Are Japan’s Regional Areas Attractive? — Growing Interest in Japan’s Regional Areas —

News stories about “foreign tourists gathering in unexpected places in Japan” are sometimes featured in the media and become a hot topic. I myself have spotted foreign tourists in remote areas with limited transportation options and found myself wondering, “How did they find out about this place, and how did they manage to get here?”

Japan is home to a diverse array of “regional areas” with their own unique cultures, but how well are they known overseas, and what do visitors find appealing about them?

This series explores insights for the future of the inbound tourism business based on the “Japan Brand Survey 2019,” conducted in 20 countries and regions in December 2018. In this installment, we’ll focus on “regional areas” and take a closer look.

Is it common knowledge that Japan has regional areas with diverse charms?

First, let’s examine whether the existence of Japan’s regional areas is recognized overseas. In a survey on perceptions of Japan, 78.7% of respondents across all 20 countries and regions answered, “I think Japan has regional areas with their own unique cultures.”

The score was particularly high in Asia at 83.5%, which is an understandable result, but it was also found that a surprisingly large number of people were aware of this in Europe (76.5%), North America (67.0%), and even in Germany—where the rate was the lowest—at 62.0%.

Furthermore, after explaining once again that “Japan has a variety of regions, each with its own distinctive tourist attractions, cuisine, and local specialties,” (omitted), when asked, “Would you like to visit Japan’s regional areas?” as many as 83.4% of respondents said they would like to go.

More than half of the respondents answered “I would very much like to visit,” indicating a very high level of interest. This trend was particularly strong in the ASEAN region, where over 70% of respondents said they “would very much like to visit.”

Furthermore, even among those who have never visited Japan, over 70% said they “would like to visit regional areas,” raising expectations for the potential of these regions and prompting the question: “If awareness and understanding of Japan’s regional areas continue to grow, won’t the number of tourists visiting Japan increase even further?”

Inbound tourists are heading not only to “Tokyo” but also to regional areas. “Hokkaido” is rapidly rising in popularity!

Let’s take a closer look at which specific regions are popular and have high visitation intentions. When respondents were asked about their awareness, visitation intentions, and past visit experience regarding specific prefectures, Tokyo, as expected, ranked first in all categories. Its awareness rate exceeds 60%.

Hokkaido ranks second. It trails Tokyo in all categories—awareness, intention to visit, and past visits. In the 2015 survey, Hokkaido ranked fifth in awareness and fourth in intention to visit, so it’s clear that its profile has surged dramatically over the past four years.

Other prefectures well-known overseas include Osaka and Kyoto, followed by Hiroshima and Nagasaki—likely due to their historical backgrounds. Two years ago, during a focus group interview with foreign residents in Japan, it was striking to hear participants from North America say, “Back home, Hiroshima is a place people want to visit at least once.”

Furthermore, the fact that Fukushima Prefecture ranks as the eighth most famous prefecture in Japan suggests the high media coverage the Great East Japan Earthquake received overseas. In line with its recognition, its intention to visit also ranks eighth highest, with particularly strong interest in ASEAN countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines. In the future, we may see more people venturing as far as the Tohoku region.

Countries and regions in East Asia generally scored high across all three categories: awareness, intention to visit, and past visit experience. Tokyo ranked first in past visit experience, followed by Hokkaido, Osaka and Kyoto, Okinawa, and the Kyushu region (including Fukuoka and Kumamoto).

As this trend is gradually expanding, I’m eager to see which regions will be next. After Kyushu, will it be the Tohoku, Shikoku, or Chugoku regions?

The top experience people want to have in the regions is “hot springs.” The region’s distinctive cuisine is also drawing a lot of attention!

When asked about “things they want to experience in regional areas,” “hot springs” ranked first. “Hot springs” also ranked third in “things to do in Japan” and second in “things of interest in Japan,” showing that foreigners are also drawn to hot springs—a favorite among Japanese people.

This was followed by “nature,” “cherry blossoms,” “Japanese-style gardens,” and “traditional regional cuisine.” However, the fact that “wagashi” (traditional Japanese sweets) and “down-to-earth local food” also made it into the top 10 indicates that many people want to experience “food” in regional areas as well.

“Ramen” (11th place), which narrowly missed the top 10, was cited by 50–60% or more of respondents in the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore as something they’d like to experience, suggesting its potential as a regional tourism resource.

Looking at the results by country and region, in Turkey—which was included in the survey for the first time—the top 10 were “nature,” “Japanese-style gardens,” “hot springs,” “Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples,” “interacting with samurai,” “cherry blossoms,” “festivals,” “local history museums,” “traditional crafts,” and “mountain climbing and trekking,” suggesting that interest in regional areas is broad and centered on history and culture.

