For Filipinos who want to visit Japan, a visa is often required which is something I can relate with. In recent times, there has been this lack of available slots for visa appointments and the Japanese embassy in Manila confirmed that there is an unprecedented surge of Filipino visa applicants, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
Japan’s embassy in Manila is aware of the lack of available slots for visa appointments at its application centers and issued its response on the matter.
In a statement sent to the Manila Bulletin, the embassy cited the surge of Filipinos expressing interest in going to Japan.
Except during the surge of Covid-19 pandemic, the embassy said, Filipino visa applicants reached ”unprecedented levels.”
”The number of short-stay visas issued surged more than sixfold (6.15 times) over the decade from 2013 (73,143) to 2023 (450,087), and increased further to 490,907 in 2024,” it said.
According to the embassy, this prompted them to make significant changes in their visa processing system.
”In response to the increasing demand, the visa processing system underwent a fundamental overhaul starting April 2025 to maintain proper screening quality and streamline the process, transitioning to a Visa Application Center system,” it said.
”Furthermore, the introduction of the e-VISA began last December for visas issued to tourists in package tours organized by designated travel agencies,” it added.
The embassy acknowledged that people-to-people exchanges form the foundation of Philippines-Japan relations, and the embassy “welcomes our Filipino friends’ growing interest in visiting Japan, with the number of Filipino visitors reaching a record high of 880,000 in 2025.”
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Have you already applied for a visa to visit Japan over the past twelve months? How many people do you personally know want to visit Japan? If you intend to visit Japan soon, have you started finding out what the requirements are for application?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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