tourism industry japanese

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Japan's tourism industry - statistics & facts

Tourism amid the covid-19 pandemic, holiday destination japan, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Tourism expenditure in Japan 2013-2022

Number of domestic travels in Japan 2013-2022

Number of inbound visitors to Japan 2005-2023

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Current statistics on this topic.

Economic impact of tourism on output in Japan 2012-2021

International tourism balance of payments in Japan 2005-2023

Related topics

Recommended.

• Domestic tourism in Japan
• Business travel in Japan
• Leisure travel in Japan
• Hotel industry in Japan
• Outdoor activities in Japan

Recommended statistics

• Premium Statistic Tourism expenditure in Japan 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Economic impact of tourism on output in Japan 2012-2021
• Premium Statistic Impact of tourism on employment in Japan 2012-2021
• Premium Statistic Tourism expenditure by domestic travelers in Japan 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Tourism expenditure of international visitors in Japan 2010-2023
• Premium Statistic International tourism balance of payments in Japan 2005-2023

Total value of tourism expenditure in Japan from 2013 to 2022 (in trillion Japanese yen)

Economic impact of tourism on output in Japan from 2012 to 2021 (in trillion Japanese yen)

Impact of tourism on employment in Japan 2012-2021

Impact of tourism on employment in Japan from 2012 to 2021 (in million jobs)

Tourism expenditure by domestic travelers in Japan 2013-2022

Domestic tourism expenditure in Japan from 2013 to 2022 (in trillion Japanese yen)

Tourism expenditure of international visitors in Japan 2010-2023

Tourism expenditure by inbound visitors to Japan from 2010 to 2023 (in trillion Japanese yen)

International tourism balance of payments in Japan from 2005 to 2023 (in trillion Japanese yen)

Domestic tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic travels in Japan 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Distribution of domestic travels in Japan 2021, by type
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic travels in Japan 2022, by purpose and type of trip
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic trips in Japan 2022, by age of traveler
• Premium Statistic Most desired destinations for domestic overnight travel in Japan 2023
• Premium Statistic Leading sales channels for booking domestic overnight travel in Japan 2022

Total number of domestic trips undertaken in Japan from 2013 to 2022 (in millions)

Distribution of domestic travels in Japan 2021, by type

Distribution of domestic trips in Japan in 2021, by type of travel

Number of domestic travels in Japan 2022, by purpose and type of trip

Number of domestic trips in Japan in 2022, by travel purpose and type of trip (in millions)

Number of domestic trips in Japan 2022, by age of traveler

Number of domestic trips undertaken in Japan in 2022, by age group of traveler (in millions)

Most desired destinations for domestic overnight travel in Japan 2023

Most popular domestic touristic destinations for overnight travel in Japan in 2023

Leading sales channels for booking domestic overnight travel in Japan 2022

Leading sales channels for purchasing domestic overnight trips in Japan in 2022

Outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of Japanese overseas travelers 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of monthly Japanese outbound travelers 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Leading overseas travel destinations of Japanese tourists 2022
• Premium Statistic Share of Japanese outbound travelers 2022, by age group and gender
• Premium Statistic Gender ratio of Japanese overseas travelers 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic International travel booking distribution in Japan 2022, by sales channel

Number of Japanese overseas travelers 2013-2022

Number of Japanese overseas travelers from 2013 to 2022 (in millions)

Number of monthly Japanese outbound travelers 2019-2022

Monthly number of outbound travelers in Japan from January 2019 to December 2022 (in 1,000s)

Leading overseas travel destinations of Japanese tourists 2022

Leading outbound tourist destinations of Japanese travelers in 2022 (in 1,000 visitors)

Share of Japanese outbound travelers 2022, by age group and gender

Share of Japanese overseas travelers as of 2022, by age group and gender

Gender ratio of Japanese overseas travelers 2013-2022

Gender ratio of Japanese overseas travelers from 2013 to 2022

International travel booking distribution in Japan 2022, by sales channel

Distribution of outbound travel reservations in Japan in 2022, by sales channel

Inbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of inbound visitors to Japan 2005-2023
• Premium Statistic Monthly number of foreign visitors to Japan 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound visitors in Japan 2023, by region
• Premium Statistic Number of foreign tourists for holiday and recreational reasons in Japan 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound travelers for business purposes to Japan 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of overseas tourists in Tokyo 2013-2022

Number of international visitor arrivals to Japan from 2005 to 2023 (in millions)

Monthly number of foreign visitors to Japan 2019-2023

Monthly number of international visitors to Japan from January 2019 to December 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of inbound visitors in Japan 2023, by region

Number of international visitors coming to Japan in 2023, by region of origin (in 1,000s)

Number of foreign tourists for holiday and recreational reasons in Japan 2013-2022

Number of international tourists visiting Japan for holiday, leisure and recreational purposes from 2013 to 2022 (in millions)

Number of inbound travelers for business purposes to Japan 2013-2022

Number of international travelers coming for business to Japan from 2013 to 2022 (in millions)

Number of overseas tourists in Tokyo 2013-2022

Number of inbound tourists to Tokyo, Japan from 2013 to 2022 (in millions)

Hotel industry

• Premium Statistic Number of hotels and inns in Japan FY 2006-2023
• Premium Statistic Monthly occupancy rate of accommodations in Japan 2022, by type
• Premium Statistic Number of overnight stays by Japanese at accommodations in Japan 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of stays at accommodations by foreigners in Japan 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of overnight stays by overseas guests in Japan 2022, by prefecture
• Premium Statistic Occupancy rate of accommodations in Japan 2022, by prefecture

Number of hotels and inns in Japan FY 2006-2023

Number of lodging facilities in Japan from fiscal year 2006 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Monthly occupancy rate of accommodations in Japan 2022, by type

Monthly occupancy rate of accommodations in Japan from January to December 2022, by type of facility

Number of overnight stays by Japanese at accommodations in Japan 2013-2022

Number of overnight stays by Japanese travelers at lodging facilities in Japan from 2013 to 2022 (in millions)

