Japan urges public to apply for passports early before fee-cut influx

Japan's Foreign Ministry is advising the public to apply for passports early before the summer vacation season starts, citing an expected influx of applications with fee reductions set for next month.The ministry expects it could take as long as one month to issue a passport, even with the National Printing Bureau operating on weekends to increase output.When the fees are lowered on July 1, the charge for applications at the service counter for a 10-year passport will drop to 9,300 yen ($58) from the current 16,300 yen. The cost of five-year passports for applicants aged under 18, which cur…READ FULL ARTICLE