Tokyo Dome Corporation Expands Its Vision to Become the World’s Leading Entertainment City

Japan has experienced a tourism boom since the end of the COVID pandemic. Last year, the country welcomed nearly 37 million visitors and is on track to reach 40 million this year, with over 10 million arriving in the first quarter alone. Additionally, the government has set an ambitious goal of pushing tourism spending beyond JPY 15 trillion by the end of the decade. In your view, what makes Japan such a popular destination today?

Of course, everyone enjoys the food here, but what really sets Japan apart is its natural beauty—especially the distinct four seasons, with cherry blossoms in spring and colorful foliage in autumn. We also have a rich traditional culture, including matsuri (festivals), martial arts, and a vibrant anime and manga subculture. At sporting events, unique elements like cheering styles, vendor offerings, and gourmet stadium food are attracting increasing attention.. This unique blend of the traditional and the modern creates an atmosphere that’s both cool and exotic—something you don’t often find elsewhere. I think that contrast is a major draw for inbound tourists.

On top of that, Japan has excellent travel infrastructure, a wide range of sightseeing spots, and is one of the safest countries to visit. You can feel a sense of security wherever you go. It's also a very clean country, known for its exceptional hospitality.

I should also point out that while some other countries may have a greater number of tourist attractions, when you combine all of these elements—nature, culture, safety, cleanliness, and hospitality—Japan delivers an outstanding and well-rounded travel experience. I believe that’s what makes it so appealing to visitors.

The growing number of tourists puts increasing pressure on infrastructure and staffing—particularly in the hospitality industry, which is already facing significant challenges in Japan. As the country with the oldest population in the world and one of the tightest labor markets among advanced economies, Japan’s hospitality sector, which relies heavily on human labor and includes many tasks that cannot be automated, is feeling the strain. How is your company addressing the labor shortage and the shrinking domestic population as the customer base continues to decline?

First, just to provide some context—our company operates across a wide range of businesses, including amusement parks, hotels, spas, and, of course, the Tokyo Dome itself. So when we talk about labor shortages, the situation varies depending on the business area.

Before COVID, for example, the growing number of inbound tourists led to labor shortages in our hotel division, particularly in areas like kitchen staff and housekeeping. During the pandemic, as we focused on digital transformation (DX), the shortage shifted to IT personnel. Then, post-COVID, as our business began to recover and we pursued further growth, we found ourselves short on staff for event management and planning. In other words, the type of labor shortage depends heavily on the period, our business priorities, and the sector involved.

With that in mind, we have two main approaches to overcoming these labor shortages. First, we conduct periodic hiring. For example, for the new graduates joining us next April, we’re hiring individuals with the potential to become future management. Second, we also hire contract workers based on immediate business needs. If they perform well, they’re often transitioned into specialist roles. In addition to these approaches, we also rely on part-time staff, consignment-based workers, and temporary employees.

Anticipating a V-shaped recovery after the pandemic, we took the opportunity to reform our HR system. Since last year, we’ve shifted to this new structure, which is built around three core employee tracks. The first is a general management course aimed at grooming future leaders. The second is a specialist course, and the third is a more narrowly focused expert track. Employees can move between these tracks through a job rotation program coordinated with our HR department, creating a more dynamic and flexible system.

We place a strong emphasis on employee training and have established a dedicated department to oversee all training initiatives. This includes onboarding and pre-opening training, service excellence, safety and security, digital literacy, compliance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Since each business line operates on different schedules, it’s difficult to gather all employees for training in person. So, in addition to onsite sessions, we offer online and e-learning options to ensure flexible and accessible development opportunities. Importantly, this training isn’t limited to our full-time staff. We extend it to affiliated companies and part-time employees as well. In fact, part-time workers outnumber full-time employees in our organization, so making training available company-wide is a crucial part of our strategy.

XR Experience

TOKYO DOME HOTEL

TOKYO DOME

Atami Bay Resort Korakuen

Space Travelium TeNQ

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Japan’s potential as an entertainment destination can sometimes be limited by challenges around customer service or language accessibility, but your company has done an excellent job in these areas. Given the V-shaped recovery you anticipated—and that we’re now seeing—how important will foreign visitors be to the future development of Tokyo Dome Corporation? And what additional services or plans do you have in mind to further enhance the experience for international guests?

Attracting inbound tourists is something we’ve been actively focusing on, and over the past few years, we’ve taken several steps in that direction. For example, within Tokyo Dome City and Tokyo Dome itself, we’ve installed multilingual screens, making it easy to switch between Japanese and English. Of course, there’s still plenty of room for improvement, and we’re working to address those areas step by step. That said, for the time being, most of the guests attending events at Tokyo Dome are still Japanese. We’re grateful that many of these events continue to sell out, but we’re definitely aiming to draw more inbound tourists to Tokyo Dome and the other facilities we operate.

