Tourism in Japan

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Mount Fuji, as seen from Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi

Crowds of tourists at a bamboo forest in Kyoto

Japan attracted 28.69 million international tourists in 2017.[1] Japan has 21 World Heritage Sites,
including Himeji Castle, Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto and Nara. Popular foreigner
attractions include Tokyo and Hiroshima, Mount Fuji, ski resorts such
as Niseko in Hokkaido, Okinawa, riding the shinkansen and taking advantage of
Japan's hotel and hotspring network.
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 ranks Japan 4th out of 141 countries overall,
which was the best in Asia. Japan has gained relatively high scores in almost all aspects, especially
health and hygiene, safety and security, cultural resources and business travel.[2]

Contents

 1History
 2Statistics
 3Tourism today
o 3.1Major tourist destinations
 3.1.1Hokkaido
  3.1.2Tōhoku region
 3.1.3Kantō region
 3.1.4Chūbu region
 3.1.5Kansai region
 3.1.6Chūgoku region
 3.1.7Shikoku
 3.1.8Kyushu and Okinawa
o 3.2Tourism after the Fukushima disaster
 4See also
 5References
 6External links

History[edit]

Himeji Castle in Himeji (WHS)

The origins of early traditions of visits to picturesque sites are unclear, but early sight-seeing
excursions was Matsuo Bashō'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 Edo 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 where 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, 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 players in tourism,
was established that year with Prime Minister Itō 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 throughout Japan.[3]

Statistics[edit]
Foreign tourists to Japan

In 2017, 28,690,900 foreign tourists visited Japan.[4]

Percentage Percentage Percentage

Number Number Number
change change change
Rank Country (people) (people) (people)
2016 to 2015 to 2014 to
in 2017 in 2016 in 2015
2017 2016 2015

1 China 7,355,800 15.4% 6,373,000 27.6% 4,993,689 107.3%

South
2 7,140,200 40.3% 5,090,300 27.2% 4,002,095 45.3%
Korea

3 Taiwan 4,564,100 9.5% 4,167,400 13.3% 3,677,075 29.9%

4 Hong Kong 2,231,500 21.3% 1,839,200 20.7% 1,524,292 64.6%

United
5 1,375,000 10.6% 1,242,700 20.3% 1,033,258 15.9%
States

6 Thailand 987,100 9.5% 901,400 13.1% 796,731 21.2%

 7 Australia 496,100 11.2% 445,200 18.4% 376,075 24.3%

8 Malaysia 439,500 11.5% 394,200 29.1% 305,447 22.4%

9 Philippines 424,200 21.9% 347,800 29.6% 268,361 45.7%

10 Singapore 404,100 11.7% 361,800 17.2% 308,783 35.5%

All countries 28,690,900 19.3% 24,039,053 21.8% 19,737,409 47.1%

Tourism today[edit]
Domestic tourism remains a vital part of the Japanese economy and Japanese culture. Children in
many middle schools see the highlight of their years as a visit to Tokyo Disneylandor perhaps Tokyo
Tower, and many high school students often visit Okinawa or Hokkaido. 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. 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. In 2010, the
2.4 million arrivals made up 27% of the tourists visiting Japan.[5]
Chinese travelers are the highest spenders in Japan by country, spending an estimated 196.4 billion
yen (US$2.4 billion) in 2011, or almost a quarter of total expenditure by foreign visitors, according to
data from the Japan Tourism Agency.[6]
The Japanese government hopes to receive 40 million foreign tourists every year by 2020.[7]
Major tourist destinations[edit]
This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding
article in Japanese. (October 2013) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
Goko Five Lakes in Shiretoko(WHS)

Shirakami-Sanchi (WHS)

Shinjuku in Tokyo, and Mount Fuji

Shirakawa-gō (WHS)

Japanese Alps from Kamikōchi

Tōdai-ji Daibutsu in Nara (WHS)

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine (WHS)

Shikoku Pilgrimage (Zentsū-ji)

Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto

Ishigaki Island, Okinawa

Hokkaido[edit]

 Niseko Ski Resort

 Shiretoko Peninsula (WHS)
 Teshikaga – Lake Mashū, Lake Kussharo
 Tōya Caldera and Mount Usu Geopark
 Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group
 Hakodate
 Otaru
Tōhoku region[edit]

