Unravelling the allure of Japan to Thais

The number of tourist arrivals to Japan this year consistently hit record highs, with more than 3 million visitors to the country per month from March to July.
Even with extremely hot weather in July, the inbound market set a new record with 3.29 million tourists, an increase of 41.9% year-on-year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Of that amount, Thai visitors ranked fifth with 671,810 arrivals.
Japan has been the most popular overseas destination for Thai travellers for more than a decade, and shows no indication of losing its appeal.
According to the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), outbound trips from Thailand to Japan will reach 1 million for the first time this year.
Why do Thais love travelling to Japan?
The Japan tourism boom ignited long before Japan granted Thai citizens a visa exemption in 2013, said Charoen Wangananont, president of TTAA.
Even with a visa requirement, local travellers flocked to the nation, unfazed by travel costs, which were relatively high at that time, he said.
Mr Charoen said Thai tourists to Japan shared positive stories when they returned home, which helped Japan maintain a consistent flow of Thai visitors every year.
“About two decades ago, the popularity was built up initially by business trips. Many companies and organisations conducted study trips, aiming to explore the well-planned infrastructure and cutting-edge technologies in Japan,” he said.
“They were impressed by the hospitality of the people and their discipline, clean cities, good food and safety. These people spread their impressions about Japan.”
Over the next ten years, the robust growth of low-cost carriers helped elevate demand as travel costs to Japan gradually reduced annually, offering the middle class a gateway to visit the country, said Mr Charoen.
Many Thai travellers returned to Japan several times after their first visit because they enjoyed their time there, he said.
The real turning point occurred in 2013, two years after the Tohoku region was struck by a massive tsunami, said Mr Charoen.
To remedy a bruised economy, the Japanese government granted visa exemptions to Thai citizens.
He recalled that not only tourism operators from the affected areas, but also many provincial governments were eager to revive tourism confidence and actively promoted their destinations to Thais.
“Following the tsunami, during the Thai International Travel Fair, TTAA’s annual event, we sold an enormous 104 booths to Japanese exhibitors. These included provincial tourism authorities from every region as well as private companies,” said Mr Charoen.
He said Japan should be considered a successful case of using soft power to promote tourism.
Hospitality, unique culture and safety are the strong points that continue to attract tourists to Japan, as well as convenient entry and domestic transport.
For example, Mr Charoen said the country is believed to have some active yakuza left, but there are very few incidents of tourists being affected.
He said even though Japanese people do not always understand foreign languages, they’re quick to adapt and always welcome Thai tourists, which maintains good relations between the two countries.
“It’s difficult to single out the most influential reason Thais choose Japan for holiday because there are several. Tourists want to absorb the unique culture for themselves after appreciating imported items, such as Japanese food, which is famous in Thailand,” said Mr Charoen.
Will the measures to curb overtourism affect the outbound market to Japan?
The influx of tourists to Japan this year was not good news for everyone. Some communities in key destinations cried foul over crowded conditions and the misbehaviour of foreign tourists.
Overtourism in the nation of 125 million people became an issue this year, with many attractions working to curb the number of tourists by implementing several measures, including dual-pricing systems for residents and tourists to ease the tension.
Authorities at Mt Fuji limited the number of visitors, while many temples and museums increased their entry fees this year, while hotels hiked their room rates.
Earlier this year, officials built a barrier on the side of the street to prevent tourists from taking photos of a popular vista of Mt Fuji in front of a convenience store, as many of them disobeyed littering and parking rules. However, the barrier was temporarily removed.
Private streets in Kyoto’s Gion district banned tourists from entering as some unruly tourists were not respectful of the local culture.
However, these measures have not affected the sentiment of Thai travellers, as their perception of Japan is not limited to famous attractions, said Mr Charoen.
Thais appreciate underrated destinations with fewer crowds, as there are many direct flights from Thailand serving routes other than Tokyo, he said.
Mr Charoen said the greater concern is entry restrictions following recent news that Tokyo might initiate a pre-registration system similar to K-ETA in South Korea to screen illegal workers.
“We have to wait and see when and how this system may be introduced. It could impact the market somewhat if it is difficult for tourists to obtain approval,” he said.
“However, as the number of illegal workers from Thailand to Japan is relatively small, we don’t see this system as an obstacle to the market.”
Are there any close competitors to Japan for outbound tourists?
Other countries might find it difficult dethrone the long-running champion in the next 2-3 years because of several factors, said Mr Charoen.
Despite more expensive prices, he said the weak yen compared with the baht helps to absorb the extra costs.
Thai tourists are typically a target market among Southeast Asians for many countries eager to attract foreigners because they are quick to adapt to local cultures and keen to spend during their trips, especially on shopping, said Mr Charoen.
A weak yen the past few years helped increase the number of Thai visitors to Japan, as they love shopping for quality products from Japan, he said.
Apart from the pandemic period when travel costs surged based on few flights, average travel costs to Japan now are still considered lower than during the past ten years, said Mr Charoen.
A recent survey from Agoda confirmed the popularity of Japan, as 74% of Thai travellers repeat their trips to favourite destinations, which includes Japan, Taiwan and Laos.
Roughly 53% chose ease of travel as the main reason for the return visits, followed by local cuisine (49%), safety and cleanliness (42%), convenient location (38%) and shopping (30%).
“Other countries may not be able to beat Japan over the next few years, with the number of Thai visitors continuing to grow during this period thanks to the currency depreciation,” he said.
Meanwhile, other tourists are pivoting from South Korea to Japan because of lack of confidence in the entry process, though that number isn’t significant, said Mr Charoen.
With convenient entry a key factor for tourists when choosing a destination, he said China could prove competitive with Japan, as the mainland is No.2 for visits by Thai travellers this year.
“We have to see whether China can record repeat visitors after the initial impact of the visa exemption wears off,” said Mr Charoen.