WEBVTT - How Japan is dealing with overtourism

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to a CNA podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the most watched video on Visit Japan's official

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<v Speaker 1>YouTube page. It shows cherry blossoms, bamboo gardens, snow covered peaks,

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<v Speaker 1>but to be honest, it looks like any other tourism

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<v Speaker 1>promo out there. But what makes this 32nd clip stand

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<v Speaker 1>out is that it has 67 million views. The global

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<v Speaker 1>infatuation with Japan is not new, but it has been

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<v Speaker 1>growing since the end of the pandemic, and this year,

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<v Speaker 1>the countdown is on for this.

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<v Speaker 1>In 2025, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, Japan will finally arrive.

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<v Speaker 1>The World Expo opens its doors in mid-April. Organizers hope

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<v Speaker 1>the event will draw more than 28 million visitors, but

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<v Speaker 1>here's the thing. Japan is a country known for its contradictions,

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<v Speaker 1>and that includes its tourism.

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<v Speaker 1>It wants to welcome foreigners, but it's also struggling with overcrowding.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Teresa Tang. CNA's Japan correspondent Mico Ishida joins me today. Hi, Mitch. Hi,

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<v Speaker 1>I've been to Japan once. I know only once, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>what I remember, the food was good, locals were polite,

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<v Speaker 1>it was fun. I liked it, but some people don't

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<v Speaker 1>like Japan. They love Japan. They go back over and

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<v Speaker 1>over again.

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<v Speaker 1>Especially in the last few years, given the yen is

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<v Speaker 1>so weak. As a local, do you understand the infatuation

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<v Speaker 1>people have with your country? You know, what makes it

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<v Speaker 1>so captivating?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, Theresa, I do travel throughout Japan as a TV correspondent. Honestly,

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<v Speaker 1>before I became a correspondent a few decades ago, I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't find Japan so captivating. No, I basically thought Japanese

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<v Speaker 1>food tasted too salty, soy saucy, lots of miso.

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<v Speaker 1>But because, you know, I've been traveling for this job,

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<v Speaker 1>I realized that the experience is different in every prefecture

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<v Speaker 1>throughout Japan. There are 47 prefectures, the culinary experience, including

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<v Speaker 1>the local catch, the fish, the kind of land, the climate,

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<v Speaker 1>differentiates the kind of fruits, vegetables that are grown.

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<v Speaker 1>And the landscape varies. Japan has its four seasons, cherry blossoms,

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<v Speaker 1>the autumn leaves, you know, and as Japan is a

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<v Speaker 1>volcanic archipelago, there are hot springs in most areas, and

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<v Speaker 1>there are deep forests, the beautiful rivers, mountains, and the

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<v Speaker 1>most iconic is Mount Fuji. There are historic structures, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>one of the most famous are in the old capital Kyoto.

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<v Speaker 1>With the UNESCO World Heritage Temples and Shrines and in 2024,

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<v Speaker 1>a record 36.87 million visited Japan. That's 15.6% more than

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<v Speaker 1>in 2019. That's the year when inbound tourists recorded the

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<v Speaker 1>most pre-COVID-19 times. And of course the yen's depreciation has

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<v Speaker 1>had a big impact too to help draw inbound tours

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<v Speaker 1>last year.

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<v Speaker 1>But you know, really up until 25, 30 years ago,

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<v Speaker 1>inbound tourism was not vital for Japan's economy. Japan had

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<v Speaker 1>enough domestic travelers with its huge population, but today with

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<v Speaker 1>its declining population and a weaker manufacturing industry, except for the,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, auto-making industry, tourism has emerged to become one

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<v Speaker 1>of the most hopeful industries in Japan today. It sounds

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<v Speaker 1>like there's something for everyone in Japan.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's talk about the World Expo. Many governments believe it's

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<v Speaker 1>one of the big 3 events that can elevate a

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<v Speaker 1>country's visibility on the world stage, you know, the other

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<v Speaker 1>two being the Olympics and the football World Cup.

