Japanese overseas travelers up 15% in September

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7 Comments

Patrick Smash at 10:15 AM JST - 27th October

Two main reasons for declining "tourism". One is fewer SKs employed here, so fewer family visits, and the other is the strong yen. Then the minor things like the boredom and expense of the place, the tasteless cuisine, the xenophobia, the fingerprinting etc. I can't see why anyone bothers to come here as a tourist, although it's an okay country to live in if you speak reasonable Japanese.
as_the_crow_flies at 02:00 PM JST - 27th October

Two main reasons for declining "tourism". One is fewer SKs employed here, so fewer family visits, and the other is the strong yen.

Agree. Bearing in mind that anyone who's not actually naturalised still counts as a "visitor" in official figures, you're a "tourist" even if you live here. Maybe the decline in Engrish teaching opportunities is part of teh reason for this decline, as well as fewer job opportunities for Koreans and Chinese in (even) less appealing jobs. And those of us "tourists" who live here are also probably not leaving as much, therefore not popping up in the "visitor" statistics as we come back in.

Apart from that, the strong yen, and general lack of appeal for the place for real tourism, probably account for Japan's continued slide in the tourism ratings.
DeepAir65 at 02:37 PM JST - 27th October

Silver week and strong yen = good travel opportunities for the over 60's end of story!

I flew back to the UK in September and I reckon half the plane were probably over 80 even. The tour reps (i.e. only English speakers) running around the plane looked well into their 60's. And another thing - flash photography (on that scale) should be banned on a long haul plane, good job no epileptics around.
stirfry at 04:34 PM JST - 27th October

chatuchak market in bangkok gets about the same amount of monthly visitors as japan does...and its only open on weekends
roomtemperature at 08:38 PM JST - 27th October

"chatuchak market in bangkok gets about the same amount of monthly visitors as japan does...and its only open on weekends"

So?
realist at 04:21 PM JST - 29th October

Why would foreign tourists come here? Japanese in big cities like Tokyo especially are unwelcoming to foreigners. Grossly overcrowded trains with ignorant, mannerless people shoving, grunting and pushing anyone who happens to get in their way, the appalling lack of foreign language ability, and lack of information available in English, plus the lack of 24 hour ATM machines and the fact that many foreign-issued Credit Cards cannot be unsed in this backward country, mean that most foreign tourists spend their money on more fun places.
ezocruiser at 11:33 AM JST - 30th October

realist wrote:

"...lack of 24 hour ATM machines..."

Try visiting 7-11...