Number of stays at accommodations by foreigners in Japan 2013-2022

Number of overnight stays at lodging facilities by international visitors in Japan from 2013 to 2022 (in millions)

Number of overnight stays by overseas guests in Japan 2022, by prefecture

Number of overnight stays by international guests in Japan in 2022, by prefecture (in 1,000s)

Occupancy rate of accommodations in Japan 2022, by prefecture

Occupancy rate of lodging facilities in Japan in 2022, by prefecture

Tourism consumption

• Premium Statistic Tourism spending in Japan 2022, by travel type
• Premium Statistic Domestic day-trip travel expenditure in Japan 2022, by travel purpose
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight travel expenditure in Japan 2022, by travel purpose
• Premium Statistic Expenses on overseas travel by Japanese 2013-2022
• Premium Statistic Tourism expenditure by foreign visitors in Japan 2023, by expense category
• Premium Statistic Average unit price per domestic trip per person in Japan 2013-2022

Tourism spending in Japan 2022, by travel type

Value of tourism expenditure in Japan in 2022, by type of travel (in trillion Japanese yen)

Domestic day-trip travel expenditure in Japan 2022, by travel purpose

Domestic tourism expenditure on same-day travel in Japan in 2022, by travel purpose (in trillion Japanese yen)

Domestic overnight travel expenditure in Japan 2022, by travel purpose

Domestic tourism expenditure on overnight travel in Japan in 2022, by travel purpose (in trillion Japanese yen)

Expenses on overseas travel by Japanese 2013-2022

Expenditure of Japanese travelers on outbound trips from 2013 to 2022 (in trillion Japanese yen)

Tourism expenditure by foreign visitors in Japan 2023, by expense category

Tourism expenditure by international visitors in Japan in 2023, by expense category (in trillion Japanese yen)

Average unit price per domestic trip per person in Japan 2013-2022

Average unit price per domestic trip per person in Japan from 2013 to 2022 (in 1,000 Japanese yen)

Travel and tourism during COVID-19

• Premium Statistic Impact of COVID-19 on domestic leisure travel in Japan 2020-2023, by month
• Premium Statistic Impact of COVID-19 on outbound travel plans in Japan 2020-2023, by month
• Premium Statistic Estimated number of travelers during summer vacation in Japan 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Share of people intending to go on domestic leisure trips in Japan 2023
• Premium Statistic Share of people intending to go on overseas leisure trips in Japan 2023
• Premium Statistic Leading reasons to suspend overseas travels from Japan 2023

Impact of COVID-19 on domestic leisure travel in Japan 2020-2023, by month

Impact of COVID-19 on domestic leisure travel in Japan from 2020 to 2023, by month

Impact of COVID-19 on outbound travel plans in Japan 2020-2023, by month

Impact of COVID-19 on outbound travel plans in Japan from 2020 to 2023, by month

Estimated number of travelers during summer vacation in Japan 2014-2023

Estimated number of people traveling during summer vacation period in Japan from 2014 to 2023 (in millions)

Share of people intending to go on domestic leisure trips in Japan 2023

Share of people who are intending to go on domestic leisure travels in Japan as of May 2023

Share of people intending to go on overseas leisure trips in Japan 2023

Share of people who are intending to go on international leisure travels in Japan as of May 2023

Leading reasons to suspend overseas travels from Japan 2023

Leading reasons to postpone or cancel international leisure trips from Japan in May 2023

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Japan's hospitality and tourism industry is recovering, but there are challenges

Japan's readiness to receive tourists is not keeping pace with the speed of the recovery of visitor numbers. Image:  Unsplash/Sayaka Ganz

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• Japan's hospitality and tourism sector is recovering in earnest after reopening its border to foreign visitors and lifting mask rules after COVID-19.
• As a result, March saw visitor numbers reach nearly 2 million, equivalent to about two-thirds of tourist figures for the same month in 2019.
• Japan will need to adapt to avoid 'overtourism' and also address post-pandemic labour shortages in both hospitality and tourism.

The Japanese hospitality and tourism industry is beginning to recover in earnest after being badly hit by COVID-19.

In October 2022, Japan lifted the ceiling on the number of foreign tourists entering the country as well as the ban on the entry of individual foreign travellers, thereby significantly easing its pandemic border control measures. Furthermore, as of March this year, the rule to wear masks, both indoors and outdoors, is now left to individual discretion.

This was a tailwind, and the number of visitors to Japan in the same month quickly recovered to 1,827,500 – a figure is equivalent to 66% of the pre-pandemic March 2019 tally and 27.5 times higher than in March 2022.

By country/region, the largest number of visitors to Japan in March came from South Korea with 466,800 – or 79.7% of the figure for March 2019; followed by Taiwan with 278,900; the United States with 203,000, and Hong Kong with 144,900. In addition, since Japan eased travel restrictions from China on March 1, the number of travellers from the country almost doubled to 75,000 in February.

Takahide Kiuchi, Executive Economist at Nomura Research Institute, forecasts that "inbound demand for the year 2023 will be JPY 4,958 billion (about $36.7 billion), which could quickly surpass the JPY 4,813.5 billion (about $35.7 billion) inbound demand in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic”.

However, while Japan's economy is being revitalized in earnest by inbound consumption – boosted in part by the record low yen, which makes Japan an attractive destination for foreign tourists – the country is facing a noticeable challenge as its readiness to receive tourists is not keeping pace with the speed of the recovery in visitor numbers.

Severe labour shortages in hospitality

The hospitality and restaurant industries are in a particularly tight spot, unable to cope with the resurgence of inbound tourism.

According to a January survey released by Teikoku Databank, the percentage of companies feeling a labour shortage (non-permanent employees) amounted to 81.8% for inns and hotels and 80.4% for restaurants. Of all sectors, these two industries in particular are experiencing an outstanding labour shortage, with the percentage for inns/hotels at an all-time high.

