Japan Update 2026

My heartstrings to Japan are not easily severed. The grey in my beard bears witness to the passing seasons — a quiet metaphor for how both my adopted country and I continue to evolve.

The early ’90s were very welcoming. Just like my ventures across Europe, locals found me a curious figure and many wanted to chat. My American passport once served as an instant credential, marking me as someone they could trust.

Japan is different now — as am I — in ways both subtle and overt. Long known as a cash‑and‑go country, it now runs on plastic and QR codes, even at convenience stores. Not long ago, travelers routinely scrambled for ATMs, and only a fraction would accept foreign cards, landing me in a predictable bind too many times. This recent shift is a welcome relief.

Speaking of convenience stores, many are now staffed by non‑Japanese workers, practically unheard of before the Covid shutdown. They appear to be Southeast Asian and wear a cultural uniform that doesn’t always fit. I am told that the number of young Japanese willing to do this kind of work has dropped sharply, along with the infamous Japanese smile.

As I meander about, longevity comes to mind. The country leads the globe in octogenarians, or people over 80. On the subway and everywhere else, I see a quiet population of people sharply bowed, shoulders caved in, shuffling in small, tentative steps, with the weight of the world dragging them forward. I noticed them years ago, too, but now there are so many more.

I am still delighted to hear the rich sounds of R&B and sultry, jazzy music everywhere I go, especially in department stores, malls, and every mom‑and‑pop shop imaginable. My Shazam app remains on high overload.

The best news by far, for me at least, is my spending power.

The current dollar is so strong and the yen so weak — about 156 yen to 1 dollar — that I get more bang for my buck than at any other time in memory. Generally speaking, the dollar hovers around 100 yen to 1 dollar. Economically, I feel like I’m in a developing country. I can’t help but sense there’s some political chicanery at work.

Speaking of politics, Japan has elected its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and her rise mirrors a certain anti‑foreign sentiment I’ve felt here lately. While mostly aimed at Chinese visitors and the overflow of unruly tourists, a massive political effort is underway to stem the tide. It will be interesting to see how Japan confronts these challenges alongside a shrinking, aging workforce and a national platform that seems bent on picking a fight with China. For me, the upside of life in Japan is still richer than anywhere else I’d rather be—at the moment at least.

Happy New Year!