Tokyo — Airbnb will now be able to operate in Japan without the risk of running into regulatory hurdles after the government passed a law that sets out rules for home sharing. Japan’s upper house passed a legislative bill on Friday that lets private homes rent out space to paying guests, while limiting total stays to 180 nights a year. The law requires providers of such accommodation to register with local governments and lets local authorities impose their own restrictions. Airbnb, valued at $31bn, has found a more receptive audience in Japan, compared with the clashes it had with municipal governments in New York, Barcelona and its home town of San Francisco. A tourism boom has cut into Japan’s supply of available hotel rooms and helped make the archipelago Airbnb’s fastest-growing market. The number of visitors from overseas will probably continue to reach records as Japan prepares to host the World Rugby Cup in 2019 and the Olympic games the following year. "We welcome the legis...
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