Osaka Is Japan's Fastest Growing Tourist Destination

Above, a view of Osaka Business Park from Osaka Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo has long been the primary destination for foreign visitors to Japan, but Osaka is catching up as it is Japan's fastest growing tourist destination.

Of course, Godzilla fans make pilgrimages to Osaka to see Osaka Castle, where Godzilla and Anguirus battled in Godzilla Raids Again (1955) and Osaka Business Park, which was featured (and destroyed) in Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989).

According to Gulf Today:

Osaka, long Japan’s “second city,” is winning the race against Tokyo to draw foreign tourists, but after a boom, its retailers and property developers are adapting to shifting tourism spending patterns. 

Inbound tourism to Osaka surged five-fold between 2012 and 2017, faster than visits to Tokyo, as the city lured low-cost carriers and promoted itself as a base to visit the 25 World Heritage sites in nearby Kyoto and Nara. 

Initially, developers and retailers scrambled to build new hotels, expand floor space, and install cashless payment systems like AliPay and WeChat to keep up with the sudden influx of big-spending tourists, mostly from China. 

But tourism is entering a new phase now, where instead of loading up on luxury brands, visitors want to spend more on services like makeup consulting, maternity goods, and other cheaper items.

To read more, go here.