Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has launched a new Insider Guide to Japan, celebrating the country’s many traditions, innovations, natural wonders, and off-the-beaten-track adventures.
2021 is a landmark year for Japan – as Tokyo gears-up to host the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games – and the country is set to be one of top travel destinations.
JNTO will launch a series of newsletters, featuring the most exciting things to see and do in Japan, from this April, serving as an insider’s guide to Japan’s many traditions and innovations.
Given the breadth and volume of tourist attractions, destinations and experiences across the country – and the comprehensive analysis of inbound tourism trends – JNTO categorises Japan’s travel offering into seven passions: each united by the theme that motivates travel.
These seven passions span Cuisine, Outdoors, Relaxation, Nature, Tradition, Art, and Cities. Content will encompass Japan’s 10 regions and the many World Heritage Sites, natural wonders, bustling cities, and year-round calendar of traditional matsuri (festival) that set Japan apart as a top destination, including:
JNTO has launched “Experiences in Japan,” a website that showcases activities based on these Seven Passions. This collection of curated experiences offers a window into the heart and soul of Japan: a series of exciting – and largely unknown – activities and destinations.
While preparing these attractions in anticipation of inbound travel resuming once again, JNTO is also taking a number of COVID-19 measures to ensure absolute peace of mind for international visitors. These new initiatives are available on our website. Steps include multilingual pictograms to summarize information on the country’s precautions against COVID-19 infection as well as emergency response contacts and procedures. See here for more information: https://www.japan.travel/en/2020-TYO-covid-19
Seino Satoshi, president of the Japan National Tourism Organization, said:
“Tokyo 2020 will begin from July 23 this year. Taking place ten years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the torch relay, which has already started in Fukushima prefecture, will see torchbearers connect throughout Japan, showing people all over the world how the nation has recovered.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is currently not possible to enter Japan for travel, and I regret to hear that it has been decided to hold the games without overseas spectators. However, I firmly believe that humankind will overcome this crisis and tourist traffic will resume again.
“Japan is often associated with big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms, ninjas, and anime. In addition to these attractions, Japan consists of more than 6000 islands which stretch over 3,000 km from north to south, and has a varied topography, with forests occupying about 70% of its land. It is a land of forests and mountains where you can celebrate beautiful nature.
“Over the last five years Japan has become one of the world’s leading travel destinations, with annual visitors growing to over 30 million before the pandemic. Across diverse categories such as nature, food, culture, and art, there are abundant tourism opportunities in provincial areas that are not yet known to the world. Throughout this campaign we will showcase many undiscovered charms of Japan, reflecting and responding to future tourism trends.
“While we will miss you this summer, we promise that our time apart will make travel experiences all the more exciting when cross-border travel is resumed. We are looking forward to seeing you in Japan.”
IMAGE: Kenrokuen Garden Japan/JNTO
