– Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

How will these new regulations or news

actually affect your trip to Japan?

In today's episode,

we'll clarify everything for you.

Hello everyone!

I'm Roger Wu, your travel foreman.

Recently,

there's been a lot circulating online

regarding

Some of it is true,

but some is misinformation.

It's made everyone feel anxious,

especially that thing

that has many people planning a driving trip in Japan

feeling very nervous.

Even my father

saw the news and asked

if it would affect me.

So in today's episode,

I'll quickly clarify a few things for everyone.

Which things do you really need to pay attention to,

and which things are you worrying about for nothing?

I've gathered news from the internet

and combined it with reactions from online communities.

Whether you are

the content of this episode

will be very helpful for you.

Without further ado,

let's get started.

First, let's talk about the driver's license issue that many people are concerned about.

From October 1, 2025,

Japan is indeed tightening

the regulations for converting foreign driver's licenses.

But here's the key point:

but not for general short-term tourist driving.

These are two completely different concepts.

So what exactly has changed?

You must provide a "juminhyo" (residence certificate).

This kind of long-term residence proof is required.

And the test has become stricter.

The written test

has increased from the original 10 questions to 50 questions.

You need to get 90% correct.

In the past,

the loophole of being able to convert a license using a hotel address

has now been completely blocked.

Okay, so here's the key point.

What impact does this have on us Taiwanese tourists?

The answer is,

we can still drive legally in Japan

just like before.

Exactly the same as before.

So why is the Japanese government doing this?

Mainly because the previous system was too lenient.

Some foreigners used fake documents

or short-term stays

to obtain driver's licenses.

But they weren't familiar with the traffic rules,

which led to frequent accidents.

So this reform

is aimed at

So, the conclusion is,

if you're just going to Japan for a driving vacation,

you don't need to worry at all.

So next time if someone tells you,

you can tell them

that it's no problem at all for Taiwanese tourists.

The second topic

is about the quiet cars on the Shinkansen (bullet train).

This is actually an interesting

First of all, I want to tell everyone

Why does everyone think

the Shinkansen is so quiet?

Because keeping the train car quiet

is a cultural habit in Japanese society.

It's ingrained in their bones.

There's no need for special regulations.

The Shinkansen does have Green Cars,

which are like first class.

Similar to first class,

the seats are more spacious.

Ordinary cars have 5 seats in a row,

while Green Cars have only 4 seats.

It's a 2+2 configuration.

And there are power outlets.

The environment is also quieter and more comfortable.

Of course, the ticket price is also higher.

Some trains even have

What are the unwritten rules on the Shinkansen?

First of all,

首先就是

These aren't hard rules.

They're just etiquette that everyone naturally follows.

This reflects the importance of

which is "ma"

emphasizing silence and space

and emphasizing not disturbing others.

So in Japan,

quiet isn't a rule.

It's culture.

Taiwan High Speed Rail recently introduced quiet car regulations,

sparking discussion.

Parents with young children feel especially pressured.

It was quickly forced to adjust or cancel.

But in Japan,

this has always been culture

rather than regulations.

My suggestion is,

if you're traveling with children or in a group,

you can avoid the Green Car.

Choosing an ordinary car will be more comfortable.

But in any case,

on the Shinkansen,

you should maintain basic manners.

Don't be loud.

The third topic

is about tax refunds.

This change is quite significant.

It will directly affect friends who love shopping in Japan.

From November 1, 2026,

Japan's tax refund system will undergo major changes.

Right now,

it's direct tax exemption in the store.

You get the tax deducted on the spot when you buy something,

which is very convenient.

But from next November,

it will be changed to a "pay first, refund later" model.

That is, when you shop,

you pay the price including tax first.

When you leave the country,

you apply for the tax refund at the airport.

Customs confirms

that the product hasn't been consumed domestically before refunding the tax.

You'll need to pre-register your credit card

or prepare cash for the refund.

Other important changes include:

Before, when you bought cosmetics,

you had to seal them and couldn't open them.

Now you don't have to.

The Japanese government is doing this

to prevent duty-free goods from being illegally resold.

In the past,

some people bought duty-free goods

but resold them in Japan,

causing a loss of tax revenue.

This reform

is expected to recover billions of yen.

This change

actually has its pros and cons.

The good thing is that you don't have to seal the bags,

you can use the products first,

and there's no limit on the amount.

The downside is that

you need to arrive at the airport earlier.

You might have to queue.

