Japan is finally a more affordable travel destination in 2023

Photos and text courtesy of George Nobechi

Japan, which is high on many travellers’ travel lists for its popular culture, food, history and arts, but often unaffordable to many or overcrowded to others, is in a “sweet spot” “.

Japan, one of the countries reopening to foreign tourists after the COVID pandemic shutdown, finally ushered in visa-free travel in October 2022. The first foreign tourists to return to historically expensive Japan have found a more affordable country.

The yen has weakened against all major currencies: in March 2020, as the pandemic began to spread, the yen/dollar exchange rate averaged 107.54. But since then, much has been due to the difference in interest rates between Japan (close to zero) and the rest of the world (interest rate rise), Yen now sit and wait 134 to USD, which means you can basically think of it as a “25% off” in Japan compared to pre-pandemic prices. Few things are cheaper these days in a post-pandemic inflationary world, but traveling in Japan is one of them.

Tourists were expected to return in droves given the weak yen, but that has yet to happen. First three months after Japan reopens (October-December 2022) 2.8 million foreign tourists That compares with just 55,000 for the same period in 2021, but 7.5 million in 2019.

While major cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto will continue to receive the majority of tourists in 2023, many rural areas that had been popular destinations before the pandemic have used the time to create more immersive initiatives and Experience. For many tourism-dependent regions, adapting to the “new normal” is critical to their survival. The Japanese government has also instituted an incentive program to encourage domestic residents to rediscover their homeland, and there has been a noticeable increase in the number of Japanese tourists visiting areas they had previously skipped.

Here are some of the most beautiful places to see right now across Japan.

Gokayama is a group of villages deep in the mountains of Toyama in central Japan. Along with the more famous Shirakawa-go in neighboring Gifu prefecture, it is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its traditional way of life and A-frame houses with steeply thatched roofs designed to withstand heavy winter snow. Some of these houses have been converted into guest houses.

These villages are investing in increased COVID-19 precautions and reduced capacity at guest houses. They also began offering English classes to residents in preparation for the return of English-speaking tourists.

According to Yamazaki Yukie, spokesperson for the Gokayama Tourist Information Center, before the epidemic, 70 percent of the tourists staying in hotels were foreigners; in recent days, although the total number of tourists has returned to 70 percent of the pre-pandemic level, these villages have also begun to Attracts Japanese tourists, thereby bringing a more authentic experience to all visitors.

In addition to the appeal of disconnecting by staying in a quiet historic village, activities include Japanese paper Papermaking and Participating in Traditions yesThis is Dance and music performances.

Karuizawa, a mountain resort about 65 minutes northwest of Tokyo, has long been the apple of the eye of wealthy Japanese travelers. Karuizawa, once a “rest stop” on the old Nakasendo road linking Kyoto to Edo (today’s Tokyo), was relaunched in the late 1800s as a place for Canadian missionaries to escape the summer heat of Tokyo, and a grand event was held to attract the summer heat Villa owners, celebrities including John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and area artists. Primarily known as a “getaway,” the town is now refocusing on remote workers, investing in designer co-working spaces and housing opportunities to cater to a new breed of traveler who can work from anywhere while creating an artistic experience , for example as an outdoor festival to attract tourists.

When it comes to art experiences, few places receive as much attention as the “art islands” in the Seto Inland Sea, led by Naoshima and Teshima. Museums and art installations are scattered across these walkable ferry network islands between Kagawa prefecture in Shikoku and Okayama on the mainland. While the museum and installations themselves are nothing new, installations and updates are constant, and the triennial International Art Festival has further cemented its status as an art mecca.

When visiting after the Triennial in late 2022, the islands remained quiet compared to their pre-pandemic days. On a warm and sunny afternoon in Naoshima, driving past the newly restored Yayoi Kusama pumpkin sculpture, which was destroyed by the 2021 typhoon, saw a lone tourist posing for a selfie. During a downpour at the same time in 2019, people waited in line for 20 minutes to be photographed with polka-dot gourds.

An overnight stay at the Benesse House Museum allows people to explore after get off work—I run the museum alone with another solo visitor, which includes artists such as Bruce Nauman, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Jennifer Bartlett and David Hockney. “Night at the Museum” is an otherworldly experience in every sense of the word.

Shikoku is also home to the legendary pilgrimage route Ohenlo, consisting of 88 Buddhist temples spread across the four prefectures that make up Japan’s smallest island. Each temple has its own unique character, offering a very different experience than the more uniform Zen temple designs in areas like Kyoto. On an autumn afternoon at Unbeenji Temple (No. 66 of 88) on top of Tokushima, I found myself in an “amphitheater” of 500 statues of “Arhats” (disciples of the Buddha), one A lone ginkgo tree watches in its magnificent golden light.

With experience like this, a weaker yen, and investments in new experiences and infrastructure to cater to tourists, Japan is sure to become a popular destination for travelers in 2023.

See more photos of Japan by George Nobechi below.