Beyond 2020? ~ Does the Expo Really Bring More Visitors to Japan? ~

This series explores insights for future inbound business based on the "Japan Brand Survey 2019" conducted in 20 countries and regions in December 2018. Drawing on survey results such as "Attitudes Toward the Osaka-Kansai Expo" and "Japanese Products and Experiences of Interest," we will consider inbound opportunities for 2020 and beyond.

About half are aware of the Osaka-Kansai Expo. Nearly 40% express intent to visit!

The 2025 Japan International Exposition (hereafter, Osaka-Kansai Expo) will be held in Osaka. This marks the first time in 55 years that Osaka has hosted the event. It has become a major topic, with various developments making news.

Interest isn't limited to Japan. In this survey, when asked about the Osaka-Kansai Expo, 49.5% of respondents across 20 countries and regions stated they were aware the Expo would be held in Osaka in 2025. This reveals that nearly half are aware of the event.

Furthermore, 40.3% of respondents expressed an interest in visiting Japan to see the Expo (combining those who "know it's being held in Japan and plan to visit" and those who "know it's being held in Japan and want to visit").

By region, in Asia, particularly the ASEAN area, 50.2%—nearly half—expressed an intention to "visit Japan to see the Expo." The country with the highest intention was Vietnam at 58.7%. This indicates that for nearly 60% of people, the Expo could be a reason to visit Japan. What lies behind this level of interest?

Is the high interest in the Osaka-Kansai Expo a reflection of interest in Japanese technology?

In a survey asking about "Japanese products/things considered excellent," "Japanese cuisine" ranked first. Second was "Japanese robotics," and third was "Japanese anime/manga."

Looking at the top 10 items, over half are technology-related. By region, ASEAN countries particularly highly value Japanese technology, with "Japanese robotics" ranking first, "Japanese cuisine" second, and "Japanese automobiles/motorcycles" third.

Furthermore, 86.5% of respondents believe "Japan has high technological capabilities," indicating the image of Japan as a technologically advanced nation remains strong. Here too, ASEAN scored particularly high at 92.7%, meaning nearly everyone there holds the image of Japan as having "high technological capabilities."

This high evaluation of Japan's technological capabilities may well be driving interest in the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

Fashion, Anime, and Manga as Catalysts? Expanding Inbound Potential

So, what will draw more visitors to Japan in the future?

Looking at "Japanese things/experiences they are interested in," besides tourist attractions like hot springs, many people cite modern culture elements such as "Japanese fashion," "Japanese characters," and "Japanese design."

Particularly, "Japanese fashion" scored highly in Asia and ranked 5th in the UK. Similarly, "Japanese design" ranked 5th in Canada, attracting interest even in countries where visit intentions or interest in Japan are not particularly high.

Part 3 introduced that "shopping" ranked among the "Top 5 Things to Do in Japan." Naturally, "Japanese cuisine," "hot springs," and "the four seasons" also link to "Things of Interest in Japan."

People who appreciate Japanese fashion and design sense may increasingly visit Japan, thinking, "I want to experience things I'm interested in, like hot springs, in their place of origin, and buy things I'm interested in there."

For example, it's already news that many foreigners are visiting "places" featured in anime like Slam Dunk and Your Name (Anime/Manga ranks 11th among "Things/Experiences in Japan They Are Interested In").

Beyond traditional tourist attractions, modern Japanese culture—including anime/manga, fashion, characters, and design—is drawing visitors with diverse purposes. This highlights the broad potential for Japan's unique inbound tourism.

In Parts 3 to 5 of this series, we noted that even as the nationalities and purposes of visitors to Japan diversify, "Japanese cuisine" remains a very significant factor for visiting Japan.

Moving forward, "Japanese technological prowess"—which also underpins the high interest in the Osaka/Kansai Expo—and the act of purchasing Japanese products that leverage this technological strength and increasingly sought-after design sensibility will emerge as new motivations for visiting Japan.

In the next installment and beyond, we will delve deeper into these "Japanese products" and "Japanese cuisine."

【Contact for Inquiries Regarding This Matter】
Dentsu Inc. Japan Brand Project Team
japanbrand@dentsu.co.jp

Japan Brand Research Hub Page
https://www.dentsu.co.jp/knowledge/japan_brand/

[Purpose of the Dentsu Inc. Japan Brand Survey]
Dentsu Inc.'s proprietary survey, initiated in 2011 to understand how the Japan Brand was perceived globally when reputational damage occurred to Japanese agricultural and marine products and inbound tourism following the Great East Japan Earthquake. In 2022, it evolved into a cross-company project activity to enhance expertise through a fundamental restructuring of the survey design, analytical approach, and outputs.In 2025, it will newly plan and build a public knowledge portfolio, aiming to create social value grounded in consumer insights.
The Japan Brand Survey regularly gauges the awareness and actual attitudes of overseas consumers regarding the Japan Brand as a whole, covering areas such as inbound tourism, regional revitalization, food, Japanese products, content, values, lifestyles, and social trends. It visualizes the changing sentiments of consumers and the challenges and potential of the Japan Brand, contributing to increasingly complex corporate activities while also promoting cross-cultural understanding within Japanese society.

【Dentsu Inc. Japan Brand Survey 2019: Survey Overview】
・Target Areas: 20 countries/regions (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia, USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey)
・Sample Size: 6,600 (Breakdown: United States 600, Mainland China 600, Other countries/regions 300 each)
・Survey Period: December 2018
・Respondent criteria: Men and women aged 20–59 (middle-income and above)
・Survey Method: Internet survey
・Research Organizations: Dentsu Inc. (Principal Investigator), Video Research Ltd. (Implementation Support)

[Notes and Disclaimers]
※1: Mainland China coverage primarily limited to Tier 1 cities; Australia limited to the Sydney metropolitan area; Southeast Asia primarily limited to metropolitan areas.
※2: Definition of middle-income bracket: Criteria set per country based on national average income (e.g., OECD statistics) and social class classification (SEC).
※3: For all countries/regions, samples were collected with equal allocation by gender and age group, then weighted to match the population composition.
※4: Proportions in this survey are rounded to the second decimal place (or first decimal place where integers are displayed), so totals may not add up to 100%.
※5: Country and region names used in this survey report and on the website follow the longstanding views of the Japanese government, as well as Japanese social norms and business practices.
※6: In creating the charts and graphs for this survey, the names of the countries and regions analyzed use the international standard ISO Country Code (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2/3), with some exceptions.
United States/US/USA, Canada/CA/CAN, Australia/AU/AUS, United Kingdom/UK/GBR, Germany/DE/DEU, France/FR/FRA, Italy/IT/ITA,Spain/ES/ESP, Finland/FI/FIN, United Arab Emirates/UAE, Saudi Arabia/SA/SAU, India/IN/IND, Indonesia/ID/IDN, Singapore/SG/SGP, Malaysia/MY/MYS, Philippines/PH/PHL, Thailand/TH/THA,Vietnam/VN/VNM, Mainland China/CN/CHN, Hong Kong/HK/HKG, Taiwan/TW/TWN, South Korea/KR/KOR, Turkey/TR
※7: Country and region names used in this survey are for statistical or analytical convenience only and do not indicate any political stance or viewpoint.
※8: The maps used in this survey (world map and Japan map) have been partially modified and cropped to suit the analysis content and page layout. They do not necessarily accurately reflect national borders or territorial boundaries.