The process becomes more complicated.

If I were to give a few more suggestions,

pre-registering your credit card information

will be faster.

And allow more time at the airport.

I recommend at least an extra hour.

Keep all your shopping receipts.

And understand clearly

which airports have tax refund counters.

The fourth topic

might make friends who love Kyoto

including me, feel a little heartache.

From March 1, 2026,

a tiered system will be adopted.

How outrageous is this increase?

Currently, the highest is only about 1,000 yen.

Under the new system, it will be up to 10,000 yen.

The Kyoto City government estimates

that annual revenue could increase from

5.2 billion to 12.6 billion yen.

Why is it increasing so much?

Kyoto is overwhelmed by tourists.

Buses are overcrowded.

Local residents often can't get on the bus.

And the garbage problem is serious.

There's a lot of pressure to maintain historical sites.

This tax revenue will be used to protect cultural heritage,

improve public transportation,

and maintain scenic spot facilities.

Opinions online are very divided.

Supporters say

that tourists should share the costs.

Kyoto is too crowded.

At least charge more money to manage it.

Opponents complain that

Some people even say

If I really had to give a few suggestions,

factor the accommodation fee into your travel budget in advance.

Or consider staying in Osaka, Nara, etc.,

surrounding cities,

or choose cheaper accommodation

to save on tax.

Or just treat this tax

as a contribution to Kyoto's cultural preservation.

On a side note,

some bubble teas now

cost more than 60 yuan a cup.

There's still a chance

Click to join now

Since we're talking about Kyoto,

let me mention in passing

that Chion-in Temple's New Year's Eve bell ringing

is one of Kyoto's most famous New Year's Eve events.

Traditionally, it would

From 2025,

it will be changed to a paid reservation system.

It will cost 3,000 yen per person.

Free for elementary school students and younger.

The limit is only 2,000 people.

Only online reservations are accepted.

Why is it being changed to a paid system?

Because in the past, it was free to enter,

which led to overcrowding on site.

The safety risk was high.

And order was difficult to maintain.

The temple hopes to control the number of people

through fees and reservations

to ensure the event runs smoothly.

The donations will be used for temple maintenance.

And the temple emphasizes that this is

not an admission ticket.

The event schedule is that the doors open at 8:30 PM.

The bell starts ringing 107 times at 10:40 PM.

The last ring of the old year is sounded to welcome the New Year.

Many people combine it with the first shrine visit ("hatsumode") at the nearby Yasaka Shrine.

forming a complete New Year's Eve experience.

Netizens

are generally understanding and supportive.

They believe that charging a fee can control the crowds

and maintain solemnity.

Friends who want to go should remember to make reservations online in advance.

Wear warm clothes

because Kyoto nights are very cold in winter.

If you can't get a spot,

Kyoto also has other temples

that also have New Year's Eve bell-ringing events.

The last topic

is a bit serious

but very important.

That's the issue of bear appearances in Japan.

From April to September this year,

the hardest-hit areas include Iwate Prefecture.

22 people were injured and 1 died.

In Akita Prefecture,

19 people were injured and 1 died.

In Nagano Prefecture, 15 people were injured and 1 died.

Although only 4 people were injured in Hokkaido,

2 of them died.

The mortality rate is particularly high.

What's even more worrying is

that climate change is leading to mild winters.

So the hibernation period for bears

is shortening or they're not hibernating at all.

In the past, it was considered relatively safe to go to mountainous areas in winter.

But this common sense may no longer apply.

Because of climate change,

the food chain in mountainous areas is affected.

Bears can't find food,

so they move into areas where humans are active.

Plus, the population in mountain villages is decreasing.

The range of bears' activities is expanding.

So if you plan to go hiking in the Tohoku, Hokkaido,

and Chubu mountain areas,

you must be especially careful.

Practical advice

includes checking the local

At the same time, if you encounter a bear, don't run.

Retreat slowly.

Also, don't leave food or trash in the mountains.

Beautiful scenery is important, of course.

But life is even more precious.

And this topic

also reflects the impact of climate change on tourism.

We must learn to live in harmony with nature.

Okay, that's all for this episode.

In the future, if there's any more Japanese travel news,

I'll follow this episode's format

and periodically compile it for everyone.

Remember to like, subscribe, and turn on the notification bell.

Join the channel membership

to get more of Roger's perspectives

on history, current events, and travel topics.

See you next time!

