Submitted by grandlewis t3_10hf5pi in todayilearned
It has a lot to do with the lack of time for holidays and the fact that so many people all go on holiday at the same time which jacks up the prices.
You also have to factor in the fear many have of interacting with foreigners, the fear of crime/terrorism, and the amount of time it takes to get from Japan to countries they might like to visit.
Makes sense although lack of holidays isn’t really an excuse since we actually do have many. All your other points makes sense though. If Japan was accessible by land I bet a lot more people would have passports
There are lots of national holidays but they are a bit short for international travel unless you count Golden Week, that's a nightmare time to travel. I'd rather stay in the city where it's nice and quiet lol
Otherwise, a lot of personal holiday time goes unused.
Well that doesn't really explain their lack of domestic travel. I've had many Japanese students that were shocked I took the shankesein to different places each day. Even 3 hours away.
It's like you guys have a bullet train across your entire country of course I'm going to use it.
So yeah I'd say it more has to do with culture and work culture. As the Japanese I talked to even found my domestic travel around Japan odd.
Taking the shinkansen every day can be very expensive.
Also, many students don't have much free time or energy after school (sometimes six days a week), homework, club, juku, and any other after school activities.
My son is a student and he likes to travel on the trains but he can only really do it once a week by getting up at 4am on Saturdays.
They can also be xenophobic society. Why learn about other cultures when ours is superior mentality.
No, not even close. Many Japanese people actually aspire to travel to other countries, but are afraid of not being able to speak the language, understand customs, etc not to mention it can be pretty far to get to many places outside of Asia (even Singapore is a 6 hour plane ride from Tokyo and so many people have to travel hours just to get to their nearest airport). So the mentality then becomes, "why leave and go somewhere that's going to stress me out when there are all these places within Japan that I have yet to see and be understood?"
now THAT is a wild generalization.
dont forget their work culture, its normal for many of them to sleep overnight in the office or come way eariler to work just to look good in front of bosses, taking vacations would work against that
No, that’s not normal and very much an anomaly. I’ve worked in Japan for the last 15+ years
But that guy read a TIL once and now knows the ins and outs of Japanese culture!
That guy’s a noob! I learned everything about Japan from this episode of some anime my friend made me watch in high school. I don’t remember what it was called, but it had a floating turtle and some boy living with a bunch of girls.
Also, fun fact! In Japan, a fish in your shorts is 8 years of neither good nor bad luck! The Japanese are very superstitious.
Why do many Koreans travel overseas then? It's the same or even worse situation work wise.
This. On average its what 10 days off per year? Not including golden week where some businesses obviously don't close. They do want to travel its just the time off isn't there.
Okay so japanese people should not be so racist is that what you are trying to say?
Have to say I've met a few groups of Japanese natives who put it to use while working,
One thing most of them had in common they always opened up when they recognized the Evangelion shirt I would always wear.
There were so many Japanese Tourists running around the world back in their economic heyday, that one of the most done to death jokes in 1980s movies was "the Japanese Tour Group blundering into somewhere they shouldn't be."
Even during the doped up bubble economy days it was just the rich people being very visible overseas. Most of my Japanese relatives never left the country during the 80’s. The thing is Japan never really had much of the lower middle-class travellers who are willing to make some major compromises on their travels
I watched a YouTube clip talking about that. One of the reasons is that there are only (I think) 4 passp ok rt processing centers in Japan and they're all in Tokyo and you have to make multiple visits to get one. The bureaucracy doesn't make it convenient even for Tokyo residents to get one. So the people with the passport tend to be business people who need it.
not true, you can get a passport in every city
I misread it. It was talking about Tokyo. There are only 4 passport centers in Tokyo: Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Yurakucho, and Tachikawa. Sounds like plenty but Tokyo is a city of 14 million people. There are fairly onerous documentation requirements like family register (koseki 戸籍) that I think you have to visit another government office to print and the minimum wait time is 6 days, not counting weekends and holidays. So it takes a minimum of 2 separate trips on weekdays (closed on weekends) because there's no expedited processing option. That inconvenience is one of the reasons why only 21% of the Japanese people have a passport.
does this have to do with the anime addiction? people don't wanna leave after work/school to go to Tokyo because there 1) is so much anime to consume and b) Tokyo has lots of anime stalls (so on the way to the passport processing centers they have to walk by lots of anime vendors and they can't control themselves and get sidetracked = lower % of passport people bc they don't make it before closing time).
