Japan attracted 24.03 million international tourists in 2016. Japan has 21 World Heritage Sites, including Himeji Castle, Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto and Nara. Popular foreigner attractions include Tokyo and Hiroshima, Mount Fuji, ski resorts such as Niseko in Hokkaido, Okinawa, riding the shinkansen and taking advantage of Japan's hotel and hotspring network.
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 ranks Japan 4th out of 141 countries overall, which was the best in Asia. Japan gained relatively high scores in almost all aspects, especially health and hygiene, safety and security, cultural resources and business travel.
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History
The origins of early traditions of visits to picturesque sites are unclear, but early sight-seeing excursions was Matsuo Basho's 1689 trip to the then "far north" of Japan, which occurred not long after Hayashi Razan categorized the Three Views of Japan in 1643. During the Edo era of Japan, from around 1600 to the Meiji Restoration in 1867, travel was regulated within the country through the use of shukuba or post stations, towns where travelers had to present appropriate documentation. Despite these restrictions, porter stations and horse stables, as well as places for lodging and food were available on well-traveled routes. During this time, Japan was a closed country to foreigners, so no foreign tourism existed in Japan.
Following the Meiji Restoration and the building of a national railroad network, tourism became more of an affordable prospect for domestic citizens and visitors from foreign countries could enter Japan legally. As early as 1887, government officials recognized the need for an organized system of attracting foreign tourists; the Kihinkai (???), which aimed to coordinate the players in tourism, was established that year with Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi's blessing. Its early leaders included Shibusawa Eiichi and Ekida Takashi. Another major milestone in the development of the tourism industry in Japan was the 1907 passage of the Hotel Development Law, as a result of which the Railways Ministry began to construct publicly owned hotels throughout Japan.
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Statistics
In 2016, 24,039,053 foreign tourists visited Japan.
Tourism today
Domestic tourism remains a vital part of the Japanese economy and Japanese culture. Children in many middle schools see the highlight of their years as a visit to Tokyo Disneyland or perhaps Tokyo Tower, and many high school students often visit Okinawa or Hokkaido. The extensive rail network together with domestic flights sometimes in planes with modifications to favor the relatively short distances involved in intra-Japan travel allows efficient and speedy transport.
In inbound tourism, Japan was ranked 28th in the world in 2007. In 2009, the Yomiuri Shimbun published a modern list of famous sights under the name Heisei Hyakkei (the Hundred Views of the Heisei period).
Neighbouring South Korea is Japan's most important source of foreign tourists. In 2010, the 2.4 million arrivals made up 27% of the tourists visiting Japan.
Chinese travelers are the highest spenders in Japan by country, spending an estimated 196.4 billion yen (US$2.4 billion) in 2011, or almost a quarter of total expenditure by foreign visitors, according to data from the Japan Tourism Agency.
The Japanese government hopes to receive 40 million foreign tourists every year by 2020.
Major tourist destinations
Hokkaido
- Niseko Ski Resort
- Shiretoko Peninsula (WHL)
- Teshikaga -- Lake Mash?, Lake Kussharo
- T?ya Caldera and Mount Usu Geopark
- Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group
- Hakodate
- Otaru
T?hoku region
- Shirakami-Sanchi (WHL)
- Mount Osore
- Lake Towada
- Hirosaki -- Hirosaki Castle, Nakacho Samurai District
- Hiraizumi -- Ch?son-ji, M?ts?-ji, Kanjizai?-in, Takkoku-no-Iwaya
- Semboku -- Kakunodate Samurai District, Lake Tazawa, Nyuto Onsen
- Yamagata -- Yama-dera Temple, Za? Onsen
- Matsushima
Kant? region
- Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura
- Nikk? - Shrines and Temples of Nikk? (WHL), Kegon Falls
- Tokyo - Imperial Palace, Asakusa, Akihabara, Ginza, Harajuku/Omotesando, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Tsukiji Fish Market, Ueno Park
- Tokyo Disney Resort
- Kamakura - Tsurugaoka Hachiman-g?, K?toku-in, Kench?-ji, Engaku-ji, Meigetsu-in, Hase-dera
- Kusatsu Onsen
- Hakone Onsen
Ch?bu region
- Mount Fuji
- Japanese Alps -- Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route(Mount Tate), Hida Mountains, Kiso Mountains, Akaishi Mountains
- Shiga K?gen
- Matsumoto - Matsumoto Castle, Mount Hotaka, Kamik?chi
- Shirakawa-g? and Gokayama (WHL)
- Takayama - Sanmachi Traditional Street, ?shinmachi Traditional Street, Higashiyama Temple Area
- Kanazawa - Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa Castle, Higashi Geisha District, Nagamachi Samurai District
- Sakai - T?jinb?, Maruoka Castle
- Nagoya - Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Shrine, Sakae, Nagoya Station (Meieki), ?su Kannon temple
Kansai region
- Kyoto -- Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Ry?an-ji, Sanj?sangen-d?, etc., they are parts of Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (WHL)
- Uji -- By?d?-in and Ujigami Shrine (WHL), Relation of The Tale of Genji
- ?tsu -- Lake Biwa, Hiyoshi Taisha, Sakamoto Temple District, Mount Hiei, Enryaku-ji (WHL)
- ?mihachiman -- Traditional Riverside District
- Nara -- T?dai-ji, T?sh?dai-ji, K?fuku-ji, Yakushi-ji, Heij? Palace, Kasuga-taisha and Nara Park, etc. They are parts of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (WHL).
