japan government tourism policy

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Ministerial Council on the Promotion of Japan as a Tourism-Oriented Country

[Provisional translation]

On October 18, 2023, Prime Minister Kishida held the 21st meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Promotion of Japan as a Tourism-Oriented Country at the Prime Minister's Office.   At the meeting, the participants engaged in discussions on a countermeasure package for the prevention and suppression of overtourism (draft).

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Feature Article

Overview of the Japanese Government's Tourism Policy for Foreign Tourists

by hirokazu nishikawa.

1. History of the Japanese Government’s Tourism Policy

The Japanese government's tourism policy began in earnest in 2003. In January of that year, the then prime minister set a goal of doubling the number of foreign visitors to Japan by 2010 from the approximately 5 million at that time, followed by the launch of the “Visit Japan Campaign” by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) in April of the same year to strategically promote the Japanese brand overseas.

The reason behind these moves by the government was that since 1964, when overseas tourism was liberalized, the number of Japanese tourists traveling abroad increased due to the strong yen and rising national income, while at the same time witnessing a significant gap between the number of Japanese tourists traveling abroad and that of foreign tourists visiting Japan. It is conceivable that the current situation is far from reaching the policy goal of the time, which was to "improve the international balance of cashflow and promote economic and cultural exchange with foreign countries.”

The number of foreign visitors to Japan has been steadily increasing since 2003. In 2008 the Japan Tourism Agency was newly established as a bureau under MLIT, and in 2016 the government set a goal of achieving 40 million foreign visitors to Japan annually by 2020, further strengthening the system to achieve the aim of becoming a tourism-oriented country.

In 2019, Japan was ranked 12th (3rd in Asia) in terms of the number of incoming foreign tourists (31.88 million), increasing its popularity as a tourist country and steadily growing its visitor numbers, but due to the coronavirus, was forced to significantly decrease its numbers the following year.

2.Outline of the Japanese Government's Tourism Policy for Foreign Tourists (Introduction of the FY2022 Budget Request)

Since the spread of the COVID-19 virus, domestic and international tourism demand has decreased significantly, and the tourism industry has been severely affected. Against this backdrop, I would like to introduce some of the major policies aimed at improving the environment for and the gradual revival of inbound tourism within the budget outlined for the next fiscal year by the Japan Travel Agency, as follows.

Emergency Project for Improving the Environment for Foreign Visitors Traveling to Japan

In order to create an environment in which foreign visitors traveling to Japan can fully enjoy their trip in a stress-free and comfortable manner at tourist spots, accommodation facilities, and public transportation, and to create a safe and secure travel environment in case of emergencies such as disasters, the following measures will be supported: enhancement of multilingual tourist information provisions, development of free Wi-Fi services, dissemination of cashless transactions, promotion of barrier-free environments for disability accessibility, improvement of countermeasures against the COVID-19 virus, and strengthening of multilingual responses in case of emergencies.

(Some examples of measures)

Utilizing a contactless check-in system using Digital Transformation

Signage in multiple languages

Free Wi-Fi in transportation facilities and vehicles

Sustainable Tourism Promotion Project

As the interest in sustainable tourism* is increasing worldwide, Japan will promote it, as well as addressing overtourism and carbon neutrality, by establishing a management system that can be used as a model across other regions in order to become the tourist destination of choice for travelers around the world.

(*) The World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) definition of sustainable tourism: tourism that fully considers current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts while responding to the needs of visitors, industries, the environment, and the communities that host them.

As an example of efforts, by implementing the Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations (JSTS-D), a best-practice for sustainable tourism destination management has been developed and is being implemented nationwide.

