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Record 16.6 mil foreigners visited Japan in 1st half of 2019

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That's. Lot of money being pumped into the Japanese economy. You're welcome, Japan.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

I have my website introducing festivals of Tokyo. But I cannot find much fun in festivals held in Tokyo. Big and good festivals are found in other cities outside of Tokyo where an entire city rally around for their events. Asakusa in the picture is not much fun for me. Old Tokyo were all destroyed by the W.W. II. air raids. Tokyo may be good only for shoppers. Ginza, Roppongi, Shinjuku... they are not Japan. Go to Kansai including Kyoto and Nara to find old Japan.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

The government has set a target of attracting 40 million foreign visitors annually and increasing their spending to 8 trillion yen next year when Japan hosts the games.

Currently at nearly 17 million, and a goal nearly 2.5 times MORE than current, NO THANK YOU!

Just increasing tourism, in the current climate, is asking for a crap load of problems on top of the ones that are currently brewing!

It's not just foreign tourists that are a problem, but increasing numbers of Japanese tourists, especially since the start of the LCC airlines, has made it cheaper for people to fly all over the place here.

There is even a Okinawa soba shop in Ishigaki, run by a guy from mainland, that is now refusing service to Japanese customers because their manners are crap!

It's problems like these, that are going to increase and the government has no plans nor ideas, on how to control it, moving forward!

8 ( +14 / -6 )

Good for them. Despite the haters, Japan continues to increase its tourism numbers.

-5 ( +11 / -16 )

Interesting.... that is a lot of visitors. I'm sorry JT but I wonder if Japan will put a cap on the number of visitors any one country could have visiting Japan at one time. I mean, it could be a security issue. However that said, great news and the extra revenue will do wonders for Japan's economy.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Ginza, Roppongi, Shinjuku... they are not Japan.

Yes, they are. They are also fun. I’ve had great times in all three.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Japan is a great country. That's why this numbers of tourist will keep going up. They're attracted to Japan and it's culture, to its people and quality food, safety and cleanliness among the highest in the world.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

The number of tourists from SK will be decreasing more and more. But it's ok. Japan can promote increasing of foreign guests from other countries.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

The number of tourists from SK will be decreasing more and more

I really don't think that's the case. The SK politicians can huff and puff if they want to, but people still like to travel

16 ( +16 / -0 )

Ginza, Roppongi, Shinjuku... they are not Japan.

This is such a cheap cliche. Of course they're real and just as much Japan as the moss covered tombs in Nikko or the temples in Kyoto. No-one ever says, "After three days in London we left to find the real England," or "We enjoyed a stroll on the Left Bank before driving to Brittany in search of the real France."

But I cannot find much fun in festivals held in Tokyo.

Really? Sanja Matsuri and the Fukagawa Summer Festival are both great fun.

Despite the haters, Japan continues to increase its tourism numbers.

Yep, there were so many young Koreans and Chinese in Shibuya on Monday afternoon we had to wait to get down into the station. And summer hasn't even started yet!

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Many countries/cities around the world are getting record numbers of visitors pretty much every year.

More cashed up chinese, euros, thais, americans etc, cheaper airfares, longer/more frequent paid vacation etc means more tourists.

The only market/group who's probably not traveling in significantly higher numbers than they were say 20-25 years ago are the Japanese.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

The crowed train scenario, not remotely economically or politicly objective.

Lets spot the foreigner and maybe evaluate from sight, clothing, demeanour, their fiscal value to Japan economy?

Could be $22 billion?

Is this valuation circumspect to the risks of the misinterpretation of cross cultural understanding that Japan ruling government tolerates foreigners and tourists as a requirement to provide fiscal economic growth?

Pretty cynical of me, what?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I just dont see where all these additional tourists are suppose to go? Instead of shoulder to shoulder at touristy areas, you will be shoulder to shoulder basically everywhere...

1 ( +3 / -2 )

However that said, great news and the extra revenue will do wonders for Japan's economy.

Really? where? Explain please.

The government has set a target of attracting 40 million foreign visitors annually and increasing their spending to 8 trillion yen next year when Japan hosts the games.

WHAT? Forty million? These guys are insane.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Ginza, Roppongi, Shinjuku... they are not Japan. 

