Japan has been soaring in popularity with the East Asian nation expected to be one of the most popular overseas destinations for Australians to travel to this summer – but it has had a disastrous week.
On New Year’s Day the Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan was devastated by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake, which triggered tsunami waves, killed at least 84 people and injured at least 330 people, local authorities said.
The next day, a packed Japan Airlines flight was landing at Haneda Airport, officially Tokyo International Airport, when it crashed into a Japan Coast Guard aircraft that was preparing to takeoff.
Both planes burst into flames and while 379 people – including 12 Australians – miraculously escaped the Airbus A350, five of the six people on the smaller Bombardier Dash-8 plane died.
While the two tragic events continued to make international headlines on Thursday, another event gained global attention: four people were stabbed on a train in Tokyo.
Kenny Onishi, general manager of Japan operations at Melbourne-born company Intrepid Travel, told news.com.au that after what went down this week, tourism was likely to take a bit of a hit.
“Like any major event, this is likely to have a short-term impact on tourism as potential visitors might reconsider their travel plans due to safety concerns,” he said.
“These incidents often lead to immediate reactions and a temporary decline in tourist numbers as people wait for the situation to stabilise.”
Fortunately, Japan’s reputation as a safe country, will be on its side, Mr Onishi said.
“Japan’s reputation for being one of the safest and most well-prepared countries in terms of disaster response will mitigate these concerns over time,” he explained, urging Aussies to not wipe Japan from their itineraries.
“Travel and the economic benefits it brings are essential to rebuild areas affected by any disaster,” he said. “It’s important for the travel industry and tourists alike to support their favourite destinations during these difficult times by continuing to travel, when it’s safe to do so.”
Japan Airline’s ‘out of the ordinary’ move after plane crash
Travellers flying in and out of Haneda Airport have faced cancellations and delays this week following the plane crash.
Japan Airlines (JAL) is also offering refunds to those who no longer want to fly with them.
JAL estimates the disaster could result in a loss of about 15 billion yen ($105 million), while the loss of the actual aircraft should be covered by insurance.
Customers travelling on both domestic and international JAL flights, including codeshare, through to March 31 can get their tickets refunded without any fees, but they must do so by January 31.
Australian aviation expert Keith Tonkin told news.com.au it was a move “a bit out the ordinary,” especially considering everyone on the flight survived and JAL were “unlikely to be found to have too much fault”.
“It’s certainly something that will be looked upon favourably by the people who have been affected. There has been a lot of other situations in the recent past where there have been problems and the airlines have refused to refund.”
The crash is under investigation but transcripts released by Japan’s ministry of transport suggest the JAL plane had been given permission to land, while the smaller plane had not been cleared for takeoff.
Mr Tonkin said naturally there would be people who would be concerned about flying and this disaster could tip them over the edge in deciding not to, leading them to take up the refund.
However, he said he expects that we will not see much more than “a very small blip in their overall passenger numbers going forward”.
“Lots of other airlines in the past have suffered much more catastrophic outcomes where they’ve had an aircraft crash with significant fatalities and generally they come back from that,” he said.
“Qantas ran a [Boeing] 747 off the end of the runway in Bangkok in 1999 and everyone walked off that aircraft – it wasn’t a great look for Qantas but they have recovered obviously and continued to go well.
“[Japan Airlines] is still flying, it’s still selling tickets, and it will recover, although it has acknowledged it is likely to suffer financial consequences of people choosing not to fly with them in the short-term.”
Warning to ‘remain vigilant’ amid unfolding situation
The 7.6 magnitude earthquake was said to be one of more than 50 quakes of 3.2 magnitude or more to rock the Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year’s Day.
It triggered tsunami waves at least 1.2 metres high in Wajima, and a series of smaller tsunamis were reported elsewhere.
AFP reported on Thursday, three days later, rescuers were still searching for dozens of missing people, around 30,000 households were without electricity, and 89,800 homes there and in two neighbouring regions had no water. Hundreds were sleeping in emergency shelters.
The Australian government has warned travellers of extensive damage to infrastructure, disruptions to essential services, and a risk of aftershocks that could affect surrounding areas. “If you are in Ishikawa, Toyama, Niigata, Fukui, Gifu, or Nagano prefectures, monitor the media and follow the advice of local authorities,” the Australian Smartraveller website advises.
Mr Onishi said travellers in the area should do their research.
“If you are travelling to those regions in the next couple of weeks then consider changing your route as the clean-up and rebuild will take time,” he said.
“It’s advised that tourists in other areas in Japan should exercise a normal degree of caution, but remain vigilant about the unfolding situation.”
Japan a top destination for Aussies
Intrepid Travel’s trips to Japan have been increased by 51 per cent this year to cope with the growing demand for travel to the country.
In 2023, Japan was the eighth most popular destination among Intrepid’s Australia and New Zealand bookings. It was the top-selling destination for Australian travellers during Intrepid’s Cyber Sale in late November.
The company takes about 300,000 people on about 1000 trips a year to more than 120 countries. Most trips are 7 to 14 days long and are groups of about 10 people, who travel with a local leader.
Mr Onishi said Japan was appealing to Australians for its relatively short flight time while still offering a “unique and other-worldly experience”.
“Japan is a destination that you can hit the hotspots within an 8-10 day itinerary, making it feasible for travellers with limited time,” he said.
“The train system also makes it extremely easy to get from point A to point B in a short amount of time.
“Japan’s rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes, from the bustling streets of Tokyo to the cherry blossom gardens of Kyoto and the snow-capped mountains of Hokkaido, provide a wide array of experiences for travellers seeking adventure or relaxation.”
Japan is expected to be one of the most popular overseas destinations for Australians this summer.
Tourism and Transport Forum Australia’s (TTF) summer holiday survey found the top international destination this year is New Zealand, followed by anywhere in Europe, and then Japan.
TTF chief executive Margy Osmond told news.com.au Japan had been growing in popularity for some time.
“Japan is becoming a favourite Aussie hotspot,” she said.
For the first time in eight years, Bali was dethroned as Aussies’ favourite spot for international travel over summer on Expedia’s ranking. Tokyo took the top spot instead.
Coming in third was Singapore, followed by Japan’s Osaka and Kyoto.
Expedia brands managing director Daniel Finch said cost of living pressures at home were causing Aussies to shake up their holiday plans.
The Japanese yen plummeted to a 15-year low against the euro in 2023.
“Japan is a really good option for people who don’t want to travel to North America or Europe but who want the snow,” Mr Finch said.
Japan has also been proved incredibly popular by Airbnb data.
A whopping eight out of the top 10 international destinations Aussies were searching for most on Airbnb from January 1 to September 15 for stays in November and December were in Japan.
Japan removed all its Covid-related travel requirements for tourists in April, including the need for Covid testing and vaccination certificates.
It means this is the first summer holiday period for Australians in years that they are able to travel freely.