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<v Speaker 1>Japan has hosted all of those events 6 times for

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<v Speaker 1>the Expo, and this is actually the 2nd time the

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<v Speaker 1>so-called World's Fair has been in Osaka. And I know

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<v Speaker 1>you attended in the past. Can you tell me what

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<v Speaker 1>that experience was like? Yes, well, I did cover the

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<v Speaker 1>Tokyo Olympic Games of the

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<v Speaker 1>02 World Cup. And as to the World Expo, I

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<v Speaker 1>covered the 2005 IT Expo. My impression of that time,

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<v Speaker 1>it was just so crowded. I was there 3 to

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<v Speaker 1>4 times, but I never saw the most talked about

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<v Speaker 1>attraction at that time. The display of the real mammoth

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<v Speaker 1>excavated from Siberia.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, in Siberia, but I missed it. The queue was

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<v Speaker 1>just too long. I was not there to actually cover

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<v Speaker 1>the mammoth, but to cover the Singapore pavilion and some

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<v Speaker 1>high-tech displays. I do remember seeing robotic vehicles. I think

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<v Speaker 1>I've tried some of them. The most memorable coverage was

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<v Speaker 1>a joint concert by Japan's pop queen, Yumi Matsutoya and

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<v Speaker 1>Singapore's singer Dick Lee celebrating um SG 40 at that time.

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<v Speaker 1>And actually the 2005 IT Expo played a vital role

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<v Speaker 1>to promote the three R's to reduce, reuse, and recycle,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, that was a memorable time back then. Visitors

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<v Speaker 1>are reported to have become more active with energy saving

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<v Speaker 1>due to their visit to reduce, reuse, and recycle. So

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<v Speaker 1>the expo had impact on people's attitude and it's hoped

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<v Speaker 1>the coming expo will have an impact too.

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<v Speaker 1>And that was two decades ago, and now 20 years later,

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<v Speaker 1>you've been given a media preview of the 2025 edition.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you think people are going to be the

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<v Speaker 1>most excited about? Is there a centerpiece to all of this?

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<v Speaker 1>Is there a mammoth this year?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, let me give you a big picture of the

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<v Speaker 1>2025 Osaka Expo. The main theme is designing future society

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<v Speaker 1>for our lives. Now, when you are there, you notice

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<v Speaker 1>a big wooden structure surrounding the expo sites called Grand Ring.

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<v Speaker 1>That's the centerpiece and it's regarded the world's biggest wooden

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<v Speaker 1>structure with a circumference of 2 kilometers. It's built using

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<v Speaker 1>Japan's traditional wood building technology, um, similar to that used

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<v Speaker 1>to build Kyomizu Temple in Kyoto, which is a World

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<v Speaker 1>Heritage site.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, if you walk under it, it can help shield

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<v Speaker 1>you from the rain and from the sweltering summer heat

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<v Speaker 1>in Osaka. You can walk on top of the ring,

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<v Speaker 1>and from there, not only can you catch a bird's

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<v Speaker 1>eye view of the expo site, you can see the

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<v Speaker 1>city of Osaka and all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>media here highlight the planned display of an object from Mars.

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<v Speaker 1>It's believed to be part of a meteorite.

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<v Speaker 1>And it was discovered in Antarctica by Japanese who were

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<v Speaker 1>therefore on their expedition. And those who who remember the

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<v Speaker 1>1970 Osaka Expo might recall seeing the rock of the moon,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, so the concept is kind of similar. We

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<v Speaker 1>are not still informed enough to be excited about the

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<v Speaker 1>whole expo, but we do know that there'll be Japan's

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<v Speaker 1>anime singer.

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<v Speaker 1>Ado, um, who will be part of the opening concert

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<v Speaker 1>we hear Osaka's local orchestra will perform often. A flying

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<v Speaker 1>car could be operated during the time we hear of

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<v Speaker 1>an AI support for those with uh visually impairment.

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<v Speaker 1>Including the exhibition of the most advanced medical and healthcare products.

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<v Speaker 1>There will be, you know, other than the anime singer,

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<v Speaker 1>actual anime, manga, Japan's dialects and dying language, including the

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<v Speaker 1>Ainu language and a wide variety of experiences.

