Originally Posted by
malloc
I was in Okayama yesterday and in Matsue today, also only saw a few westerners at the train stations.
I get the impression that most of these record number of visitors must be first-timers or one-timers that are congregating in Kyoto.
Was Matsue-jo very busy? Long lines or what?
At those train stations did you see Asian travelers with huge rolling luggage? They were not Japanese. Conspicuous people on the trains talking loudly or making a fuss? They were probably not Japanese (a gang of old Japanese women can be fussy/excited but most Japanese will be quiet and inconspicuous).
Western visitor numbers are higher than in the past but the real foreign tourist boom are visitors from Asia: Korea, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand.