05 August 2010

Visitors to Japan swap shopping for sashimi

Japanese cuisine was the main motivation for Australians travelling to Japan in 2009, according to results of the Japan National Tourism OrganizationÃ¢â¬â¢s (JNTO) annual survey of international visitors.

Seventy two percent of Australian respondents cited Japanese cuisine as the number one reason for their trip.

These results show that Australians enjoy a range of Japanese food with their interest going beyond just the ubiquitous sushi.

Other motivations for visiting Japan cited by Australians were shopping which came in second, followed by visiting historic landmarks, visiting busy downtown areas and experiencing the local lifestyle.

The survey also showed that Australians are not alone in their love of Japanese food with 58.5 percent of all respondents citing Japanese food as the main purpose for their travel.

This resulted in Japanese cuisine being ranked number one in the entire survey, overtaking shopping which had occupied the top position each year since 2006.

The survey was conducted in the departures area of JapanÃ¢â¬â¢s eight major international airports and one major seaport.

Respondents were international visitors who had stayed in Japan for between two and 90 days.