Local governments leverage Osaka Expo to attract tourists

Japan Times

14 hours ago

Local governments in Japan have been enhancing tourism promotion at the Osaka Expo as the event hits its midway point.
Officials of local governments are feeling confident about their promotion activities, with some events to introduce local food and culture at the expo proving popular.
Inbound visitors, however, have accounted for less than 10% of total visitors to the expo so far. A challenge facing local communities is how to lure foreign visitors to their respective regions.
The six prefectures comprising the Kansai region and three nearby prefectures are jointly operating the Kansai Pavilion at the expo.
The prefectural government of Mie is exhibiting traditions, culture and industries of the prefecture, with themes changing regularly.
Especially popular is an exhibition where visitors can try on a garment once worn by those who used the Kumano Kodo ancient pilgrimage routes to three major Shinto shrines.
"The cumulative number of visitors has exceeded 300,000, roughly double what we had expected," a Mie official said.
In June, an event dubbed "Kizuna Matsuri" took place at the expo in which traditional festivals of the six prefectures making up the Tohoku region, including "Nebuta," a festival in Aomori, were showcased.
Fukushima Prefecture plans to showcase products from the prefecture, including peaches and sake, on July 19.
The Japan Association for the 2025 World Expo is hoping to attract 28.2 million people to the event, including 3.5 million people from abroad.
At present, the share of inbound visitors remains under the estimate. Visitors from Asia have accounted for just under 50% of the foreign visitors and those from Europe slightly over 40%. "We need to make more efforts to reach the target (of 3.5 million inbound visitors)," a Japanese government official said.
The number of tourists to Osaka from the United States, European countries and Australia in April rocketed 57% from a year earlier, according to data released at a news conference held at the expo venue Friday by an organization that is made up of officials from Osaka Prefecture, Kobe, Fukuoka Prefecture and private-sector companies. The group was set up to lure tourists to western regions of Japan.
"The number of people who visit prefectures such as Hyogo, Hiroshima, Kagawa, Ehime and Fukuoka after taking trips to Osaka is increasing in line with the expo," an official at the organization said.
The organization has prepared tour plans allowing participants to experience local culture, in collaboration with the expo association.
"The number of foreign visitors to Japan is expected to increase toward the upcoming summer vacation season," said Soichiro Takashima, mayor of the city of Fukuoka and chief of the organization. "We will put more efforts into tourism promotion to attract inbound visitors to western regions of the country."