Inspiring Travel Through Discovery, Wellness, and Connection

Japan has experienced a remarkable rebound in tourism following the global pandemic, with nearly 37 million inbound visitors last year. The country continues to rank at the top of global travel lists, including being named a top destination by the World Economic Forum. As a company deeply involved in the tourism sector, what do you believe makes Japan such a globally renowned destination for travelers? What aspects of Japanese culture, hospitality, or experiences contribute to its ongoing appeal?

First, I believe safety is a key factor. Beyond that, Japan’s unique culture is a major draw, particularly for Western visitors who are fascinated by its traditions, history, and modern contrasts. Another significant attraction is omotenashi, the Japanese spirit of hospitality and service, which was a central theme in welcoming visitors during the Olympic Games.

Additionally, the weaker yen has played a major role, making Japan a more affordable and accessible destination for international travelers. This combination of safety, cultural richness, hospitality, and affordability continues to make Japan an appealing choice for tourists worldwide.

Many tourists tend to follow the Golden Route, which includes Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, with relatively few venturing beyond these well-known destinations. At the same time, the Japanese government is looking to leverage tourism to revitalize rural areas that are struggling with population decline. What do you think can be done to entice tourists to explore beyond the Golden Route? What role can tourism and hospitality companies, such as yours, play in promoting lesser-known regions and ensuring that the benefits of tourism are more evenly distributed across Japan?

Overtourism has become a pressing issue in Japan. For example, during peak seasons, the number of international tourists visiting Kyoto has grown so much that even some Japanese travelers avoid the area due to overcrowding. This has become a major concern for local residents, and we are seeing a vicious cycle where the excessive concentration of tourists in Golden Route cities is creating challenges for both visitors and locals alike.

At this point, I believe we need to shift away from this overconcentration and encourage tourism beyond these major cities. The key to making this transition successful is improving secondary transportation infrastructure, and I would say that most of it is now in place.

Another major barrier is language accessibility. When traveling to local areas in Japan, signage and important information are often only available in Japanese, which can make it difficult for international visitors to navigate and fully enjoy these destinations.

As for our business strategy, we are focusing more on regional tourism, especially in areas that lack sufficient secondary transportation options. While we still offer Golden Route tours, we want to provide alternative travel experiences that highlight lesser-known destinations, helping to distribute tourism more evenly across Japan and support local communities.

Japan’s transportation network is vast and highly efficient, offering extensive rail, bus, and air travel options. However, when it comes to the rail system, one of the challenges is that it is independently operated by multiple private and publicly listed companies. This creates an issue where rail passes for foreign tourists often do not cross-connect between different railway operators, making it less convenient for travelers to navigate the country seamlessly. Do you see this as a major issue for inbound tourism? If so, what steps is your company taking to help ease the burden for international visitors who must navigate multiple rail passes and payment systems? How are you working to simplify travel experiences for tourists exploring Japan?

Yes, I believe this is a significant issue that needs to be addressed, not just for international tourists but even for Japanese residents. While Japan has a vast and well-developed transportation network, local and rural transportation operators are struggling to sustain their services due to the declining and aging population.

One of the biggest challenges is the shortage of bus drivers. Ideally, buses should run every 30 minutes, but due to staffing shortages, some routes are now limited to just two services per day. That is the reality in many rural areas.

So, while it’s true that Japan’s transportation system covers most of the country, the accessibility and frequency of service in local areas are becoming increasingly difficult, even for Japanese residents. This makes it even more challenging for international tourists who rely on public transportation to explore beyond the major cities. Addressing these connectivity and accessibility issues will be key to improving travel experiences across Japan.

One of your popular tour offerings focuses on unique Japanese festivals, allowing travelers to visit local areas and experience events such as fireworks celebrations and cherry blossom season. What are some of the most popular seasonal festivals and tours that you offer? How do you ensure that these itineraries provide unique and memorable experiences for travelers looking to explore Japan’s rich cultural traditions?

Japan experiences four distinct seasons, each with its own unique festivals. In the summer, some of the most popular events include the Nebuta Festival in Aomori, the Omagari Fireworks Festival in Akita, and the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival. These celebrations attract visitors with their spectacular displays, cultural performances, and lively atmospheres.

In the winter, the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido is world-famous, drawing tourists from around the globe to see its massive snow and ice sculptures. Each season offers a diverse range of experiences, allowing travelers to immerse themselves in Japan’s rich cultural traditions throughout the year.

Nebuta float created by Asako Kitamura, Japan’s only female Nebuta float artisan.

I believe it is essential for tourists to have authentic, immersive experiences through festivals, as they provide a unique opportunity to engage with Japanese traditions and culture. In fact, there are many festivals taking place throughout the year where international travelers can experience these customs firsthand.

To help deepen their experience, one key feature of our tours is the presence of local guides who provide insight and context, helping travelers understand the historical and cultural significance of these events. These local guides play a crucial role in enriching the experience, ensuring that visitors gain a deeper appreciation for the traditions they are witnessing.

Social media has become a powerful tool for promoting tourism and attracting travelers, with many companies collaborating with influencers to showcase destinations and experiences. How do you plan to leverage social media to enhance your company’s visibility? Are you looking for partnerships with influencers or other digital marketing strategies to expand your reach and attract more travelers?

We are already actively utilizing social media to engage with travelers. For example, our Facebook accounts have around 340,000 followers from English-speaking countries and approximately 390,000 followers from Chinese-speaking regions.

For fiscal year 2025, we plan to launch an official LINE app account specifically for the Taiwanese market. Additionally, we are exploring the idea of creating a community-based social media platform where customers can interact and exchange their experiences and insights about travel in Japan.