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<v Speaker 1>and displays are expected and organizers hope visitors to the

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<v Speaker 1>2025 Osaka Expo will go home thinking about how to

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<v Speaker 1>save lives, empower lives, and connect lives and those are

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<v Speaker 1>the sub themes of the expo.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, interesting you brought up I knew. I remember we

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<v Speaker 1>did a podcast on that, right? One of Japan's dying languages. Mitch,

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<v Speaker 1>as with any massive event, there are going to be challenges,

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<v Speaker 1>no exception here. One thing people are hung up on

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<v Speaker 1>is the ticket booking system. What's the big deal?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, 14 million tickets went on sale from the end

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<v Speaker 1>of November, but just a little more than half had

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<v Speaker 1>been purchased as of the end of January.

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<v Speaker 1>Now those uh tickets were purchased mainly by companies according

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<v Speaker 1>to reports. The problem seems to be the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>tickets are not open ended. You have to book a

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<v Speaker 1>specific date and time and actually I posed this ticket

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<v Speaker 1>issue to the secretary general of the international body of

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<v Speaker 1>the World Exposition, Mr. Dimitri Kurante. So let's hear from him.

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<v Speaker 1>It's true that people have to buy one and then

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<v Speaker 1>book a reservation slot, and that also could mean that

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<v Speaker 1>people are delaying their purchase until they're ready to book

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<v Speaker 1>that actual slot, whereas in previous expos you bought a ticket,

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<v Speaker 1>you went any day that you wanted. And adding to that,

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<v Speaker 1>I do hear that Osaka governor is demanding that the

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<v Speaker 1>organizers simplify the ticketing system. Otherwise, you know, it will

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<v Speaker 1>also be a big problem to the government of Osaka

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<v Speaker 1>who will have to perhaps handle the deficit if ticket

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<v Speaker 1>sales are bad.

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<v Speaker 1>I was also reading a news report from Japan that

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<v Speaker 1>described the Osaka World Expo as quote, an event that

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<v Speaker 1>few even want. That sounds pretty bad. What do you think?

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<v Speaker 1>What are locals telling you? Well, actually, you know, before

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<v Speaker 1>I went to Osaka to cover the Osaka Expo preview,

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<v Speaker 1>when I told my friends in Tokyo about it, they

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<v Speaker 1>were like, uh.

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<v Speaker 1>Is it actually happening? So that's the kind of reaction

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<v Speaker 1>you get in Tokyo, you know, there's not much interest.

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<v Speaker 1>They don't hear much about it. Then I thought, OK,

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<v Speaker 1>if I actually go to Osaka, the reactions, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>by the people there might be a little bit different

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<v Speaker 1>and we might be able to start a good conversation

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<v Speaker 1>on the excitement building up towards the Osaka Expo. So

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<v Speaker 1>I went there, asked around.

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<v Speaker 1>OK, let's hear a comment from an Okonomiyaki restaurant owner

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<v Speaker 1>Tomoharu Fukuda to hear what he says.

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<v Speaker 2>I do not yet feel any excitement or have any expectations.

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<v Speaker 2>I've never met anyone who said they wished to attend

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<v Speaker 2>or has purchased a ticket.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, and I've been speaking to other local residents and

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<v Speaker 1>out of all the residents I spoke to, just one

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<v Speaker 1>taxi driver told me that he's already bought tickets and is.

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<v Speaker 1>Encouraging fans to purchase tickets to support Osaka. The cost

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<v Speaker 1>to host the Expo is rising. Its initial budget was

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<v Speaker 1>125 billion yen. It's now expected to double. And the

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<v Speaker 1>taxi driver said that he was afraid that, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Osaka will have to carry the burden of the deficit

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<v Speaker 1>if people don't support. But if you actually look back

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<v Speaker 1>at past expos in Japan, excitement took time to build up.

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<v Speaker 1>This was.

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<v Speaker 1>The case in Osaka 1970, also IT 2005. The fundamental

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<v Speaker 1>problem currently is the limited information on what the visitors

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<v Speaker 1>can expect. But once the expo kicks off, the local

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<v Speaker 1>and international media are likely to cover extensively according to organizers,

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<v Speaker 1>and they think that ticket sales will start to pick up. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>the aim is to attract 28 million visitors during half

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<v Speaker 1>a year.