(Examples of overtourism in each region)

Crowded and congested tourist spots (The two pictures on the left)

Residents picking up trash left by tourists / Traffic obstruction in tourist areas (The two pictures on the right)

(The Role of these Guidelines)

Use as a Self-Assessment Tool: a guideline for tourism policy making and tourism planning

Use as a Communication Tool: an opportunity for the community to work together to create a sustainable region and tourist destination

Use as a Promotional Tool: branding as a tourist destination and improving international competitiveness

Implementation of Strategic Promotion for Foreign Tourists

Focusing on a post-COVID-19 virus future, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) will work on strategic promotion for inbound tourism to Japan in order for it to easily recovery, increase travel spending, and attract more visitors to regional areas. By doing these, Japan aims to achieve its goals of 60 million foreign visitors and 15 trillion yen in foreign travel spending by 2030. In particular, the following five measures will be taken.

1. Implementing promotions to stimulate the desire to revisit Japan among repeat visitors

A large-scale campaign to stimulate the desire to revisit Japan will be conducted for repeat travelers in the Asian market, who are expected to resume visiting Japan at an early stage. In addition, JNTO will promote an increase in consumption by strengthening the dissemination of experiential tourism in local areas.

2. Strengthening promotions based on changes in demand due to Covid

Promotions of experiences that are expected to have increased demand in the post- COVID-19 virus era, such as sports and adventure tourism, will be fortified to take into consideration local lifestyles and nature.

3. Thoroughly utilizing market-specific strategies based by country

In order to strategically attract visitors from key markets to Japan, JNTO will accurately grasp the trends in each and conduct detailed promotions based on market-specific strategies. Specifically, in the Asian sector, since Japan is already well known as a travel destination, detailed promotions tailored to individual travel demands will be implemented. For the European, U.S. and Australian markets, the promotion will focus on appealing to interests such as attractive activities.

4. Bolstering dissemination of regional tourism offerings

Consultations will be made to improve the quality of local attractions to meet post- COVID-19 demands and to advertise these regional offerings according to the needs of each market in order to interest tourists.

5. Strengthening digital marketing

The foundations of digital marketing will be strengthened through collecting and analyzing the information obtained by foreign tourists from websites, etc. to effectively develop promotions.

The initiatives introduced in the previous section are only a small part of the budgeted projects scheduled for the next fiscal year. The overall basic policy for next year's budget is to do its utmost to maintain employment and continue business operations, and to provide support for thorough measures that prevent the spread of infection.

At the same time, the government will revitalize tourist attractions by renewing accommodation facilities and removing abandoned buildings, refine local tourism resources through cooperation with various stakeholders, and stimulate travel demand by supporting local tourism businesses. In the next fiscal year, it is necessary to realize a full-scale recovery of tourism that supports the local economy with an eye on the time post-COVID-19 virus, while taking all possible measures to ensure the survival of tourism areas and industries that are in danger. In addition, promotion of these efforts will continue, as well as those to increase the number of mid- to long-term visitors and repeat visitors, and content that will become the signature products of profitable regions will be created.

In addition, necessary measures to cope with the COVID-19 virus will be considered in the budgeting process, taking into account the future infection situation and trends in tourism demand. The Go To campaign promoting domestic tourism, which was introduced in this journal last year, is not being considered in the initial budget for the next fiscal year, at least at this point. To read last year's article, please click here: JITTI Journal- November 2020 Feature Article.

Efforts and Challenges toward the Realization of a Tourism-oriented Nation Microsoft Word - 20130701048.docx ( sangiin.go.jp )

A Study on the Changes in Japan's Inbound Tourism Policy

268407547.pdf ( core.ac.uk )

Japan Tourism Agency

訪日外国人旅行者数・出国日本人数 | 統計情報 | 統計情報・白書 | 観光庁 ( mlit.go.jp )

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Japan to ease tourism restrictions and raise daily arrival cap to 50,000

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that Japan will allow the entry of nonescorted visitors on package tours and raise the daily arrival cap to 50,000 starting Sept. 7 — a significant step toward the full resumption of tourism.

The prime minister also said he will consider easing restrictions further based on various conditions at home and abroad, aiming to put border measures on par with fellow members of the Group of Seven major countries.

Japan has been allowing foreign tourists into the country since June, but only on guided tours .

The government has not yet come up with details of what constitutes a package tour, but guidelines will be released in the coming days, a government official said.

