Japan Opens Its Border To Revive Tourism

By Bhawna Ahuja

Cover Image Attribute: Japanese girls in Kimon, Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay

Last month. the "Tourism Expo Japan 2022" returned to Tokyo in 2022 after an absence of four years to revive tourism throughout the nation. During the expo, significant players from the tourism industry, as well as authorities from Japan, invited attendees to visit their respective booths and the country as a whole.

After more than two years of keeping its borders closed because of the COVID pandemic, Japan reopened to visitors from other countries about two weeks ago. A limit on the number of daily arrivals has also been removed.

Hiroyuki Takahashi, Chairperson of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, said, "In Japan, there have been reports on the prospect of further easing border measures to accommodate foreigners, including the start of nationwide travel assistance, lifting the ban on accepting individual travelers from overseas, short stay and visa exemption. We want to make it a symbolic event for the Japanese tourism industry to celebrate its re-start."

At the expo, Okinawa Prefecture is promoting "Okinawa Karate" as a new way to attract tourists while spreading awareness regarding Okinawa's role as the birthplace of karate. Besides that, Okinawa is itself a popular tourist destination. Tourists visit Okinawa to see the beautiful ocean, mountains and to taste unique food.

Image Attribute: A lighthouse at  Ishigaki Island in Japan’s southwestern Okinawa Prefecture, Image by Kanenori from Pixabay 

"Okinawa has potential as a resort destination and environment. In Okinawa, there is an extraordinary everyday working life. In addition, the geographical proximity of Asia is creating new business opportunities. We believe that this style of work and vacation in Okinawa is the best way to combine tourism, work, and industry," said Yuichiro Kawamura, Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In addition, Okinawa prefecture is promoting the concept of "workcation," which combines working and traveling. The rise of the teleworking job style has hastened the migration of people to rural areas to both live and work there. In addition, the widespread coronavirus led to a shift in people's habits and ways of living.

Additionally, the Japanese island of Hokkaido is well-liked by travelers from Southeast Asia. The local government of Noboribetsu Toya is attempting to increase the number of tourists visiting their area by promoting "Upopoy," a museum that allows visitors to experience both the natural environment and the culture of the Ainu people.

Image Attribute: Ainu performers at the Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Par. /Source: of The Foundation for Ainu Culture

"The most attractive point in this area is its rich natural beauty. This area is surrounded by mountains, oceans, hot springs, and many large lakes. Therefore, it is where people can experience such an extraordinary viewpoint in the city center, including activities in such a rich natural environment," Tomoko Okawa, the Foundation for Ainu Culture.

After COVID, the focus has shifted to environmentally responsible tourism, according to Shinya Billy Kurosawa, CEO of JTB Global Marketing and Travel, Japan's largest travel agency with a history dating back 110 years. The company is focusing on "ECO Friendly,"  "Cross-culture Understanding," and "Social Constructions."  

He added, "Through such travel products, we would like to create a trend in which tourists can become familiar with the differences between before and after the coronavirus. Each region of Japan has a variety of traditional, natural, and food cultures, and many treasures make tourists very familiar with them. Next time tourists come to Japan; I hope they will enjoy themselves. However, it will become important again to show this charm to the world. Instead of creating over tourism, where customers travel only to nominated areas, a fixed form of tourism in which tourists come to each area will be realized if each region makes an effort. It is important that the Japanese government strongly supports such tourism. In addition, as a travel company, we would like to promote this type of tourism by strengthening it."

About the Author:

Bhawna Ahuja is a Culture & Lifestyle Editor and Head-Content & Communications at IndraStra Global. She is a "Human Psychology" driven Digital Entrepreneur with more than eight years of experience in Digital Marketing, Social Media, Public Relations & Insights Management. She can be reached on her Youtube Channel, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin.

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