Many in the hospitality and restaurant sectors have been forced to reduce their workforce and curtail new hiring due to closures, shorter hours and poor performance caused by the spread of COVID-19, and many employees have moved on to other jobs. The fact it is not easy to bring back staff once they have left the industry is the main reason for the serious labour shortage.

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Japanese industry has been trying to solve labour shortages by accepting foreign workers. The tourism sector has relied heavily on part-time jobs for foreign students. According to data from the Japan Student Services Organization in 2021, the hospitality and restaurant industries accounted for nearly 40% of all part-time jobs for foreign students. However, foreign student part-time workers have completely disappeared since the pandemic.

Furthermore, the depreciation of the yen, which has been progressing since the second half of last year, has significantly lowered wages in Japan from the perspective of other countries. Despite overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and embarking on a path of economic recovery, Japan is no longer attractive as a country to go to as a migrant worker, and it is no longer possible to expect to attract foreign staff .

In a bid to address the problem in hospitality, hotel operations are being reformed by using digital technology to increase efficiency. JTB, a major Japanese travel agency, has developed a platform that links its core system with digital tools such as ATMs to save labour in check-out and other operations, and is now offering the system to hotels.

Tokyu Hotels, which operates 45 hotels in Japan, has also introduced NEC's Smart Hospitality Service , which enables automatic check-in using facial recognition and QR codes, at 39 of its hotels nationwide. Users can check in by simply holding up their face to a tablet terminal at the front desk if they have registered their guest information and photo in advance – making operations more efficient.

Countermeasures against ‘overtourism’

Overtourism has long been a challenge for the Japanese travel industry, and local residents in key tourist areas have suffered from issues including crowding, traffic congestion, rubbish and noise. The ability to diversify the times and areas visited by tourists is key to preventing overtourism, while allowing the tourism industry to gain momentum for a resurgence.

According to a Japan Tourism Agency survey, most people travel on holidays, including major national holidays, and only 16.5% of travel volume occurs on weekdays , which account for 70% of the annual number of days.

As such, the government is working to diversify travel demand by increasing the amount of coupons granted for weekday travel in its nationwide travel support programme. Now that the spread of teleworking has made it feasible to combine work and travel on weekdays, the creation of new incentives, such as work holidays, could also help to balance out travel demand.

Diversification of tourist destinations is another important issue. Pre-pandemic, the occupancy rate of accommodation facilities in Osaka, Kyoto and Fukuoka – where tourists are concentrated – rose to nearly 80%, and the negative effects of overtourism were being called out.

However, in many prefectures located along the typical tourist routes for foreign visitors, the occupancy rate of accommodation facilities was less than 50%, resulting in regional differences. In the future, it will be important to bridge these regional differences by promoting Japan's diverse destinations, and to increase the number of people visiting non-representative tourist destinations by attracting repeat visitors.

Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021: Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future

Looking to a new future for japan tourism.

The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021: Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future ranked Japan first in the development index ranking due to the speed with which the travel and tourism industry has recovered from the devastation caused by the pandemic.

Assuming that the travel and tourism industry will play an important role in global economic and social development, the report emphasizes that investment in the drivers of the industry’s development will be crucial in the future.

Meanwhile, Atsushi Takahashi of JR East Japan Planning Inc sounded an alarm bell on the past Japanese approach to tourism and instead urged a new way of thinking. “We have long made decisions based on intuition, experience and assumptions. We have been making decisions for a long time without looking at data,” he said.

“The original marketing is to choose the best solution at the time from multiple hypotheses that emerge depending on how the data is viewed and interpreted. However, in the field of tourism, I feel that this is still too shallow.”

His observations stress his belief that data-based initiatives in Japan's tourism industry are also essential to solving issues facing the sector today, as well to providing new forms of tourism services altogether.

Pre-pandemic, China ranked first in the number of foreign visitors to Japan by nationality and region, accounting for a 25.6% share . Currently, there are restrictions on issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals, but if these restrictions are lifted in the future, the number of visitors from China is expected to increase rapidly.

In addition, the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai – which will be held for six months and centre around the theme of 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives' – is expected to attract 3.5 million foreign tourists.

With these expected surges in visitor numbers, the question will be how Japan can solve the problems facing hospitality and tourism, while also creating and providing services that place value on new forms of tourism.

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World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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Tourism Statistics

Provide the latest and most up-to-date tourism statistics / Japanese economic trend

Tourism Statistics Highlight 05 March 2024

• Inbound According to Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the estimated number of international travelers to Japan in January 2024 was 2,688,100, (at the same level as in 2019).
• Japanese tourists According to preliminary figures from the Immigration Service Agency of Japan, the number of Japanese overseas travelers in January 2024 accounted for 838,581, +89.3% compared to January 2023, and -42.3% compared to 2019.

January 2024 (Estimated figures)

2,688,100 Visits

YOY　 +79.5％

View more statistical bulletins

838,581 Visits

YOY　 +89.3％

Statistics of Visitors to Japan from Overseas

• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by month
• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by year
• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by Country and Region
• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by country
• Overseas Residents’ Visits to Japan by Region

View more time series

Statistics of Japanese Tourists Travelling Abroad

• Japan Residents’/Japanese Visits Abroad by Month
• Japan Residents’/Japanese Visits Abroad by Year
• Japan Residents’/Japanese Visits Abroad by Country and Region
• Japanese Visits Abroad by Airport and Seaport, Monthly
• Japanese Visits Abroad by Airport and Seaport in the Last Decade

Japanese Economic Trend

• GDP Growth Rate
• Unemployment Rate
• Exchange Rate
• Consumption Expenditure per Household
• Consumption expenditures on Travel & Communication
• Sales of Department Stores
• Wholesale Price of Unleaded Gasoline

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Japan Travel and Tourism Market

The Government of Japan (GOJ) has gradually been removing travel restrictions that have been in place since the start of the Covid pandemic.  And on September 22, 2022, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced at a press conference in New York that the GOJ would finally eliminate some of the remaining barriers, namely: waive short-term visa requirements to enter and stay in Japan for 90 days; eliminate the 50,000 cap on the number of daily arrivals; and allow visits by individual tourists.  The changes take effect from October 11, 2022.   With these positive developments in border control and the industry’s movements to motivate Japanese consumers to travel abroad, now is an excellent time for the U.S. travel industry to promote its destinations and services in the Japanese market.

