Demand was particularly strong at the start of the month, with applications during the first three days reaching about 3.3 times the level recorded during the same period last year, Japan Times reported.
Despite the surge, passports are expected to be issued within about three weeks, faster than the one-month processing period the ministry had initially anticipated amid expectations of higher demand, according to Jiji Press.
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Japanese passports. Photo by Shutterstock |
Starting on July 1, Japanese nationals age 18 or older can apply for a 10-year passport online at a fee of 8,900 yen (US$56), down from 15,900 yen previously. Children can apply for a five-year passport for a fee of 4,400 yen online, down from 10,900 yen.
According to the Henley Passport Index 2026, Japan has the world’s second most powerful passport after Singapore with its citizens able to enjoy visa-free access to 188 destinations.
Despite its global power, Japanese passport has a low ownership rate compared to other countries’, consistently hovering around 22% to 24% of citizens throughout the 2010s and lower during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Japan Times.
The Japanese government aims to ease the financial burden on citizens traveling abroad by lowering passport fees, Japan’s NHK reported.