But a tourism ministry official said that tourists will still need to have “sponsors,” or travel agencies in Japan that they can contact if they get infected with the coronavirus, meaning individual tourists, such as backpackers traveling without a sponsor, won’t be allowed in.

Still, the latest announcement will be welcome news for the country’s battered tourism industry , as the strict, guided tours have proven to be unpopular with foreign tourists .

In the two months through the end of July, only 8,155 foreign tourists visited Japan, according to the Immigration Services Agency.

In July, an online survey conducted by D2C X, a tourism marketing firm, showed that 72% of about 1,700 respondents said they would — or were likely to — give up visiting Japan if the current border controls remained in place.

Currently, foreign tourists need to reserve a guided tour and then apply for a visa — a time-consuming process that discourages visitors from coming to Japan.

Last week, Kishida said Japan will drop pre-arrival PCR tests from Sept. 7 if passengers have received three shots of an approved vaccine.

The daily arrival cap — the number of people able to enter Japan each day, including Japanese nationals and foreign residents — will be raised to 50,000, or 2.5 times the current figure of 20,000.

The number has been raised in stages over the past six months or so. In February, the figure was 3,500, but it was raised to 10,000 in April and then to 20,000 in June.

Om Prakash, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), welcomed the latest easing of border restrictions.

"The ACCJ believes these are important steps toward reviving the economy,” Prakash said in an email. “We highly encourage Japan to align travel policies with other G7 countries, and in order to restore Japan’s reputation as a welcoming and open place, the government should move quickly to restore visa waiver eligibility for business travelers and tourists from countries of origin previously eligible for visa-free entry."

Timeline of Japan’s COVID-19 border restrictions

Jan. 31, 2020: Japan bans the entry of foreign nationals arriving from China’s Hubei Province, the first entry ban imposed due to the coronavirus. The ban was gradually expanded to 24 countries through the end of March.

April 1: Less than a month after the spread of COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, Japan halts entries into the country by foreign nationals, including foreign residents of Japan, from 49 countries, including the U.S., the U.K. and South Korea, bringing the total number up to 73 nations.

May 14: Japan expands its entry ban to cover a total of 100 countries and regions.

Aug. 28: The entry ban is expanded further to cover 159 countries and regions.

Sept. 1: Japan lifts ban on re-entry of foreign residents.

Oct. 1: Japan lifts its ban on entry by foreign nationals planning to relocate to the country.

Dec. 28: Japan again implements a ban on the entry of nonresident foreign nationals.

Jan. 14, 2021: Japan suspends a business-track travel program with some countries and mandates that all people arriving in the country quarantine at home for 14 days.

Nov. 8: Japan opens its borders to foreign students, interns and other business travelers.

Nov. 30: Japan bans the entry of nonresident foreign nationals after the discovery of the highly contagious omicron variant.

March 1, 2022: Japan allows foreign nationals arriving for purposes other than tourism to enter the country.

June 1: Japan raises daily arrival cap to 20,000.

June 10: Japan allows entry of foreign tourists on guided tours.

Sept. 7: Pre-arrival PCR tests to be dropped for travelers who have received three shots of an approved COVID-19 vaccine. Japan will also raise the daily arrival cap to 50,000 and allow entry of foreign tourists on nonguided tours.

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Japan aims to revive inbound tourism to pre-pandemic levels by 2025

Japan will aim to have inbound tourism recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2025, the tourism agency said Monday, with travel demand expected to return in line with a recovery in global air traffic.

The plan outlining goals for 2025, presented by the Japan Tourism Agency at a meeting of experts, also seeks to have the number of overnight stays in regional areas by foreign visitors increase from the 2019 total of 43.09 million.

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to approve the plan, which gained a broad consensus at Monday's meeting, at the end of March after considering specific measures.

In 2019, prior to the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic, a record 31.88 million tourists visited Japan. But the number fell sharply following the outbreak of COVID-19, totaling only 4.12 million in 2020 and 250,000 in 2021.

The agency expects travel demand to revive in line with forecasts by international organizations, which say that the number of international air passengers will recover to 2019 levels by 2025.

