Jan. 23–TOKYO (The Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN) — We hope Japan’s attractive features will be further improved and give momentum to realising the government’s goal of making Japan a tourism-oriented nation.

In 2014, the number of foreign tourists to Japan reached 13.41 million, an increase of 29 percent from the previous year and setting a new record high for the second consecutive year. And while visitors were in Japan during 2014, they spent over 2 trillion yen on shopping and other travel expenses for the first time.

The government has made boosting the number of foreign visitors a key pillar of its economic growth strategy. It has set a goal of welcoming 20 million tourists annually by the time the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are held in 2020. We believe that achieving this target has taken on a touch of real possibility.

The biggest tailwind behind these figures has been the weakening of the yen in recent years. It is significant that traveling to Japan and shopping here has become relatively cheap for foreign visitors. In October 2014, the government expanded the list of goods on which foreign visitors do not have to pay consumption tax to include cosmetics, food and other items at designated shops, a move that also has yielded positive results.

Particularly eye-catching was the increase in Chinese visitors, who are said to be fond of shopping. Visitors from China surged 83 percent from the previous year to a record-high 2.4 million.

Visitors from Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand and Malaysia, where tourist visa requirements have been lifted since 2013, also increased sharply across the board.

The increase in departure and arrival slots for international flights at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, and several low-cost carriers offering more services connecting Japan with cities in other Asian nations, also helped draw more tourists here.

We welcome the results produced through the efforts of the public and private sectors.

More work to be done

One major issue that needs to be addressed is widening the base of tourist destinations to various regions of the nation. At the moment, most tourists concentrate their visits in cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

We want visitors to fully savor the local cuisine, rich nature and traditional culture of Japan’s regional areas. We want visitors from Southeast Asia to experience life in the snowy parts of this nation. We want thoughtfully prepared travel plans to be positively sent out overseas.

If an area becomes established as a popular tourist spot, jobs will be created and young people will be encouraged to live there permanently. This is bound to become an effective way to revitalise regional areas. As more people understand the various appeals of Japanese culture, it likely will lead to an increase in repeat visitors.

It is difficult for small shops to handle tax-free procedures aimed at foreign visitors. The government is considering changes to the tax-free system, including the establishment of special counters in shopping areas where visitors will be refunded the amount of consumption tax they paid on a purchase. We want the government to make these plans a reality.

Free public wireless LAN services must be quickly expanded to enable foreign visitors to more easily search for tourist information on the Internet.

The surge in visitors to Japan also has caused confusion in some quarters. There have been many complaints about the behavior of some tourists, such as those who swim in public baths or recklessly ride rental bicycles. It is important to carefully inform visitors of the rules and manners in Japan so they also can enjoy a pleasant stay here.