International Tourists Cite Seasonal Beauty, Good Food as Reasons for Visiting Japan

Tokyo-based online marketing firm Aun Consulting recently surveyed consumers in 12 countries and regions to determine feelings about Japan and visiting Japan. Japan was most popular amongst Taiwanese respondents, 95.4% of whom said they either “liked” or “loved” Japan, followed by those from Indonesia (91.7%) and Hong Kong (88.8%). Overall, however, Japan had declined in popularity as a destination compared to the 2021 survey, in particular in Britain and the United States, where Japan’s popularity fell by 16.5% and 15.1% respectively.

The most frequently cited reasons for “liking” or “loving” Japan were seasonal beauty and Japanese cuisine. While a high 27% of Americans and British respondents gave history and culture as their reasons for appreciating Japan, citizens of these countries were less likely than respondents from Asian countries to cite manga and anime.

Those who said they disliked Japan were most likely to cite high prices, particularly in Taiwan, where 61.2% gave prices as their reason for disliking the country. Many Chinese and South Korean respondents who said they disliked Japan cited history or culture, although South Koreans, Thais, and Indonesians were most likely to say they were simply not interested.

When asked if they would like to visit Japan after COVID-19 had subsided, respondents from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, all regions that were a significant source of tourists pre-COVID, were most likely to say “yes” or “absolutely.” In contrast, although many tourists had also traveled from South Korea previously, over 30% of South Koreans surveyed said “no” or “definitely not.”

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)