Selling Nara to the Well Heeled

This is the sixth entry in our multi-part series on marketing Japan to affluent foreign tourists.

Is shop till you drop about to stop among the inbound? Well, an abrupt halt seems unlikely, but the sight of hordes of tourists leaving the shores of Nippon with bags and boxes of merchandise, homeward bound like so many packhorses, will become increasingly rare. This is only to be expected, considering the prevalence of online shopping, as was recently acknowledged in an article appearing in The Japan News. “…[the] consumption of goods, once the main consumptive activity of foreign visitors to Japan, has leveled off. They spent ¥1.395 trillion in 2023, down from ¥1.669 trillion in 2019.”¹ In the same article, an unnamed executive at a “major travel agency” is quoted thus: “…because wealthy travelers have high expectations for services, it is necessary to provide them with experiences that they can enjoy only during their trips.”²

From the aforementioned it would appear that Noh, or highlights therefrom, would qualify as a primary candidate for meeting some of those “high expectations.” Of course to appreciate fully the theatrical form, the high-end visitor will need more than guidebook guidance to navigate the unfamiliar waters, lest he be shipwrecked on the shoals of mask symbolism and usage, the goings-on of the man-in-the-mirror (hint: not the “Gloved One”) while in the mirror room, and many other aspects of the genre. Providing this input in a city like Nara will imbue the whole experience with a level of authenticity that no academic setting can rival, especially if the food (e.g., Nara-zuke) and drink (e.g., doburoku) being served up at the same time are significantly linked to the locale.

Enticing well-heeled and well-educated foreign tourists by offering an authentic theatrical experience, be it either abbreviated or immersive in nature, should not prove difficult. It goes without saying, of course, that such visitors will require accommodations that match their lifestyle and expectations. Here, too, it is relatively easy for Japan to provide what is needed: there is no shortage of high-end hotels that can offer their guests opulence, a plethora of amenities, and fine wining and dining. But what about that tiny cohort living up there in the stratosphere, those who breathe the rarefied air at the top of the income pyramid? Will they be especially attracted by things to which they are already accustomed? Or are they more likely to check into a hotel that offers them a “Luxury Collection”?

¹Suzuki, R. “Hotel Industry Emphasizes Quality to Attract Foreign Tourists,” The Japan News (January 19, 2024).

²Ibid.