 Shirakami-Sanchi (WHS)
 Mount Osore
 Lake Towada
 Hirosaki – Hirosaki Castle, Nakacho Samurai District
 Hiraizumi – Chūson-ji, Mōtsū-ji, Kanjizaiō-in, Takkoku-no-Iwaya
 Semboku – Kakunodate Samurai District, Lake Tazawa, Nyuto Onsen
 Yamagata – Yama-dera Temple, Zaō Onsen
 Matsushima
Kantō region[edit]

 Nikkō – Shrines and Temples of Nikkō (WHS), Kegon Falls, Lake Chūzenji, Cedar Avenue of
Nikko
 Kinugawa Onsen – Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura, Tobu World Square
 Utsunomiya – Oya museum, Utsunomiya Futarayama Shrine
 Ashikaga, tochigi – Ashikaga Gakkō, Ashikaga Flower Perk
 Tokyo – Imperial Palace, Asakusa, Akihabara, Ginza, Harajuku/Omotesandō, Nakano
Broadway, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Tsukiji Fish Market, Ueno Park
 Tokyo Disney Resort
 Kamakura – Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū, Kōtoku-in, Kenchō-ji, Engaku-ji, Meigetsu-in, Hase-dera
 Kusatsu Onsen
 Hakone Onsen
Chūbu region[edit]

 Mount Fuji
 Japanese Alps – Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route(Mount Tate), Hida Mountains, Kiso
Mountains, Akaishi Mountains
 Shiga Kōgen
 Matsumoto – Matsumoto Castle, Mount Hotaka, Kamikōchi
 Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama (WHS)
 Takayama – Sanmachi Traditional Street, Ōshinmachi Traditional Street, Higashiyama Temple
Area
 Kanazawa – Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa Castle, Higashi Geisha District, Nagamachi
Samurai District
 Sakai – Tōjinbō, Maruoka Castle
 Nagoya – Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Shrine, Sakae, Nagoya Station (Meieki), Ōsu Kannon temple
Kansai region[edit]

 Kyoto – Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Ryōan-ji, Sanjūsangen-dō, etc., they are parts
of Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto(WHS)
 Uji – Byōdō-in and Ujigami Shrine (WHS), Relation of The Tale of Genji
 Ōtsu – Lake Biwa, Hiyoshi Taisha, Sakamoto Temple District, Mount Hiei, Enryaku-ji (WHS)
 Ōmihachiman – Traditional Riverside District
 Nara – Tōdai-ji, Tōshōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Yakushi-ji, Heijō Palace, Kasuga-taisha and Nara Park,
etc. They are parts of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (WHS).
 Ikaruga – Hōryū-ji and Hōki-ji are Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area (WHS).
 Yoshino (Mount Yoshino) – Kimpusen-ji, Yoshimizu Shrine, Yoshino Mikumari Shrine, etc. They
are parts of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (WHS).
 Shingū – Kumano Hayatama Taisha and Kumano River (WHS)
 Nachikatsuura – Nachi Falls, Kumano Kodō, etc., they are parts of Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage
Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (WHS)
 Mount Kōya – Kongōbu-ji (WHS)
 Osaka – Osaka Castle, Umeda, Namba, Dōtonbori, Shinsekai, Shitennō-ji, Universal Studios
Japan, Rinku Town
 Himeji – Engyō-ji, Koko-en Garden, and Himeji Castle (WHS)
 Kobe – Port of Kobe, Rokkō Mountains, Kitano-chō, Arima Onsen, Kobe Luminarie
 San'in Kaigan Geopark – Toyooka, Izushi, Kinosaki Onsen, Yumura Onsen
Chūgoku region[edit]

 Hiroshima Prefecture – Atomic Bomb Dome (WHS), Itsukushima

Shrine (WHS), Onomichi, Tomonoura
 Okayama Prefecture – Kurashiki, Kōrakuen Garden, Okayama Castle
 Tottori Prefecture – Tottori Sand Dunes, Mount Daisen, Mount Hyōno, San'in Kaigan Geopark
 Shimane Prefecture – Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine (WHS), Izumo-taisha, Matsue Castle, Oki
Islands, Tsuwano
 Yamaguchi Prefecture – Hagi
Shikoku[edit]

 Shikoku Pilgrimage (Zentsū-ji, Motoyama-ji, etc.)