- Ikaruga -- H?ry?-ji and H?ki-ji are Buddhist Monuments in the H?ry?-ji Area (WHL).
- Yoshino (Mount Yoshino) -- Kimpusen-ji, Yoshimizu Shrine, Yoshino Mikumari Shrine, etc. They are parts of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (WHL).
- Shing? -- Kumano Hayatama Taisha and Kumano River (WHL)
- Nachikatsuura -- Nachi Falls, Kumano Kod?, etc., they are parts of Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (WHL)
- Mount K?ya -- Kong?bu-ji (WHL)
- Osaka -- Osaka Castle, Umeda, Namba, D?tonbori, Shinsekai, Shitenn?-ji, Universal Studios Japan, Rinku Town
- Himeji -- Engy?-ji, Koko-en Garden, and Himeji Castle (WHL)
- Kobe -- Port of Kobe, Rokk? Mountains, Kitano-ch?, Arima Onsen, Kobe Luminarie
- San'in Kaigan Geopark -- Toyooka, Izushi, Kinosaki Onsen, Yumura Onsen
Ch?goku region
- Hiroshima Prefecture -- Atomic Bomb Dome (WHL), Itsukushima Shrine (WHL), Onomichi, Tomonoura
- Okayama Prefecture -- Kurashiki, K?rakuen Garden, Okayama Castle
- Tottori Prefecture -- Tottori Sand Dunes, Mount Daisen, Mount Hy?no, San'in Kaigan Geopark
- Shimane Prefecture -- Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine (WHL), Izumo-taisha, Matsue Castle, Oki Islands, Tsuwano
- Yamaguchi Prefecture -- Hagi
Shikoku
- Shikoku Pilgrimage (Zents?-ji, Motoyama-ji, etc.)
- Ehime Prefecture -- D?go Onsen, Matsuyama Castle
- Kagawa Prefecture -- Kotohira-g? Shrine, Ritsurin Garden, Sh?do Island, Naoshima Island
- Tokushima Prefecture -- Naruto whirlpools, Awa Dance Festival in Tokushima
- K?chi Prefecture -- K?chi Castle, Cape Muroto (Muroto Geopark), Cape Ashizuri
Kyushu and Okinawa
- Fukuoka Prefecture -- Mojiko Retro Town, Kokura Castle, Dazaifu Tenman-g?, Remains of Dazaifu (government)
- ?ita Prefecture -- Many types of hot springs in Beppu, ?ita or Yufuin, ?ita, Usa jing?, stone bridges, small stonehenge on the top of Komekamiyama (mountain), Hello Kitty Harmonyland
- Nagasaki Prefecture -- ?ura Church, Higashi-Yamate, Minami-Yamate, Huis Ten Bosch (theme park)
- Kagoshima Prefecture -- Yakushima (WHL), Sakurajima, Amami ?shima
- Miyazaki Prefecture -- Kirishima-Yaku National Park, Takachiho, Old Exculibur on the top of Takachiho-kyo mountain, Nichinan, Miyazaki, Chambered barrows of Saitobaru kofungun, Heiwadai Park
- Kumamoto Prefecture -- Kumamoto Castle, Mount Aso
- Saga Prefecture -- Pre-400 BC Yayoi archaeological site in Yoshinogari site
- Okinawa Prefecture -- Shuri Castle, Nakagusuku Castle, Nakijin Castle etc. They are parts of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. (WHL), Ishigaki Island, Miyako Island, Iriomote Island, Traditional Ryukyuan Houses in Taketomi Island
Tourism after the Fukushima disaster
After the triple melt-down of the nuclear reactors in Fukushima, the number of foreign visitors declined for months. In September 2011 some 539,000 foreign people visited Japan, this was 25 percent down compared with the same month in 2010. This decline was largely attributed to the Fukushima nuclear accident and the stronger yen made a visit to Japan more expensive.
To boost tourism the Japanese Tourism Agency announced in October 2011 a plan to give 10,000 round-trip air tickets to Japan to encourage visitors to come. In 2012 free tickets would be offered if the winners would write online about their experiences in Japan. They also would need to answer some questions about how they felt while visiting Japan after the earthquake and how the interest in tourism in Japan could be renewed. About US$15 million would be spent on this program. On December 26, 2011, The Japan Tourism Agency reported on their site that the "Fly to Japan! Project", which would have given out 10,000 round-trip tickets to Japan, was not approved by the government for fiscal year 2012.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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