Home › From the Executive Director › [October 2022] What Are You Most Interested in When Visiting Japan?

[October 2022] What Are You Most Interested in When Visiting Japan?

Posted on by Mariko Green

Individual travel to Japan resumed on 11 October. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan received many tourists. Data released by the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) shows that 621,771 visitors from Australia and 94,115 from New Zealand visited Japan in 2019. The number of tourists from Australia and New Zealand visiting Japan had been increasing every year since 2012. Specifically, there were 415,367 more tourists from Australia in 2019 when compared to 2012, an increase of 201.2%. Similarly, the number of New Zealand tourists in 2019 was 62,262 more than the number in 2012, which is an increase of 195.5%. It is pleasing to see these numbers.

We wonder what aspects people are most interested in when they visit Japan, so we surveyed event attendees who visited our booth at Japan-related events. The choices for the survey we created were Tradition, Nature, Cuisine, Recreation Facilities, Art, Experiential Activities, Outdoors and Cultural Exchange. From these choices, Tradition was the most popular and gained around 39% of all votes, followed by Nature and Cuisine. If you were to take part in this survey, which one would you select?

In Japan, temples, shrines and historic streets are well-preserved, and nature shows its distinct beauty in each of the four seasons. There are many delicious cuisines, and the tastes of the same food and dish can vary in each region. For example, ramen has many different broth flavours such as miso, pork bone, soy sauce, seafood, and salt, and there are regional differences in the flavours. There are also many outdoor activities that different regions in Japan offer such as skiing and climbing, and recreation facilities such as onsen for visitors to enjoy.

You may have already visited cities such as Tokyo, Hakone, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kyoto along the popular tourist route known as the “Golden Route” in Japan. Certainly, it is always great to re-visit places you have already been, however, it is also enjoyable to discover new destinations. Whether you are a repeat traveller to Japan, or a first-time traveller, Japan welcomes you. I believe that you will come across fascinating discoveries about Japan each time when you visit. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you to Japan.

 

 

 

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  • 2023/2024 CLAIR Forum 

    Theme: Disaster Management and Resilience

    Disaster Management is essential for local governments as it helps save lives, protect properties, build resilience, and ensure the overall well-being and stability of communities in the face of disasters such as natural disasters and epidemic outbreaks. And it has become more important than ever in recent years. In the 2024 CLAIR Forum, presented by CLAIR Sydney and UTS, we  explored the practices of prevention, response, and recovery to disasters in local governments in Australia and Japan. We also reflected on new ways of thinking about and building resilient communities, built and natural environments, economies and governments. 

    Date:  11 March,2024 (Monday)
    Time: 1:00pm to 5:00pm 
    Venue: The Japan Foundation, Sydney – Seminar Room （Hybrid）

    Speakers

    – Tomoyuki Takemura (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)

    Provided an overview of recent disaster occurrences in Japan such as the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the role of administrative organisations (national, prefectural, and municipal) during disasters, and the updated information on the status of the support system established by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

    – Reiko Kunisaki (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Fukuoka Prefectural Government)

    Described the recent heavy rain disasters in Fukuoka, efforts in supporting evacuees requiring assistance (including training on municipal guidance, operation of evacuation centres, and creation of individual evacuation plans) in collaboration with local governments and partners.

    – Kana Tsujiwaki (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Wakayama Prefectural Government)

    Touched upon the anecdote of Goryo Hamaguchi, a native of Wakayama, which led to the establishment of “World Tsunami Day.” Also explained distinctive disaster countermeasures in Wakayama, such as setting safety levels for evacuation destinations, the “Dokodemo Stand” mobile gas station, and mobile disaster prevention education.

    – Nicole Parsons (Manager Regional Resilience Programs, Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation)

    The presentation highlighted collaborative efforts with local governments and partners in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region to reduce disaster risks, including enhancing infrastructure resilience, improving access to geographic data, and developing environmental monitoring and early warning systems.

    – Shinnosuke Matsumoto (Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Ichihara city council)

    Discussed disaster response in his city, the response system during disasters, types and conditions for opening evacuation centres, and examples of efforts in adapting to changes in operating the centres during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    – Hideaki Ota(Assistant Director, CLAIR Sydney / Odawara city council)

    Provided an overview of medical services during disasters in Japan, focusing on the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), including the outline, process, and roles of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and disaster base hospitals. Presented examples, including Odawara City Hospital’s dispatch of DMAT to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

    – Tommaso Briscese (General Manager, Burwood Council) & Miriam Wassef（Executive Manager, Place Management and Communications Burwood Council）

    Presented Burwood Council’s response to and recovery efforts for COVID-19, including care for the community, financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises for economic recovery, and events to promote human interaction that were reduced following the outbreak.

     

    The Q&A session allowed for exchanges of many questions and opinions among participants. Carol Mills concluded the forum, reflecting on the discussions.

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  • From the 3rd to the 13th of December, eight selected swimmers from the Fukuoka Swimming Association visited NSW, where they participated in joint training sessions with a local school and competed in the 2024-25 Speedo NSW Senior State Age Championships.

    During the joint training, the athletes deepened their connections, and in the competition, the Fukuoka swimmers achieved remarkable success, earning numerous medals.
     
    The visit is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2023 between the Fukuoka Prefecture, the Fukuoka Swimming Association, and Swimming NSW. CLAIR Sydney received a request from Fukuoka Prefecture to assist them with their activities and accompanied them during some parts of their visit.
     
    We will continue to support and deepen exchanges in the field of sports between Fukuoka Prefecture and NSW.
    To all the athletes, coaches, and accompanying staffs, Otsukaresamadeshita!
     
     
     
     
     
     

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.
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  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

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  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.