 Ehime Prefecture – Dōgo Onsen, Matsuyama Castle
 Kagawa Prefecture – Kotohira-gū Shrine, Ritsurin Garden, Shōdo Island, Naoshima Island
 Tokushima Prefecture – Naruto whirlpools, Awa Dance Festival in Tokushima
 Kōchi Prefecture – Kōchi Castle, Cape Muroto (Muroto Geopark), Cape Ashizuri
Kyushu and Okinawa[edit]

 Fukuoka Prefecture – Mojiko Retro Town, Kokura Castle, Dazaifu Tenman-gū, Remains
of Dazaifu (government)
 Ōita Prefecture – Many types of hot springs in Beppu, Ōita or Yufuin, Ōita, Usa jingū, stone
bridges, small stonehenge on the top of Komekamiyama (mountain), Hello Kitty Harmonyland
 Nagasaki Prefecture – Ōura Church, Higashi-Yamate, Minami-Yamate, Huis Ten Bosch (theme
park)
 Kagoshima Prefecture – Yakushima (WHS), Sakurajima, Amami Ōshima
 Miyazaki Prefecture – Kirishima-Yaku National Park, Takachiho, Old Exculibur on the top of
Takachiho-kyo mountain, Nichinan, Miyazaki, Chambered barrows of Saitobaru kofungun,
Heiwadai Park
 Kumamoto Prefecture – Kumamoto Castle, Mount Aso
 Saga Prefecture – Pre-400 BC Yayoi archaeological site in Yoshinogari site
 Okinawa Prefecture – Shuri Castle, Nakagusuku Castle, Nakijin Castle etc. They are parts of
the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. (WHS), Ishigaki
Island, Miyako Island, Iriomote Island, Traditional Ryukyuan Houses in Taketomi Island
Tourism after the Fukushima disaster[edit]
After the triple melt-down of the nuclear reactors in Fukushima, the number of foreign visitors
declined for months. 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 and the stronger yen made a visit to Japan more expensive.
To boost tourism the Japanese Tourism Agency announced in October 2011 a plan to give 10,000
round-trip air tickets to Japan to encourage visitors to come. In 2012 free tickets would be offered if
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. About US$15 million would be spent on this program.[8][9] 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 fiscal year 2012.[10]

See also[edit]
 Visa policy of Japan
 World Heritage Sites in Japan
 National Treasures of Japan
 List of museums in Japan
 List of National Geoparks in Japan
 List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
 Groups of Traditional Buildings
 Japanese museums
 Ryokan (Japanese inn)

References[edit]
1. ^ "Tourism Statistics".
2. ^ "The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017" (PDF). World Economic Forum. April 2017.
 3. ^ Leheny, David Richard. The Rules of Play: National Identity and the Shaping of Japanese Leisure.
Cornell University Press. p. 59. ISBN 0-8014-4091-2.
4. ^ "2017年推計値" (PDF). Japan National Tourism Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on
2016-05-08.
5. ^ Dickie, Mure (January 26, 2011). "Tourists flock to Japan despite China spat". Financial Times.
Retrieved March 16, 2012.
6. ^ "Tokyu Group in steadfast pursuit of Chinese tourists". TTGmice. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
7. ^ Bhattacharjya, Samhati (May 17, 2016). "Japan to offer 10-year multi-entry visas for Chinese as part
of tourism push". International Business Times. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
8. ^ NHK-world (October 21, 2011) Japan to give away air tickets to 10,000 visitors Archived October 23,
2011, at the Wayback Machine
9. ^ JAIF (October 22, 2011)Earthquake report 242: Japan to give away air tickets to 10,000
visitors[permanent dead link]
10. ^ ""Fly to Japan! Project"(10,000 FREE FLIGHTS TO FOREIGNERS) | Japan Tourism Agency".
Japan Tourism Agency. December 26, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2012.

 http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/ttp/sta/PDF/E2017.pdf

External links[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel
guide for Japan.

 Japan National Tourist Organization

 Japan: Travel and Tourism at Curlie
 JapanTourist Travel Articles Database
 2018 Foreign Visitors & Japanese Departures

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