In contrast, in Hong Kong—where many respondents have previously visited Japan—there was high interest in “hot springs,” “nature,” “cherry blossoms,” “Wagyu beef,” “autumn foliage,” “ramen,” “down-to-earth local cuisine,” “Japanese sweets,” “snow,” and “seafood,” with the results notably highlighting a strong interest in food and the four seasons.

Since Hong Kong has a high proportion of repeat visitors (80.7% of private travelers have visited Japan before), their travel purposes tend to be more specific; in contrast, in Turkey, where few have visited Japan (75.7% have never visited), it is thought that their interests span a wide range, stemming from a desire to first understand Japan’s national character and unique qualities.

This survey revealed a very high level of interest in Japan’s regional areas, demonstrating that interest among visitors to Japan is gradually expanding to these regions, particularly among East Asian countries and regions with a high proportion of repeat visitors.

To further leverage the potential of regional areas, it will be necessary to identify the needs of target countries and regions and match them accordingly to attract visitors more effectively.

[Contact Information for Inquiries Regarding This Matter]
Dentsu Inc., Japan Brand Project Team
japanbrand@dentsu.co.jp

Japan Brand Survey Hub Page
https://www.dentsu.co.jp/knowledge/japan_brand/ 　

[Purpose of the Dentsu Inc. Brand Survey]
Launched in 2011—when the Great East Japan Earthquake led to reputational damage affecting Japanese agricultural and marine products as well as inbound tourism—this is Dentsu Inc.’s proprietary commercial marketing research initiative designed to understand how products and services originating in Japan are perceived globally.The Japan Brand Survey regularly assesses overseas consumers’ perceptions and actual behaviors regarding the Japan brand as a whole, covering areas such as overseas travel, inbound tourism, culture, regional revitalization, Japanese cuisine, Japanese products, and lifestyle. By visualizing shifting consumer sentiments and the challenges and potential of the Japan brand, the survey contributes to increasingly complex corporate activities while also promoting cross-cultural understanding within Japanese society.

[Dentsu Inc. Brand Survey 2019: Survey Overview]
・Target Areas: 20 countries and regions (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey)
・Sample Size: 6,600 (Breakdown: United States 600, Mainland China 600, other countries and regions 300 each)
・Survey Period: December 2018
・Eligibility criteria: Men and women aged 20–59 (middle-income bracket and above)
・Survey Method: Online survey
・Research Organizations: Dentsu Inc. (commissioner), Video Research Ltd. (implementation partner)

[Notes and Disclaimers]
*1: The target areas in mainland China were primarily Tier 1 cities; in Australia, the Sydney metropolitan area; and in Southeast Asia, primarily metropolitan areas.
*2: Definition of middle-income group: Criteria were established for each country based on average national income figures (such as OECD statistics) and social class classifications (SEC).
*3: Samples were collected using equal allocation by gender and age group in each country and region, and the data was weighted to reflect the population distribution.
*4: Since the composition ratios in this survey are rounded to the second decimal place (or to the first decimal place in some cases where whole numbers are displayed), the total may not add up to 100%.
*5: In creating the charts and tables for this survey, the names of the countries and regions analyzed use the international standard ISO country codes (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2/3), with a few exceptions.
United States/US/USA, Canada/CA/CAN, Australia/AU/AUS, United Kingdom/UK/GBR, Germany/DE/DEU, France/FR/FRA, Italy/IT/ITA,Spain/ES/ESP, Finland/FI/FIN, United Arab Emirates/UAE, Saudi Arabia/SA/SAU, India/IN/IND, Indonesia/ID/IDN, Singapore/SG/SGP, Malaysia/MY/MYS, Philippines/PH/PHL, Thailand/TH/THA,Vietnam/VN/VNM, Mainland China/CN/CHN, Hong Kong/HK/HKG, Taiwan/TW/TWN, South Korea/KR/KOR, Turkey/TR
*6: The names of countries and regions used in this survey report and on our website are based on the Japanese government’s long-standing position, as well as Japanese social norms and business practices.
*7: The names of countries and regions used in this survey are for statistical or analytical convenience only and do not imply any political stance or opinion.
*8: The maps used in this survey (world map and map of Japan) have been partially modified and cropped to suit the analysis content and page layout; therefore, they may not necessarily reflect national borders and territorial boundaries accurately.
*9: As a commercial marketing research study aimed at understanding the lifestyle habits and brand preferences of general consumers, this survey has been conducted consistently since its inception through commissioned fieldwork partners, in strict compliance with local laws, regulations, and public order and morals.Surveys conducted in China are carried out through fieldwork contractors who have obtained the “Foreign-Related Survey Permit” required by Chinese authorities; our company does not conduct market research activities within China itself. Furthermore, we monitor and review our operational procedures as necessary in light of developments such as changes in laws and regulations.
*10: The response data collected through this survey is obtained, managed, and processed lawfully in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations of each target market. The data we receive consists solely of aggregated data that has been anonymized in a manner that does not allow for the identification of specific individuals and cannot be reversed; it does not contain any personal information.