‘Japan Travel House’ opens to help promote the Land of the Rising Sun

The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) and the Japanese embassy in Doha have inaugurated the “Japan Travel House” at The Pearl Island, offering comprehensive information and expert assistance for prospective travellers eager to explore the Land of the Rising Sun.
The event, held at Junko Sushi and Japanese Dining, was attended by Japanese ambassador Satoshi Maeda, JNTO Dubai Office executive director Daisuke Kobayashi, Reach Out To Asia brand ambassador and first Qatari to climb Mount Everest Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulla al-Thani, and other dignitaries, among other guests.
Described as a “pioneering initiative” that will be in operation until February next year, this unique information hub was launched on the occasion of the opening of Expo 2023 Doha and is expected to strengthen the relations between Qatar and Japan, especially in the area of tourism.
Speaking at the event, ambassador Maeda expressed confidence that this latest JNTO initiative will significantly bolster tourism to Japan, potentially propelling the country into the top five destinations on every traveller’s “must-visit” list.
“This is an excellent initiative taken by the JNTO to promote outbound tourism from Qatar to Japan, in collaboration with Junko Sushi and Japanese Dining Restaurant on the occasion of the opening of Expo 2023 Doha,” he said.
In the context of Qatar-Japan bilateral relations, the envoy noted that tourism emerges as a promising sector for growth.
This, he stressed, is underscored by the notable increase in tourists travelling from Qatar to Japan and vice-versa in recent years.
“Tourism is also an effective way to foster mutual understanding and friendship as well as to promote economies of the two countries,” Maeda said. “Given this recognition, upon Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida’s visit to Qatar this July, the prime minister and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani stressed the importance of the tourism sector in developing the Japan-Qatar bilateral relations.”
“Therefore, I see this event as a driving force to further advance the bilateral relations between the two countries,” he added.
He pointed out that visiting Japan has recently become more convenient due to an increase in direct flights between Qatar and Japan; Qatar Airways already operates two daily direct flights between Doha and Tokyo (Narita and Haneda).
According to the envoy, the Japanese government implemented a visa waiver measure for Qatari nationals in April, which was followed by online passport registration in August.
This measure, he added, has greatly streamlined travel procedures, making it much more accessible for Qatari nationals to visit Japan for tourism.
As a destination, he described Japan as a land of rich culture, tradition, cuisine, stunning natural beauty and cutting-edge technology that has plenty of unique experiences to offer to visitors in every season.
“Signature touristic attractions include beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring, lively traditional festivals and fireworks in the summer, picturesque coloured leaves in the autumn and beautiful white snow and hot springs in the winter,” Maeda said. “Some of the popular touristic places include Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka, Okinawa and Hokkaido among many others.”
JNTO’s Kobayashi echoed Maeda’s view, saying that the number of visitors from Qatar to Japan increased significantly since the relaxation of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic-related border measures at the end of last year in Japan.
In 2023, from January to August, he noted that the number of Qataris visiting Qatar has surged by approximately 120% compared to the corresponding period in 2019.
This upward trend has persisted since September as well.
“According to a survey conducted by the JNTO, more than 90% of GCC citizens answered that they would like to visit Japan, but more than 90% of GCC citizens said they haven’t actually visited Japan yet,” Kobayashi said. “One major factor is the lack of tourist information about Japan available in Qatar and GCC.”
“I believe many people are interested in Japan itself, but at the same time, I think there are many people who have a vague anxiety because they do not have a clear image of travelling to an unknown country such as Japan,” he added. “In order to fill this huge gap, the JNTO is setting up the ‘Japan Travel House’ as a base in Qatar for disseminating information about Japan.”