Attracting More Tourists
#61
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 3,752
No, no, no worries.
決して「お嬢様」ではなかったのです。せっかく博士論文の研究に入学しており、彼女たちのように、一日中、 キャンパスの喫茶店に座り込んで、怠けるもんか?
No way was I a "rich young lady." I had gone to all the trouble of enrolling in order to research my thesis, so how could I spend all day sitting in the campus coffee shop, goofing off like them?
Last edited by ksandness; Jul 25, 2016 at 2:18 pm
#63
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: HHonors Gold, Marriott Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, OZ*G, AA Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 1,874
I agree that konbini trash cans, in theory, are for trash generated from konbini purchases. But the reality is, most of the stuff people put in the konbini trash bins has nothing to do with the konbini purchase. Yes there're some konbinis where there's a few chairs for people to sit and consume food they'd just bought. But vast majority of people buy stuff at the konbini and walk right out with it, so there's not going to be much of any immediate trash generated from konbini customers.
I myself use konbini as a trash receptacle, and so does all my family in Jpn. I don't feel bad about doing it since I'm just throwing away a few little things and I'm stopping by to make a purchase. One should not be bringing in garbage from home, and I certainly don't do that, but there're actually people who do it. If you look inside konbini garbage bins, you'll often see plastic bags filled with garbage. And it's not seldom that I see people stop into konbini just to throw away stuff and then take off without shopping. Huge disservice to the konbini, who has to not only pay for the disposal but also sort out trash.
I myself use konbini as a trash receptacle, and so does all my family in Jpn. I don't feel bad about doing it since I'm just throwing away a few little things and I'm stopping by to make a purchase. One should not be bringing in garbage from home, and I certainly don't do that, but there're actually people who do it. If you look inside konbini garbage bins, you'll often see plastic bags filled with garbage. And it's not seldom that I see people stop into konbini just to throw away stuff and then take off without shopping. Huge disservice to the konbini, who has to not only pay for the disposal but also sort out trash.
#64
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,298
The only policy-type change I would like to see is the lifting of restrictions on solo travelers at ryokans. Finding ryokans that take singles can be trickythere just aren't that many, though at least Rakuten lets you filter for them. I realize that single supplements aren't unique to Japan but they still make solo travel outside the big cities trickier than it needs to be, unless I stick to business hotels.
#65
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,298
I also toss some trash in Shinkansen trash bins. Usually bento leftovers and a bit of trash from my day bag.
Does anyone else separate their plastics, paper, and trash at business hotels? Some business hotels have the smallest trash bins. Those which have front staff which speak multiple languages should also upgrade their trash can sizes for all the trash a simple depato purchase generates.
Personally, I'd also like more ryokans to offer samue/jinbei in addition to yukata, especially in areas frequented by foreign tourists. Obi can be a bit tricky to tie and I recently saw one Japanese man at dinner who wore his yukata top wide open to mid-chest plus was a man spreader. Sloppy, accidentally dead, or mistaking toilet slippers is one thing, what should not be on display during dinner is another.
Do Prince hotels/resorts charge for children? Offhand, they're the Japanese chain I'd think of as offering rooms sized for families vs budget minded business hotels which usually only fit two. A kids stay/eat free campaign would probably help bring in foreign family travel as many Prince resorts are destination locations with free shuttles to public transit. I've also observed families spending a lot more in retail than I (or a couple) do.
Does anyone else separate their plastics, paper, and trash at business hotels? Some business hotels have the smallest trash bins. Those which have front staff which speak multiple languages should also upgrade their trash can sizes for all the trash a simple depato purchase generates.
Personally, I'd also like more ryokans to offer samue/jinbei in addition to yukata, especially in areas frequented by foreign tourists. Obi can be a bit tricky to tie and I recently saw one Japanese man at dinner who wore his yukata top wide open to mid-chest plus was a man spreader. Sloppy, accidentally dead, or mistaking toilet slippers is one thing, what should not be on display during dinner is another.
Do Prince hotels/resorts charge for children? Offhand, they're the Japanese chain I'd think of as offering rooms sized for families vs budget minded business hotels which usually only fit two. A kids stay/eat free campaign would probably help bring in foreign family travel as many Prince resorts are destination locations with free shuttles to public transit. I've also observed families spending a lot more in retail than I (or a couple) do.
Last edited by freecia; Jul 25, 2016 at 3:27 pm
#66
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,131
I'm going to go all controversial and against the grain here, and suggest that Japan drop these stupid tourism targets. It's bad enough as it is with all these ignoramuses from all over the world traipsing around and making a mess out of the finely-balanced web of Japanese society. Japan is a fragile society with too many unspoken rules and constraints, and I don't think these incursions from abroad can be withstood easily by the system as currently structured. And it is this system that makes Japan so intensely fascinating.
Adapting Japan to millions and millions of additional tourists is going to ruin it. I can't even begin to imagine how the infrastructure, standard operating procedures, and overall tin-earedness of the Japanese to foreign things could cope with a doubling of tourists.