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<v Speaker 1>That seems to be modest figure when you compare it

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<v Speaker 1>to the 1970 Osaka, which in the end attracted more

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<v Speaker 1>than 64 million. And you know, that was a record breaker,

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<v Speaker 1>and that number was not broken until 2010 Shanghai Expo.

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<v Speaker 1>Here's the funny thing though, Japan, on the one hand,

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<v Speaker 1>they want to rev up tourism, they want to get

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<v Speaker 1>those visitor numbers up for the World Expo.

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<v Speaker 1>But on the other hand, over tourism has also become

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<v Speaker 1>a problem, particularly in the country's three most visited cities.

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<v Speaker 1>We're talking Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, ironically, the venue of

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<v Speaker 1>the World Expo. How bad is this over tourism in

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<v Speaker 1>the country, Michio? OK, well, I live in Tokyo and

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<v Speaker 1>it's pretty congested in the main part of Tokyo and

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<v Speaker 1>the main cities, but I've

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<v Speaker 1>Seen a horrible um footage of congestions in Kyoto going

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<v Speaker 1>viral on social media, so congested tours can't even move

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<v Speaker 1>off railway tracks, disrupting public transportation. In the past we've

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<v Speaker 1>been hearing of GEICO and Michael, which the international community

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<v Speaker 1>call a Geisha. They were being chased by tourists who

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<v Speaker 1>desire photos with them, but you know, GECO and Michael

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<v Speaker 1>is still professionals.

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<v Speaker 1>And it's they're not there for tourists, but they work

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<v Speaker 1>as Gateo and Michael at restaurants and offer services to

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<v Speaker 1>their customers and we do hear there are signs, um,

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<v Speaker 1>put out calling for a band of paparazzi in the area.

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<v Speaker 1>There's some local authorities deciding to put a huge shield

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<v Speaker 1>to cover the peak of Mount Fuji and Mount Fuji

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<v Speaker 1>has been attracting a lot of tourists the past few years.

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<v Speaker 1>Been overcrowding this convenience store known for its majestic view

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<v Speaker 1>of Mount Fuji. So that cover up of Mount Fuji

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<v Speaker 1>has been happening. But then I've, I've been hearing that

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<v Speaker 1>visitors have been piercing holes on that cover so that

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<v Speaker 1>they can get a shot of Mount Fuji. So well

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<v Speaker 1>that's still going on. And in Kamakura, which is the

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<v Speaker 1>old capital of Japan near Tokyo, there's a site with

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<v Speaker 1>a magnificent view of the sea.

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<v Speaker 1>And the railway, which was the model for a famous animation.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it was slum dunk. Tourists reported to be

0:13:48.684 --> 0:13:52.755
<v Speaker 1>blocking the roads there, the traffic and leaving litter. But then,

0:13:52.765 --> 0:13:55.765
<v Speaker 1>you know, I'm talking about all these negative impact of

0:13:55.765 --> 0:13:59.564
<v Speaker 1>over tourism. There's an area in Osaka which I saw

0:13:59.565 --> 0:14:03.885
<v Speaker 1>has revived due to the inbound tourism. So it's not

0:14:03.885 --> 0:14:06.486
<v Speaker 1>all bad, you know, with a lot of tourists coming

0:14:06.486 --> 0:14:07.074
<v Speaker 1>to Japan.

0:14:07.909 --> 0:14:11.400
<v Speaker 1>You don't necessarily want to discourage foreigners from visiting, but

0:14:11.400 --> 0:14:15.119
<v Speaker 1>you do want to safeguard the country's integrity and its

0:14:15.119 --> 0:14:18.320
<v Speaker 1>popularity as well. And one way is to make it

0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:20.309
<v Speaker 1>more expensive to travel to Japan.

