Government Wants 20 Million Foreign Tourists In 2020

[Russell]

Don't all directions point to Mecca? The Earth is round.

You are thinking 2D and lines rather than 3D and a surface. If you travel in a straight line, only one line will take you exactly to Mecca. You have a choice of two headings of course. Typically, one the long way round and the other the short.

In practice, most Muslims I have met, just point their prayer mat at the wall closest to the correct direction. It never needed to be that precise.

I always wonder if a Muslim prays to a wall and the neighbor behind that wall engages in some sexual acts, whether those prayers will experience some blockage, or will they go right through?

Oh, silly me...

[wagyl]

I always wonder if a Muslim prays to a wall and the neighbor behind that wall engages in some sexual acts, whether those prayers will experience some blockage, or will they go right through?

Oh, silly me...

Probably exactly the same prayer diversion as occurs when an aeroplane carrying a couple (or threesome or more) engaging in entering the mile-high club flies over a church. God couldn't be omnipotent and omniscient if he were easily distracted.

What do the Dutch know about faith anyway?

(they know that they are good humoured and can open their minds)

[Russell]

I always wonder if a Muslim prays to a wall and the neighbor behind that wall engages in some sexual acts, whether those prayers will experience some blockage, or will they go right through?

Oh, silly me...

Probably exactly the same prayer diversion as occurs when an aeroplane carrying a couple (or threesome or more) engaging in entering the mile-high club flies over a church. God couldn't be omnipotent and omniscient if he were easily distracted.

What do the Dutch know about faith anyway?

(they know that they are good humoured and can open their minds)

It is no surprise that the holy scripts of the Abrahamic religions are so similar.

Isn't it time they publish new (updated) editions for all of them?

[wagyl]

Isn't it time they publish new (updated) editions for all of them?

Why? Are they necessary at all?

If someone needs a book to tell them to be excellent to each other, and party on dudes, then they have a bigger problem than faith can solve.

[Russell]

Isn't it time they publish new (updated) editions for all of them?

Why? Are they necessary at all?

If someone needs a book to tell them to be excellent to each other, and party on dudes, then they have a bigger problem than faith can solve.

Yep, all good points, but faith keeps some people more or less functional in society. If they base their behavior on a book at all, it better be a book that reflects the values of our current societies more closely than those of ancient societies.

[kurogane]

Yeah, well you eat God's flesh and drink His blood too...........

Perish the thought. My Christ taught me that Anglicans were just pissy Catholics, though I believe they get effort points for at least throwing off the barbed yoke of Satan's vicar in Rome. Idolatry and heathen paganism have no place in my love of He Who is Him. Or fun or joy, FTM. Which is why I actually agree with Russell, but it's a shame to put all that Sunday School to waste. Besides, they really do have the better rhetoric. Atheism or even just decent, human observance seem so..........rational

No Poe here....

[Samurai_Jerk]

Visitors to Japan surge to record high, approach 2020 target

Japan had a record number of foreign visitors last year thanks to a surge in Chinese arrivals, a cheaper yen and looser visa rules, it was announced Tuesday.

Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Japan has set a target of boosting the number of annual visitors to 20 million by 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympics.

But already in 2015 19.7 million people visited Japan, 47.1 percent above the previous year, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.

As the total number is likely to reach the government's goal before 2020, officials are considering revising it upward, said Yoshihide Suga, the top government spokesman.

"We would like to decide whether to seek one of 30 million or above 30 million," he told a parliament session Tuesday.

[Grumpy Gramps]

Crackdown on AirBnB?

Just found this on Reddit, but cannot find any source for it in Japanese, even less so a reliable source?

Wouldn't make much sense to me, when there is a shortage of tourist beds, and even more so as wifey and I have thought of starting one of those

[Samurai_Jerk]

Airbnb Faces Major Threat in Japan, Its Fastest-Growing Market

Aileen Jeffery arrived in Tokyo two years ago and spotted what she thought was the best opportunity of her career: Hotel rooms in Japan’s capital were scarce and a boom in tourism was exacerbating the shortage.

The 26-year-old former real estate analyst took a 21st Century approach to the business, investing in condominiums tailored for customers of Airbnb Inc. rather than travelers inclined to stay at traditional hotels. That let her offer rooms in residential neighborhoods and sidestep Japan’s strict and peculiar seven-decade old rules for hotels, which dictate everything from the length of reception desks to the color of pillow cases. Jeffery’s bet seemed like a good one at the time: Japan is Airbnb’s fastest-growing market in the world.

Perhaps not for much longer though. Under pressure from the hotel industry and a populace concerned with the surge of foreigners in their neighborhoods, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has released guidelines for home sharing -- called minpaku in Japanese -- that could make most Airbnb rentals in the country illegal. Airbnb hosts would only be allowed to rent to guests who stay for a week or longer, a minuscule slice of the market. The national guidelines only become law if local municipalities decide to ratify them, but that is beginning to happen. Jeffery is rethinking her expansion plans, while Airbnb is seeking ways to hang on to its business.

“If the government is serious about fixing the accommodation shortage before the 2020 Olympics, it can’t place minpaku operators at a significant disadvantage,” said Jeffery, who analyzed hotel and residential properties for a London investment firm before moving to Japan to be with her fiance and starting her rental company.

[...]

But Japan shows potentially serious stumbling blocks as the company expands further abroad. Ota, one of 23 districts within Tokyo, became the first municipality to fully adopt Abe’s proposal last week. Osaka, the country’s third-largest city, will begin implementing the laws in April. More authorities plan to follow, possibly including the Sumida district in Tokyo where Jeffery is nearing completion of a seven-story building.

That crackdown comes as Abe is trying to draw more tourists to boost the economy, and the nation prepares to host the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Olympics. His policies that have weakened the yen and the relaxing of visa requirements pushed tourists to a record 19.7 million last year from 8.4 million in 2012 -- and made Tokyo hotel occupancy rates tighter than Paris, Hong Kong or New York. The number of visitors will hit 35 million by 2020, according to an estimate by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Masaaki Taira acknowledges the new rules may create “severe restrictions” for hosts of the 26,000 properties in the country, but says the guidelines are a reflection of the competing interests of his constituency.

“The hotel industry had very serious concerns, so we set the minimum number of nights at a level that lowers the chances for competition,” said Taira, who was directly involved in drafting the government’s guidelines. “Of course, there’s a possibility we may shorten that minimum going forward.”

At least Taira is honest.

[inflames]

The government needs to simply deregulate hotels.

I love how the Bloomberg article talks uses a woman who moved to Japan with enough money to build a 7 story building in Tokyo. Back here on planet Earth, most people doing airbnb are renting out apartments and listing them there. I know of two people who own buildings and do airbnb although only one of them has part of the building on airbnb (the other units aren't on there, and the other person doesn't have it on there at all).

[wuchan]

The government needs to simply deregulate hotels.

But if they do it may cost billions and billions of yens. We can't have a competitive market where hotel owners are forced to update the hotels with things like beds or maybe wifi or shit maybe even TV channels that tourists can watch.

/scarc

[matsuki]

The government needs to simply deregulate hotels.

But if they do it may cost billions and billions of yens. We can't have a competitive market where hotel owners are forced to update the hotels with things like beds or maybe wifi or shit maybe even TV channels that tourists can watch.

/scarc

We Japanese doesn't need progress!

Same as with Uber here, the taxis have managed to keep out all but the luxury service. Not that taxis here are horrible but they aren't exactly cheap and the last few times I've needed them, there weren't any to be found. (which is exactly the type of situation I'd use uber for) Not to mention the Uber drivers use their GPS...the jiji taxi drivers here are hit or miss if they know the area...and if they don't many can barely use their outdated navi units.

[Samurai_Jerk]

The government needs to simply deregulate hotels.

The question is to what level. There are legitimate safety issues that are much harder to control with an unregulated market. However, trying to stop Airbnb and similar businesses is ultimately not a strategy that will work. They also don't seem to be offering any realistic alternatives to dealing with the hotel shortage though if China's economy truly tanks the problem might take care of itself.

[Grumpy Gramps]

Wifey was at the city hall to get answers "from the horse's mouth" about what it would take for us to start an AirBnB. And they said that we'd need a full blown hotel permit with all its rules and regulations that would take about three years for us to get and that would include lots of impossible things like having a reception desk of certain size etc. etc which is just not for us.

And that they are about to be doing a crack-down on "illegal" minpaku and if we would be watching AirBnB's website closely, we would see the number of AirBnBs in our neck of the woods decreasing by the day, which is the result of their wonderful work, which they are probably proud of by the sound of it.

Result for us. Don't touch until things change.

[Coligny]

Tried a crackhouse ? seems regulation are more inexistent...

aren't some lovehotels/capsule receptionless and fully automated ?
(nevar went either... almost did the love hotel thing one typhoon night because the Audi's shield wiper were not working in wet weather anymore... common issue with the model...)


or allnighter cyber cafe with bed and common shower...

[matsuki]

You just have to use Japanese "logic" to comply. You're not a hotel, AirBnB (or whoever you use to manage the property) is who needs to comply with the regulations. How else could private vacation rentals be handled?

[wagyl]

You just have to use Japanese "logic" to comply. You're not a hotel, AirBnB (or whoever you use to manage the property) is who needs to comply with the regulations. How else could private vacation rentals be handled?

You don't understand "industry disruptors."

AirBnB is most definitely NOT the hotel. They merely run a website to introduce people to eachother. Just like Uber is not a taxi service.
Private vacation rentals which are not staffed are mostly weekly rentals, to get around the regulations, even if only nominally so (the guests might only be there one night of their week hire. And they get a nice discount for only using the bed one night). Otherwise there is a reception desk in one of the buildings with a sign on it to ring a mobile number if you want to speak to the receptionist. There are ways to be creative.

[matsuki]

Ok ok but basically, this was what I was getting at.

Private vacation rentals which are not staffed are mostly weekly rentals, to get around the regulations, even if only nominally so (the guests might only be there one night of their week hire. And they get a nice discount for only using the bed one night). Otherwise there is a reception desk in one of the buildings with a sign on it to ring a mobile number if you want to speak to the receptionist. There are ways to be creative.

Technically complying with the regulations...but the end result is what you want, with just some procedural absurdities that the guests will likely be understanding of.

[Russell]

On a different note, I read that the city of Amsterdam alone got more than 17 million visitors last year.

That puts the 20 million goal of Japan somewhat in perspective...

[Yokohammer]

On a different note, I read that the city of Amsterdam alone got more than 17 million visitors last year.

That puts the 20 million goal of Japan somewhat in perspective...

Yeah, but Amsterdam has weed.

[Russell]

On a different note, I read that the city of Amsterdam alone got more than 17 million visitors last year.

That puts the 20 million goal of Japan somewhat in perspective...

Yeah, but Amsterdam has weed.

That gives a hint how Japan can vastly surpass its target in tourist numbers...

[Taro Toporific]

On a different note, I read that the city of Amsterdam alone got more than 17 million visitors last year.
That puts the 20 million goal of Japan somewhat in perspective...

Yeah, but Amsterdam has weed.

That gives a hint how Japan can vastly surpass its target in tourist numbers...

By offering weed?

[Samurai_Jerk]

On a different note, I read that the city of Amsterdam alone got more than 17 million visitors last year.
That puts the 20 million goal of Japan somewhat in perspective...

Yeah, but Amsterdam has weed.

That gives a hint how Japan can vastly surpass its target in tourist numbers...

By offering weed?

Plus open legal prostitution accessible to gaijin.

And bring back shrooms!!!!

[matsuki]

On a different note, I read that the city of Amsterdam alone got more than 17 million visitors last year.
That puts the 20 million goal of Japan somewhat in perspective...

Yeah, but Amsterdam has weed.

That gives a hint how Japan can vastly surpass its target in tourist numbers...

By offering weed?

Plus open legal prostitution accessible to gaijin.

And bring back shrooms!!!!

Like a phoenix from the ashes!!

[wuchan]

And bring back shrooms!!!!

THIS!

[Coligny]

And bring back shrooms!!!!

THIS!