Adapting Japan to millions and millions of additional tourists is going to ruin it. I can't even begin to imagine how the infrastructure, standard operating procedures, and overall tin-earedness of the Japanese to foreign things could cope with a doubling of tourists.
#67
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
I'm going to go all controversial and against the grain here, and suggest that Japan drop these stupid tourism targets. It's bad enough as it is with all these ignoramuses from all over the world traipsing around and making a mess out of the finely-balanced web of Japanese society. Japan is a fragile society with too many unspoken rules and constraints, and I don't think these incursions from abroad can be withstood easily by the system as currently structured. And it is this system that makes Japan so intensely fascinating.
Adapting Japan to millions and millions of additional tourists is going to ruin it. I can't even begin to imagine how the infrastructure, standard operating procedures, and overall tin-earedness of the Japanese to foreign things could cope with a doubling of tourists.
Adapting Japan to millions and millions of additional tourists is going to ruin it. I can't even begin to imagine how the infrastructure, standard operating procedures, and overall tin-earedness of the Japanese to foreign things could cope with a doubling of tourists.
#68
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,760
I have definitely found the massive uptick in tourists to detract from my enjoyment of visiting Japan. Not enough to stop me, though! I just go deeper and deeper away from the big main tourist spots.
#69
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: HHonors Gold, Marriott Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, OZ*G, AA Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 1,874
I just try my best to ignore all the other tourists. Haven't been much into going deeper because my reasons for visiting Japan are mostly in Tokyo and Osaka. That and I plan most of my visits as a couple days long at most as stopovers between North America and China.
#70
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Beantown! (BOS)
Programs: AA PtPro (2 MM); Hilton Diamond; Hertz President Cr; DL SkyMiles; UA MileagePlus
Posts: 3,426
I'm going to go all controversial and against the grain here, and suggest that Japan drop these stupid tourism targets. It's bad enough as it is with all these ignoramuses from all over the world traipsing around and making a mess out of the finely-balanced web of Japanese society. Japan is a fragile society with too many unspoken rules and constraints, and I don't think these incursions from abroad can be withstood easily by the system as currently structured. And it is this system that makes Japan so intensely fascinating.
Adapting Japan to millions and millions of additional tourists is going to ruin it. I can't even begin to imagine how the infrastructure, standard operating procedures, and overall tin-earedness of the Japanese to foreign things could cope with a doubling of tourists.
Adapting Japan to millions and millions of additional tourists is going to ruin it. I can't even begin to imagine how the infrastructure, standard operating procedures, and overall tin-earedness of the Japanese to foreign things could cope with a doubling of tourists.
#71
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 3,752
I agree, my personal thought is that Japanese government should not use their resources to increase tourists from outside of Japan. I do think Japan is already getting enough visitors from outside of Japan. Japanese government should put their resources in other area, such as a lot of industries in Japan which brought Japan into international level in 60s, 70s, and 80s, are now not doing well. I think Japanese government should focus on that area to bring more monetary flow into Japan, not tourism.
I'm wondering if Japan really wants the type of tourists who like to recreate their home environment in a foreign country. There are already Western-style hotels, Western fast food chains, and bilingual signs at all the important points.
The determined traveler, the kind who doesn't curl up and whimper at the thought of anything foreign, can navigate Japan quite easily.
I was surprised to meet a young man who spoke no Japanese and had yet found his way to Koya-san on his fourth day in the country. Shortly after first arriving in Japan a few decades ago, I met a woman who also spoke no Japanese and was on her seventh trip, determined to cover the whole country. When I took students to Japan, some did nothing but complain about everything that wasn't just like the U.S., while others headed out on their own on the scheduled free days, explored, and even ended up being "adopted" for the day by Japanese families they encountered.
To a great extent, the question is not for Japan to adjust to visitors, beyond making sure that they don't suffer any discrimination. It's to attract visitors who will be willing to adjust to Japan. Beyond trying to dispel the myths about impossibly high prices, there is little the JTO can do.
I would even say that Japan does a better job of accommodating English speakers than South Korea does.
#72
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Left
Programs: FT
Posts: 7,285
I would say another 20M tourists would probably add $25-30B in spend in Japan...so going from 20M to 40M to focus on tourism when there are economic issues is not a bad idea...but like i said, getting there will require a cultural shift.
#74
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boulder
Programs: AA Plat, CX Silver
Posts: 2,361
#75
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Beantown! (BOS)
Programs: AA PtPro (2 MM); Hilton Diamond; Hertz President Cr; DL SkyMiles; UA MileagePlus
Posts: 3,426
This is my view, I do not think Japanese government should get involved in tourism industry. I think let free market demand and supply lead the direction of tourism industry in Japan, rather than Japanese government getting involved. It is usually not a good idea for a government to get involved in something which should be left in private industry. See, we let Japanese government decide where Tokyo should have an international airport, and then we got Narita. If you have a choice, would you rather fly in and out of Haneda or Narita?
I do think people who have very strong negative opinions about tourism industry in Japan, then let the wallet do the talk.