Prior to COVID-19, Japan was the second-largest overseas source of travelers for the United States, annually sending 3.8 million visitors and contributing to $13 billion in spending for the U.S. economy.  In 2019, Japanese outbound travelers reached a record number of 20.1 million.  Within this figure, the U.S. was the most popular destination for Japanese travelers with visitors occupying an 18.7% market share.  However, post-COVID in 2021, the number of Japanese travelers to the U.S. fell to its lowest figure on record of 122,000.   Japan’s strong border controls spurred this decrease with strict regulations, making it increasingly difficult for Japanese travelers to visit foreign destinations, including the U.S.  In particular, two obstacles made it especially difficult for Japanese travelers: 1) the requirement of self-quarantining after returning/entering Japan, and 2) the requirement for incoming travelers to provide proof of negative COVID-19 PCR test results.  For the overall traffic of international travel to rise again, there has been a strong need for these regulations to be removed.

In April 2022, there were positive developments to resume international travel that were set by the GOJ, starting with the elimination of self-quarantine requirements for travelers from the U.S.  In addition, in early September, the GOJ no longer required incoming travelers to provide proof of negative COVID-19 PCR test results, as long as travelers had three doses of vaccines.  Despite these welcome steps, the requirement of visas for incoming foreign visitors, a cap on the number of daily arrivals in Japan and need for tourists to arrive in Japan via pre-registered tour groups, continued to hinder travel.

Nonetheless, the local travel industry, led by the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), has been active in promoting outbound travel.  In the summer of 2022, for example, the Japanese tourism industry, consisting of travel companies, airlines, and tourism offices, launched promotional campaigns in Tokyo and other major Japanese cities to encourage international travel.  JATA also launched an online Twitter campaign and placed large ads encouraging outbound travel in major newspapers, with details of the campaign being featured on numerous television news programs.

As the COVID situation continues to gradually improve, after nearly three years of limited traveling, there is pent-up demand with the Japanese to start traveling again.  Various surveys have inquired consumers on what they want to do post-COVID, and the top answers are always “domestic travel” followed by “overseas travel.”  The U.S. is consistently ranked as one of the top destinations for Japanese travelers post-COVID.

For more information about the Japanese outbound travel market, please contact the Commercial Service Japan at [email protected] or visit the Commercial Service Japan Website: https://www.trade.gov/japan .

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Japan's Tourism Industry Taking Off 

Tourism is a growing industry in Japan, and it has the potential to contribute meaningfully to economic growth over the next decade as the country deregulates the industry, opens casinos, and welcomes foreign visitors to the Olympic Games in 2020.

Key Takeaways

• Tourism has the potential to be a positive economic influence in Japan
• The country is set to meet the government’s target of 40 million tourists by 2020
• The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo provide an opportunity for Japan to expand its tourist base beyond Asia

A decade ago, few tourists visited Japan in comparison with other international destinations. However, over the past five years, the number of tourists has increased by over 24% annually, and the number is expected to continue to rise. With the average tourist spending $1,321 in Q2 2018, tourism in total currently equates to approximately 0.8% of Japan’s gross domestic product (GDP), although the broader impact is estimated to equal about 2.2% of GDP. We believe tourism has the potential for robust growth, and as it expands, its impact on overall economic growth could be significant.

Promoting Tourism

The government has made tourism an important part of its goal to reach 600 trillion yen ($5 trillion) in nominal GDP by 2020. Over the last couple of years, the government has enacted a series of policy changes aimed at turning Japan into a “tourism-oriented country,” which include the relaxation of visa requirements and an increase in the number of low-cost air carrier routes. In 2018, a record 31 million tourists visited Japan, an 8% increase over 2017. 1 Visitors from Asian countries continue to dominate, with tourists from China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand accounting for 75% of total visits in November 2018.

Growth Potential

We believe tourism in Japan has ample room to grow, as the total number of visitors remains small compared to many other countries. For example, in France, the world’s top tourist destination with 87 million foreign tourists in 2017, the tourism industry accounted for 9% of GDP in 2017. Tokyo was ranked 9th in terms of international visitor spending in 2017. However, total expenditures of almost $12 billion were still substantially lower than the $17 billion tourists spent in London or Singapore.

Casino resorts could further boost tourism growth. In December 2016, the Japanese parliament approved a bill to legalize casino gambling, and in July 2018 authorized the construction of three resort casinos. The first is likely to open in 2025, and total gaming revenue from all three is expected to top $12 billion. The Asia-Pacific region has become the largest casino gambling market, with revenue in Macau reaching nearly $38 billion in 2018. 3 By comparison, gaming revenue in Las Vegas is expected to be about $6 billion in 2018.

2020 Olympic Games

The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo are likely to be a big draw for tourists to Japan. In preparation for the games, it is estimated that Japan will spend approximately 6 trillion yen ($53 billion) on transportation infrastructure, including expanding ports, increasing airport capacity, and strengthening transportation hubs. 4

The 2020 Games will provide an opportunity to showcase Japan’s technological know-how. Plans include the creation of an Olympic robot village to help guests with directions, transportation, and translation. Japan plans to impress athletes and tourists with autonomous taxis, 5G wireless technology, and superspeed magnetic levitation trains and hopes to draw visitors from all over the world, including the U.S. and Europe. 5

An Opportunity to Benefit from Japan’s Growth

Tourism is one of many areas contributing to the recovery of Japan’s economy. For investors seeking exposure to Japan’s potential growth, consider the Hennessy Japan Fund (HJPNX/HJPIX) and the Hennessy Japan Small Cap Fund (HJPSX/HJSIX), both offering “best ideas” portfolios. The Japan Fund is comprised of globally oriented mid- to large-cap companies. The Japan Small Cap Fund invests in smaller-cap, more domestically focused companies.

