As the number of travelers from Southeast Asia to Japan grows, due partly to relaxed visa requirements, local and prefectural governments are stepping up efforts to draw Thai tourists by holding promotional events in Bangkok.
The number of travelers from Thailand, known as a country friendly to Japan, surged nearly fivefold to 657,600 in 2014 from 144,969 in 2011, following the easing of visa requirements in July 2013, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
At the "Japan Expo in Thailand 2015" event held in downtown Bangkok in February, representatives from around 10 groups, including governments in Kyushu and Tohoku, operated booths offering tourism information.
Visitors were delighted at the appearance of the popular Kumamon black bear mascot, while officials of the prefecture and the city of Kumamoto introduced local tourist attractions, including cherry blossom viewing at Kumamoto Castle in the spring. A manager of a traditional Japanese-style inn in the prefecture expressed appreciation for the expo, calling the event "an ideal opportunity to increase travelers" at a time when the domestic market is shrinking amid Japan's population decline.
Thai tourists are now seen across Kyushu, aided by the debut last June of low-cost carrier flight services between Bangkok and Fukuoka.
Another event was held in Bangkok in early February to promote Hokkaido ahead of the start in May of new LCC direct flights connecting Bangkok with Sapporo.
"Thanks to its great nature, Hokkaido is very popular among foreign travelers, particularly Thai people who yearn for snow," said an official of the Hokkaido government.
A representative of JNTO said many Thais come to Japan on personal travel, adding, "They arrange their destinations on their own, obtaining information by word of mouth."
In addition to holding promotional events, regional governments in Japan are also sending out information on tourist attractions through social networking services such as Facebook.