1 in 3 Japanese don't want foreign tourists

[John Lindsey]

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20031103p2a00m0fp005000c.html

Roughly one in three Japanese do not want more foreign tourists to visit the country, an alarming government poll has showed.

The results are a huge slap in the face of the government, which has recently launched a massive campaign aimed at boosting the number of foreigners visiting Japan.

Nearly all of the 32.4 percent of those opposed to an increase in foreign tourists cited crimes as their reason, pointing to National Police Agency figures that show alleged crimes by non-Japanese were at an all-time high last year.

Crime rates among the Japanese are also escalating at proportionally high speed.

The National Police Agency said foreign crime last year was up by 10.6 percent, reaching a record-high 16,212 foreign nationals who were arrested sent to prosecutors for alleged violations of the Penal Code and other laws. Those polled by the Prime Minister's Office survey on tourism showed 53 percent were also opposed to government moves to simplify visa and other immigration procedures to increase overseas tourists.

Listing preconditions for a simplification of the visa system, 38.6 percent want unauthorized labor by foreign visitors to be resolved and Japan's worsening public safety conditions to be addressed, while 14.4 percent said they do not consider visas as an obstacle.

The poll, conducted every two to five years, included the questions on foreign tourists to Japan as part of the "Visit Japan Campaign" launched this fiscal year under Koizumi's initiative.

The number of foreign tourists to Japan stood at 5.23 million last year, but the government aims to increase the figure to 10 million by 2010. (Mainichi and wire reports, Japan, Nov. 3, 2003)

[hyaku]

As usual its utter confusion.

They are confusing Tourists with a group that get in and stay to work that dont have work visa and get guess what? They have a tourist visa. Then they work and get thrown out after they have overstayed which contitutes a crime.

Its really has no connection with "tourism"

There are even lots that do a moonlight before their present visa runs out and head for the city lights.

Lets face it with other South East Asian countries paying around 2000 yen a month out in wages and the average family living on 120 yen a day its not surprising that any one who can get a crack an earning a few hundred thousand yen for a can get thrown out, go home and live for a few years and keep the whole family in relative luxury.

Time the government got their finger out. Because with the present Japanese birthrate they will have to rely on a foreign workforce to keep things rolling anyway.

Hyakutake Colin

[Vapour]

It pretty much to do with Iranian *tourist*.

Because Iran sell oil to Japan at discount, Japanese and Iranian government made funny deal where Iranian can get tourist/visitor visa easily. Both side are fully aware that majority of iranian tourist would come to Japan for work.

Plus, most Japanese think Japan is too expensive to visit, which is true. If you want oriental culture, why not visit China where you get better and bigger stuff at cheaper price.

If Japanese government say they are going to promote white tourist only, most Japanese would feel o.k. but that would be pretty embarrasing, wouldn't it.

[El Guapo-san]

But the same poll had the result that 48% wanted more foreign tourists.

For example, almost half of a country may be idiots for supporting their national leader. That means that technically the other half is not stupid, confused, or has issues.

Japan has a lot of great stuff to see, government may as well promote it. South Africa seems to be doing quite well, for example. It's specially interesting when you figure that they started from zero and have scads more social problems than Japan does.

J. Vlach, Amsterdam

[Kobe]

Yes handsome, but Japan faces different problems,
its damm expensive, few people(even in the tourist industry) speaks others languages, the competition is tremendous with countries like China, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, etc.... near, with a lot to see and much much cheaper. Japanese cities lack indentity, once you saw one city you have seen all, not so much differences.
And, with a 127 million of potential internal market, who cares about foreigners coming????:D

[El Guapo-san]

Damn expensive ?! I found a lot of things equal to or cheaper in price to Amsterdam. Inflation has been so bad here in the past couple of years that restaurant prices have inflated between 15 and 65%. The Euro drove prices on everything way high.

J. Vlach, Amsterdam

[Pete Knox]

Hey, the good news is that 2 out of 3 of them want us (I'm one of those "the glass is 1/2 full" types, I guess). ;)

[renfield_kuroda]

Originally posted by El Guapo-san
Damn expensive ?! I found a lot of things equal to or cheaper in price to Amsterdam.

In 2003, Tokyo regained its status as Most Expensive City in the World (Hong Kong was #1 for a year).
With New York City as a baseline of 100, Tokyo came in at over 125 -- more than 25% more expensive the NYC.

This city is expensive. Expensive to visit, expensive to live in, expensive to work in.

Regards,
r e n

[Kobe]

Guapo,
its very nice of you to be so fond of Japan, but until the point to argue that Japan its not expensive?????? :eek:

[Exorcist_Fist]

Regarding the "Expensive City" index, it should be noted that the study is conducted with the view that the person involved is an expatriate executive, and that the company or person will be paying for top of the line things, like private schooling, expensive scotch--yes, thats part of the study--and be required to pay for medical care directly. That's the reason why some place in Gabon routinely comes up in the top six.

As for me, I make bucks here in Japan, and manage to save almost 50-60% of my income, even with purchases of a digital camera, a video camera, and assorted laptops, etc.

Don't believe the hype. I lived in SF before Tokyo, and personally can say that I spent more money for less in SF.

Bear in mind though, I don't go to bars, I rarely eat out, I buy clothes at Uniqlo, etc. Its not the city, its your lifestyle.