Legalize catnip !!!!

Wait....

Nevermind... I'll stop at the home-garden center on the way back...

[Samurai_Jerk]

For Chinese visiting Japan, bargains make it easier to overlook nations' ill feelings

There are things Zhang Feng likes about Japan: the service, the quality products, the immaculate restrooms, even in malls and highway rest stops. There are things she dislikes, such as sashimi and left-hand traffic.

But what never crosses her mind is the intense historical antagonism between Japan and her native China dating back to World War II.

"Most people are totally ambivalent about this," said Zhang, 32, who works for a Japanese company in Shanghai and visited the country for the first time in February, as a tourist. "Some people say they won't buy Japanese products or go to Japan, but these people are in the minority."

Chinese tourists have been flocking to Japan, drawn by loosening tourist visa restrictions and a favorable currency exchange rate that has enabled shopping sprees. About 5 million visited last year, up more than 100% from 2014.

It's not that the rift between the two countries has healed — polls indicate continuing mutual hostility, a clash of cultures and a lack of hesitation by Chinese state media to revisit the Japanese Imperial Army's brutal treatment of China in the 1930s and 1940s.

But many Chinese, in search of a good deal, have been able to look past all that.

"My standard mantra is the two stable pillars of the Japan-China relationship are tourism and antagonism," said Jeffrey Towson, a professor of investment at Peking University.

This part caught my eye.

Matsubara Tadayoshi, mayor of Tokyo's Ota City — a quiet district that is home to the Haneda international airport — said in an interview that he plans to install an Airbnb-style home-stay system to accommodate the recent influx of Chinese tourists. The district's hotels are operating at more than 90% capacity, he said.

"On the other hand, we have over 60,000 empty houses and rooms," he added. "So we have to come up with some idea of how to utilize them."

[matsuki]

This part caught my eye.

Matsubara Tadayoshi, mayor of Tokyo's Ota City — a quiet district that is home to the Haneda international airport — said in an interview that he plans to install an Airbnb-style home-stay system to accommodate the recent influx of Chinese tourists. The district's hotels are operating at more than 90% capacity, he said.

"On the other hand, we have over 60,000 empty houses and rooms," he added. "So we have to come up with some idea of how to utilize them."

I guess this is progress but is that even possible? (also, if this is only the tip of the iceberg, pretty much smells a bit "Hey, that's not fair! It circumvents our cartels! Let's make it illegal...until we can do the same thing and can call it Japanese and ourselves pioneers!")

[Samurai_Jerk]

This part caught my eye.

Matsubara Tadayoshi, mayor of Tokyo's Ota City — a quiet district that is home to the Haneda international airport — said in an interview that he plans to install an Airbnb-style home-stay system to accommodate the recent influx of Chinese tourists. The district's hotels are operating at more than 90% capacity, he said.

"On the other hand, we have over 60,000 empty houses and rooms," he added. "So we have to come up with some idea of how to utilize them."

I guess this is progress but is that even possible? (also, if this is only the tip of the iceberg, pretty much smells a bit "Hey, that's not fair! It circumvents our cartels! Let's make it illegal...until we can do the same thing and can call it Japanese and ourselves pioneers!")

I guess that depends on how much power local government has and how they structure it. However, if local governments start buying in, it's going to be tougher to fight.

[matsuki]

This part caught my eye.

Matsubara Tadayoshi, mayor of Tokyo's Ota City — a quiet district that is home to the Haneda international airport — said in an interview that he plans to install an Airbnb-style home-stay system to accommodate the recent influx of Chinese tourists. The district's hotels are operating at more than 90% capacity, he said.

"On the other hand, we have over 60,000 empty houses and rooms," he added. "So we have to come up with some idea of how to utilize them."

I guess this is progress but is that even possible? (also, if this is only the tip of the iceberg, pretty much smells a bit "Hey, that's not fair! It circumvents our cartels! Let's make it illegal...until we can do the same thing and can call it Japanese and ourselves pioneers!")

I guess that depends on how much power local government has and how they structure it. However, if local governments start buying in, it's going to be tougher to fight.

J-gov run eabinbi.co.jp ?