Travel to Japan is gaining popularity fast among young Britons, driven by a steady stream of Japan travel content on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram and by a weak yen that has eased the cost of living for visitors on the ground.
Social Media Fuels Japan Travel Boom as British Visitors Jump 40% in Six Years
The number of travelers visiting Japan, led by Britons in their 20s and 30s, has risen sharply in recent months, the BBC reported on the 1st.
A total of 483,157 Britons visited Japan last year, up 24.8% from a year earlier, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). That is 40.8% more than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in British tourists has continued this year.
Young British travelers give varied reasons for choosing Japan. Their interests range from Tokyo’s urban landscape to food, animation, games and traditional culture, but social media is cited as a common factor.
Alex Baker, who has visited Japan three times, said that scrolling through TikTok or Instagram brings up a flood of related content, from videos of people eating popular sandwiches and snacks at 7-Eleven convenience stores to reviews of skin care products and clips of visits to restaurants that have gone viral on social media.
A search for “#japantravel” on TikTok and Instagram turns up countless videos about traveling in Japan. Typical clips feature Mount Fuji as a backdrop, steaming bowls of ramen, itinerary recommendations, traditional shrines and the Shibuya crossing in Tokyo.
Images and videos encountered repeatedly on social media are translating into actual travel demand, according to the analysis.
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“Ramen and Shopping Are Both Cheap” — Weak Yen Boosts Japan’s Appeal
Getting from Britain to Japan takes considerable time and money. Even flying with a low-cost carrier in the off-season with a layover in China, round-trip fares start at about 450 pounds (about 850,000 won).
Behind the rising demand is a prolonged period of yen weakness. Airfares are costly, but the relatively low cost of meals and shopping once travelers arrive in Japan is proving attractive to younger visitors.
Faye Jawad, who visited Japan last year, said that in Japan a bowl of “the best ramen of your life” costs 3 to 4 pounds (about 5,500 to 7,400 won), while in Britain a terrible bowl of ramen costs 20 pounds (about 37,000 won).
Many travelers also go shopping in Japan. Sam Corbett, who visited Japan in May, said he bought so many snacks, matcha, clothes and skin care products that he had to buy an extra suitcase and fill it up. “Everything was really cheap,” he said.
The most popular itinerary among British tourists is the so-called Golden Route, linking Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. It offers a chance to see Japan’s leading tourist destinations in one trip, and transport between the cities is convenient.
Depending on their schedules, many travelers add day trips to Nara, Hiroshima or Mount Fuji.
Residents Feel the Strain as Crowds Swell and Overtourism Spreads
With foreign tourists arriving in growing numbers, problems surrounding excessive tourism are mounting in Japan.
At some well-known destinations, complaints about unruly behavior by tourists and disruptions to residents’ daily lives are piling up. Chiyuki Izumi, a tour guide with the Japan Guide Association, said the disorderly conduct of tourists has worsened in recent years. “I have seen tourists cut in line for buses and take up space with large suitcases, and I have seen them carve their names into trees in Kyoto’s bamboo grove and enter restricted areas to take photos,” she said.
Some local governments are introducing measures to reduce the side effects of the tourist influx. Fujikawaguchiko, near Mount Fuji, canceled this year’s cherry blossom festival after repeated instances of unruly behavior by tourists. Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward has also been issuing on-the-spot fines to people caught illegally dumping trash since June, the BBC reported.
With social media driving interest in Japan travel and the weak yen persisting, young Britons are likely to keep heading to Japan for some time. But managing the inconvenience to residents and the breakdown in tourist etiquette that comes with crowds concentrating in particular areas is emerging as a challenge for Japan’s tourism industry.
AloJapan.com