Japan Tops Trending Locations For Family Vacations

Above, Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion in Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With vacation season not in to the too distant future, people are beginning to think about where to take the family.

It seems that Japan tops the list of places for family vacations.

According to The Jakarta Post:

Already wondering where to go with your family this summer? Online accommodation giant Airbnb recently shared a list of trending vacation destinations. 

More and more families are branching out according to the list and visiting countries like Brazil and Iceland, but it is Japan that tops the list with two cities, Osaka and Kyoto.

Besides Osaka and Kyoto being on the list, other places are noteworthy for making the list. Number 4 on the list is Malibu, California.

To read more, go here.

Foreigners Avoiding Tohoku Region

Above, Matsushima Bay.  Photo by Armand Vaquer

While the Japanese tourism industry has been recovering pretty well in general, it isn't the case for the Tohoku region.

The Jakarta Post reported:

Many foreign tourists are avoiding trips to the disaster-hit prefectures of Iwate, Fukushima and Miyagi due to lingering concerns about radioactive contamination and fears that another major earthquake or tsunami could strike the Tohoku region.

The number of tourists to the prefectures plunged after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Although Japanese visitors have gradually returned in growing numbers, the same cannot be said for visitors from overseas. The number of foreigners staying overnight in the prefectures nose-dived to about 90,000 in 2011 from about 330,000 in 2010.

It likely will take more time before visitor numbers return to the level seen before the March 11, 2011, disaster.

The Tohoku region has much to offer in scenic beauty, particularly Matsushima Bay. It has been often compared to Carmel, California in scenic beauty.

The businesses who cater to tourists need visitors to stay afloat. I would urge potential Japan visitors to go there.

To read the full article, go here.