TOKYO, Dec. 15 ― As more foreign visitors have appreciated Japanese food, the agriculture ministry will soon launch a project that provides them with information on a full range of food experiences in Japan.
The idea is, by providing new experiences in rural areas and getting foreign tourists to share their images on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, to encourage repeat visits and generate new revenue in Japan.
According to a survey conducted by the agriculture ministry, the top list to do for foreign visitors once they arrive in Japan was: eat Japanese food.
In fact, while visiting Japan, foreign tourists spent a record 345.6 billion yen on food in 2017.
Amid an influx of foreign tourists, more local governments have offered food tourism programs in order to showcase landscape, history and culture through agricultural produce, food and local cuisine.
In the same vein, the agriculture ministry is pushing farmers to diversity into agri-tourism, by promoting farm stays in rural villages to revitalize local economies. It offers tourists an opportunity to experience traditional Japanese countryside life.