Planet-ta-kun’s Observations of New Japan
In this column, our original company character ‘Planet-ta-kun’ will travel to tourist spots in Japan that are popular with overseas visitors and will introduce some topics related to the charms and inbound expenditure of these places.
In the northern part of the Chubu Region’s north-south tourist route lies the towns of Shirakawa-go, Gokayama, Takayama and Hida Furukawa. Tourists from all over the world, from Europe to the Middle East and of course Asia, are visiting this area in search of townscapes that give a sense of ‘Japaneseness’, as well as rich nature, delicious food, skilled artisans and outstanding hospitality. This time we will start by introducing three staff from Heiwa Medic Co.,Ltd., a company which is using our services, as well as asking many people about the popular secrets of this area.
Shirakawa-go
Shirakawa-go was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1995. Interest has built year by year and in 2015, over 1.7 million tourists visited the small village of just 1600 people. Many people come to see the snow, in particular those from Southeast Asia, but recently, starting with French tourists, the numbers of European tourists have been increasing!
Gokayama (Toyama Prefecture)
The ‘gassho-zukuri’ farmhouses of Gokayama and Shirakawa-go together form the World Heritage Site. The rustic atmosphere gives the villages a pleasant vibe.
Rental cars
Over the past one to two years, the numbers of foreign tourists hiring cars for private travel has increased, regardless of nationality.
Hida Furukawa
Three stops along from Takayama Station, heading towards Toyama, is Hida Furukawa. Domestically, this area has started to attract attention due to the release of a 2016 popular animation set in the region. However, the number of foreign tourists has also been increasing over the past few years. They come to cycle around the countryside areas!
This is an area popular with foreign tourists who are interested in architecture and design, more so than those who just like visiting sightseeing spots.
Takayama
You can often see European tourists walking the Higashiyama Walking Course and visiting the old temple areas where Japanese people don’t usually go.
The expressions of department, title, etc. in the article are based on those at the time of interview.
