Government Wants 20 Million Foreign Tourists In 2020

[yanpa]

Well, I always thought there should be a reason France receives the most tourists in the world; now I know.

And they don't even have a nuclear wreck to attract more tourists...

I was going to suggest the Clemenceau, but it wasn't nuclear and was sold to India for scrap.

[Coligny]

While the Foch is now proudly serving in the Brazilian Navy under the name of "Sao Paulo".

[yanpa]

Since before or after the Franco-Brazlian Lobster War?

[yanpa]

After. During the blatant French attempt to capture Brazil's strategic lobster reserves, its naval air needs were covered by British maritime launch platform technology.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

While the Foch is now proudly serving in the Brazilian Navy under the name of "Sao Paulo".

What the foch?

[Russell]

Seems the number of tourists this year is sharply up.

I think I know where they are from.

Chinese tourists flock to Osaka’s uncensored porn shops as market ‘matures’

Earlier this month, Osaka Prefectural Police announced the bust of four shops in the Nipponbashi district for selling uncensored pornographic DVDs.

Officers took manager Shiro Kuwahara, 56, and four other suspects into custody and seized a total of 190,000 uncensored discs.

Demand for such films, which are illegal since images showing genitalia must be properly censored under Japanese law, is brisk due to firming demand from Chinese tourists, reports Shukan Jitsuwa (Nov. 28).

The magazine reports that hearing the Chinese language spoken by visitors browsing the shops in the Minami and Nipponbashi areas is not unusual.

“It all started just before the summer,” says a shop owner. “It could be that (shopping here) has been added to a Chinese sightseeing tour list.”

An adult video (AV) writer says that Shanghai and Guangzhou has underground routes in which to import such DVDs. “But outside of the big cities, the discs are considered treasures,” says the AV writer.

The DVDs come from Hong Kong and Taiwan but their quality is inferior to that available in Japan.

“News started spreading that titles are readily available in Osaka,” continues the writer, “and the tourists have flooded the area.”

Helpful to tourists is the fact that the stores are easily accessible. As well, the packaging of the discs is usually such that its contents can be conveyed even though the purchaser cannot read the text or title.

The magazine says that the average Chinese customer is a male who will purchase 10 discs, but some fans will buy five times that figure. The hottest titles feature jukujo (or “mature”) actresses.

With pornography being illegal in China, bringing the material into the country without facing a fine requires a bit of maneuvering, says an industry insider.

“They go back to their hotels and dump the contents of the discs onto memory sticks,” says the source.

More

[matsuki]

So when do we start taking bets on crime stats come olympic time? I wonder if they are building additional detention facilities along with all the other olympic facilities....

[Samurai_Jerk]

How Japan is courting Muslim tourists

When Mohamed Farhan visited Fukuoka, a prefecture located south-west of Japan, in 2006, the Singaporean was confined to a menu of salad and instant noodles for five days.

So it came as a huge relief for the 27-year-old in a recent Tokyo trip, when he was able to savor Japanese-style Halal food. He had udon, barbecued yakiniku and even bought arare, a form of rice crackers, as souvenirs.

The experience of having to miss out on Japanese cuisine is shared by many Muslims in Japan, where a homogeneous society of non-Muslims means that Halal food – food that is allowed and prepared according to the Islamic dietary guideline – is hard to come by. But things have changed as the land of the rising sun steps up to the demands of a group of visitors it has long neglected.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Japan's inbound tourism growth boosts retailers, railroad operators

Investors are snapping up Japanese stocks in the retail and transportation sectors, thanks to a weaker yen that has lured a record number of foreign visitors in one of the few bright spots for the economy.

The yen has tumbled to seven-year lows making Japan cheaper for tourists and helping companies that cater to tourists such as railway operators and certain retailers.

Tourism spending is a boon to Japanese firms battling a stagnant domestic economy, which slipped into recession in the third quarter, and a declining population.

Foreign visitor numbers hit a record 11 million from January to October, up 27 percent from the previous year, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Baby Schwa-chan causing trouble in Japan?

