The nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture continues to scare away foreign visitors, while the strong yen has added another problem for government officials trying to increase tourism revenue.
The nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture continues to scare away foreign visitors, while the strong yen has added another problem for government officials trying to increase tourism revenue.The number of foreign visitors to Japan this year is expected to fall between 6 million and 7 million, down about 30 percent from last year, according to tourism officials.The Japan Tourism Agency early next year plans to revise downward its target of 15 million visitors in 2013 and 20 million in 2016.Following the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that triggered the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the agency made strenuous efforts to assure people overseas that Japan was safe to visit.One of its latest efforts is the promotion of "Cook It Raw," a global gastronomy event held in Ishikawa Prefecture. About 10 world-class chefs assembled at a Tokyo hotel on Nov. 13 for the event."The nuclear accident has had a major impact on foreigners," a senior Tourism Agency official said. "We hope this gastronomy event of world renown will help to send a message that it's safe to be in Japan."According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, 5.09 million foreigners visited Japan during the first 10 months of this year, down 30.5 percent from the same period last year. In April, the number of overseas visitors to Japan plunged 62.5 percent year-on-year. Although the rate of decline has improved, it has yet to enter positive territory since the March 11 disaster.The yen's unprecedented appreciation, triggered by the European sovereign debt crisis, has also turned off foreign visitors, who must pay more in their home currencies for yen to pay for accommodation and shopping in Japan.The year-on-year decrease was 15.3 percent in October, when the yen hit a postwar high of 75.32 yen to the dollar. The number of South Korean visitors--the largest group by country--plummeted by 31.7 percent, partly due to the depreciation of the won.A department store official said foreigners have not returned to Tokyo's Ginza and other commercial districts popular among tourists. In October, nearly 20 percent fewer foreigners visited department stores in Japan, according to the Japan Department Stores Association.At J. Front Retailing Co., which owns the Daimaru and Matsuzakaya department store chains, the year-on-year decrease in the number of foreign visitors shrank to about 3 percent by October. But Shunichi Samura, president of J. Front Retailing, was not overly optimistic."The strong yen struck just as we were still struggling from aftereffects of the March 11 disaster," he said.Gotemba Premium Outlets in Gotenba, Shizuoka Prefecture, said the number of foreign visitors rose in October, the first year-on-year increase since the March disaster. But an official of the outlet shopping center warned that a full recovery has yet to come.The Tourism Agency is still sticking with its target of eventually having 30 million foreigners visit Japan annually. "The goal remains well within range," Hiroshi Mizohata, commissioner of the agency, emphasized.But the majority view in the tourism industry appears to be that the goal now lies beyond reach.(This article was written by Keiko Nannichi and Haruka Takashige.)