Both Funds are sub-advised by Tokyo-based SPARX Asset Management. As one of the largest and most experienced independent Asia-based asset management specialists, SPARX’s “feet on the street” research team provides a significant and crucial advantage for shareholders.

• In this article:
• Japan Small Cap Fund

1. Japan National Tourism Organization.

2. International tourism, number of arrivals, The World Bank.

3. Bloomberg

4. Cooper, Chris and Matsuda, Kiyotaka. “Abe Plans $61 Billion Infrastructure Spending for Japan Revival,” Bloomberg.com, August 2, 2016.

5. Futurism.com.

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Japan's Tourism and Travel Industry: Job Opportunities, Salaries and Things to Know

The Japanese tourism industry has been in the spotlight due to increasing tourism to Japan from all over the globe. We will provide you a brief snapshot of the companies and compile important information including employment chances!

Author: Putri Nurdivi | Published date: 17 February 2020

The Tourism Industry in Japan

Japan is certainly one of the top travel destinations for East Asia and tourists are flocking in from every corner of the world. With the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics, Japan’s tourism sector continues to expand. Job opportunities are abundant for bilinguals and internationals in the tourism industry, so let’s jump right in to learning where and how to apply!

We already did an in-depth explanation regarding “What You Need to Know About Working in Japan’s Tourism Industry ” to provide you with clear and fundamental knowledge about the industry, so make sure to check that article out as well.

Japan's Top Travel Agencies

The Japan Tourism Bureau (JTB) is undoubtedly the powerhouse of the Japanese tour and travel industry. As Japan’s biggest travel agency, JTB offers consumers a vast line of integrated travel services through their countless group companies to ensure the best possible service for your travel needs.

Employment Opportunities

Pre-entries for 2021 fresh graduates will start from March 2020 based on Rikunabi , and based on the previous years' information, pre-entries will close around May. Company information sessions also take place in March, while interviews are scheduled to start around the start of June. Official job offers will be released in mid-June.

They frequently hosts seminars and participate in events regarding their employments. Job hunters can subscribe to their Club JTB as a pre-entry and their selection flow is also explained in detail . Requirement varies for each sub-company but details are listed here . (Click here for JTB’s 2020 Fresh Graduate Career Link )

Internships

JTB also provides s h ort-term and long-term internship programs such as 1-Day, 5-Day and the JTB-Group Internship for students aspiring to learn the ins-and-outs of the tourism industry. However, all the fundamental details are only available in Japanese. (Click here for full details of JTB’s Internship Programs)

Company Information and Salary

Ever heard of the Japanese robot-operated hotel? The famous Hen-na Hotel is one of H.I.S’ subsidiaries. As a rival of JTB, this agency is intensively expanding their growth to catch up with its opponent. Other than their domestic rivalries with JTB, H.I.S also has branches and other various subsidiaries in different parts of the world.

H.I.S offer two different routes which job hunters could take ; the Business Leader and the Area Professional course which provides different field assignments. All job categories are open and other fields such as sales, IT staff, and accountants are also listed. Job vacancies in their overseas branches are listed separately in its respective branch websites . ( Click here for the H.I.S’s recruitment site.)

Japan's Top Hotels And Accomodations

Imperial hotel (teikoku).

The Imperial Hotel has a long history that stretches back as far as 1880 and is said to be the gosanke or one of the three great hotels of Tokyo. The main hotel which is located in Chiyoda, Tokyo sits comfortably in the proximity of the Imperial Palace. The hotel also has branches in Osaka and Nagano, and also has affiliate hotels in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Imperial Hotel offers two routes of employment which is the General and the “Senmon” (Specialty) course. Vacancies are available in the planning, marketing, operations, sales and management positions. Entries are registered in their MyNavi page. However, recruitments for fresh graduates of 2020 are already closed, but keep an eye out for 2021 applications! You can use the following sites for reference.

Application guidelines are available for viewing here. (Click here for Imperial Hotel’s recruitment site.)

Okura Hotel

The Okura Hotel is also one of Tokyo hotels “Gosanke” along with the Imperial Hotel. In 2019, the old hotel was revamped and now rebranded under the name “The Okura Tokyo”. The Okura Hotel was mentioned in pop-culture works such as in Haruki Murakami’s “1Q84” or Ian Fleming’s “You Only Live Twice”, where the famous James Bond stayed at the Okura. Currently, the Okura Group has diversified their brand to the Nikko Hotels International and Hotel JAL City .

Similar to the Imperial Hotel, recruitments for 2020 fresh graduates are currently closed. However, a list of vacancies in Okura Hotel’s group, affiliates or overseas branches are listed here. Application guidelines and other details are listed in this page. 

Click here for Okura Hotel’s recruitment site.

International Hotels

Other global hotel brands such as the Hyatt group, Hilton group, ANA-Intercontinental, and Ritz-Carlton also exists but they generally do not follow the traditional Japanese shuukatsu flow since their recruitment page is usually redirected to their respective group’s international site.

We have provided you with their websites below for reference.

Click here for Hyatt group’s career page

Click here for Hilton group’s career page

Click here for ANA-Intercontinental’s career page

Click here for the Marriott Group’s career page

Travel Technology

Aside from just the traditional travel agencies or hotels, you actually have another option because of modern times-- travel technology .

With the IT Business on the rise, several travel technology firms such as Agoda, Booking.com or Expedia are also expanding their businesses into Japan. The online travel agency, Agoda, actually attended CFN’s 2019 Winter Career Forum and are searching for a Customer Service Specialist to be stationed in Yokohama. Other job listings of Agoda in Japan are available here .

Quite similarly, these travel technology firms are more progressive than the previous mentions which means recruiting is commonly done throughout the year . Employment opportunities or internships are often published through LinkedIn as well. So make sure to check on their LinkedIn pages or do a quick search on jobs.

You can check out what jobs are currently available through the links below. They are often updated so make sure to check often too!

Click here for Booking.com’s career listing.

Click here for Expedia group’s Japan career listing.