One of the key areas we need to strengthen is the ability to communicate accurate and accessible information. When international guests visit any of our facilities, they should be able to easily understand event details and navigate the venue.

With that in mind, about six months ago, we established a new department dedicated entirely to inbound tourism. This team is working in partnership with a U.S.-based consulting firm to identify the most appealing aspects of Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome City from a non-Japanese perspective. They’re also researching the specific needs and expectations of overseas visitors.

For example, when we hosted the MLB games in March, we promoted those events internationally, specifically targeting inbound tourists. As a result, we saw our social media following grow by 10,000. Ultimately, we believe it’s critical to understand what international guests are looking for and to tailor our communications and offerings accordingly.

That MLB series featured Shohei Ohtani, and according to the Japan Times, it was the first time in his career that he admitted feeling nervous before a game—due to the sheer number of spectators and the electrifying atmosphere in the arena. The event was a tremendous success and brought global attention to Tokyo Dome, with coverage spanning media outlets around the world. What were some of the key takeaways from hosting such a major international event? And are you looking to replicate events of that scale through future collaborations with foreign leagues or international organizations?

For the MLB Tokyo Series held in March, we weren’t the host, even providing the venue for an event of that magnitude is a significant win for us. We're also looking to broaden our horizons and consider hosting international events, not limited to baseball.

One key difference between the MLB series and major past events—such as concerts by international artists like Michael Jackson—is the target audience. Those earlier events were primarily aimed at Japanese guests, whereas the MLB event was clearly geared toward both Japanese and international visitors. One of the biggest takeaways for us was realizing how important it is to effectively promote Tokyo Dome City and its surrounding attractions whenever an international event takes place. It's a valuable opportunity to showcase the broader experience we offer to a global audience.

You recently completed large-scale renovations, including major upgrades to the stadium as well as the opening of the IMM Theater and renewal of the Spa LaQua hot spring facility. What made this the right time to undertake such significant renovations?

We’ve actually been carrying out renovation work at Tokyo Dome City continuously for quite some time, so it’s not that we suddenly decided to undertake a large-scale renovation. What’s different in recent years is the scale and visibility of the updates—we’ve increased the amount of renovation activity, and one of the most noticeable changes has been the transformation of public spaces, which has significantly altered the overall look and feel of the area. We’ve installed large-scale vision displays suited to a constantly evolving city, expanded our plaza areas and trailer shops, and created the ability to transform the entire city into a unified theme for daily events. This enables visitors to enjoy a seamless full-day experience—taking photos connected to the event, indulging in themed food and merchandise, and immersing themselves not only in the event itself but also in the lead-up and aftermath.. That’s likely why it seems like such a major change to visitors.

Our approach is to make Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome City accessible and enjoyable for people of all ages and genders. Ideally, we want to create facilities that grow with our visitors. For example, a family might first visit with a small child, and then as that child grows older and returns, they discover new attractions tailored to their interests. By continuously evolving in this way, we aim to build a place that appeals to every generation and, in doing so, help revitalize the surrounding area while reaching a broad and diverse audience.

I think you’ve done a great job with the renovations. I first visited Tokyo Dome in 2015, and over the past decade, you’ve made significant improvements. Today, it really feels more like a beautifully integrated urban resort. What is your long-term vision for Tokyo Dome, and what do you see as the next step in its evolution?

One of the biggest challenges we faced was our inability to effectively communicate the full range of facilities and experiences available here. Internally, we even thought of ourselves as a kind of integrated resort (IR)—just without a casino—but we struggled to convey that message clearly, both to international visitors and even to our domestic audience.

That’s why one of our key goals has been to improve how we share information about what Tokyo Dome City has to offer and how people can enjoy it. We want guests to understand that this is a place where you can easily spend an entire day, with a variety of attractions and experiences all in one location.

To address that challenge, we revisited our branding strategy for Tokyo Dome City in 2018. Two years ago, we introduced a new variable logo that retained the Tokyo Dome City name but changed the font weight and color to better represent the diversity of our facilities and how daily events transform the entire city. Our goal was to reach people who may know about Tokyo Dome but not Tokyo Dome City, or who are familiar with LaQua but unaware of IMM Theater. We wanted to bridge those gaps in awareness, and that became a key focus for us.

Alongside the logo change, we also developed our brand promise “Special Days Born from Diverse Connections and Heart-moving Experiences”, a brand statement “For anyone, anytime, forever,
Ordinary days become special, and special days become even more so,  To entertainment city unlike any other” and tagline “Heart-Moving, Memorable” to communicate that Tokyo Dome City is a vibrant town with so much to offer. A year before the official logo change, we launched a range of internal promotional efforts to share this message—not just with our employees, but also with everyone working in Tokyo Dome City and with our broader group of stakeholders. These activities significantly boosted employee engagement and helped us further promote our management philosophy: Our mission is to enhance society through interpersonal relationship and sharing  “heart- moving” experiences.