Keeping abreast of customs -- and avoiding faux pas -- can be a minefield for visitors to Japan, as U.S. model and restaurateur Patrick Schwarzenegger is finding out.

The son of "Terminator" star -- and former California governor -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, and first cousin, once removed to U.S. ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy has been posting pics and videos of his trip.

It's mostly regular tourist stuff, like visiting Tokyo's Meiji Shrine and eating sushi.

But he attracted disapproval online and in Japan this week when he posted a video -- since removed from his Instagram account -- of him "pranking" an apparently unsuspecting visitor to a temple in Kyoto by tickling her neck with a twig.

Then there's a ridiculous list of rules that would mostly apply anywhere in the world but China like don't be rude to people and don't cut in line.

This one is news to me:

No jaywalking -- always use the crosswalk

Many Japanese drivers are sticklers for the rules, and will honk disapprovingly -- even from a considerable distance -- if they see someone crossing the road at any point other than a designated crosswalk.

[Wage Slave]

And this one news to me:

as public trashcans are liberally spread throughout Japan's major cities.

[Coligny]

Just wait for the "everyone speak english" and we can start a bingo game...

[Grumpy Gramps]

And this one news to me:

as public trashcans are liberally spread throughout Japan's major cities.

Yes, in my neck of the woods, more and more of those ditches along the roads are being covered, much to the dismay of the car repair shops.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Japan's Tourism Boom Lifts Economy, but Brings Headaches

The cheap yen, easier visas and other initiatives are luring foreign travelers eager to stretch their budgets and see some UNESCO World Heritage sites, bringing in welcome cash as well as myriad complications.

Tourism was among many Japanese industries that limped through more than 20 years of sluggish economic growth as locals tightened their belts and most foreigners stayed away, scared off by tales of $200 melons and other scandalous prices.

But Japan has become a hot destination as the exchange rate weakened from about 80 yen to the U.S. dollar in late 2012 to its current level of about 123 yen. Foreign visitors exceeded 10 million for the first time in 2013 and rose to 13.4 million last year. The aim is to have 20 million by 2020, when Tokyo will host the Olympic Games.

[...]

In April as the cherry blossoms coincided with Easter and Asian holidays, a record 1.7 million foreign tourists visited. In May, tourists overall doubled to 1.6 million, with big increases from China, Hong Kong and South Korea.

With the yen at its weakest in decades, "It's pretty good value for us at the moment," said Grant Lutwyche, an Australian car mechanic who was visiting Tokyo's Asakusa temple district with his wife.

The boom offers new business opportunities but brings challenges. Investment in infrastructure has lagged, and many working in the services industry are unused to dealing with foreigners, including the hundreds of mostly Chinese cramming into the elegant Ginza flagship shop of cosmetics and skin care company Fancl.

"We need more staff who can speak foreign languages, especially Chinese," said Noriko Fukazawa, director of Fancl Ginza Square. Staff are learning one phrase of Chinese and one of English a day, she said. Wednesday's phrase: "Please put your bags over here," in Chinese.

[...]

Since globally, tourism and travel account for about 9.5 percent of GDP compared with just 2.2 percent in Japan, there should be ample room for growth. Japan expects spending by tourists to exceed 4 trillion yen ($32.4 billion) by 2020, up from 1.6 trillion yen last year, said Ichiro Takahashi, a Japan Tourism Agency official.

The country is stretching to accommodate that growth. Though Japan has some of the world's snazziest train systems, investments in new restaurants and hotels have lagged. Ever greater numbers of tourists are cramming into aging facilities that once served a much smaller market.

The scarcity of moderately priced hotel rooms has created a niche opportunity for flophouses and capsule hotels that have been renovated and converted into backpacker hostels charging as little as 1,500 yen ($12) a night if reserved in advance.

Other headaches include a lack of ATMs that will take foreign bank cards and the reluctance of many hotels and other businesses to accept payment by foreign credit cards.