There you have it! You can use this guide as a starting point for which companies you can make your applications to, and once you do, you are at least armed with more information so you don't send in that resume empty-handed. As long as there are tourists and travelers, there will be people working in the travel industry, so why not consider it as a possible career option?

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Japan is swamped with tourists. Now visitors are going off the beaten track

Tour operators are touting Japan’s less explored regions as surging visitor numbers put strain on popular sites.

Tokyo, Japan – When Paul Christie started conducting tours on Japan’s Nakasendo, an old trade route along the post towns of Nagano Prefecture’s Kiso Valley, few travellers frequented the trail.

Christie, who has lived on and off in Japan since the late 1980s, viewed the route as a great opportunity for tourists to see a more authentic side of Japan, allowing them to explore the country’s history, nature and geography on foot.

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Since taking over as CEO of tour operator Walk Japan in 2002, Christie has been on a mission to spread tourists more evenly across the archipelago.

“We’ve been doing this for 20 years and we tend to go to places that are not touristy, so we’re teasing out the interesting parts of Japan,” the United Kingdom native told Al Jazeera.

“This addresses the problems Japan is experiencing with ‘overtourism’.”

“Overtourism” was a common talking point in Japan’s tourism industry before the COVID-19 pandemic.

After eight consecutive years of inbound growth, Japan received a record 32 million visitors in 2019.

But the rising tide did not raise all boats. Most travellers flocked to the Golden Route, running from Tokyo through the Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe conurbation, putting historical districts, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and popular museums under strain.

Since Japan lifted its pandemic-era border restrictions in October last year, concerns about unsustainable tourism have returned.

Visitors have rushed back in droves: 2.3 million foreign tourists arrived in July, the highest figure for any month since 2019.

China’s decision last month to lift its three-year ban on group tours to Japan is expected to result in a further spike in arrivals.

In 2019, 9.2 million Chinese tourists travelled to Japan, accounting for nearly one-third of all visitors, spending 1.8 trillion yen ($12.2bn) in the process.

“Our head office is located in the centre of Kyoto and we feel there are as many tourists as before COVID,” Hiroshi Kawaguchi, the general manager at tour operator Oku Japan, told Al Jazeera.

“This is a similar situation where major sightseeing spots are overcrowded and public buses are lining up.”

Though Kawaguchi says his company’s vision is not focused on alleviating overtourism, Oku Japan’s business model is attuned to such concerns.

“The main part of our itineraries are off the beaten track,” Kawaguchi told Al Jazeera.

“More importantly, every tour we offer includes the element of community interactions… We call these experiences fureai, and this is particularly important not only for the enjoyment of clients but also the local community.”

Tour operators focused on less-explored regions also believe in the power of tourism to have a positive impact on rural communities and spur chiho-sosei, or regional revitalisation.

In 2007, Walk Japan launched the Community Project to reinvigorate two neighbouring valleys on the Kunisaki Peninsula, where the company is based.

Alongside conducting group tours in the region, Walk Japan carries out development projects, from helping local farmers cultivate rice and shiitake mushrooms, to providing English education for schoolchildren and refurbishing old buildings.

Revitalisation is “part of the company DNA,” Christie said.

“We want to provide an example of what’s possible and perhaps inspire others.”

As Japan’s population greys, many small villages are on the brink of extinction. For such communities, tourism can be a welcome and much-needed rejuvenating force.

“With the right support, some communities genuinely want [tourists] to experience their hospitality and their local lifestyles and find out about their region, as long as they aren’t overwhelmed by visitors and the quality of life isn’t degraded,” Alex Bradshaw, founder and chief consultant at travel and tourism consultancy Gotoku, told Al Jazeera.

“Even if a village doesn’t survive into the future, the fact that it’s been remembered by somebody is incredibly powerful; that people lived here and they had this lifestyle and we shared a little time together. That kind of human interaction is very important.”

Overtourism is not restricted to Japan’s urban areas.

Rural World Heritage sites, subtropical islands, popular hiking trails and national parks have also been negatively affected.

Fuji-Hakone-Izu, for example, receives nearly half of all national park visitors in Japan, owing to its proximity to Tokyo and as the site of Mount Fuji.

Michelle Lyons, founder of Point North, a specialist branding firm supporting businesses passionate about Japanese culture, is working on a campaign to spread tourism – and its economic benefits – more equitably among Japan’s 34 national parks.

“I wanted to find a way to promote all the parks as though it’s a network of destinations that are all equal to each other,” Lyons told Al Jazeera.

“And by presenting them in this way I’m hoping the more popular parks will help raise the profile of the less popular parks.”

Lyons is developing collectable pins and patches for each park and a trading card game. She wants these collectable souvenirs to showcase the individual merits of each park and serve as educational tools.

“The management of the parks is really fragmented, so it’s difficult for them to coordinate their efforts… There needs to be a series of different solutions that creates value for the unique groups involved; a blanket approach isn’t going to work,” she said.

“In terms of increasing expenditure in the parks, gift shops could play a big part in that if they’re more strategic with what they’re selling, and think about what tourists actually want and find appealing.”

Stereotypical images

It’s a common refrain in the industry that Japan does not understand how to market itself to foreign travellers but Bradshaw thinks Western media is also at fault for presenting stereotypical images of the country.

“I see how Japan is presented and I’m kind of confused by it. I just wonder what part of Japan that is, because they do rely on the kitsch, the odd side of it, or culture tropes… It’s all maid cafés, geisha, tea ceremonies and ninja,” he said.

“It would be my hope that people would find a deeper side of Japan. But I understand why that is difficult for the tourism industry as well. When you’ve got to prioritise what sells as opposed to what’s authentic and necessarily good for regional communities.”

Some areas have implemented initiatives to specifically tackle overcrowding.

Kyoto, known as Japan’s cultural capital, is set to abolish its One-Day Bus Pass for tourists, sales of which will cease in October.

Iriomote, widely feted as the most beautiful of the Ryukyu Islands, has limited the number of daily visitors to 1,200.

