Q8 What are the primary sources of information for visitors to Japan?

How does the world currently perceive Japan? How is the "Japan brand" – encompassing tourism, land, food, and products – evaluated overseas?

This article presents findings from the "Japan Brand Survey 2016," conducted in April 2016 across 20 countries and regions worldwide. This installment focuses on "Information Sources for Visitors to Japan."

A8 "Television," "Word-of-Mouth Sites," and "Travel Guidebooks" Top Information Sources in Japan

Overall, television ranked as the top source of information for visitors to Japan.

Review sites like TripAdvisor ranked second. In Europe and North America, these sites were close behind TV, indicating the growing importance of word-of-mouth.

In addition to review sites, social media platforms like Facebook are also becoming important sources of information. Particularly in ASEAN, they rank as the second most important source after television.

As the number of visitors to Japan increases, so do authentic impressions and word-of-mouth reviews. The candid voices of tourists online may be becoming an increasingly reliable source of information.

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<Japan Brand Survey 2016 Overview>
● Purpose: To understand overseas consumers' perceptions and actual behavior regarding the overall "Japan Brand"—including Japanese food, tourism, and products—and support corporate marketing activities.
●Target Areas: 20 countries and regions
China (Beijing, Shanghai), Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, USA, Canada, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia
●Survey Method: Online survey
●Respondent Criteria: Men and women aged 20-59 from middle-income households and above
●Sample Size: 200 respondents per region, total 4,000 respondents
●Survey Period: April 25 to May 18, 2016

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Dentsu Inc. Team Cool Japan
A company-wide cross-functional project team established to promote 'Cool Japan-related initiatives'—expanding products and services leveraging Japanese culture and strengths into overseas markets. Dentsu Inc. also invests in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Cool Japan Organization (fund). The team brings together client company representatives handling overseas expansion, media and content specialists, overseas subsidiary network managers, producers, and planners to work on initiatives promoting Japan's appeal globally.

DENTSU SOKEN INC. "Japanology" Project
DENTSU SOKEN INC. is advancing initiatives focused on culture as a management challenge for 2020 and beyond. We provide workshops and training on cross-cultural management and organizational culture diagnostics for Japanese companies advancing globalization and foreign companies aiming to penetrate the Japanese market.