[matsuki]

I spent the last few days playing tour guide for one of my Taiwanese friends. For someone what thinks Tokyo is "pretty boring...looks like Taipei and closes too early," she was pretty impressed by Yokohama. Anyhow, the APAhotel I set her up with in Yokohama is obviously prepared for English speaking tourists...forget the bibles in the drawers, they've got sure to be J-nationalist classics in English, like "Theoretical Modern History"

DSC_1128.JPG

I couldn't even make it through the prologue...I guess nationalism really has replaced religion here.

BTW, her Taiwanese CC worked fine here and there, I think the problem is just the lack of CC acceptance in general, not refusing foreign CC's. (which is insane if you've ever seen a newb tourist try to pay in cash...unfolding bills and dumping handfuls of coins on the counter in utter confusion) Not to mention the parking places that use automated machines that only take 1000 bills or 100 yen coins...talk about a delay. The other headache I saw for tourists were the 10am check out times at many hotels...jetlagged or hung over from a night of drinking, 11am or 12am is a bit more reasonable than escaping by 10.

[kurogane]

The other headache I saw for tourists were the 10am check out times at many hotels...jetlagged or hung over from a night of drinking, 11am or 12am is a bit more reasonable than escaping by 10.

You almost made it sound like the customer is supposed to count

NEWBEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

PS It took me 3 reads to figger out WTF CC meant. Credit cards.............Japan.........does not compute,,,,,,sterilise...sterilise

[matsuki]

The other headache I saw for tourists were the 10am check out times at many hotels...jetlagged or hung over from a night of drinking, 11am or 12am is a bit more reasonable than escaping by 10.

You almost made it sound like the customer is supposed to count

NEWBEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Yeah, what was I thinking? I mean...this is the country where asking to have a room ready on the day your booked for isn't convenient enough for the hotel. Instead, you have to tell them when you'll check in.....and if you show up late, they cancel your reservation on you and charge you a cancellation fee. (I always choose the latest possible check-in time...better to be the crazy early gaijin than the teeth suck....late gaijin)

[Coligny]

forget the bibles in the drawers,

Aka single ply toilet paper...

Been there done that...

[Russell]

The other headache I saw for tourists were the 10am check out times at many hotels...jetlagged or hung over from a night of drinking, 11am or 12am is a bit more reasonable than escaping by 10.

You almost made it sound like the customer is supposed to count

NEWBEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Yeah, what was I thinking? I mean...this is the country where asking to have a room ready on the day your booked for isn't convenient enough for the hotel. Instead, you have to tell them when you'll check in.....and if you show up late, they cancel your reservation on you and charge you a cancellation fee. (I always choose the latest possible check-in time...better to be the crazy early gaijin than the teeth suck....late gaijin)

The problem is that Chinese have a bad reputation. They just don't show up if they want to cancel, without contacting the hotel. I have never had problems, but then I always keep the hotel informed on the time I plan to arrive, and any changes therein.

It's simple, hotels do not want to get stuck with an empty room...

[Coligny]

It's simple, hotels do not want to get stuck with an empty room...

Which is not supposed to be an excuse to be assholes when you are in the service industry...

[kurogane]

DSC_1128.JPG

.

Toshio Motoya (元谷外志雄, born 1943) is a Japanese essayist, publisher and real estate entrepreneur who is the president of APA Group,[1] which includes APA Hotels & Resorts, one of Japan’s largest hotel chains.

Coincidentally, he also writes under the pen name Seiji Fuji

[Russell]

It's simple, hotels do not want to get stuck with an empty room...

Which is not supposed to be an excuse to be assholes when you are in the service industry...

I have never been treated badly in a hotel in Japan, except one time.

And now the whole world knows about that one time, because I left my review at a well-known site...

[Russell]

DSC_1128.JPG

.

Toshio Motoya (元谷外志雄, born 1943) is a Japanese essayist, publisher and real estate entrepreneur who is the president of APA Group,[1] which includes APA Hotels & Resorts, one of Japan’s largest hotel chains.