In Yamanashi Prefecture, the local government has considered restricting the number of hikers on Mt Fuji’s Yoshida trail if it becomes too congested.

Last month, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that the government would devise nationwide countermeasures to mitigate overtourism this autumn.

Kumi Kato, a tourism professor at Wakayama and Musashino universities, said the government has made moves in the right direction – such as organising cross-ministry meetings on spreading the benefits of tourism – but there is much work to be done.

“Destination wellbeing should be the goal and benchmarking concept,” Kato told Al Jazeera.

“Promoting the night and early morning economy and secondary destinations will disperse tourism into regional areas but that alone cannot lead to successful regional tourism.”

“It’s critical that the target should be clearly set… high-end tourists, or tourists with wealth, are often talked about, but it should not be misunderstood that only wealthy tourists are valuable,” Kato added.

“Value should be added to high-quality products and authentic experiences [which will] raise visitor spending rather than increase numbers. The government does set a target stay – number of days – and spending per visitor, but strategically ‘what kind of tourists’ should be clearer.”

Behind the Japanese Tourism Industry’s Campaign to Reopen the Country

Maki Shiraki, Yuki Nitta and Rocky Swift, Reuters

May 30th, 2022 at 7:00 AM EDT

After months of pressure from businesses reliant on tourism, the Japanese government is finally beginning to loosen restrictions. The prime minister is also facing an election in July. So there's that.

Japan ‘s easing of a two-year ban on foreign tourists seeks to balance the enormous economic importance of tourism with concerns that travellers would trigger a COVID outbreak, insiders say.

The decision means Japan will allow in a limited number of foreign tourists on package tours starting June 10. Last week a few “test tours,” mainly of overseas travel agents, started to arrive.

Relaxing some of the world’s strictest pandemic border measures required months of pressure from travel and tourism executives, three insiders told Reuters, describing both the government’s fears of public backlash if infections spiked and the industry’s concerns of an economic wipeout.

“There were worries that foreign tourists would include a lot of people with bad manners – people who don’t wear masks or don’t use hand sanitiser and that infections could spread again,” said one tourism company executive, who like the others spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The industry pressed Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner as well as government ministries, he said, but initially found them unresponsive.

Government resistance softened after Japan’s “Golden Week” holidays in May, when people travelled domestically but infections didn’t sharply increase, the executive said.

“If the government doesn’t open up the country, more companies will go bankrupt, and that’s no good politically,” he said.

Kishida’s LDP faces an election in July. Although the closed-border policy was overwhelmingly popular early on, the public has warmed up to reopening as the pandemic has eased and the cost of closure became more apparent. A recent Nikkei poll showed 67% of respondents felt it was “reasonable” to allow in foreign tourists.

The foreign ministry felt pressure from overseas on the measures, and was one of a handful of ministries that tried to persuade Kishida’s government, another insider said.

Ultimately, foreign pressure may have helped ensure the change, said an industry executive.

Local governments remain worried that foreign tourists will bring in the coronavirus, the industry executive said, making it difficult to open the country fully.

Japan, where guidelines such as mask wearing and hand sanitising are scrupulously followed, has avoided the kind of massive infections that have swept through other countries.

Hotel operator Resol Holdings Co Ltd opened four new locations in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics, expecting a massive influx of foreign tourists. It was a total bust, said operations manager Hideaki Kageyama.

“You can’t pay the bills, the rent, the labour without inbound tourism,” he said, adding that the border easing would not be enough to quickly revive the industry.

The number of hotels that shut down nationwide rose to the highest in five years last year, and hotel debt levels have more than doubled since 2019, according to researcher Teikoku Databank Ltd.

Government subsidies have helped stave off widespread bankruptcies. Resol might have gone under if it weren’t for side businesses such as golf courses and solar plants, Kageyama said.

Tourism was a rare bright spot for Japan before the pandemic. A record of about 32 million foreign tourists visited in 2019, spending some $38 billion. The government still aims to bring in 60 million tourists a year by 2030.

The rickshaw pullers in Tokyo’s Asakusa temple district have gotten by giving rides to domestic tourists instead of the throngs of Chinese who used to come.

“I want the foreigners to return,” said Yui Oikawa of Rise Up Tokyo Rickshaw. “It was more lively that way, with people from all over coming to Asakusa to pray or have a drink.”

There’s also a lost opportunity: the yen is at its weakest level in 20 years, making Japan a cheaper destination for travellers.

For now, tourists can only come on guided, package tours and as part of a quota of 20,000 arrivals each day, including residents.

Singapore and Thailand began welcoming back tourists in the second half of 2021 and in April further eased entry rules. Japan doesn’t have a timeline for a resumption of full-scale, independent tourism, and the easing could be reversed it COVID worsens, the government says.

The small test tours that started last week are mainly made up of foreign travel agents. They have been subject to strict itineraries that have been mocked online as reminiscent of a visit to North Korea.

The test tours will help the government flesh out guidelines for trips from June 10, officials say.

But Clement Kueh, an Australian travel agent who arrived at Tokyo’s Haneda airport last week, said he and his colleagues still weren’t certain how authorities would define what constitutes “group” travel.

“We’re not sure what that means exactly,” he said.

(Reporting by Maki Shiraki, Yuki Nitta and Rocky Swift in Tokyo; Editing by David Dolan and Gerry Doyle)

Copyright (2022) Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions

This article was written by Rocky Swift, Yuki Nitta and Maki Shiraki from Reuters and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive Content Marketplace . Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected] .

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Japan tourism agency picks model areas aiming to address overtourism

The Japan Tourism Agency has selected 20 areas to implement model projects aimed at addressing challenges related to overtourism — a surge in tourists that negatively impacts the lives of local residents and the natural environment.

The areas include Niseko in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, Tokyo's Asakusa, the city of Kyoto and Iriomote Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.

In Niseko, which attracts many skiers from overseas, a plan is being considered to allow taxis from outside the area to operate to help address that lack of transport options.

Asakusa is expected to take steps to disperse crowds at popular tourist spots. On Iriomote Island, areas with restricted access will be introduced to protect the natural environment.