The number of students going overseas is going down too. The current generation is more inward oriented than their parents or grandparents. A real shame. The lack of perspective and knowing what’s out there really limits progress here.
Japanese people are older, travelling abroad requires energy many don’t have.
Hawaii disagrees.
That's no different from other countries.
Too bad about the xenophobia though. Just browsing the Japan sub and through other sources, it seems that way.
For those looking to live in Japan, I recommend This guide I came across it maybe 10 years ago, very inspiring. Even better if you're into photography.
Japanese don't like foreigners. Full stop. Not just outside their country but they dislike immigration and its very difficult for foreigners to even rent accommodation in Japan. Very discriminatory.
As someone who has studied and worked overseas, I feel like true passport power is how many countries you can live in visa free.
The Europeans I know really tend to take for granted that they can just move from one country to another (ANY other country) and just get a job without having to get visa sponsorship.
That's a good point. When I moved to Sweden, I just found an apartment on the internet, went to see it and signed the contract, and then a couple weeks later I moved in.
Admittedly, I did need to do a lot of paperwork and apply for all kinds of various things, but it was more like a formality.
Then I started working in Sweden. No questions asked about if I can work, or work permits, or when my visa will expire or whatever.
How does that work with taxes and stuff? I'm assuming each country in the EU has a different tax system so you're a citizen of another country how does that work tax wise
Exactly! I'm still learning about Swedish taxes, social security, medical insurance and so on. And certain countries have special agreements where you can live in one and work in the other under some circumstances. It is very messy because there are so many little extra agreements. But it's more like, extra little rules you can use to your advantage. It just takes time to wrap your head around all of it.
In general, you pay taxes in the country where you work. And you are covered by social security there as well. And if you're unemployed, it's the country you live in.
I used to be European :(
I feel your pain. At least we have all these Brexit bonuses to make up for everything we've lost... right?
Indeed!
Brexit?
Brexit.
Life is an array of choices. Some of them very impactful and with little power over them.
ok store brand Cormac McCarthy
Certainly wasn’t my choice!
In some regards, the US is like this. Yes, the entire US is under one federal government. But you can freely move from state to state and be in an entirely different legal, cultural and social environment, not to mention the change in climate and geography. You can pick up today and move from Massachusetts to Texas and I promise you it will be like moving to a different country.
If the difference is between Wales and England, you're right that is what going to another state feels like.
If the difference is between Sweden and Greece, I don't know what to tell you.
I feel like moving from Minnesota to Hawaii is about as different as Sweden to Greece minus the common language part. Completely different climate, culture, social norms, industries, cuisine, architecture styling. Even from Nevada to Wyoming would be way different than your UK example and they are both in the west and have the similar sparsely populated vibe, but so different!
Have you been to Sweden, Greece, England and Wales?
I have not, not a huge fan of Europe travel, I stick to South America, Asia and recently Middle East. But I have seen pics and met people from there. I honestly don’t care enough to continue this debate and maybe you are right, it’s way more different, I just don’t think non U.S. people fully grasp how different the states can be. That’s all I’m saying.
> I just don’t think non U.S. people fully grasp how different the states can be.
As an American... Americans way over rate it too.
Sweden and Greece are Wayyyy more different than Minnesota and Hawaii will ever be. The US and the EU are just not comparable in that sense.
So you have zero experience in those countries yet still are confident enough to make statements about them.
Yea I've got no interest continuing a debate with someone who doesn't know what they're talking about either.
Calm down, no one is attacking you or belittling your superior European cultures. It’s just an opinion.
Oh god you're cringe as fuck.
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Plus not all countries are equal. I don't think it should be a number game I think it should be what countries are actually worth being able to travel to or work in
100%, Irish can live and work both in the UK and EU, no questions asked. On top of getting a lot of visa free or visa on arrival access. What is really a powerful passport is one where you can get visas without ridiculous admin like bank guarantees and host letters
I am not too sure if I interpret this correctly but Germany and Spain should be the most "powerful" in the sense that they do not need a passport to travel within EU regions but Singapore need a passport to travel to EU. I.e. for Germany and Spain, EU countries are excluded in the counting of the 190 but Japan will include the EU countries in the 193. Hence Germany and Spain can access more countries without a need for a visa.
> EU countries are excluded in the counting of the 190
They are included in the count. Germany counts towards Spain's "passport" power and vice versa. You can get the list and count yourself.
What causes it to change? Canada was the second most powerful in 2014 and is now 8th with 186 countries.
