Tourism and Investment in Japan

According to the overnight travel statistics survey released by the Japan Tourism Agency, the total number of Japanese overnight guests in June 2022 increased by 72.2% compared to the same month of the previous year. The number was 6.5% decrease compared to the same month of 2019 before the spread of coronavirus infection. On the other hand, the number of foreigners increased by 168.4% compared to the same month of the previous year, although it remained far less level than that of 2019 decreasing 93.1%. Combining Japanese and foreigners, the number of overnight guests in June rose 73.4% year on year at 34.51 million. On 10 June 2022, Japan finally started allowing international tourists into the country for the first time in two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began hoping visitors come back to tourist hot spots.   Nagoya Castle is praised as an authentic reproduction of early modern Japanese castle construction Among well known destinations for Japanese and foreign travel...

The Tourism Bureau of the Japanese Government announced the estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in May was 147,000. The number greatly exceeded 10,035 in the same month of the previous year. Visitors to Japan for purposes other than tourism was allowed to enter the country from March under certain conditions.  A demonstration project to accept tourists from abroad conducted by the Japanese government is also expected to contribute to increase the number of visitors further which exceeded 100,000 for the second consecutive month. By country, Vietnam increased significantly to 39,000 compared to 425 in the same month of the previous year. China increased to 17,600 from 1,823, South Korea to 8,800 from 950 and the United States to 8,100 from 958.  The Japanese government has relaxed immigration restrictions to contend the infection of the new corona virus and the government has gradually raised its cap on entry numbers, most recently doubling it to 20,000 a day on June ...

Japan’s tourism industry hopes visitors come back as more than 70% of population get the second dose The number of new infections of COVID-19 in Japan continues to decline in many prefectures and total newly infected cases in Japan hit the lowest level this year. The cases have been declining since the end of August while the number of newly infected people at the beginning of November dropped sharply to about 200.  The number of newly infected people in Tokyo decreased to around 20, which is the lowest level this year. The similar downward trend has been seen in Osaka Prefecture with the number declining to below 40.  The fact that more than 70% of the people have been vaccinated for the second jab in Japan has people in the tourism industry hope for the improvement in the industry’s revenue due to the resumption of economic activities. Countries around the world with improved vaccination rates have begun to relax restrictions on those who enter their countries.  Japan...

Gifu is well known for enthusiastic activities by a plethora of groups performing local Kabuki and other Ji-shibai plays “Ji-shibai ” is a generic term for traditional Japanese plays performed by local residents in various parts of Japan. The plays include Kabuki, Bunraku, Noh Kyogen and Shishi-shibai .   One of great pleasures to view the local plays is that it is performed based on scripts made in as far back as the Edo period or earlier, so you can easily be exposed to Japanese traditional culture and history passed down in Japan for a long period of time.   The other feature of Ji-shibai is that it is not performed by professional actors, but by local residents themselves. In addition, local residents prepare almost everything used on the stage from choreography to costumes to musical instruments.  This gives the audience a sense of familiarity with Ji-shibai and its performers. Gifu Prefecture is well known for enthusiastic activities by a plethora of groups perfo...

Japan has declared states of emergency for the third time three months before the Tokyo Olympics Japan has declared states of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures on April 23 as the country desperately contain a resurgent coronavirus pandemic three months before the Tokyo Olympics. The measures took effect on April 25 and the government hopes to end it on May 11. Large department stores, shopping malls, amusement parks and movie theaters were asked to close. Restaurants and karaoke parlors were asked to shorten their hours, and serving alcohol was banned. Those measures also hit tourism industry hard. Overseas guests and their consumption plummeted due to the pandemic According to the accommodation travel statistics released by the Japan Tourism Agency, the number of guests in February 2021 was 17.85 million, a decrease of 52% from the same month of the previous year. With government's support measure for tourism industry, "Go To Travel" program bein...

