Osaka Is Asia's New Tourist Hotspot

Above, an entrance to Osaka's Dotonbori. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's tourism boom has benefited many areas of Japan, this is especially true of Japan's "second city" of Osaka.

Bloomberg.com has posted an article on Osaka's tourism boom and calls it "Asia's new tourist hotspot."

They begin with:

Amid the gloom and struggle that Osaka has gone through in recent years, a tourism boom has been an unexpected boon for Japan’s gritty second city. 

The commercial roots and boisterous and friendly people of Osaka and the surrounding Kansai region provides a contrast to the relative coolness and formality of Tokyo that’s winning favor with tourists from Northeast Asia.

The boom is boosting the local economy. Duty-free sales at department stores in the region were up almost 60 percent in the first eight months of this year from the same period in 2016, according to the central bank. The area’s relatively high unemployment rate has dropped considerably, to 4 percent last year, while the number of companies in Osaka grew 16 percent in the 12 months through March, faster than in Tokyo or across the whole nation.

Above, Osaka Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

 I visited Osaka two years ago and found the pace there more relaxed and the people to be quite friendly.

To read more, go here.