Covid.
Probably Covid, but you also had some random changes before. Comparing Canada to Germany: Iran, Myanmar, Turkey, Venezuela, Vietnam are visa-free with a German passport but not a Canadian one.
Japan is more Asia-focused (no surprise), in particular it has visa-free access to China and India while the other two do not.
Post Brexit I think there's an argument for Irish passports to be considered the most powerful.
I believe it's the only passport in the world right now that allows full freedom of movement within the EU and UK due to the Common Travel Area. Irish citizens living in the UK (and vice versa) can even vote in national elections.
It's true it's the only passport which allows freedom of movement in both Schengen and UK. But that's just Schengen + one additional area/nation.
A Nordic passport allows freedom of movement in Schengen + Greenland. Ireland does not. With a French passport you have access to Schengen + collectives like French Polynesia and Saint Pierre & Miquelon. So it gets a bit fuzzy if all you are ranking is "freedom of movement".
Ireland is not in Schengen.
Sure yeah, but I don't mean that it's a valuable passport based solely on number of countries/territories.
I was thinking more that the Irish passports arguable value that it's the only passport that allows free movement within all of the EU plus the world's sixth (or is it fifth? Seventh?) largest economy, the UK.
No disrespect to Greenland or French Polynesia of course, I just think being able to up sticks and move to London as well as Amsterdam/Madrid/Munich/Paris basically whenever you want is arguably more economically or professionally valuable that being able to move to Tahiti. But I guess that does depend on your aims/lifestyle I suppose.
Correct, Germany has the most unrestricted access.
Not true according to this. It changes yearly so if you heard that 3 years ago that doesn’t make it true now. Germany was first from 2014-2017 but have dropped since.
German and Spanish passport holders have the added advantage of being able to actually move to and work in any EU country - that's 26 countries you can move to basically hassle-free.
This is true for all EU passport holders.
I believe this is more up to date than an old CNN article:
It was based on this:
Gotta catch’em all!
They visit, they clean up after themselves, then they clean up the mess others left, then they go home.
*fewer
So, basically a “how likely do we think you are to commit terrorism here” power rankings.
That and what is the likelihood that you wont leave when your visa expires. Most of the countries at the bottom don't constitute a security threat, but there's a very good chance they will remain illegally.
The UK has attempted to enter the chat and found that it no longer has access.
Damn. Canada used to be at the top. Now we're one behind the US....which country wants Americans but not Canadians?
We tip.
so do we
"You win again, USA!"
-- Canada
Just read at the moment it's Singapore's passport.
I wonder what the 1 extra country for Japan is.
It’s not actually 1, they swap some countries. Ex: Russia requires visa for Japan but not s Korea. Cayman Islands require visa from s Korea but not Japan. I’m sure there are more like that in Africa and Japan just netted out 1 less than s Korea. Interestingly enough, just based on the Russia swap, I would say s korean passport is actually more useful in real life.
Yeah you are right I mean I wonder which countries are visa free for Japan but not South Korea and vice versa.
I have a US greencard and S. Korean passport, and I've traveled quite extensively, never needed any visas anywhere I have gone.
North Korea?
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I heard it was the German passport. So which is it
Japan. It changes yearly. Germany was first from 2014-2017.
Fewer.
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You talking about Japan, South Korea, Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan? The title was broad and your comment was vague
Afghanistan has had a weak passport because most countries have screwed their people quite a bit in the last 30 to 40 years and everyone of those countries is afraid of what might come if they let them in.
Japan has a strong passport because everyone wants them to visit but they couldnt care less about the rest of us. Quite frankly i feel like if i ever go there i may not want to leave either.
I’ve been to Tokyo. I can’t say anything about the rest of the country, but man that is one expensive town. Amazing everything, especially the people.
I would say the opposite, compared to similar cities, like NYC or London or Paris, Tokyo is "cheap". I'm going there for NYE and my hotel (4* in Ginza) is 140 USD/night. Find something similar in Manhattan and you would easly pay double. I'm paying something similar for a 3* in London, but not in the centre (zone 3), and my 4* in New Orleans will cost me 360 USD/night (!!!).
Then food is quite cheap, you can easily eat for 10 USD or less. Transport is expensive, but the Japan Rail Pass covers Tokyo as well.
Idk what this means
Basically you need a passport to travel internationally but depending on where you are going you may also need a visa to enter that country. This article is saying having a Japanese passport is the most powerful because it will give you access to the most countries without the additional documentation of a visa.
