No. of foreign visitors to Japan this year tops 30 mil

Even though it’s more crowded and I’m now bumping into tourists everyday, I’m grateful that they are coming and pumping revenue into Japan. Also am glad that the majority are Korean and Chinese and hopefully we can have new and better relations.

When you travel around and see how people are nice firsthand, you sometimes forget the nationalist dribble they pump into you at home.

Take a look at the flights that use Kansai airport. About 80% must come from Asia. I can’t believe that the Japanese are so slow to capitalize on this. They should be building a Pokémon world amusement park or massive game park right near the airport . They really don’t have any intelligent ideas about how to keep them coming. Outside of a tax and trying to pressure tourists to go to rural areas they aren’t wanted there aren’t any plans to keep them coming. They have a perfect chance to combine animation and technology to make something exciting and they don’t make any effort.

Tourism from China, Taiwan, Korea, etc are proof that what what reads in the newspapers and sees on the news about problems with relations between the governments of these countries is just that, problems between the governments and not the people!

Folks shouldnt always believe what they read or hear!

Before, foreign visitors came mostly from U.S. and Europe. Today, they are chiefly from other Asian countries. Asians became rich. We cannot communicate with them in English and Chinese and other Asian languages became more necessary.

Insane WayneToday  07:27 am JST

Take a look at the flights that use Kansai airport. About 80% must come from Asia. I can’t believe that the Japanese are so slow to capitalize on this. They should be building a Pokémon world amusement park or massive game park right near the airport .

Why can't they just arrive at the airport and visit an amusement park while they are in Japan?

People criticize poor English education in Japan but I found many visitors from China and other Asian countries do not understand English. They may not be taught English at schools.

Japan is aiming to attract 40 million travelers in 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Ugh, please no! I don't mind tourism but this is a bit overkill. How can anyone enjoy this?

How can anyone enjoy this?

The folks running the hospitality industry sure are. God, we just read about a woman making takoyaki who's a millionaire. I'm sure all the omiyage retailers are doing splendidly as well. I am thankful that I'm far from ground zero. Kobe gets some trickle-down tourism from the crowds in Kyoto-Osaka-Nara, but it's more than manageable. I have friends and family in Kyoto who aren't profiting from the boom and they're far less sanguine.

Still no toilets, soap and rubbish bins

Amazing news! I think 50 million tourists in 2020 should be the new goal. Win-win for all. All this goes to show that Japan is loved and respected around the world, especially in Asia, despite some trouble makers still focusing on 80 years ago.

ssanAmericaToday 07:53 am JST

Insane WayneToday  07:27 am JST

Take a look at the flights that use Kansai airport. About 80% must come from Asia. I can’t believe that the Japanese are so slow to capitalize on this. They should be building a Pokémon world amusement park or massive game park right near the airport .

Why can't they just arrive at the airport and visit an amusement park while they are in Japan?

Try visiting Japan and Kansai. There is a lot of vacant land near KIX. Tokyo Disney sure gets a lot of repeat visitors. It must get far more than the World heritage sites.

Amazing news! I think 50 million tourists in 2020 should be the new goal. Win-win for all. All this goes to show that Japan is loved and respected around the world, especially in Asia, despite some trouble makers still focusing on 80 years ago.

It is good news but I can't help but after reading your comment I couldn't help but picture Sally Field saying you like me, you really like me after winning an Oscar, but in a far more cloying, make-your-skin-crawl sort of way.

It’s true that few places display multi-languages.

That’s why almost all Japanese don’t understand and needn’t use other languages except for English, but it is time to spread multiple languages for being tourists-oriented.

Hold down the fort. I'll be there on the 20th. This will be my 5th or 6th solo trip to Japan.

As more foreigners visit Japan, Japanese will have to get used to more foreign cultures, customs, habits, and different ways of doing things