer generation.
That's because their self-righteous, world-reforming populism and customer harassment (kasu-hara, abusive behavior toward service workers) caused the deflation.
The thing is, benefits received far outweigh the burden paid in — if a population bulge like the baby boomers keeps dodging their share of the burden going forward, a massive bill gets passed down to later generations. There'll be nothing left but the squeezed-out dregs.
The last few years, it's become my routine: summer in Hokkaido (various cities and towns), winter in Okinawa (northern Okinawa, Ishigaki, Miyako, the outer islands)
2 to 3 weeks each.
Honestly, I don't think there's anything more boring than domestic sightseeing. Places I went to for college or for work back in the day, sure, I'd like to revisit those — but that feels a bit different from "tourism."
I don't do the well-packaged domestic tourism thing.
Two reasons:
The middle-aged and elderly people around you have bad manners.
You don't get service worth what you paid for.
So instead I travel abroad independently.
I go to places that aren't tourist spots.
20 years ago, that would've been easy, no problem.
These days Japanese airlines are actually cheaper than US carriers, you know…
Background and Key Points of This Topic
This event is part of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs campaign to encourage passport acquisition and international exchange, and Komano’s remarks should be read in that context. The figure JAL disclosed — that roughly 60% of passengers are now foreign — reflects how the post-pandemic recovery in inbound demand and the yen-driven surge in foreign visitors have unfolded alongside stagnant outbound travel by Japanese citizens. Opinion on the thread split between those who see the decline in overseas travel as a matter of “inward-looking” attitudes and those who see it as the result of economic constraints like the weak yen and high prices. Some also pointed to a work environment where it’s difficult to take paid leave, suggesting structural factors beyond a simple “inward-looking” narrative are at play.
*This article is composed of excerpts and a summary from the 5ch (News Flash+) thread “JAL’s NY Route Turns 60, Japanese Passengers Down to 40% — Foreign Ministry Official Warns of ‘Inward-Looking’ Mindset.”
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