[Chinese]

這些新規定或者新聞

到底會怎麼影響你的日本行程

今天這一集

要來幫大家一次搞清楚

各位工友大家好

我是旅行長工頭堅

近期呢

在網路上

流傳很多關於

有一些是真的

但有一些是誤傳

就搞得大家好像人心惶惶

尤其是那個

讓很多計劃去日本自駕遊的朋友

非常的緊張

連我父親呢

看到新聞都來問說

會不會對我造成影響

所以今天這一集呢

就要快速來幫大家釐清幾個

哪一些是真的需要注意

哪一些其實根本不用擔心

我收集了網路上的新聞

搭配網友輿論的反應

無論你是

這一集內容

都會對你很有幫助

話不多說

我們就直接開始

首先來談很多人關心的駕照問題

從2025年10月1日開始呢

日本確實收緊了

外國駕照轉換的規定

但是重點來了

而不是一般短期旅遊的自駕遊客

這兩個是完全不同的概念

那到底是改了什麼呢

必須提供住民票

這種長期居住證明才行

而且考試也變嚴格了

筆試呢

從原本的10題增加到50題

答對率要達到90%

過去呢

用飯店地址就能轉換的漏洞

現在完全被堵住了

好 那重點來了

對我們台灣旅客有什麼影響呢

答案是

我們只要跟原本一樣

就可以在日本合法的自駕

跟以前完全一樣

那日本政府為什麼要這麼做呢

主要是過去制度太寬鬆

有一些外籍人士就用假證件

或者短期停留

就取得駕照

但他對於交通規則不熟悉

就導致事故頻發

所以這次的改革

就是為了要

所以結論就是

如果你只是去日本旅遊自駕

完全不用擔心

所以下次如果有人跟你說

你就可以告訴他

台灣旅客完全沒問題

第二個議題呢

是關於新幹線的寧靜車廂

這個其實是一個有趣的

首先要跟大家說呢

那為什麼大家都覺得

新幹線很安靜呢

因為保持車廂安靜

是日本社會的文化習慣

刻在他們的骨子裡面

根本不需要特別規定

新幹線確實有綠色車廂

也就是green car

類似頭等艙

座位是更寬敞

普通車廂一排5席

綠色車廂只有4席

是2+2的配置

那還有電源插頭

環境也更安靜舒適

票價當然也比較高

有些列車甚至有

那在新幹線上面

有什麼不成文的規定呢

首先就是

這些都不是硬性規定

而是大家自然遵守的禮儀

這背後反映了日本文化中的

就是ma

重視沉默與空間

強調不打擾別人

所以在日本呢

安靜不是規定

而是文化

台灣高鐵最近引入寧靜車廂的規定

引發討論

帶小孩的家長壓力就特別大

很快就被迫調整或取消

但在日本

這從來就是文化

而非規定

我的建議是

如果帶小孩或者是團體旅行

可以避開綠色車廂

選擇普通車廂會比較自在

不過無論如何

在新幹線上面

都要保持基本禮貌

不要大聲喧譁

第三個議題呢

來談退稅

這個變化比較大

會直接影響愛去日本shopping的朋友

從 2026年11月1日起

日本退稅制度有重大的改變

現在呢

是在店內直接免稅

買完東西當場就扣稅

非常方便

但是從明年11月開始呢

要改成先付後退的模式

也就是購物的時候

先付含稅的價格

在離境的時候呢

在機場辦理退稅

海關確認

商品未在國內消費之後才退稅

那你需要預先註冊信用卡

或者準備現金來退稅

其他重要的變化包括

以前買化妝品的時候

要封起來不能拆

現在就不用了

日本政府這麼做

是為了防止免稅品被非法轉售

過去呢

就有人買了免稅品之後

卻在日本國內轉賣

造成稅收的流失

那這次改革

預計可以回收數十億的日元

這改變呢

其實有好有壞

好處就是說不用被封袋

可以先使用商品

然後也沒有金額的上限

壞處就是要

需要提前更多時間到機場

可能要排隊

流程變得比較複雜

如果要再給幾個建議呢

提前預註冊信用卡資訊

會比較快一點

那預留更多的機場時間

建議至少多一個小時

保留所有的購物收據

而且要了解清楚

哪一些機場有退稅的櫃檯

第四個議題呢

可能會讓熱愛京都的朋友

包括我就有一點心痛

從2026年3月1日開始

採分級制度

這個漲幅有多誇張呢

目前最高大概只有1000日元

新制最高1萬日元

京都市政府預估

年收入可以從

52億增加到126億日元

為什麼要漲這麼多呢

京都被觀光客淹沒

公車過度擁擠

當地居民常常上不了車

而且垃圾的問題嚴重

古蹟維護壓力非常大

這筆稅收會用來保護文化遺產

改善公共交通

維護景點設施

網路上的意見很分歧

支持者就說

觀光客應該要分攤成本

京都太擁擠

至少多收錢來管理

而反對者則是抱怨說

甚至有人說

如果真的要給幾個建議呢

提前把住宿費納入旅遊的預算

或者是考慮住大阪奈良等等

周邊的城市

或選擇比較低價的住宿

來省稅金

或者就把這個稅金

當做對於京都文化保護的貢獻吧

題外話

現在有些手搖飲料

一杯都不只60元呢

還有機會

現在就點選加入

那既然講到京都

就順便提一下

知恩院的除夜鐘呢

是京都最著名的跨年活動之一

傳統上會

從2025年起

改為付費預約制