I think I get what you mean. I’ll have to look up what a visa is bc I’m still somewhat confused. Like I get you need a passport to enter a country but you also need a visa? And the Japanese passport works as a visa for most countries?
No, a passport is just an ID, a visa is a confirmation that the recieving country has checked you out before hand so border control only needs to check your ID, you need visas if the recieving country don't trust that you will leave again, or generally stick to the law otherwise. So if you're Japanese and commit a crime in the US (something serious, not speeding a little bit) you will need a visa if you want to visit again.
Visa policy is based on trust, I trust you, so your citizens can enter my country without the need of a visa. Then more countries you can visit without visa (or just visa on arrival, which is nothing more than a fee to enter, no background check as per normal visa), higher is the level of trust in your country.
Ooooooo. So a visa is just like hey we checked this person out and they’re ok to enter?
Yes, the visa is the authorisation you get to enter a country. It is also what (charta) visa literally means in Latin "a paper document that has been checked". In Italian the term is visto which means seen/checked. There also is the exit visa, which has the opposite scope, the foreign country controls that you don't have anything pending (eg a fine) before leaving the country. But exit visa are rarely required.
Correct. Some countries have a relationship like "we trust that you've checked your citizens enough that we don't have to do it as well" therefore, you don't need a visa to visit that country if you have a passport.
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I thought the U.S. was 183 on a list I just saw.
Edit: It's actually 186 and in the linked article.
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I still don't have a passport, never flown and don't plan to anytime soon. I am one of the few that doesn't want to travel.
Thanks for sharing that completely irrelevant and pointless personal information with us.
I'm sure every comment you post is riddled with awe inspiring relevance. If you found that so upsetting perhaps take a break from time to time.
It’s not unusual at all if you are American. Only 42% of Americans have a passport. And it was as low as 15% in the 90s.
Most of us don't get vacation time and for the ones who do, it's often not enough to make the cost of an overseas trip make sense. If you have three paid days off a year, you're not gonna spend a day of that flying to Spain.
Three? Even when I worked retail, I got 5 days off. Which industry is only giving 3?
A lot of companies start at 3 after the first year. I work in culinary and that's how it is at my employer. It goes to 5 at year two.
That’s criminal. I started with a week and earned one day per year and I thought that sucked ass. What else sucked was trying to take off more than two days in a row. Anyway, thanks for answering.
Fuck that. Congrats on even lasting two years. I thought 10 (15 after 2 years) was low. I'd have quit my first day.
I don't know how you guys just accept that, here we have 6 weeks, no matter what job, from day 1.
42% actually seems really high
That’s according to the BBC, who note that it’s fairly recent that Americans need a passport for Canada and Mexico.
That started in 2007! Time flies.
I think they changed the rules in the past year or two. If you have some version of drivers license - the enhanced security, which they’ve been saying will be required for domestic flights at some point soon - I think that’s good instead of a passport for Canada/Mexico.
Nope.
From the DHS website:
> Q: Can I use my REAL ID card to cross the border into Canada and Mexico and for international travel?
> A: No. REAL ID cards cannot be used for border crossings into Canada, Mexico or other international travel.
The real ID is required for domestic flights and if you don’t have it, then you can use a passport. The new requirements are actually stricter, not less.
I am not sure what the exact difference between Real ID and Enhanced Drivers License is, but Enhanced will get you into Canada.
No idea . Lol. I got the upgraded ID that has to be verified with your address and whatnot, as well as a passport and whenever I go to MX they always ask for passport. Maybe it’s a Canada thing only.
I don't doubt it, I'm just saying it seems really high
Having a passport is good as a secondary identification. Even if you don’t travel. Forexample. You can still use your passport to enter places or buy alcohol
Everytime I've bought alcohol with a passport in the US I've been thanked for my service or asked what my job is.
That's a shame. It's like being proud of never having read a book, or refusing to learn something new.
It's nothing like that at all and not sure why you would equate it like that.
If you haven’t tried it how do you know?
Freak_Out_Bazaar t1_j585wug wrote
Yet, so few Japanese people are interested in traveling overseas using their powerful passport. And this isn’t something that started with COVID. Only around 20% of Japanese people are passport holders and for many an overseas business trip is their first overseas experience. I suppose it’s sort of logical as Japan’s powerful passport is due to the safety and stability of the country and to many Japanese people traveling overseas, regardless of destination, is considered a safety risk