You must be joking. There are so many modern places to enjoy modern Japanese culture in Tokyo. Enjoy anime, hi tech, cosplay, AI, robots etc. For instance, 6 manga museums: https://hubjapan.io/articles/tokyo-manga-museums-6-places-you-didnt-know

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

It's problems like these, that are going to increase and the government has no plans nor ideas, on how to control it, moving forward!

Stop expecting the government to take care of all your problems and learn to do something about it yourself.

Youll get better results. Faster. Cheaper. And what you want.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Totally gree with vanityofvanities comment.

Beside, I do not think that Korean propaganda will change so much tourists feelings: leisure is leisure.

More than anything is seems to me that the increase in tourism is a Chinese virtue born out from Chines tourist visa facilitations, rather than Japan really doing something for tourism (beside some more translations).

What Japan is not doing is claning up its cities and improving garbage disposal due to the increase of filth and dirth brought by tourism and anthropic frequentation. Shibuya and Shinjuku are turning into pigstalls, with mountain of garbage piled up in the streets daily and every sidewalk and walls turning into black. Thrash baskets... civilization hasn't reached Japan yet? Every large and minor world city has them...!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Gambare where do you get such stats?

Japan is safe but not the safest in the world.

Actually countries like Denmark, Portugal and Austria are way safer.

http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/safest-countries-in-the-world/

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Wow that’s a lot of people. Let’s hope they respect the cultures of this beautiful country.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Yubaru

Flying has always been the cheapest form of travel in Japan. I live in Osaka. Driving to Tokyo costs ¥26,000 in tolls. Taking the Shinkansen costs ¥30,000 round trip. Flying on almost all airlines costs ¥10,000 to ¥15,000 for a round trip.

@Bugle boy of company B

Stop expecting the government to take care of all your problems and learn to do something about it yourself

We have to expect the government to make these moves for us. When we try to institute something, the government tends to shut it down.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Clarification : Japan is targeting 40 million per year. 17 million in the first half means they are on pace for 34 million this year. 34 million to 40 million is an increase of 17%

6 ( +6 / -0 )

@J Jetplane Flying has always been the cheapest form of travel in Japan. I live in Osaka. Driving to Tokyo costs ¥26,000 in tolls. Taking the Shinkansen costs ¥30,000 round trip. Flying on almost all airlines costs ¥10,000 to ¥15,000 for a round trip.

Actually no it hasn't, not to the outer islands at least. And to Ishigaki and Miyako in Okinawa the number of tourists has literally doubled over the past 5 years, all due to LCC's

2 ( +2 / -0 )

34 million to 40 million is an increase of 17%

You make it sound like that is a good thing.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

We have to expect the government to make these moves for us. When we try to institute something, the government tends to shut it down.

What moves? I'm not suggesting the government doesn't have a role. It does! But we shouldn't expect the government to solve all of our problems.

The specific issue raised was:

There is even a Okinawa soba shop in Ishigaki, run by a guy from mainland, that is now refusing service to Japanese customers because their manners are crap!

This is hardly a problem for the government to solve! The shop owner has done the most expedient thing. He or she has solved the problem of Japanese guests with bad manners by not allowing them during certain times of the year.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

When I get on a monorail train from Haneda to Hamamatsucho, I get depressed. Buildings are shabby and old. Small offices are crammed in the small buildings. Many apartment buildings in which people are living in very small spaces. They cannot invite guests to their houses and when they meet friends and relatives, restaurants are chosen. Tokyo is a poor and ugly city. Visit local places in Japan. People living a lot more happilly.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

This is hardly a problem for the government to solve! The shop owner has done the most expedient thing. He or she has solved the problem of Japanese guests with bad manners by not allowing them during certain times of the year.

Cherry picking posts is not the smartest way to make a point. Take the entire post in context, this is just one example of problems that people are having with tourists, and not just foreign one's.

You have ZERO idea about the problems tourists cause. Okinawa gets over 10,000,000 tourists a year, both foreign and domestic, with over 3 MILLION foreign tourists a year, meaning that nearly 20% of ALL the foreign tourists that come into Japan are coming here, to one of the smallest prefectures in Japan.

We have more problems, both foreign and domestic than anywhere else in the country when it comes to tourists!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

unfortunately where people have to go to work and where tourists want to hang out are often the same area served by the same public transportation.