A popular cherry blossom viewing sites around Japan were packed on this Saturday, the first weekend since a state of emergency was lifted for all areas in Japan including Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures.  There were more viewers compared with last week as the cherry blossoms reached full bloom this weekend. Local government officials called on blossom viewers to wear masks and avoid crowds. The cherry blossoms have bloomed as usual, but the resurgence of the tourism industry seems to be a little bit way off.  Tokyu Hotels, a leading hotel chain in Japan, announced that it will close its Nagoya Sakae Tokyu REI Hotel located in the center of Nagoya City at the end of March 2022. Since the number of domestic and foreign tourists has decreased sharply due to the new coronavirus and is not expected to recover soon, Tokyu decided to close this hotel, which was opened in 1984 and is rather aged. The hotel maintained occupancy rate of around 75% before the pandemic, but the re...

Newly infected cases have fallen steadily after the second state of emergency was issued The second state of emergency issued to curb the infection of the new coronavirus has been lifted on March 21 in Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures. This ends all the state of emergency in every parts of Japan. Two and a half months long state of emergency is over from now on after having been extended twice as the number of newly infected people has fallen since the restrictions were imposed.  However, the pace of decline has slowed recently and even rebounded in some prefectures forcing them even to consider issuing its own state of emergency. On the other hand, tourists are gradually returning to the sightseeing spots in prefectures where the state of emergency was lifted at the end of February prior to Tokyo metropolitan area. One of those areas is Takayama City, Gifu prefecture. Tourists return gradually in Takayama city thanks to earlier lifting of the emergency At Takayama, a po...

Takayama Festival designated as an important intangible cultural property Autumn Takayama Festival is one of the most well known festivals in Japan with a plethora of tourists from home and abroad visiting for it every year.  Takayama Festival is said to have started sometime between the late 16th century and 17th century and comprised of two festivals: “Sanno Matsuri” in spring and “Hachiman Matsuri” in autumn.  It is designated as an important intangible cultural property by the government as a traditional event retaining remnants of the Edo period which has been carefully protected and handed down by the local people to this day.  It is also said to be one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan. The autumn festival is called Hachiman Matsuri. In a festival parade, 11 matsuri-yatai festival floats go around the town for two days displaying their gorgeous appearance for spectators. Ａ very popular marionette show is performed on one of those floats. A Shinto...

The new coronavirus continues to cause a serious predicament for Japanese tourism industry According to the Japan Tourism Agency's announcement, the number of guests who stayed at hotels and inns in Japan July 2020 decreased by 56% compared with the same month last year to 22.58 million.  In particular, the total number of foreign guests staying at hotels and other accommodations in Japan was 320,000, astonishing 97.0% decrease compared to the same month last year, continuing worst decline.  As for Japanese tourists, it fell by 45.7%. On the other hand, declining ratio of Japanese tourists improved by 15.5 points in July from 61.2% decrease in June showing a moderate recovery in demand for domestic accommodations.  The occupancy rate of guest rooms is also improving after bottoming in May. It is thought that the eased restraint of movements across prefectures and “Go to Travel Campaign” by the Japanese government started on the July 22 have contributed a recovery in deman...

Discount programs are provided for accommodations and expenditures in Shirakawa-go Shirakawa village in Gifu prefecture is well known for the UNESCO world heritage area, Shirakawa-go, where a number of gassho style houses are preserved in their original form since around 1800.  It is one of Japan's leading tourism destinations with tourists who visited the village having reached 2.15 million last year. However, the spread of new coronavirus infections subdued consumption activities in the village significantly in 2020.  The Japanese government has been promoting “Go to Travel Campaign” to support tourism industry in Japan since July. Village officials hope that the national campaign will improve business conditions for guesthouses, inns and other tourism facilities in the village.  In addition, Shirakawa village has been running “Shirakawa-go accommodation discount campaign” with a total discount of 100 million yen since July 1. In this campaign, accommodation fee will ...