Upcoming international events to be held in Japan the same year, such as the Expo 2025 in Osaka and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, are also expected to boost visitor numbers.

The government will maintain its existing goal of an annual 60 million foreign visitors by 2030.

As part of its aim of revitalizing regional areas, the agency has also proposed promoting travel outside of metropolitan areas by highlighting historical and natural attractions offered by each region.

Supported by the recent weakness of the yen against other major currencies, the government aims for annual tourist spending to reach 5 trillion yen ($34 billion) as soon as possible, eclipsing about 4.8 trillion yen spent in 2019.

With the plan, the government will also consider measures to increase the amount spent per person and their length of stay in Japan, as well as how to address "tourism pollution" issues that accompanied the rapid increase of foreign visitors before the pandemic, such as congestion on public transportation and littering.

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Japan sets new tourism goals, focuses on quality travellers

The Japanese government has approved a 2023-25 plan to become a more tourism-orientated country by focusing on sustainable travel, greater consumption and more travellers visiting its regions.

The Japan Tourism Agency’s “Basic Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism Nation”, updated for the first time in six years, addresses both inbound and domestic tourism as a means to support the country’s national growth strategy, local revitalisation and international exchange.

For the overseas market, the focus is on increasing the quality of travellers rather than the number of visitors while dispersing visits to avoid over-tourism and stimulate regional development.

Developing more offerings for high-end travellers, training more tourism professionals, and employing greater use of technology are among the initiatives planned to deliver the targets. Special events and funding for local tourism resources, such as accommodation and facilities, are also in the works to create regions that are “good to live in and good to visit”, according to the report.

The plan over fiscal 2023 to 2025 (April 2023 to March 2026) aims for inbound travellers to spend 200,000 yen (US$1,495) each during their stay in Japan, up from 159,000 yen in 2019. This amounts to five trillion yen in expenditure annually by all overseas visitors, a rise from 2019’s 4.8 trillion yen. In addition, the goal is for overseas visitors to spend two nights in local areas, up from 2019’s 1.4 nights.

The plan will also encourage domestic travellers to spend more and travel widely by promoting longer trips and more off-season travel. The goal is for annual consumption to reach 22 trillion yen, up from 21.9 trillion yen in 2019, and 320 million nights spent in regions, up from 300 million nights in 2019.

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• Japan Moves to Stimulate Cultural Tourism

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the number of overseas visitors to Japan had been increasing steadily year-on-year, quadrupling from around 8 million in 2012 to 32 million in 2019. This growth was in line with the government's original target of attracting 60 million overseas tourists annually by 2030. However, the rapid increase in visitor numbers was starting to overwhelm popular destinations such as Kyoto; this led to calls for a shift from quantity tourism to quality tourism and for the adoption of more diverse approaches when promoting Japan's attractions.

The pandemic and the subsequent plunge in overseas visitor numbers gave the government an opportunity to rethink its strategy. In May 2020, a new law was enacted aimed at promoting tourism that would deepen understanding of the country's culture. A particular focus was the upholding and revitalizing of ancient traditions and cultures in more remote areas of the country. These are under threat owing to the depopulation of regions outside major cities, and the resulting shortage of people able or willing to maintain them.

The new law calls on facilities such as museums to offer visitors more insights into the cultural and historical background of their exhibits and to provide information on these in an accessible and easy-to-understand manner. The aim is not just to make Japanese culture more accessible to overseas tourists; it is also to boost awareness of the culture of local areas among their residents in order to deepen their attachment to them and promote regional revitalization.

This increased engagement of residents in the history and culture of their own area is seen as a key factor in the success of regional revitalization in Japan. It goes under the name of "jibungoto" (自分事), which loosely translates as "something that concerns me". The aim is to create a network of standard bearers among local populations who promote the culture of their own area.

The new strategy of leveraging public facilities to boost economic activity is not without its challenges. Museums and other cultural centers in Japan have traditionally been seen as educational facilities, not as a means of generating revenues or profits. Admission to many of them is free. The objective is therefore to encourage collaboration between cultural sites and the tourism sector-public/private sector partnership, in other words.

