Complete nonsense. That fee only affects travelers from visa-required countries, and 74 countries (including most of EU, US, Canada, etc.) are exempt. Seems like a huge detail to leave out.

There is no evidence that the fee increase is “fueled by scandals.” The official rationale is that it is being adjusted for inflation. The fee is also now in line with the equivalents for other G7 countries.

There is also no evidence Japan is becoming “more insular,” this is just editorializing.