So far, we’ve focused on two main priorities. First, we’ve developed a wide variety of facilities designed to appeal to all age groups. Second, we’ve aligned that development with a cohesive branding strategy to create a strong “town” identity for Tokyo Dome City, built around a unified mission and vision shared among our staff.

Looking ahead five years, to be honest, I don’t anticipate dramatic changes. But over the next 15 to 20 years, we have a dream—to become the number one entertainment city in the world. To achieve that, we’ll continue to create inclusive, multi-generational facilities while also preserving and blending traditional and modern values within Tokyo Dome City.

For example, next door is Koishikawa Korakuen, a beautiful traditional Japanese garden that has stood for around 400 years, and we see it as essential to protect that cultural heritage. In Tokyo Dome City, there’s Korakuen Hall, a venue with over 60 years of history and a sacred site for martial arts and combat sports in Japan. We also have Theatre G-Rosso, known for its popular superhero performances. And of course, Tokyo Dome itself has been around for 37 years—it’s seen as a final destination for artists performing in Japan.

Our vision is to honor and preserve these sacred, historically significant spaces while introducing new elements—like VR and emerging technologies—to create a dynamic entertainment experience that seamlessly blends the old with the new.

Speaking of the digital side of your business, you won the prestigious “Auggie Award” for Best VR at AWE Asia 2024 for your mixed reality and VR attraction. Could you tell us more about that competition and your broader strategy for integrating these kinds of digital entertainment experiences into the Tokyo Dome City ecosystem?

We’ve actually hosted a digital innovation event series twice so far, and we’re planning the third installment this year. The first event focused on integrating blockchain technology and included a contest around that theme. The second was the enXross hackathon. This September, we’ll host the third edition, themed around AI, extended reality (XR), and Web3, and we’ll be inviting startup companies to participate. I believe the event is starting to gain international recognition. For example, during the first two editions, we had participants from institutions like Stanford University and the National University of Singapore, so we’re seeing it evolve into a truly global event—and we hope to continue that momentum this year.

For this third event, we’re planning to introduce a co-working space called the enXross DAO, which will be made available to participating startups. Ultimately, our goal is to host enXross annually and develop Tokyo Dome City into a research and development hub for Web3-related technologies.

Regarding the Auggie Award for Best VR that you mentioned—this was a result of efforts by our new business planning division. They explored Web3 and emerging technologies with the aim of incorporating them into an entirely new attraction. It wasn’t a solo effort—we collaborated with partner companies to jointly develop a VR experience called Battle World 2045. It’s a free-roaming shooting game with stunning graphics and supports up to four players simultaneously, which is quite rare for this kind of format. That feature helped make it especially engaging and led to it winning the award.

We also offer Space Travelium TeNQ, an immersive experience focused on space travel. It features a cutting-edge VR setup that allows guests to enjoy a virtual trip to the moon in a free-roaming environment. It’s not only highly entertaining but also of exceptional quality, which is why it continues to attract many visitors.

In addition, we’re currently developing a new AR-based attraction—though the details are still under wraps. We plan to continue creating and operating VR, AR, and XR experiences within Tokyo Dome City, and we’re also exploring possibilities for deploying these attractions in other locations as well.

You’ve recently expanded into regional offerings—for instance, with the Atami Bay Resort Korakuen, which includes a hotel and various other facilities. Looking ahead, and considering the growing popularity of Japan’s regional destinations, are you exploring additional regional projects? If so, is there a particular strategy or approach you plan to take?

Leveraging our track record with events like the Furusato Matsuri (regional specialty fair), haunted houses, and special exhibitions, as well as the management of public sports facilities, we've been expanding into regional areas. Furthermore, becoming part of the Mitsui Fudosan Group has advanced our collaborations with their sports-centric commercial facilities located across various regions. Regarding our company's own assets and facilities, however, at the moment, we don’t have plans to expand beyond Atami. Instead, our focus is on enhancing the overall appeal of Atami itself, and there’s still a great deal we can do in that regard. While we already have a hotel, spa, and other facilities in place, we see significant potential for further development through renovations and broader urban improvement.

Our goal isn’t to take on everything ourselves—we want to collaborate with other companies and work closely with the Atami City administration to explore what’s possible. Through these partnerships, we believe we can make Atami an even more attractive destination for inbound tourists. That’s the direction we’re currently pursuing.

Tokyo Dome City

Of all the facilities, attractions, and activities you offer, which one is your personal favorite?

My favorite attractions are the ones that incorporate XR technology. Of course, we also have a roller coaster that many people love, but I am not a fan of those. I believe roller coasters are best for watching rather than riding.

In Japan, what's commonly known as a “jet coaster” is actually a roller coaster. This term gained widespread use after our amusement park named it in 1955.

For more information, please visit their website at: https://www.tokyo-dome.jp/english/company/