A bolt from the blue from Tokyo. Japan has woken up and decided to make life harder for British tourists. For the first time since 1978, visa fees are being quintupled.
Yes, quintupled. The cost of a single-entry visa is now £30. That’s a 400% increase.
The move is being spun as an administrative adjustment. But don’t be fooled. This is a signal.
A signal that Japan is no longer the eager host it once was. The timing is brutal. Just as the pound is tanking against the yen.
British travellers, already squeezed by energy bills and train fares, now face an extra hit. The Foreign Office is caught flat-footed. They’ve been too busy with Rwanda and Ukraine to notice.
Backbenchers are apoplectic. One told me: “This is a kick in the teeth for the Great British holidaymaker.” The real story, though, is the geopolitical chess.
Japan is pivoting. Closer ties with the US, a wary eye on China. Britain is just collateral damage.
The visa fee hike is a tiny move, but it speaks volumes. Who leaked this? A disgruntled embassy clerk?
A nervous Japanese diplomat? Either way, the message is clear: Britain is no longer a priority for Tokyo. The Home Office is scrambling.
They’re talking about reciprocal measures. But threats won’t work. Japan knows we need them more than they need us.
This is a quiet diplomatic slap. And it’s only the beginning.