The aim is also to ensure that the spillover economic effects of tourism are reinvested in local communities and in the promotion and retention of their individual cultures. The resulting increase in the attractiveness of the region then boosts the economy - a virtuous circle.

Here are some examples of cities and facilities that are embracing this new approach.

Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture

Located on the coast of the Sea of Japan, the city of Kanazawa is at the forefront of the promotion of cultural tourism. Its Prefectural Museum of Art is one of the oldest regional museums in Japan.

Spacious galleries on the second floor house an extensive array of fine art and crafts from the surrounding areas: kutani-yaki ceramics, kaga lacquerware, dyed silk kimonos, Buddhist scrolls, swords, screen paintings, and sculptures, including local cultural assets and works by local artists and craftspeople. The collection spans five centuries and includes antiques as well as contemporary and modern art from the 20th century.

There is also a gallery housing antiques that belonged to the Maeda family, wealthy samurai nobility who ruled the Kaga domain for over 200 years. Corresponding roughly to present-day Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, Kaga was one of around 250 relatively autonomous domains under the ultimate authority of the shogun in Edo (now Tokyo), and one of its wealthiest; its leaders were high-ranking officials in the shogunate.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Maeda family protected and fostered Noh as an official form of entertainment for the warrior class, and in more modern times it has become an art form widely enjoyed by the general public. At the Kanazawa Noh Museum, you can see Noh masks and costume masterpieces, and learn more about Noh through an augmented reality (AR) facility.

Kanazawa's National Crafts Museum is similarly dedicated to preserving and promoting contemporary Japanese and foreign crafts and designs. Originally established in 1977 as part of the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, it was relocated to Kanazawa in 2020 as part of the Japanese government's policy of revitalizing local areas. The museum's collection includes woodwork, bamboo work, metalwork, glassware, ceramics, as well as lacquer crafts, dolls, and dyed and woven textiles. Exhibitions are held based on specific themes.

Visitors are invited to not just view the exhibits; in the "Welcome to the World of Crafts" section they can learn about crafting techniques and terminology, which helps to deepen their understanding and appreciation of them. A 3D viewing facility provides a 360-degree panorama of selected examples of the museum's collection.

Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture

An imposing castle was constructed in Hikone city at the beginning of the 17th century in the early years of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Tokugawa gave the area around Hikone as territory to his trusted general Ii Naomasa and the castle was built following his death. The Ii clan subsequently served in many important positions within the Tokugawa shogunate.

The castle was originally situated on the shore of Lake Biwa, but owing to land reclamation in the intervening years, it is now around one mile inland. Strategically, the castle was a vital facility in protecting the nearby capital of Kyoto and served as a military base for the Edo Shogunate in the western part of Japan. It was also a key point on the Nakasendo highway, a major transportation route between Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and Kyoto.

Following the Meiji restoration in the middle of the 19th century, the new government ordered the dismantling of all feudal-era fortifications nationwide. However, Hikone Castle was spared by a direct request from the emperor Meiji himself after he had visited the area. This ensured that the castle was retained intact, and today it remains one of the best-preserved castles in Japan, with many of its buildings designated as Important Cultural Properties.

A museum was opened on the site in 1987; its main building is a reconstruction of what was once a nobleman's residence. Hikone was a prosperous town where culture and traditions were fostered; the Ii family handed down a great number of art objects, craft works and historical documents from generation to generation, many of which are now housed in the museum. The overall collection comprises more than 45,000 items, ranging from arms and armor (typical of a warrior's household) to various types of art objects including calligraphy, paintings, Noh masks and costumes. A visit to the museum allows visitors to really feel the feudal culture that flourished during the Edo period.

Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture

Nagasaki was one of Japan's few windows to the world during the country's 250-year period of isolation from the world, which ended in the middle of the 19th century. The Meiji Restoration saw Japan re-open its doors to foreign trade and re-establish diplomatic relations from around 1870; Nagasaki once again became a key port and modernization of the city began in earnest.

Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture is one of the few museums in Japan dedicated to depicting the country's international exchanges during the Edo period. The Museum holds an extensive collection of historical documents, art and craftworks that tell the story of Nagasaki's fluctuating fortunes.

Images on folding screens depict the arrival in the 16th century of the first Europeans in Japan. There are also models of the overseas ships that called at Nagasaki harbor during that period, including Dutch vessels, Chinese junks and steamships.

Nagasaki also saw some of Japan's earliest implementations of Western-style architecture and was home to many of the country's early Christians. The city's Oura Church , built during 1853-64 soon after the end of Japan's period of seclusion, was designated as a national treasure in 1993, and was for many years the only Western-style building in Japan with this distinction. It is believed to be the oldest remaining Catholic church in the country. Exhibits in the nearby museum testify to Nagasaki's role in the origins of Christianity in Japan and the persecution its followers faced following the clampdown on the faith by the powerful feudal lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

These are just some of the examples of the many sites and initiatives focused on disseminating and protecting Japan's culture and traditions. Mass tourism has traditionally been seen as a threat to a country's culture and heritage; if these initiatives are successful, it will be seen more as an opportunity to protect these in Japan.

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Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) requests 1.2 times more budget for FY2025 than FY2024, addressing new projects including accommodation business revitalization

Japan Tourism Agency has requested a budget of 62.8 billion yen in total for FY2025 starting April 1 2025, including 15 billion yen in general account and 47 billion yen in international tourist tax. The expected budget is about 1.2 times more than the FY2024 budget. 

New projects for accommodation business and duty-free shop model

JTA has requested a budget of 300 million yen for accommodation business revitalization as a new project to support accommodation operators that are expected to suffer from debts after COVID-19. Specifically, when accommodation businesses seek to revitalize through existing revitalization models, the government plans to promote efforts to improve operations.

Another new project is to build a new duty-free shop model in local areas, for which JTA has requested 50 million yen. For local retailers who sell high price products, such as local craft and specialties, a new duty-free model will be tested, and acquired knowledge will be developed nationwide in order to increase spending by inbound travelers. 

Three times more budget for safe travel and worker shortage in local areas

For creation of sustainable tourism areas, a total of 6.7 billion yen have requested, and in the framework, three times more budgets than the FY2024 budget have requested for safe travel for inbound travelers in local areas (100 million yen) and countermeasures against worker shortage in local areas (300 million yen). 

For safe travel for inbound travelers, the government will address establishment of a crisis management system, accurate information delivery in multiple languages, strengthening emergency response capabilities at tourist facilities, cashless payment at medical institutions and so forth. 

For countermeasures against worker shortage, capital investment for digital transformation, recruitment of foreigner workers and higher management capability will particularly be supported. 

To improve quality of outbound educational travel

JTA has requested a budget of 55 million yen for promotion of international educational programs for young generation, which are about 2.75 times more than the FY2024 budget, to support matching outbound educational travel program developers with schools or local governments and development of higher-valued educational programs, such as SDGs-related programs. 

Also, JTA will support local stakeholders’ efforts to promote international exchange programs for young generations and select advanced model areas in two-way international exchanges through cooperation with foreign tourism authorities. 

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Japan’s leading travel firm his signs an agreement with atami city for inbound tourism promotion, latest news, japanese generation z is aware of ‘time performance’ even in planning a travel, and 25% buy air tickets one week before departure, fourteen japanese companies including nissan motor launch sustainable tourism tours in tie-ups with local communities, having a goal of 10 million users by 2033, japanese outbound travelers exceeded 1 million in july 2024 for the first time in the last four months.

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Foreigners’ guest nights increased in other local destinations than Golden Route in Japan, according to the May 2024 statistics

Spending in Japan by an international traveler was up 54% to 230,000 yen in Q2 of 2024

Leisure White Paper 2024 shows that the the highest performance rate among leisure activities in Japan was ‘domestic travel’

The most-satisfied Japan’s prefecture in tourism is Kagoshima with high scores in local foods and onsen

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