  Gujo Odori, which has been held in Gujo City, Gifu Prefecture for about 400 years is recognized as one of the three most important traditional bon dance festivals in Japan. It is designated as a Significant Intangible Cultural Folk Asset by the Japanese government.  The dance festival is typically held on over 30 nights from mid-July to the first weekend in September at various venues in the City, with approximately 200,000 people participating every year. In the four nights in the middle of August when most people visit, many tourists and residents wearing cotton traditional yukata and wooden geta sandals join “Tetsuya Odori” dancing from 8 pm to the next morning.  However, this summer the festival was canceled due to the new corona virus pandemic. Gujo City decided to call it off because it is not easy to prevent the infection spreading at the venues, where an unspecified number of people visit. Instead, the city has set up the virtual stage at which Gujo Odori perfor...

Offering accommodations in major cities including Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Nagoya Comfort Hotels are operated at over 60 locations in Japan and are well known among Japanese for offering comfortable accommodation services at reasonable rates as in overseas markets.  The locations include Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Hiroshima and Fukuoka in addition to cities in the Chubu region such as Nagoya, Gifu, Nagano. Since their convenient locations, Comfort Hotels in Japan are often used by business person but they are also popular among tourists because of its affordable rates.  Comfort Hotels have kept a good reputation also in Japan for providing services pursuing comfort and good sleep, such as free wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) connection, free breakfast, welcome coffee service and its original sleep pillow "Choice pillow" in all rooms at competitive prices. On May 31, 2018, World No Tobacco Day, the hotels made all rooms in Japan non-smoking. One night stay is available from ar...

Conveyor belt sushi , also known as Kaiten-sushi is a semi-self-service type, inexpensive sushi restaurant where small plates bringing various types of sushi on them are continuously circulated on chain conveyors installed along the seats.  Fresh and well-made sushi can be enjoyed for relatively cheap prices there. Plates typically come with one or two sushi pieces each and customers pick up plates they like. Customers can also place orders through a touch screen at each table when sushi they like is not available on conveyor belts.  Those Sushi are usually served on plates with several colors showing their prices ranging from 100 yen to around 500 yen. Some restaurants set the same price for all plates. The lowest price for a plate is usually 100 yen. That is why Kaiten-sushi is often called "100 yen sushi" and very popular among Japanese. Customers are given their bills from a staff who counts plates when they finish eating. Kaiten-sushi has grown thanks to technologie...

Foreign visitors to Japan in March 2020 decreased by unprecedented 93% from the same month the year before.  Tourists from East Asian regions such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea have decreased significantly.  Recent business results of hotel industries, restaurant businesses and railway companies are all falling sharply due to the new coronavirus outbreak with business trips restrained and tourism businesses slowed, passengers decreased since the outbreak.  From now on, Japanese economy will be definitely hit further by COVID-19 outbreak as various tourist destinations have started calling for tourists to refrain from visiting during Golden Week, a stretch of Japanese public holidays from April 29 to May 6, to prevent the spread of infections. Gassho zukuri in Shirakawa-go For example, Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture, where its Gassho style houses are registered as a World Heritage site and a well known tourist destination that attracts more...

Cherry blossoms blooming In Japan In Japan, cherry blossoms are beautifully blooming this year again even though there are a few people admiring them because local governments ask people to stay home to curb coronavirus infection spreads.  Popular spots for cherry blossom viewing all over Japan are usually clouded with many people at this time every year, but Japan now has unprecedentedly quiet Cherry blossom season with the chilly breeze blowing flowers and visitors being sparse.  All Japanese are hunkering down to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, giving up cherry blossom viewing, praying the infection will subside as soon as possible so that they can return to daily life as usual.  Cherry blossoms, widely seen throughout Japan, bloom all at once during a limited period in spring. In less than a week, beautifully blooming flowers fall.  Those contrast between the beauty of cherry blossoms and the short flowering period is often c...