Japan, China and South Korea may have many differences, but late last month they managed to agree on one thing -tourism. At a meeting of tourism ministers from the three countries, an agreement was forged about guidelines to promote tourism. When agreement on so many other issues in the region has long been difficult, this trilateral meeting is a solid step forward in regional cooperation.
Agreeing to share information and develop campaigns for the recovery of the tourist industry is especially urgent for Japan. The number of tourists who visited Japan in April plunged 60 percent from a year earlier. South Korea and China are first and second in numbers of tourists visiting Japan, with South Koreans comprising 28 percent and China 16 percent of visitors.
Re-establishing those past levels will provide an important boost for Japan's economic recovery.