I feel bad when the tourist family of 4 try to ride the train with their 8 suitcases. Usually doesn’t end well. Wish someone in the tourist industry would put out better information.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Good news that numbers and spending are up. It's good for people to come together and see each other's cultures.

Tourism is a very low wage sector, so don't expect it to solve Japan's problems. There are few good jobs.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Yubaru

Actually no it hasn't, not to the outer islands at least

you are right. I can't say it has always been cheaper. It has only always been cheaper during the 3 years I have been living in Japan. When my wife visits her sister in Okinawa at least 3 times per year, she spends no more than ¥14,000 for her round trip and that is from Kobe. Since I have been here, I have always chose flying because it was cheaper. With the lone exception being when I rented a car.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Ginza, Roppongi, Shinjuku... they are not Japan.

Thinking on, I’d say my experiences in Shimbashi ( I used to drink in that area a lot ) are quite reflective of life in Japan. In Shimbashi I’ve been refused entry into a bar, been to a hostess club, got into an argument with a racist, met the nicest salarymen you could care to meet who insisted on buying me their favourite sweet potato Shochu, flirted with drunk OLs and had good food at cheap prices.

Shimbashi covered quite a lot for me.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It was crowded everywhere we went Tokyo Osaka takayama gora Kyoto Fukuoka Hokkaido specially tourist sites. Trains were always packed. They need to control the number of tourists.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Takeaway from article:

Japan, be nice to foreigners! We come bearing gifts (money)!!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

What they don't show is the amount of tourists by prefecture. It would be interesting to see which are popular and which are not. As well as how well does Japan promote the lesser known areas. Obviously people will flock to Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Okinawa, and Hokkaido. But what about the smaller areas? Does the Japanese government do anything to help the areas in need of visitors?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Tokyo is a poor and ugly city. Visit local places in Japan. People living a lot more happilly.

1000% agree. There are some places outside of Tokyo in Shizouka for example and Fuji area that are very nice. Tokyo is hell, Yokohama, Hachioji, anything kanagawa unless you get out to Mt Oyama, Tanizawa etc are all terrible. Kumamoto is very nice. Not a fan of anything Kansai Osaka Kyoto.

air bnb must be booming, anybody care to comment on that? Has the new laws restricted it?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Too many tourists in some places a bit like Venice, better in remote areas,

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Arrived first in Tokyo in 1960---it was fascinating then and still is. All of Japan is good---just that someplaces are better than others.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Good for the people making the money from it, overall Japan is a fairly safe place for a holiday, with the discount airlines offering cheap airfares will probably keep the tourists coming.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Like many have pointed out the growing tourist numbers are not only happening in Japan, they are a global phenomenon due to cheaper flights and accommodation.

Some say that mass tourism brings in a lot of money which of course is true but until the early 2000's Japan had a steady influx of 5 million foreign tourists per year, did the country have financial problems at that time which required an increased effort to attract more tourists ?

And who is getting the majority of the cash that is coming in, multi-national chains that are opening up branches everywhere, "friends" of Shinzo Abe like the APA hotel chain or the local bussinesses who really should be the one benefitting from this all.

One of the problems is that the majority of the 40 million tourists visit the same places over and over again putting a huge strain on the local residents, residents of popular cities in Europe like Amsterdam, Venice, Rome, Barcelona, Bruges,... are begging to put a cap on tourism because they can't cope with the overwhelming numbers anymore and they hampered in their daily life.

I think every tourist with good intentions, which is still the vast majority, should be able to come to Japan and enjoy it but keep the numbers reasonable so that tourists and local residents can coexist in peace.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Where I go, it is still Japanese only.

I visited Tokyo with Hato basu last Sunday with Japanese only. How quiet ;)

Where I took train to Nagoya, no foreigners probably far less tourists. And its so refreshing to meet place where people behave like in the CostCo this morning. That is something you can't see anywhere else in the world and so nice to participate to.

Sky tree was full. One part which was closed by mobile gates (for no obvious reason) was filled with foreigners only ;)

Something no one is talking about is the exchange rate.

At the present time, it is still ok but a bit more, and tourists will spend to brighter horizons. That is what I will do.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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