NEW YORK (Jiji Press)—The number of U.S. tourists to Japan this year is likely to hit a record high for the first time in nine years, backed by the yen’s depreciation and growing interest in aspects of Japanese culture such as sake and anime.
Timothy Sullivan, who promotes sake in the United States, will launch a tour this autumn to sake breweries in Niigata, Ishikawa and Kyoto prefectures.
Sullivan, 44, established Sake Journeys jointly with Japanese partners, aiming to connect Americans hoping to see sake breweries with an industry seeking to expand its sales networks.
“We feel it is a great chance to promote both the travel and sake industry in Japan,” Sullivan said.
In June, 87,900 Americans visited Japan, a record high for a month, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
For 2014, the number of U.S. visitors is likely to surpass the record high of 822,000 marked in 2005.
At Artisans of Leisure, a U.S. tourism company targeted at individuals, the number of tours to Japan increased steeply from 2011 when the massive earthquake and tsunami hit the Tohoku region.
“Many family vacations include children,” said Ashley Ganz, the company’s president. “Sometimes they are older kids like teenagers. They are very interested in Japan” through movies and anime, she added.
The Japanese government is also making a bigger effort in the United States to boost tourism.
Tokyo, which is gearing up for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, plans to hold a seminar in New York in October.
The JNTO will give a briefing in New York around November on the launch of a section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen between the cities of Nagano and Kanazawa.
“Americans tend to spend a large amount of money, and many of them buy traditional crafts,” said Yuki Tanaka, head of the JNTO’s office in New York.
Japan a hot destination for U.S. travelers - The Japan News