Japan is slated to open in June but here’s why not everyone is happy about it
However, that could soon change. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Thursday at a press conference in London that Japan will relax border controls in June.
Locals often feel happy when the restrictions aimed at preventing and controlling the pandemic are eased. However, some Japanese say they are fine if the measures are kept in place.
Even before the pandemic, many locals still preferred to travel within the country, bringing the total value of domestic tourism to 21.9 trillion yen ($167 billion) in 2019, according to the agency. Government-backed tourism to Japan.
Although Japanese are now allowed to travel abroad, many “don’t want to go abroad” and instead choose to “travel within the country,” said Dai Miyamoto, founder of travel agency Japan Localized said.
Izumi Mikami, senior executive officer of Japan Space Systems, visited Kyushu island and Okinawa island, two tourist hotspots before the pandemic. He says he feels safer when there are fewer tourists.
Some people are taking the opportunity to get out and breathe after spending so much time at home.
Shogo Morishige, a college student, has made many ski trips to Nagano. This is where the province hosted the 1998 Winter Olympic Games. He said that locals were surprised that Nagano had become extremely crowded.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, international visitors to Japan have dropped from nearly 32 million in 2019 to just 250,000 in 2021.
Since most of the customers are locals, some travel agencies have redesigned their tours to suit the preferences of this group of customers.
Miyamoto said: “Japanese tourists stay away from visiting big cities and choose outdoor experiences that they can “explore with their feet.” So Japan Localized – which provides tours for English-speaking expatriates before the pandemic – have partnered with local travel agencies Mai Mai Kyoto and Mai Mai Tokyo to offer walking tours with Japanese-speaking guides.
Lee Xian Jie, head of development at travel agency Craft Tabby, said people across Japan are also spending time camping and bathing onsen (traditional Japanese hot spring baths).
“The campsites have become very popular,” he said. “Motorcycle rentals and outdoor equipment sales are doing very well because people are going out to play more.”
Luxury onsen areas are popular with young people so they are doing well, but traditional areas are suffering because elderly people are still “quite scared of Covid” and don’t go out much, Lee said.
Craft Tabby used to run walking and cycling tours in Kyoto, but switched to online when the pandemic hit. As countries reopened their borders, online tours didn’t do well, and participation “nearly dropped to zero,” Lee said.
“Tourist preferences are changing and people are looking for activities in rural areas where it’s not too densely populated,” he said.
Lee now lives south of Kyoto in a village called Ryujinmura and is planning to organize tours in the rustic town when tourists return.
“We need to think about tours and activities here where people can discover new things,” he added.
According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the country welcomed nearly 32 million international arrivals in 2019, up from 6.8 million 10 years ago.
The rapid increase in tourists has caused major attractions, such as the culturally rich city of Kyoto, to grapple with overtourism.
Miyamoto said that residents of Kyoto are feeling the silence has returned. He also recounted cases of foreign tourists speaking loudly and rudely to locals.
Lee also said that a lot of people were quite annoyed about the over-tourism in Kyoto but now they can feel like “Kyoto 20 years ago – an old Kyoto”.
But that may be coming to an end.
Prime Minister Kishida’s announcement may not be happy news for a section of the Japanese population.
According to The New York Times, more than 65% of respondents in a recent survey conducted by Japanese broadcaster NHK said they agree with the travel restrictions or believe they should be increase.
Local reports suggest that international travelers may need rigorous Covid testing and need to book a package tour to participate, although the JNTO told CNBC it has yet to receive word of this. However, this may not be enough to reassure some residents.
Shintaro Okuno, partner and president of Bain & Company Japan, said: “The spending by foreign visitors contributes less than 5% to Japan’s overall gross domestic product. So it’s not surprising. However when the government made the decision to prioritize other industries and still closed the country.”
Ichikawa said the new decision may not be popular with Japan’s elderly citizens. The number of people over the age of 65 makes up a third, making Japan home to the largest proportion of elderly people in the world, according to research organization PRB.
Ichikawa said: “Older people have a greater prejudice than young people when Covid is spread from foreigners. Therefore, for a country of elderly people like Japan, politicians have to tie the knot. border tight to protect them both physically and psychologically. That’s understandable.”
When the pandemic peaked, the Japanese were even wary of people from other parts of Japan visiting their homeland.
“I see signs at public parks and tourist attractions that say ‘cars are not allowed from outside Wakayama,'” Lee said. “People are quite scared of people coming from outside the prefecture.”
However, residents living in cities may not think so.
“Japan is too strict and conservative in controlling Covid-19,” said Mikami, who is based in Tokyo.
Miyako Komai, a teacher living in Tokyo, said she is ready to embrace the new situation when the country opens up.
“We should welcome more foreigners so that the Japanese economy can recover,” she said. normal life.”
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