Tourist-wise, Japan has a somewhat divided character. Despite Japan’s fascinating history and vast cultural treasures, tourists apparently come here primarily to go shopping. A recent Japan National Tourist Organization survey found that nearly 35 percent of the visitors were in Japan for the shops.
It was only a decade or so ago that Japanese were doing the same — shopping in Hawaii, Guam and duty-free shops around the world. Traveling consumer tides have changed, and now Japan has become a mecca for shopaholics. Asian tourists in particular have become fans of Japanese pop culture, technology and fashion, and apparently want to buy it firsthand. Japan is now one of their favored destinations.
Unable to view this article?
This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.
Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites.
If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see out this support page.
We humbly apologize for the inconvenience.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.