Sengan-en, Kagoshima Prefecture
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) will launch a series of newsletters featuring the most exciting – and importantly, lesser-known – things to see and do in Japan from April.
JNTO’s newsletters will serve as an insider’s guide to Japan’s many traditions and innovations. Given the breadth and volume of 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 a theme that motivates travel. These passions will encompass Japan’s 10 regions, 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.
These include:
- Nature – From hiking the Kumano Kodo Trail or Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route to rowing down the mythical Takachiho Gorge or trying your hand at the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) in Akasawa Natural Recreational Forest, Japan offers the ultimate escape for those looking to immerse themselves in nature.
- Outdoors – Japan’s natural wonders offer all manner of exhilarating activities to stir the heart of any outdoor enthusiast. Think: diving in pristine ocean waters, paragliding over dunes, rafting down rapids, canyoning on the Tone River, or log-rafting down the Kitayama River.
- Tradition – Japan's rich cultural heritage is not just admired from afar, but actively appreciated: most evidently across the country’s 36 World Heritage Sites. Japan’s approach to history and heritage makes for a truly transformative travel experience: become a ninja for the day, live like a Japanese Buddhist monk, or train with a true mountain mystic in Yamagata Prefecture.
- Cuisine – With 863 Michelin-star restaurants (22 of them three-star) Japan is one of the world’s top foodie destinations and its culinary offering is one indelibly tied to the land, the seasons and the people. Enjoy the hospitality of Japan’s ama (traditional free-divers), stay overnight in the green tea heartlands, or go behind the scenes and see how sake is brewed.
- Relaxation – stunning natural beauty meets a time-honored spirit of hospitality across Japan, making it the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern day life. Practice the Japanese tradition of onsen (bathing in hot water springs), experience the Japanese way of life first hand on a traditional homestay, or check into one of Japan’s world-class award-winning spa hotels.
- Art – Japan’s art scene is a fascinating fusion of the ancient and modern; the natural and man-made. Visit the 41-acre creatively landscaped Adachi Museum of Art – voted the best Japanese garden in the world – or explore the Benesse Art Site Naoshima project: a collection of interactive works across three different islands.
- Cities – Japan’s urban landscapes offer a living, breathing microcosm of the nation’s past, present and future; a melting pot where age-old traditions coexist alongside modern technology. Think high-tech 3D art collectives, ancient waterways, underground temples, abandoned cities, and the world’s longest suspension bridge.
Seino Satoshi, president of JNTO, said:
Tokyo 2020 will begin from July 23 this year, ten years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, with the torch relay which started in Fukushima Prefecture, will see torchbearers connect throughout Japan, showing people all over the world how the nation has recovered.
It is currently not possible to enter Japan for travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has been decided the games will be held without overseas spectators. While we will miss you this summer, we promise that our time apart will make travel experiences all the more exciting when international travel resume. We look forward to seeing you in Japan again.
JNTO has also 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. See here for more information: https://www.japan.travel/experiences-in-japan/en/
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
JNTO Media Kit 2021 (PDF 6,108kb).
For more information on Japan and JNTO visit:
About us https://www.japan.travel/en/au/about-jnto/
BtoB Japan Online Media Center https://business.jnto.go.jp/
Japan tourism statistics website https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/
Press office contact e-mail: media_inquiry@jnto.go.jp
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