The importance of tourist dollars not lost in translation: Hollywood flicks lure visitors Japan-ward

Japan, Inc., Feb, 2005 by Emily Kubo

Postwar Japan presents several images to the outside world. There is the beautiful scenery, such as the awe-inspiring Mt.Fuji, the coy geishas, and the ephemeral cherry blossoms. During the 1980s mayhem, Japan Inc. seemed truly formidable as they gobbled up assets across the globe while bookshelves sagged with texts dissecting the secret of Japanese corporate success.

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Then there are images of the unsung heroes behind the glory--"salarymen," who wore the same dark suits and commuted an average of 60-90 minutes one way to Tokyo offices most days of their lives. In the morning, commuters were stuffed into trains by professional "pushers," whose sole job was to push you onto the already-crowded train. The few who were fortunate enough to obtain a seat often had their heads tilted either forward or back as they dozed in deep slumber, a testament to their perpetually sleep-deprived lives. In the midst of their routine, predictable lives, however, existed some serious antisocial behavior. Legend has it that somewhere lurking in Shibuya, Tokyo, are old men who buy used underwear of underage schoolgirls, from, imagine this, vending machines. Their lives, one might imagine, are what Henry David Thoreau had in mind when he observed, in Walden, that "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." Indeed, such a city of contradiction might be a playground for anthropologists, but has been, up until now, not too appealing to the everyday traveler shopping for their next vacation.

Japan has never been a popular holiday destination. It receives relatively small numbers of foreign visitors, especially in relation to how many Japanese travel abroad. For example, in 2002 the outflow of Japanese traveling overseas was the 4th highest worldwide (2003 tourism was affected both inbound and outbound by terrorist attacks and the Iraq War, and 2004 full figures are not yet available). It has ranked 33rd and 34th, respectively, in 2002 and 2003 in the world for receiving numbers of visitors, behind much less developed neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Tourism is important not only for cultural exchange, but it also has economic implications: Japan is visited by only about 4.8 million overseas visitors each year and rakes in a mere $3.4 billion in international income. These are especially abysmal numbers when compared with popular destinations like France, which welcomes about 76 million visitors annually and derives more than $29.9 billion in international income from them.

This is strange, as Japan is the second largest economy in the world, and Asia's only fully developed nation. It also boasts one of the safest metropolises with some of the best food (of any kind) in the world. At the same time, it is rich in tradition: there are numerous worthwhile temples and gardens, and one can witness an array of unique cultural experiences such as performances by geishas, Kabuki theater, and sumo wrestling. Cherry blossoms in the spring are known to transform curbsides into art and poetry (it has inspired both). For people who are not interested in the traditional, major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka have around-the-clock entertainment with clubs and bars catered to a variety of tastes. The country also boats some of the latest technology in popular consumer electronics--Japanese cell phones are years ahead of their North American and European counterparts and movielike video games can entice even the most hardened geeks.

So why have tourists, especially Western ones, been so slow to discover it? Cost and language barrier are two major reasons. "Japan has the image of being expensive," says Mark Crosby, Product Manager for Far East of the Cox and King travel agency based in the U.K. "While many realize that Japan is the same price as England and other parts of Europe, Japan is competing against much cheaper countries like Thailand, China, etc." The other reason often given is that Japan is unlike Europe, where one can easily get by with English, a backpack, and a copy of Lonely Planet: "Most ground handlers in Japan offer services for groups only with not much aimed at the individual," observes Crosby. English speakers are hard to come by, and even important signs and train station announcements are often in Japanese only.

"Another reason why Japan is not traditionally popular with western tourists is that it is located quite far away," says Yasutake Tsukamoto, Director of Administration Department with the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO). For most Americans, Tsukamoto says, "five hours' flight destination is the norm. And then there is also the language barrier." Marian Goldberg, JNTO's North American Public Relations Manager, agrees. "It can be scary because you can't read the words. You get out of the train and there are 20 exits," she says, recounting her own experience on her first trip to Japan. "Like, what is this button on the wall? Is this going to electrocute me? People have no idea what to expect."