No. of foreign tourists visiting Japan plunges 29% in Jan-June

Wednesday 29th July, 06:44 AM JST

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Sarge at 11:36 PM JST - 29th July

"minshuku owner: young Japanese are selfish, expect to be served and looked after 24h"

Sure, some young Japanese, some middle-age Japanese and some elderly Japanese are like that - most are not.
ChrisBiggins at 01:11 AM JST - 30th July

Hardly surprising is it sweeties. Expensive yucky food, xenaphobia and high Yen.

Come to London and have somefish and chippies, only a fiver (750 Yen) and your tummy stays full for hours. Japan is dying socially and in its world standing. World interset is waining and tourists will travel to more relevent and sociable places where they can be a minority whether by colour or sexuality and feel at ease.
Kigatsuyoi at 01:50 AM JST - 30th July

There are two reasons and two reasons alone for the drop in foreign tourists. One is the global recession and two is the rise in the exchange rate between the yen and virtually any other currency out there. The yen's value has increased about 29% against the US dollar in the last year and surprise surprise foreign tourism drops by about 29%.
JohnBecker at 03:03 AM JST - 30th July

I've visited Japan twice as a tourist, for two weeks the first time and three weeks the second. I've stayed at inexpensive business hotels in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Hiroshima with no problems at all. (And I've never paid more than 8,500 yen per night.) I've always been able to communicate, either in English, charades or Pictionary-style. Mostly in English, because there always seems to be someone around who knows at least enough to help. (I know only a few words of Japanese.) And help they do. The people I've encountered in Japan have been uniformly wonderful. Service has been wonderful. Transportation has been wonderful. I can't think of anything that was less than... well, you know.

On occasion, I travel with my Japanese pen pal, who lived in Tokyo until recently. (Moved to Saitama.) She has been a great friend. She came over to New York a couple of years ago, her first visit to the States. I showed her around, took her to a ballgame, etc. We've been corresponding for over 5 years; if I was ever merely a curiosity to her (I never felt that I was), we're way beyond that.

Those who are carping about any of these aspects of tourism in Japan seem to be doing so only because it's the topic at hand. If it were something else, that's what they would be whining about.

Kigatsuyoi hit the nail on the head. I would be returning for another visit this Autumn, but the economy is bad and my dollars aren't worth much at the moment. When things get a little bit better, I'll be back.
tigris at 05:28 AM JST - 30th July

Those who are carping about any of these aspects of tourism in Japan seem to be doing so only because it's the topic at hand. If it were something else, that's what they would be whining about.

Exactly. Many posts on JT say more about the poster than about Japan.
Klein2 at 06:35 AM JST - 30th July

So in addition to poor service, there's rampant privacy violations? Good to know.

Just trying to be circumspect Nessie. As I said, I think my idea of blacklists is unfounded, but I cannot explain why I have had zero problem here and so many others have. It can't be my winning personality, and I used to... well... I used to have nothing to my name and did not have problems then either. Can YOU offer an explanation why I get welcomed everywhere I go and other people cannot even keep a telephone connection when they say their non-Japanese last name?

Might as well add that there IS one place in the US where I have never had any trouble. Had to think about it all day yesterday. Las Vegas... where Hawaiians go to relax.
Klein2 at 06:53 AM JST - 30th July

I have slept on subway station benches in rural Japan to save money. Those were the good old days. Nobody rousted me. I usually slept the six hours or so until the first train woke me up. That is my Japan too. I claim it.

Maybe my post above makes it seem like I buy my way through life. Good luck pigeon-holing me.

Think you need money in Japan to find nice people? How about being invited home to sleep on a sofa by a drunk salaryman? That is how one subway bench episode ended. Does that count for showing how Japan makes an effort to accomodate foreigners? How about when I fell asleep on a train and someone drove me back to get me back to my correct stop---an hour each way? A genuinely nice person. Japan is an excellent, safe place to travel for backpackers, families, or anyone.
mrhog123 at 02:52 PM JST - 30th July

I travel in Japan frequently. I can't count the number of niceities I have received in Japan. From people helping me with the train schedule to ordering off a all Japanese menu. Yes it is expensive but I feel safe, can't say the same for Europe. I will be going to Hokkaido in September without hotel reservations and expect to find reasonable accomodiations wherever I travel.
BobbieWickham at 02:58 PM JST - 30th July

mrhog123 Totally with you and expensive? It's not so bad. Shop around and you'll be amazed at the bargains to be had.
rajakumar at 06:22 PM JST - 30th July

Japan travelling has a lot potential to be improved.

Japan should do more to increase travellers to japan,via many good tourist friendly ideas/actions and by being more friendly to all travellers.
Foxie at 12:26 AM JST - 31st July

Here is something that happened to me only last December. I made a reservation online at a hotel in Tokyo that had both an English and a Japanese site. Out of laziness, I made the reservation on the English site. Then I had a look at the Japanese site and I found out that the same room was being charged less. I wrote them an e-mail to complain and here is what they wrote:

"Thank you for your e-mail. The reason why thre is a differecne in room rate for the same period of time is that we make week end discount ( Fri. through Mon. ) on line reservation in Japnese version , but not in English one. We'll change your room to \9,360 from \10,400 this time as a special treatmnt."

Eventhough the difference is only a mere 1,040 Yen per night, it will add up to a nice dinner if you stay 5 nights. They have now changed this difference of price on their English website. Any thoughts on this one? Was this discrimination or not?
tigris at 07:34 AM JST - 31st July

Foxie

I would call it sloppy or incompetence not discrimination. This is quite common in Japan with bilingual web sites, not only in the tourist business. As we all know they struggle with English. The English part of the website is usually comissioned to be done by a third party and then it is left as it is while the Japanese part is regularly updated. That is why you are informed about all the specials in Japanese but not in English. If you would have reserved on the Japanese site you would have gotten the discount.

That said, I find it totally unacceptable and I myself have complained before about similar incidents to respective businesses - with results - like in your case:

They have now changed this difference of price on their English website.
sfjp330 at 09:25 AM JST - 31st July

There are other "bargain" destinations that have more attractions then Japan. Especially with current economy and exchange rate, Japan is one place you don't want to go unless it's necessary. Most of the time, you get more stressed in Japan than most other places. It's hard to relax there because most people seems so hyper in a nice way and walk fast, like they had four cups of coffee. Also, the transporation cost twice as much as U.S. or other places. I think Canada and U.S. is a better "bargain" destination.
Nessie at 02:28 PM JST - 31st July

I would call it sloppy or incompetence not discrimination.

Funny how incompetence always seems to work in favor of the business.
pimon at 10:48 PM JST - 2nd August

Japan is one place you don't want to go unless it's necessary. Most of the time, you get more stressed in Japan than most other places.

Couldn't agree with you less here. I've had a couple of great hiking trips in Japan the last couple of years, on the Nakasendo and also near Koyasan and along the Kumano Kodo in Wakayama prefecture. These were the most spectacular and relaxing trips I have had in years -- quiet trails, wonderful meals in minshuku and temple accommodations, onsen, etc. You do need to get out of the city to see Japan, you simply cannot judge it based on a couple of days in Tokyo or Kyoto.