0:14:20.750 --> 0:14:23.750
<v Speaker 1>Can you tell us how that's working? Tokyo was actually

0:14:23.750 --> 0:14:29.770
<v Speaker 1>the pioneer of slapping hotel tax since 2002. It's a

0:14:29.770 --> 0:14:34.590
<v Speaker 1>very small 100 yen for accommodation that costs 10,000 to

0:14:34.590 --> 0:14:38.429
<v Speaker 1>15,000 yen a night, which is about maybe 70 to

0:14:38.429 --> 0:14:42.679
<v Speaker 1>80 US cents, and 200 yen for above 15,000.

0:14:43.289 --> 0:14:48.450
<v Speaker 1>Now other Japanese cities and towns have decided to follow suit. Kyoto,

0:14:48.530 --> 0:14:53.049
<v Speaker 1>which is the extremely popular old capital, has decided to

0:14:53.049 --> 0:14:58.890
<v Speaker 1>set even higher hotel tax from March 2026. It's 10,000 yen,

0:14:59.130 --> 0:15:03.059
<v Speaker 1>maybe about $80 US dollars for accommodation fee of more

0:15:03.059 --> 0:15:04.710
<v Speaker 1>than 100,000 yen.

0:15:05.070 --> 0:15:08.710
<v Speaker 1>This is regardless of whether the person is uh from

0:15:08.710 --> 0:15:13.070
<v Speaker 1>Japan or a Japan resident or from overseas. Now what

0:15:13.070 --> 0:15:17.630
<v Speaker 1>Kyoto has done is it wants to prevent visitors from

0:15:17.630 --> 0:15:21.429
<v Speaker 1>um traveling commuter buses. There have been reports of residents

0:15:21.429 --> 0:15:24.710
<v Speaker 1>could not get on commuter buses to go to school

0:15:24.710 --> 0:15:26.950
<v Speaker 1>to work because of over tourism.

0:15:27.330 --> 0:15:30.450
<v Speaker 1>And uh tourists, you know, um carrying their huge luggage

0:15:30.450 --> 0:15:33.690
<v Speaker 1>on commuter buses. So there are now buses for tourists

0:15:33.690 --> 0:15:38.760
<v Speaker 1>traveling to tourist sites. As to another site in Himeji,

0:15:39.049 --> 0:15:42.609
<v Speaker 1>famous for Himeji Castle World Heritage sites, it wants to

0:15:42.609 --> 0:15:47.809
<v Speaker 1>raise admission fee from 1000 yen to maybe double or

0:15:47.809 --> 0:15:52.020
<v Speaker 1>triple from 2026 targeting non-Himeji residents.

0:15:52.770 --> 0:15:56.460
<v Speaker 1>Not as prefectural museums used to waive admission fee for

0:15:56.460 --> 0:15:59.919
<v Speaker 1>inbound tourists in hopes of attracting more from overseas, but

0:16:00.250 --> 0:16:04.770
<v Speaker 1>they plan now to charge everyone from this April. Now

0:16:04.770 --> 0:16:08.049
<v Speaker 1>local authorities will need some time to determine whether these

0:16:08.049 --> 0:16:11.450
<v Speaker 1>attempts will be effective to bring more funds to the

0:16:11.450 --> 0:16:15.770
<v Speaker 1>cities and not to discourage people from traveling to these areas.

0:16:16.039 --> 0:16:20.320
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I was reading about tactics, not just monetary that

0:16:20.320 --> 0:16:22.630
<v Speaker 1>Japan has been trying out and this has actually been

0:16:22.630 --> 0:16:26.400
<v Speaker 1>going on for a decade or more. One strategy is diversion.

0:16:26.549 --> 0:16:29.109
<v Speaker 1>We're talking about getting tourists to head to maybe less

0:16:29.109 --> 0:16:33.830
<v Speaker 1>visited destinations, also straight up just banning tourists from certain

0:16:33.830 --> 0:16:37.270
<v Speaker 1>private alleys or areas where they cause a nuisance. What

0:16:37.270 --> 0:16:39.059
<v Speaker 1>has been the most effective do you think?

