Are Japan's Regions Attractive? ~Growing Interest in Japan's Regions~

Second place is Hokkaido. It ranks second only to Tokyo in all categories: awareness, visit intention, and visit experience. In the 2015 survey, Hokkaido ranked fifth in awareness and fourth in visit intention, showing its presence has surged dramatically over these four years.

Other prefectures well-known overseas include Osaka, Kyoto, followed by Hiroshima and Nagasaki, likely due to their historical significance. Two years ago, during group interviews with foreign residents in Japan, it was striking to hear participants from North America say, "In my home country, Hiroshima has become a place people want to visit at least once."

Furthermore, Fukushima Prefecture ranking as the eighth most famous prefecture in Japan reflects the high newsworthiness of the Great East Japan Earthquake overseas. Its visit intention score also ranks eighth, proportional to its recognition, with particularly high intentions in ASEAN countries like Indonesia and the Philippines. More people may extend their travels to Tohoku in the future.

Countries and regions in East Asia show high scores overall for awareness, visit intention, and visit experience. For visit experience, Tokyo ranks first, followed by Hokkaido, Osaka/Kyoto, Okinawa, and the Kyushu area (Fukuoka/Kumamoto).

As this trend gradually expands, it will be interesting to see which regions gain popularity next. After Kyushu, could it be Tohoku, Shikoku, or Chugoku?

The top experience people want in regional areas is "hot springs." Unique local cuisine is also drawing major attention!

When asked about "experiences they want to have in regional areas," "hot springs" ranked first. "Hot springs" also placed third in "things they want to do in Japan" and second in "things they are interested in regarding Japan," showing that foreigners, like Japanese people, find hot springs appealing.

Following hot springs were "nature," "cherry blossoms," "Japanese gardens," and "traditional local cuisine." The inclusion of "Japanese sweets" and "local street food" in the top 10 also shows many people want to experience regional food.

Ramen (11th place), which narrowly missed the top 10, was cited by over 50-60% of respondents in the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore as something they want to experience, highlighting its potential as a regional tourism resource.

Looking at the results by country/region, Turkey, included in the survey for the first time, had a top 10 list of "Nature," "Japanese Gardens," "Hot Springs," "Shrines and Temples," "Interaction with Samurai," "Cherry Blossoms," "Festivals," "Local Museums," "Traditional Crafts," and "Mountain Climbing/Trekking." This suggests a broad interest in regional areas, centered around history and culture.

In contrast, Hong Kong, with many repeat visitors, showed high interest in "hot springs," "nature," "cherry blossoms," "Wagyu beef," "autumn leaves," "ramen," "down-to-earth local food," "Japanese sweets," "snow," and "seafood." This distinctly highlights their strong focus on food and the four seasons.

Hong Kong has a high proportion of repeat visitors (80.7% are private repeat visitors), leading to more specialized travel purposes. In contrast, Turkey, with fewer visitors to Japan (75.7% have never visited), shows broader interests likely stemming from a desire to first understand Japan's national character and uniqueness.

This survey demonstrated exceptionally high interest in Japan's regional areas. Results confirm that interest among inbound tourists, particularly from East Asian countries and regions with high visitation rates, is gradually expanding to regional destinations.

To further leverage the potential of regional areas, it will be necessary to understand the needs of target countries and regions and match them effectively to attract visitors more efficiently.