每人收3000日元

小學生以下免費

限額只有2,000人

只接受線上預約

為什麼要改成收費呢

就是因為過去免費開放

導致現場太擁擠

安全的風險高

秩序也很難維持

寺院希望透過收費跟預約

來控制人數

確保活動能夠順利進行

捐款會用在寺院的維護上面

而寺院強調這是

不是門票哦

活動流程是晚上8點半開門

10:40開始敲鐘107次

在舊年敲響最後一次迎接新年

很多人會搭配附近八坂神社的初詣

形成完整的跨年體驗

網友呢

整體上來說理解跟支持

認為收費可以控制人潮

維持莊嚴

想去的朋友記得提前線上預約

要穿保暖的衣物

因為京都冬夜很冷

如果搶不到名額

京都也還有其他的寺廟

也有除夜鐘的活動

最後一個議題呢

比較嚴肅

但是很重要

那就是日本的熊出沒問題

今年4月到9月呢

重災區包括岩手縣

22人受害1人死亡

秋田縣呢

19人受害1人死亡

長野縣15人受害1人死亡

北海道雖然只有4人受害

但是有兩人死亡

死亡率特別高

更令人擔心的是

氣候變遷導致暖冬

所以熊的冬眠時間呢

縮短甚至就不冬眠了

過去認為冬天去山區相對安全

但這個常識可能不再適用

因為氣候變遷

影響山區的食物鏈

熊找不到食物

就往人類活動的區域來移動

加上山村人口減少

熊的活動範圍擴大

所以如果你計劃去東北 北海道

還有中部山嶽地區登山健行

一定要特別小心

實用的建議

包括要查詢當地

同時遇到熊不要跑

要慢慢的後退

也不要在山區留下食物跟垃圾

美景固然重要

但是生命更寶貴

而這個議題

也反映了氣候變遷對於旅遊的影響

我們要學會跟自然和平共處

好的以上就是本集的內容

以後如果還有日本旅遊新聞

我也會比照本集

不定期的為大家來做一些整理

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歷史 時事跟旅遊話題

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Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
drive /draɪv/ A1	verb - to operate a vehicle such as a car
license /ˈlaɪ.səns/ B1	noun - an official document giving permission to do something
resident /ˈrez.ɪ.dənt/ B2	noun - a person who lives in a place
exam /ɪɡˈzæm/ A2	noun - a test of skill or knowledge
accident /ˈæk.sɪ.dənt/ A2	noun - an unfortunate event that happens unexpectedly
quiet /ˈkwaɪ.ət/ A1	adjective - making little or no noise
culture /ˈkʌl.tʃər/ A2	noun - the beliefs and customs of a society
refund /ˈriː.fʌnd/ B1	noun - a return of money that you have paid
tax /tæks/ B1	noun - money paid to the government by companies and people
surcharge /ˈsɜːrtʃɑːrdʒ/ C1	noun - an extra amount of money added to the cost
temple /ˈtem.pəl/ A2	noun - a building used for religious activities
bear /ber/ A1	noun - a large, strong wild animal verb - to accept or deal with something difficult
climate /ˈklaɪ.mət/ B1	noun - the weather conditions in a particular area
hiking /ˈhaɪ.kɪŋ/ B2	noun - long walks for pleasure or exercise
regulation /ˌreg.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/ B2	noun - a rule made by an authority
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	verb - to become different noun - the act of making or becoming different