Coincidentally, he also writes under the pen name Seiji Fuji

The guy must be pretty brilliant.

Think of it: Theoretical Modern History.

Must be a new field of study...

[wagyl]

I also spy the involvement of some friend of Haruna-chan on one of the obi on one of the books in that drawer.

Just like Gideon's, it is all mildly offensive proselytising. Someone is spending a lot of money on it and you have to ask whether it is an effective use of that money. At least it is pretty easy to make the choice not to open the drawer.

[dimwit]

I quickly read a precis of his talking points and it was a weird admixture of post modernist gibberish and toxic historical revisionism. I almost want to stay at an APA hotel so I could vandalize it by drawing penises everywhere.

[matsuki]

It's simple, hotels do not want to get stuck with an empty room...

These were all prepaid rooms...

DSC_1128.JPG

.

Toshio Motoya (元谷外志雄, born 1943) is a Japanese essayist, publisher and real estate entrepreneur who is the president of APA Group,[1] which includes APA Hotels & Resorts, one of Japan’s largest hotel chains.

Coincidentally, he also writes under the pen name Seiji Fuji

The guy must be pretty brilliant.

Think of it: Theoretical Modern History.

Must be a new field of study...

"The real history of Japan"

His resources are "reading newspapers and talking to people" and his wife is/was pres of APAhotels apparently...

I quickly read a precis of his talking points and it was a weird admixture of post modernist gibberish and toxic historical revisionism. I almost want to stay at an APA hotel so I could vandalize it by drawing penises everywhere.

I regret to say I did no such thing...but as Wags says, one has a choice...I really really really really really don't want to give these weird revisionist cunts any money by patronizing their businesses.

[kurogane]

his wife is/was pres of APAhotels apparently...

Rumour has it she also hawks her special brand of Instant Noodles and Curry



So, one more for the boycott list.

As for that annoying re-confirmation of hotel reservations, yes, but they become putty if you phone an hour or so before your arrival, and as Russell said it's to maximise occupancy and/or double revenue in the event of unused reservations. I know Toyoko offers a half decent discount on late evening reservations with an after 11 pm check-ins and have seen a number of well heeled, polite drunks availing themselves of the service. And as somebody mentioned the Chinese are getting a notorious reputation in Asakusa for no show/no pay hotel reservations, along with their generally slovenly behaviour. They make the mid-range hotels quite a bit less pleasant than they used to be. Most of it still comes down to the laughable sham that is Motenashi!!!, but it's not that hard an adaptation.

[matsuki]

She oozes creepiness....somebody sick Debito on her. Definitely a worthy cause.

When I have a schedule, it's no problem....it's when I have no idea when I will arrive and am stuck driving, calling them to change times and all that becomes a pretty annoying inconvenience. If it's not prepaid, fine....but when it is, they shouldn't need update calls about arrival times being later than expected. (who is the customer here?)

[Russell]

She oozes creepiness....somebody sick Debito on her. Definitely a worthy cause.

When I have a schedule, it's no problem....it's when I have no idea when I will arrive and am stuck driving, calling them to change times and all that becomes a pretty annoying inconvenience. If it's not prepaid, fine....but when it is, they shouldn't need update calls about arrival times being later than expected. (who is the customer here?)

I never prepay my hotel room before arriving at the hotel, though I always register my contact details via their web pages.

Are there even hotels that require prepayment if you reserve directly on their web pages?

[matsuki]

She oozes creepiness....somebody sick Debito on her. Definitely a worthy cause.

When I have a schedule, it's no problem....it's when I have no idea when I will arrive and am stuck driving, calling them to change times and all that becomes a pretty annoying inconvenience. If it's not prepaid, fine....but when it is, they shouldn't need update calls about arrival times being later than expected. (who is the customer here?)

I never prepay my hotel room before arriving at the hotel, though I always register my contact details via their web pages.

Are there even hotels that require prepayment if you reserve directly on their web pages?

Some do but I also use discount booking sites that require/offer prepayment.