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.
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.
