Tourism in Japan

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Tourists in Kyoto enjoy a ride in a rickshaw in front of Nonomiya Shrine

Tourism in Japan attracted 8.3 million foreign visitors in 2008, slightly more than Singapore and Ireland.[1] Japan has 16 World Heritage Sites, including Himeji Castle and Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities). Kyoto receives over 30 million tourists annually.[2] Foreigners also visit Tokyo and Nara, Mount Fuji, ski resorts such as Niseko in Hokkaidō, Okinawa, ride the shinkansen and take advantage of Japan's hotel and hotspring network.

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[edit] History of Tourism

Himeji Castle in Himeji (WHL)

The origins of early traditions of visits to picturesque sites are unclear, but early sight-seeing excursions was Matsuo Basho's 1689 trip to the then "far north" of Japan, which occurred not long after Hayashi Razan categorized the Three Views of Japan in 1643. During the feudal era of Japan, from around 1600 to the Meiji Restoration in 1867, travel was regulated within the country through the use of shukuba or post stations, towns in which travelers had to present appropriate documentation. Despite these restrictions, porter stations and horse stables, as well as places for lodging and food were available on well-traveled routes. During this time, Japan was a closed country to foreigners, so no foreign tourism existed in Japan. Following the Meiji Restoration and the building of a national railroad network across Japan, tourism became more of an affordable prospect for domestic citizens and visitors from foreign countries could enter Japan legally. As early as 1887, government officials recognized the need for an organized system of attracting foreign tourists; the Kihinkai (貴賓会?), which aimed to coordinate the various players in tourism, was established that year with Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi's blessing. Its early leaders included Shibusawa Eiichi and Ekida Takashi. Another major milestone in the development of the tourism industry in Japan was the 1907 passage of the Hotel Development Law, as a result of which the Railways Ministry began to construct publicly-owned hotels all throughout Japan.[3]

[edit] Tourism Today

Domestic tourism remains a vital part of the Japanese economy and Japanese society. School children in many middle schools see the highlight of their years as a visit to Tokyo Disneyland or perhaps Tokyo Tower. High school students visit Okinawa or Hokkaidō. The extensive rail network together with domestic flights sometimes in planes with modifications to favor the relatively short distances involved in intra-Japan travel allows efficient and speedy transport. In inbound tourism, Japan was ranked 28th in the world in 2007.[4] In 2009, the Yomiuri Shimbun published a modern list of famous sights under the name Heisei Hyakkei (the Hundred Views of the Heisei period).
Neighbouring South Korea is Japan's most important source of foreign tourists, with arrivals of 2.4 million in 2010 which made up 27% of total number of tourists visited Japan. [5]

[edit] Major tourist destinations

Goko Five Lakes in Shiretoko (WHL)
Shirakami-Sanchi (WHL)
Shinjuku in Tokyo, and Mount Fuji
Shirakawa-gō (WHL)
Japanese Alps from Kamikōchi
Tōdai-ji Daibutsu in Nara (WHL)
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine (WHL)
Shikoku Pilgrimage ( Zentsū-ji )
Ishigaki Island, Okinawa

[edit] Hokkaidō

[edit] Tōhoku region

[edit] Kantō region

[edit] Chūbu region

[edit] Kansai region

[edit] Chūgoku region

[edit] Shikoku

[edit] Kyūshū and Okinawa

[edit] Tourism after the Fukushima-disaster

After the triple melt-down of the nuclear reactors in Fukushima, the number of foreign visitors declined for months in a row. To boost tourism the Japanese Tourism Agency announced in October 2011 a plan to give 10,000 round-trip air tickets to Japan away in order to encourage visitors to come to Japan. In 2012 free tickets would be offered on condition that the winners would write online about their experiences in Japan. They also would need to answer some questions, about how they felt while visiting Japan after the earthquake, and how the interest in tourism in Japan could be renewed. In September 2011 some 539,000 foreign people visited Japan, this was 25 percent down compared with the same month in 2010. This decline was largely attributed to the Fukushima nuclear accident, but also the stronger yen made a visit to Japan more expensive. About 15 million dollars would be spent on this program. [6][7] On December 26, 2011, The Japan Tourism Agency reported on their site that the "Fly to Japan! Project", which would have given out 10,000 round trip tickets to Japan was not approved by the government for it fiscal year 2012. [8]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "UNTWO World Tourism Barometer, Vol.5 No.2" (PDF). United Nations World Tourism Organization. June 2008. http://www.tourismroi.com/Content_Attachments/27670/File_633513750035785076.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-15. 
  2. ^ Scott, David (1996). Exploring Japan. Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-679-03011-5.
  3. ^ Leheny, David Richard. The Rules of Play: National Identity and the Shaping of Japanese Leisure. Cornell University Press. p. 59. ISBN 0801440912. 
  4. ^ UNTWO (June 2008). "UNTWO World Tourism Barometer, Vol.5 No.2" (PDF). http://www.tourismroi.com/Content_Attachments/27670/File_633513750035785076.pdf. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  5. ^ Financial Times "Tourists flock to Japan despite China spat" http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6a76579a-2945-11e0-ab2f-00144feab49a.html#axzz1EW2NR3w0 January 26 2011
  6. ^ NHK-world (21 October 2011) Japan to give away air tickets to 10,000 visitors
  7. ^ JAIF (22 October 2011)Earthquake report 242: Japan to give away air tickets to 10,000 visitors
  8. ^ http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/page08_000020.html

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