In the ancient capital of Kyoto, the city office is considering establishing express buses to take visitors to popular sightseeing spots almost directly from its main train station to reduce crowding on city buses and stress on local residents. The local government has said it is looking to introduce "a sightseeing express bus" in June that can travel to major tourism sites such as Kiyomizu temple and the geisha district of Gion with fewer stops from Kyoto Station.

While areas in Osaka Prefecture are not included in the 20 areas, the Osaka Prefectural Government said earlier this month that it will consider charging foreign tourists staying in the prefecture with an “entry fee” to combat overtourism. The planned levy is separate from the lodging tax already in place for both domestic and international tourists, and will be used to fund measures against overtourism and keep the streets clean.

If introduced, it would be the first levy of its kind nationwide.

The tourism agency also selected 51 areas, where measures to address overtourism will be implemented without the need to craft specific plans. Expected steps include allowing tourists to leave large luggage at train stations during sightseeing outings and operating shuttle buses to major tourist destinations.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

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Toronto market posts longest weekly winning streak in 5 years

Canada's resource-linked main stock index rose on Friday to a new record high as higher commodity prices boosted the outlook for corporate earnings and investors grew more confident the Bank of Canada would cut interest rates in the coming months.

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7.4 magnitude quake hits Taiwan, strongest in 25 years

By Nectar Gan , Wayne Chang , Jerome Taylor, Antoinette Radford, Deva Lee and Maureen Chowdhury , CNN

Our live coverage of the Taiwan earthquake has moved here.

Search and rescue efforts continue after 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocks Taiwan. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

Rescuers are working to free dozens trapped after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the east coast of Taiwan — causing landslides and collapsed structures.

At least nine people have died , more than 900 others are injured and over 100 buildings have been damaged.

The quake is the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years .

Here's what else we know:

• The quake:  The earthquake  hit  at 7:58 a.m. local time, 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien at a depth of 34.8 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey.
• Aftershocks : The quake was followed by 29 aftershocks greater than a magnitude of 4.0 near the epicenter of the earthquake in east Taiwan so far, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Tremors have been felt across the island, including in Taipei. Tremors as high as magnitude 7 are  expected  in the following days.
• Hualien County:  The region where the quake struck, Hualien County, has a population of about 300,000, around 100,000 of whom live in the main city of Hualien. But many in the region live in remote coastal or mountain communities that  can be hard to reach , so it might take time to understand the extent of Wednesday's quake.
• Trapped miners: Taiwan's national fire agency said that 71 people are trapped in two mines in Hualien.
• Power cuts : More than 91,000 households were without electricity, according to Taiwan's Central Emergency Command Center.
• Medical facilities: Hospitals across Taiwan’s capital , Taipei City, are operating normally despite being damaged by Wednesday’s earthquake, according to the Municipal Government.
• US monitoring: The Biden administration is monitoring the earthquake in Taiwan overnight and is prepared to offer assistance, a National Security Council spokesperson said Wednesday. 

71 miners trapped in 2 mines in Taiwan after earthquake, national fire agency says

From CNN's Shawn Deng

Taiwan's national fire agency said that 71 people are trapped in two mines in Hualien after a powerful earthquake struck the island. 

In the Heping mine, there are 64 people trapped, and seven more are trapped in the Zhonghe mine, the fire agency said in a news conference on Wednesday. 

Video shows man swimming in a rooftop pool when massive earthquake hit 

When a magnitude of 7.4 earthquake rocked Taiwan on Wednesday, it struck during the morning commute.

Video shows highway roads shaking and even a man being heavily swayed and rocked on a rooftop pool.

Watch the moment here:

Taiwanese semiconductor facilities will resume production overnight following earthquake

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), the chipmaking giant, said on Wednesday that its facilities which were impacted by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake are expected to resume production overnight. 

TSMC reported that their overall tool recovery is at more than 70% within 10 hours of the earthquake striking the island. Safety systems are also operating normally, TSMC added.

The company noted that a small number of tools were damaged but that there was no damage to its extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) tools. Work at construction sites will resume after further inspections are complete, TSMC said.

Earlier, a TSMC spokesperson told CNN they had evacuated some manufacturing plants. All personnel are now safe, TSMC said in an update.

Biden administration monitoring Taiwan earthquake, White House says

From CNN's Sam Fossum

The Biden administration is monitoring the earthquake in Taiwan overnight and is prepared to offer assistance, a National Security Council spokesperson said Wednesday. 

"We are monitoring reports of the earthquake impacting Taiwan and continue to monitor its potential impact on Japan. The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance. All those affected are in our prayers," a statement from National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

7 major earthquakes have hit Taiwan over the last 50 years

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that killed at least nine people and injured hundreds Wednesday, is the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years .

Over the last 50 years, the island has experienced a total of seven major earthquakes, the last being a 7.1 magnitude quake in 2006 in Pingtung County in southern Taiwan.

The island sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire , which makes it prone to earthquakes.

See a full list of the earthquakes that have hit Taiwan:

29 aftershocks above 4.0 magnitude have occurred near epicenter since earthquake, US Geological Survey says

From CNN's Sara Tonks 

There have been 29 aftershocks greater than a magnitude of 4.0 near the epicenter of the earthquake in east Taiwan so far, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Of these aftershocks:

• One was above 6.0
• 13 have been at or above 5.0
• 14 have been above 4.0.

Forecast during recovery efforts: Tonight's forecast in Hualien City, near the epicenter, calls for increasing cloud coverage. Thursday is looking at mostly cloudy skies with afternoon showers and rain Thursday night and Friday during the day.

Rainfall totals should be relatively light for Taiwan, with models calling for under 25 mm (less than 1 inch) by Friday evening local time.

Watch landslide engulf road after 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan

A dashcam camera has caught the moment a large landslide came down a mountain in Taiwan, triggered by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning.

The quake is the strongest to have rattled the island in 25 years, killing at least nine people and leaving more than 150 trapped.

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