Growth of Tourism in Japan

The number of foreign visitors to Japan--especially from the United States--has been increasing steadily. Japan abounds in natural scenic beauty, offers a charming combination of traditional and modern facilities, and has a great variety of cultural attractions. Tourism is well organized. There are many modern high-rise hotels, especially in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, and ryokan (Japanese-style inns) may be found throughout the country. Special events have attracted many visitors to Japan. The most well received of these were the summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964; Expo '70, Japan's first world's fair, near Osaka in 1970; and the winter Olympics in Sapporo in 1972.

Japan has a large number of national and prefectural parks. (Political subdivisions in Japan are called prefectures.) Mountaintops can be reached by ropeways, cable cars, and automobile toll roads. Other tourist attractions in Japan include the many ancient temples and shrines, the Japanese theater and festivals, and the restaurants and nightlife of the big cities.