Rising in the East: How Japan is bouncing back

On the ground, travellers are arriving to find Japan’s attentive hospitality undiminished and infrastructure as efficient as ever. An official mask mandate was lifted in March (although they linger in hospitality settings and public transport) and the requirement for proof of vaccination/pre-travel Covid test expired in May. QR codes have replaced most immigration and customs paperwork, streamlining arrivals. 

Airlift is returning too, easing the pressure felt in spring, particularly for direct flights. British Airways flies 11 times a week from Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda (but no longer to Narita), while its codeshare partner Japan Airlines flies twice daily to Haneda.

ANA – winners of the prestigious Premium Air Experience of the Year at the TTG Luxury Travel Awards 2023 – flies Heathrow-Haneda daily, with journeys from other UK cities possible via its partner, Lufthansa, connecting through Frankfurt or Munich.

Finnair celebrated its centenary year by relaunching its Helsinki to Osaka service (three days a week in each direction) as well as its Helsinki to Tokyo Narita service (four times a week). These complement its daily Helsinki to Haneda service onboard refreshed A350s, featuring its new AirLounge seat in Business Class and a new Premium Economy cabin.

Luxury cruise lines have also returned and demand is similarly “back up to pre-pandemic levels”, according to Alex Loizou, director of sales and marketing at Mundy Cruising. “Japan has always been hugely popular for us and the eagerness has only grown: we are booking as far ahead as 2025,” he says. 

Tokyo tales 

Tokyo Convention & Visitor Bureau (TCVB) was swift to capitalise on Japan’s reopening, hosting a two-day event in London in February for tour operators, suppliers, airlines and media. A seminar chaired by TTG Luxury editor April Hutchinson reported the latest news from the capital, including two new yokocho food halls, a raft of luxury hotels and “backstage” tours of the Japan National Stadium, designed by architect Kengo Kuma for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The Olympic legacy can also be felt in better city-wide WiFi coverage and more stair-free access to stations, while Takanawa Gateway was a new addition to the Yamanote line (Tokyo’s equivalent of the Circle Line on London’s tube). In neighbouring Shizuoka prefecture, the Olympic Cycling Road Race Course, with its backdrop of Mt Fuji, has become a popular attraction.

Back in Tokyo, the hip neighbourhood of Shimokita was recommended as one of this city’s new highlights and it also features in TCVB’s new Responsible Travel manual, created to help travellers discover the capital’s lesser-known districts. It is available on request from travel trade experts Japan-san, who invite agents’ feedback for tourism stakeholders in Tokyo, to help them develop responsible policies.

In line with this, Japan-San is working closely with lesser-known destinations to encourage travellers onto untouristed trails. These include Akita in Tohoku and Kanagawa – where they are focusing beyond popular day trip destinations Hakone and Kamakura. Japan-San has developed new trade product libraries for both and, in July, will host a free agent webinar on Sustainable Travel in Japan (sign up via japan-san.net).

Meanwhile, in Kyoto by the Sea, north of Kyoto City, the company has negotiated a pledge from UK tour operators (InsideJapan Tours, Audley Travel, Steppes Travel, Wild Frontiers) to sell minimum two-night stays in order to ensure more immersive and sustainable travel, particularly in sensitive sites such as the funaya (boathouse) village of Ine.

“Our high-end clients are increasingly looking for ways to have a positive impact when they travel, by travelling in a more sustainable manner or by ensuring their visit benefits the local community,” says Katie Stearn, regional product manager for Japan at Audley Travel, which has recently introduced Ine – “one of the rarest villages in the world” – as part of a broader itinerary in Kyoto by the Sea.

“Adventure, sustainability and luxury travel will continue to be focuses for JNTO in the UK,” says Takakubo. Dates for the trade’s diary should include the Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido in September, and IGLTA Global Convention and World Expo in Osaka in 2024 and 2025.

Agents can keep abreast of news by signing up for JNTO’s monthly trade newsletter via their Trade Portal, which also hosts product manuals and lists UK representatives for the various Japanese regions. 

Going up in the world

It is also worth watching developments arising from Japan Tourism Agency’s recent announcement to support luxury travel development in 11 Japanese regions over the next five years. Those include Kyushu and the southern islands, Eastern Hokkaido, the Hokuriku area, and the Seto Inland Sea (see Need To Know, below).

“There is a lot more to Japan than can be found in the major cities,” says Alexander Bradshaw of Japan tourism experts GOTOKU Consulting, which works with the Japanese government and regions. “As tourism returns and visitor numbers increase, discerning travellers will look further afield. This initiative is a step in the right direction to support regionality and express the value of areas outside the major cities.” Bradshaw expects an intense focus on sustainable development in order to preserve the authenticity and uniqueness of the local cultures.

For now, agents have their eye on the forthcoming “leaf peeping” season, known as koyo. “Japan’s autumn is also very popular, as the red leaves cover mountainsides and temple gardens,” says Vivienne Boyack of Inside Travel Group. “For us, bookings for October look as though they will exceed those of 2019, which saw record numbers travel to Japan, so do get enquiries in as early as possible to avoid disappointment. We are confident that Japan’s popularity is not going to be a short-lived trend.”