Thank you Tanikawa san. Japan is an endless source of discovery and happiness. I do not feel like visiting anywhere else to be honest. So, please continue accepting tourists. I recall watching the morning news at NHK and seeing tourists jumping in front of traffic to take pictures of the illuminations in Tokyo. We give ourselves a bad name. Not all of us are bad though. Blame Instagram and tiktok.
Here's some observations from my December visit. Some of these may be topics of interest.
Too many foreigners compared to 10 years ago (not to my liking, but then that includes me I guess). But are these tourists or immigrants?
Too much English speaking for my liking, especially in Tokyo (people should make an effort and not have expectations).
Japanese people speaking English even at remote areas.
Osaka literally taken over by Chinese tourists !
Kyoto tourist areas overcrowded even at 07:00 AM
Surprised by night curfew of ryokans !
Japanese car drivers appear so aggressive compared to their off road personas !
ETC cards are a saver.
Parking areas vs Service Areas. Do I have to pay to use them or not?
Petrol price is so cheap but then the tolls make up for it !
Plum wine is the best. So underrated.
Do not overdo the Onsen (time per session). Build your time slowly.
Someone must tell the authorities in Kanazawa castle to place exit signs everywhere with estimated time to each exit. I almost locked in the castle at 17:00 !
Train may be preferable and quicker to travel but you cannot grasp rural Japan unless you drive a car. stopping at a random shop and engaging with surprised locals was a must for me !
Food is quite salty. However despite eating a lot (and i mean a lot) every day I did not gain a pound overall ! How's that?
Do Kyoto locals really hate matcha tea?
Do japanese people have just coffee for breakfast these days?
How do the immense number of ramen shops and small eateries survive financially? There are so many of them ! Every block seems to have one or two. I felt for them but could not eat any more !
Many thanks for all of your insights regarding tourism in Japan. There are many points that I was unaware of, and they will help me produce more helpful posts. I will think about them over the New Year. How often do you visit Japan annually?
Last time was 2012. Wanted forever to visit again, but the covid lockdowns threw me off. Visited this year and planning to revisit in 2025. Improving my Japanese language skills slowly. I am in love with Japan's culture and tradition.
Thank you. I hope your long time dream of visiting Japan will come true in 2025. 2025 is just around the corner in Tokyo. It is a bit early, but a Happy New Year to you and everybody!!
Thank you for your rich and generous posts about Japan this year!
The issue of over tourism is something I think about too. Certainly, here in Hong Kong it feels very busy with tourists and numbers have increased significantly since the pandemic restrictions have eased. However, there are some concerns that people (tourists) are just not spending like they used to. It will be interesting to see what HK and Japan look like in 2025.
Thanks for your comment, Sarah. First of all, considering the time you commented, you are an early bird. Regarding the amount of spending, the situation may be different in HK and Japan. Currently, the Japanese Yen is very weak, and everything may appear cheap for anyone from Europe and the US. My daughter, who came back from Europe, always says things seem very cheap when she converts them to Euros.
I fear that too many tourists are spending less, which is not a good sign for the locals. We should keep an eye on the situation.
Thanks, Bill. I am afraid that JR East is unlikely to extend its period since the purpose of this special deal is to compensate for the low winter season demand. But I am sure that they will do a similar campaign the year after.
The KYUN PASS is extraordinary!
Please be careful about the timing of purchase if you think buying it.
Thank you Tanikawa san. Japan is an endless source of discovery and happiness. I do not feel like visiting anywhere else to be honest. So, please continue accepting tourists. I recall watching the morning news at NHK and seeing tourists jumping in front of traffic to take pictures of the illuminations in Tokyo. We give ourselves a bad name. Not all of us are bad though. Blame Instagram and tiktok.
Here's some observations from my December visit. Some of these may be topics of interest.
Too many foreigners compared to 10 years ago (not to my liking, but then that includes me I guess). But are these tourists or immigrants?
Too much English speaking for my liking, especially in Tokyo (people should make an effort and not have expectations).
Japanese people speaking English even at remote areas.
Osaka literally taken over by Chinese tourists !
Kyoto tourist areas overcrowded even at 07:00 AM
Surprised by night curfew of ryokans !
Japanese car drivers appear so aggressive compared to their off road personas !
ETC cards are a saver.
Parking areas vs Service Areas. Do I have to pay to use them or not?
Petrol price is so cheap but then the tolls make up for it !
Plum wine is the best. So underrated.
Do not overdo the Onsen (time per session). Build your time slowly.
Someone must tell the authorities in Kanazawa castle to place exit signs everywhere with estimated time to each exit. I almost locked in the castle at 17:00 !
Train may be preferable and quicker to travel but you cannot grasp rural Japan unless you drive a car. stopping at a random shop and engaging with surprised locals was a must for me !
Food is quite salty. However despite eating a lot (and i mean a lot) every day I did not gain a pound overall ! How's that?
Do Kyoto locals really hate matcha tea?
Do japanese people have just coffee for breakfast these days?
How do the immense number of ramen shops and small eateries survive financially? There are so many of them ! Every block seems to have one or two. I felt for them but could not eat any more !
Many thanks for all of your insights regarding tourism in Japan. There are many points that I was unaware of, and they will help me produce more helpful posts. I will think about them over the New Year. How often do you visit Japan annually?
Last time was 2012. Wanted forever to visit again, but the covid lockdowns threw me off. Visited this year and planning to revisit in 2025. Improving my Japanese language skills slowly. I am in love with Japan's culture and tradition.
Thank you. I hope your long time dream of visiting Japan will come true in 2025. 2025 is just around the corner in Tokyo. It is a bit early, but a Happy New Year to you and everybody!!
Thank you for your rich and generous posts about Japan this year!
The issue of over tourism is something I think about too. Certainly, here in Hong Kong it feels very busy with tourists and numbers have increased significantly since the pandemic restrictions have eased. However, there are some concerns that people (tourists) are just not spending like they used to. It will be interesting to see what HK and Japan look like in 2025.
Thanks for your comment, Sarah. First of all, considering the time you commented, you are an early bird. Regarding the amount of spending, the situation may be different in HK and Japan. Currently, the Japanese Yen is very weak, and everything may appear cheap for anyone from Europe and the US. My daughter, who came back from Europe, always says things seem very cheap when she converts them to Euros.
I fear that too many tourists are spending less, which is not a good sign for the locals. We should keep an eye on the situation.
Thanks, this is great! Do you think JR East are likely to extend their KYUN (single day) pass post Feb/March?
Thanks, Bill. I am afraid that JR East is unlikely to extend its period since the purpose of this special deal is to compensate for the low winter season demand. But I am sure that they will do a similar campaign the year after.