Which Japanese prefecture would you like to visit?

The number of international tourists visiting Japan has been increasing year by year, reaching a record high in 2017.

Furthermore, 2019 saw the Rugby World Cup, 2020 hosted the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and 2021 welcomed the World Masters Games Kansai, marking the "Golden Sports Years."

These major sporting events are expected to further increase the number of foreign visitors to Japan and stimulate more active initiatives by government, local authorities, and companies. Against this backdrop, how is Japan perceived globally?

In which countries and regions is the desire to visit Japan growing, and for what reasons? Furthermore, how is "Made in Japan" currently perceived? Dentsu Inc.'s "Team Cool Japan" conducted the "Japan Brand Survey 2018" in 20 countries and regions worldwide from January to February 2018.

This series introduces survey findings that will be key points for future inbound tourism businesses. Part 3 focuses on "Desire to Visit Japan's Regions." We delve into which prefectures inbound tourists want to visit and what they wish to experience in regional areas.

Q: Where in Japan's regions do you want to visit?

A: The top prefecture people want to visit is "Tokyo." The rankings for 2nd place and below have changed significantly since last year!

Overall, "Tokyo" ranked first for the fourth consecutive year since the survey began in 2015. "Hokkaido," which was fourth last year, moved up to second place. "Osaka" remained in third place, while "Kyoto" dropped from second last year to fourth. "Okinawa" held fifth place, the same as last year. However, this year's rankings saw significant shifts in the 2nd to 4th positions.

Notably, Hokkaido's popularity surge is particularly evident in the regional breakdown: in Europe, it jumped from outside the top 5 last year to 2nd place, and in North America, it leaped from 8th to 6th!

In the survey on desired sports activities overseas, "skiing" ranked in the top 3 in Europe, strongly suggesting this fuels interest in Hokkaido, renowned for its "powder snow."

Incidentally, in Asia, where repeat visitors are already common, Hokkaido remains popular, ranking 1st in East Asia and 2nd in ASEAN.

So, what are international tourists seeking in regional areas?

From the graph above, the most popular "experiences they want in regional areas" are

① Nature-based experiences like "cherry blossoms" and "snow"

② Food, such as "ramen" and "traditional local cuisine"

③ Historical architecture like "castles/castle ruins" and "Japanese gardens"

④ Spaces like "hot springs" and "festivals"

These can be broadly categorized into four groups. There is a tendency for desired experiences in Japan's regions to align with the prefectures people wish to visit—for example, "snow" and "ramen" are popular in Hokkaido, while "castles/castle ruins" and "Shinto shrines/Buddhist temples" are popular in Kyoto.

Furthermore, when analyzing desired experiences in Japan's regions by area, differences emerge across countries and regions. For instance, "Wagyu beef" scored higher in Hong Kong, "skiing" in Vietnam, "seafood" in Russia, and "ancient burial mounds" and "Zen experiences" in Italy compared to other nations.

These findings suggest that communicating each region's unique appeal using keywords tailored to each country not only attracts visitors but also encourages word-of-mouth and social media sharing after their trip.

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Japan Brand Survey 2018 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/regions
China (Group A = Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou; Group B = Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chongqing, Suzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Dalian, Xi'an, Qingdao), Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, USA (Northeast, Midwest, South, West), Canada, Brazil, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia
※East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea)
※ASEAN (Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines)
●Survey Method: Internet survey
●Respondent criteria: Men and women aged 20-59 in the middle-income bracket and above
※Definition of "middle-income": Conditions set per country based on national average income (OECD statistics, etc.) and social class classification (SEC)
●Sample size: China: 300 each for A and B groups, total 600; USA: 600; Other regions: 300 each, total 6,600
●Survey Period: January 12 to February 16, 2018

Dentsu Inc. Team Cool Japan
A cross-functional project team established by Dentsu Inc. to promote 'Cool Japan-related initiatives'—expanding products and services leveraging Japanese culture and strengths into overseas markets. It brings together client company representatives handling overseas expansion, media and content specialists, overseas subsidiary network managers, producers, and planners to work on initiatives that project Japan's appeal to the world.