0:16:39.609 --> 0:16:43.919
<v Speaker 1>We have to really wait and see, but this Lunar

0:16:43.919 --> 0:16:47.890
<v Speaker 1>New Year, there seems to be some bright prospect in

0:16:47.890 --> 0:16:53.409
<v Speaker 1>diverting tourists other than to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, where

0:16:53.409 --> 0:16:56.770
<v Speaker 1>the concentration of tourists is so high. Now, according to

0:16:56.770 --> 0:16:59.049
<v Speaker 1>travel agent KK Day, which is

0:16:59.164 --> 0:17:02.275
<v Speaker 1>Based in Taiwan and Japan, they say that there's a

0:17:02.275 --> 0:17:06.114
<v Speaker 1>rising number of inbound tourists in particular from Taiwan, Hong Kong,

0:17:06.155 --> 0:17:11.114
<v Speaker 1>and Korea traveling to northeastern Japan or to Yamagata Miyagi

0:17:11.114 --> 0:17:14.954
<v Speaker 1>and even Fukushima, which many were in the past because

0:17:14.954 --> 0:17:18.784
<v Speaker 1>of the, you know, crippled nuclear plant be decommissioned there.

0:17:19.188 --> 0:17:22.078
<v Speaker 1>But you know, tourists seems to be attracted to the

0:17:22.388 --> 0:17:27.989
<v Speaker 1>mesmerizing snow we're seeing, playing in the snow, experiencing hot

0:17:27.989 --> 0:17:30.848
<v Speaker 1>springs and you know, that area is not so congested yet,

0:17:30.909 --> 0:17:34.148
<v Speaker 1>you know, compared to, for instance, Hokkaido or Nagano Prefecture

0:17:34.148 --> 0:17:36.029
<v Speaker 1>is known for hosting the winter.

0:17:36.449 --> 0:17:39.050
<v Speaker 1>Games in the past and we've been hearing that all

0:17:39.050 --> 0:17:44.050
<v Speaker 1>Nippon Airways is offering free domestic flights to travelers from China,

0:17:44.260 --> 0:17:49.609
<v Speaker 1>transiting in Japan to encourage them to travel to the countryside. So, uh,

0:17:49.619 --> 0:17:53.260
<v Speaker 1>you know, the attempts to divert travelers has started.

0:17:54.349 --> 0:17:58.419
<v Speaker 1>Post-pandemic tourism has surged, like we talked about off the top,

0:17:58.430 --> 0:18:02.010
<v Speaker 1>and Japanese officials say they have a long-term goal of

0:18:02.010 --> 0:18:05.560
<v Speaker 1>60 million annual visitors by the year 2030.

0:18:06.099 --> 0:18:09.020
<v Speaker 1>Before we go, Michio, for those listening who may be

0:18:09.020 --> 0:18:12.099
<v Speaker 1>on their way to your country, maybe for the Osaka

0:18:12.099 --> 0:18:16.300
<v Speaker 1>World Expo, what can they do to be good tourists? Well,

0:18:16.380 --> 0:18:18.978
<v Speaker 1>you know, um, basically, the Japanese people like to follow

0:18:18.979 --> 0:18:22.819
<v Speaker 1>the rule. They want visitors to do the same. For instance,

0:18:22.920 --> 0:18:24.659
<v Speaker 1>you know, I've seen on social media.

0:18:24.770 --> 0:18:28.750
<v Speaker 1>Uh, residents hushing a foreign visitor talking on her mobile

0:18:28.750 --> 0:18:31.189
<v Speaker 1>phone on a commuter train, because you're not supposed to

0:18:31.189 --> 0:18:33.030
<v Speaker 1>talk on your phone on the commuter train. You have

0:18:33.030 --> 0:18:35.270
<v Speaker 1>to be, you know, I mean, you can chat, but

0:18:35.270 --> 0:18:38.780
<v Speaker 1>you know, with your friends, but they think it's a nuisance.

0:18:38.989 --> 0:18:41.989
<v Speaker 1>And even the train operators tell people on the trains,

0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:45.469
<v Speaker 1>don't talk on your phones. I've seen neighborhoods putting up

0:18:45.469 --> 0:18:48.708
<v Speaker 1>signs asking tourists not to drag their luggage on wheels

0:18:48.709 --> 0:18:52.550
<v Speaker 1>during bedtime. Now trash is another issue here in Japan.