Regarding influencer collaborations, we have already partnered with a Taiwanese influencer and are looking to expand our collaborations with more influencers, depending on the specific market needs. Through these efforts, we aim to further enhance our brand presence and connect with a broader audience.

Your Yokoso Japan Tour website was created with the goal of making Japan’s travel experiences more accessible to international visitors. The platform is multilingual, allowing users to book from a selection of over 10,000 tours across Japan in both English and Chinese. What inspired you to develop this multilingual platform? How does it help address challenges that international travelers face when trying to navigate Japanese-language websites and book tours?

If you look at other travel agencies in Japan, many already have global websites providing multilingual information. However, if you take a closer look, most of their content focuses only on the Golden Route and major landmarks like Mount Fuji. Entering that space would be a red ocean for us, meaning intense competition, making it difficult to differentiate ourselves.

Our strength as a company lies in the breadth of products we offer. We provide around 20,000 tour packages annually, covering a wide range of experiences, including niche markets that go beyond the usual tourist hotspots. That was our inspiration for launching the Yokoso Japan Tour website—to offer diverse travel experiences and cater to travelers looking for something unique.

To address language barriers faced by global travelers, we recognize that smartphones are a key tool, and we have already started leveraging them in our services. Additionally, we involve former Japanese customers who have previously used our tours. We recruit English-speaking and Chinese-speaking Japanese customers, assigning them to tours as local guides, and compensate them for their assistance. This approach allows us to enhance the travel experience for non-Japanese tourists while maintaining authentic, locally guided tours.

AI and emerging technologies have the potential to play a significant role in overcoming language barriers and enhancing the travel experience for international visitors. What role do you see AI and other developing technologies playing in facilitating communication and making travel in Japan more accessible for non-Japanese speakers? Are you exploring any AI-driven solutions or technological innovations to improve customer interactions, tour experiences, or booking processes?

I believe Generative AI (GenAI) is a major development, and this year marks a turning point for AI integration into Japanese business operations. We have already started using AI in our company, and I expect we will continue to rely on it more and more in the future.

One of the key challenges we face is Japan’s workforce shortage, which is becoming a critical management issue. To address this, we need to wisely utilize AI and other emerging technologies to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance customer experiences. AI has the potential to bridge language barriers, optimize service delivery, and support both customers and staff, making it an essential tool for the future of our business.

You offer a broad range of tours catering to various customer demographics, including solo travelers, women between 30 and 50, premium experiences, and cultural event-focused theme tours. Looking ahead, are there any specific demographics you are targeting for future tours? How do you plan to tailor your offerings to attract these audiences and ensure they have a unique and memorable travel experience?

Currently, the majority of our customers are in their 60s and 70s, but to attract the next generation of travelers, both Japanese and international, we need to expand beyond our current demographic and appeal to younger travelers.

One trend we have observed is the growing popularity of solo travel, particularly among those in their 30s to 60s. In Japan, solo female travel has become especially common, while solo male travel tours are still relatively rare. The rise in solo travel demand can be traced back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when group travel was restricted. As a result, many individuals started exploring Japan on their own, and this trend has continued to grow post-pandemic.

Another key strength of Club Tourism is that we don’t just offer standard tour packages—we provide themed tours that focus on experiences rather than destinations. These activity-based tours are closely tied to seasonal events, making it essential for us to carefully design what travelers will do during the tour rather than just where they will go. By emphasizing these unique, experience-driven offerings, we can differentiate ourselves from competitors and attract a wider range of travelers looking for something beyond traditional sightseeing.

That’s an interesting point because many standard tours tend to be "check-the-box" experiences, where travelers rush through multiple destinations without fully immersing themselves in the experience. As a result, these tours can feel superficial and less memorable. Is this something you consider when designing your themed tours? If so, how do you ensure that your tours provide deeper, more meaningful experiences rather than just a fast-paced itinerary? What strategies do you use to create more immersive and memorable travel experiences for your customers?

You raised a great point. Planning themed tours is a time-consuming process, which is why many competitors avoid offering them. However, we believe that the effort is worth it because it allows us to create richer, more memorable experiences for our travelers.

One way we enhance these experiences is by assigning instructors to our themed tours. For example, when visiting a temple or shrine, our instructors provide in-depth explanations about the history, cultural significance, and traditions of the site. This added context deepens the experience, making it more engaging and educational rather than just a quick sightseeing stop.

We also avoid rushing through multiple locations in a single day. Instead, we limit the number of destinations to allow for a thorough, immersive experience. This way, our travelers have the time to absorb and appreciate what they are seeing, rather than simply moving from place to place without meaningful engagement.

This approach ensures that our customers receive real value from their journeys—providing them with authentic insights and deeper connections to the places they visit, rather than just a checklist of tourist spots.

I understand you are planning to charter the Diamond Princess Cruise, which has a capacity of between 2,000 and 2,500 passengers. Can you tell us a little more about this tour?

This year, we are planning a chartered Diamond Princess Cruise, which will depart from Yokohama Port and follow an eight-day, seven-night itinerary. The journey will include stops at Yatsushiro Port in Kumamoto Prefecture, Jeju Island in South Korea, Osaka, and Toba Port in Mie Prefecture, before returning to Yokohama.

One highlight of this cruise is the stop in Osaka, where passengers will have the opportunity to visit the Osaka Expo, a major international event happening that year. This allows travelers to explore the Expo’s exhibits and attractions as part of their cruise experience. The departure date for this exclusive Diamond Princess Cruise is September 13, 2025.

The Diamond Princess is a treasure trove of exceptional delights waiting to be discovered.

Your company will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2033, and it’s estimated that 60 million tourists will visit Japan by that year. Can you tell us what you want the company to achieve by that date?

By then, we’d like to have expanded our customer base to ten million, 30% of those customers coming from outside Japan.

For more information, please visit their website at: https://www.club-t.com/