Tokyo just did something it hasn't done since 1978. It jacked up visa fees. For everyone. But British travellers are feeling the sting most acutely.
The Land of the Rising Sun has quintupled its visa application costs. The first increase in 46 years. And it's a doozy.
For British passport holders, a standard single-entry visa now costs £108. Up from £21. A 414% hike. The Home Office is furious. The FCDO is scrambling. But Tokyo is unmoved.
Inside the Lobby, I'm hearing whispers that this is retaliation. Not for anything recent. But for years of British post-Brexit visa strictures on Japanese business travellers. Tit for tat. With interest.
The Japanese embassy in London is briefing that the increase is necessary to 'recover administrative costs'. Don't believe it. This is political. The Japanese government is sending a message: 'You want global Britain? Fine. But you'll pay for it.'
What does this mean for the average Brit? Holiday bookings to Kyoto are down 12% this week alone. Luxury travel agents in Mayfair are fielding panicked calls. The Japan National Tourism Organisation is staying silent. They've been told to take the hit.
The real story is the backroom. I gather the British ambassador in Tokyo was not warned. A diplomatic snub. The UK's trade envoy to Japan, who wished to remain unnamed, told me 'We were blindsided. This is not how allies behave.'
Backbench Tory MPs are already drafting questions for the Foreign Secretary. Expect theatrics at PMQs. But don't expect a reversal. Japan holds the cards. They have a trade surplus. We want their investment. We'll swallow this.
For the discerning traveller, the advice is simple. Get a multiple-entry visa if you can. It costs £218. Still a bargain compared to the single-entry rip-off. Or go to South Korea. They've cut fees.
This is a sign of things to come. As the world de-globalises, the cost of border barriers rises. The era of cheap travel is ending. Britain, once a champion of open skies, is now a target.
Watch this space. The diplomatic cables are about to get hot.