0:18:53.079 --> 0:18:55.479
<v Speaker 1>In Tokyo, for instance, if you walk around, there are

0:18:55.479 --> 0:18:59.119
<v Speaker 1>limited trash bins. So the etiquette is to take waste

0:18:59.119 --> 0:19:02.040
<v Speaker 1>back with you. If you do um take back uh

0:19:02.040 --> 0:19:04.750
<v Speaker 1>waste with you, you have to separate them in your neighborhood,

0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:08.780
<v Speaker 1>you know, uh, whether they're pet bottles, cans, newspapers, magazines,

0:19:08.880 --> 0:19:13.800
<v Speaker 1>combustibles or non-combustibles. It's probably a nuisance to uh force visitors,

0:19:13.880 --> 0:19:15.900
<v Speaker 1>but that's how things work here in Japan.

0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:19.819
<v Speaker 1>And the Japanese in general don't like food wasted. If

0:19:19.819 --> 0:19:22.369
<v Speaker 1>you go to a buffet, they expected you to take

0:19:22.369 --> 0:19:26.020
<v Speaker 1>what you can finish. And you know, overall, good manners

0:19:26.020 --> 0:19:29.260
<v Speaker 1>is so important in this country. And having said that,

0:19:29.380 --> 0:19:33.689
<v Speaker 1>I have witnessed many foreign tourists here who are well mannered.

0:19:34.099 --> 0:19:37.899
<v Speaker 1>They are seen queuing politely in front of popular shops

0:19:37.900 --> 0:19:40.000
<v Speaker 1>and restaurants, enjoying Japan.

0:19:40.300 --> 0:19:43.030
<v Speaker 1>And it appears that many, you know, of those who

0:19:43.030 --> 0:19:47.380
<v Speaker 1>have been here before uh actually like how Japan is orderly,

0:19:47.630 --> 0:19:51.020
<v Speaker 1>and not so, you know, noisy, and so they're back.

0:19:51.270 --> 0:19:55.438
<v Speaker 1>And that's been the case of my many international friends

0:19:55.439 --> 0:19:58.819
<v Speaker 1>who visit me here in Tokyo or the rest of Japan.

0:19:59.089 --> 0:20:01.829
<v Speaker 1>And I hope you come and visit me someday, not

0:20:01.829 --> 0:20:06.310
<v Speaker 1>just once but twice, 3 times. I would love to.

0:20:06.430 --> 0:20:09.030
<v Speaker 1>It sounds like a beautiful country, one that I have

0:20:09.030 --> 0:20:12.000
<v Speaker 1>not explored thoroughly enough. Thank you for those great tips

0:20:12.000 --> 0:20:14.589
<v Speaker 1>as well and you know, talking about the Osaka World

0:20:14.589 --> 0:20:17.630
<v Speaker 1>Expo pavilions, they still need to be built, tickets still

0:20:17.630 --> 0:20:19.709
<v Speaker 1>need to be sold, but one thing's for sure, that

0:20:19.709 --> 0:20:21.829
<v Speaker 1>World Expo is going to be a big story for

0:20:21.829 --> 0:20:24.770
<v Speaker 1>Japan this year, and I'm really looking forward to your coverage, Michi.

0:20:24.949 --> 0:20:27.750
<v Speaker 1>Thank you so much. Thank you for having me, Teresa.

0:20:28.290 --> 0:20:30.959
<v Speaker 1>And a reminder to our listeners, you can find Mico's

0:20:30.959 --> 0:20:35.339
<v Speaker 1>reports on YouTube and also on CNA.Asia. There are TV

0:20:35.339 --> 0:20:39.180
<v Speaker 1>episodes of CNA Correspondent every Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. Singapore,

0:20:39.239 --> 0:20:42.719
<v Speaker 1>Hong Kong time. I'm Teresa Tang, and the team behind

0:20:42.719 --> 0:20:46.639
<v Speaker 1>this week's episode is Sai Yain, Clara Ong, Christina Robert,

0:20:46.719 --> 0:20:50.000
<v Speaker 1>and Craig Dale. A new episode drops next Wednesday. Join

0:20:50.000 --> 0:20:51.199
<v Speaker 1>us then. Bye for now.