{"id":30527,"date":"2021-02-16T05:04:12","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T05:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/?p=30527"},"modified":"2025-02-20T08:35:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T08:35:38","slug":"time-travelling-to-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/16\/time-travelling-to-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Time travelling to Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p>No travel to Japan for a whole year. It\u2019s the longest I\u2019ve stayed away since 1998, and it\u2019s starting to make me fidgety. More and more, I find myself zoning out of my inbox and imagining myself back in my second home, surrounded by familiar and longed-for sights, smells and sounds.<\/p>\n<p>Travel is going to be different after Covid, and so is Japan. But in what ways? Strangely enough, despite all that\u2019s changed in the past 20 years, I suspect that visiting post-pandemic Japan will be a bit like stepping back in time \u2014 for a brief period, at least.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30548\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30548\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30548 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-720x480.jpg\" alt=\"Wide angle shot of the entrance to Chinatown in Yokohama at sunset\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Yokohama-Ryuji-PIXTA.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30548\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yokohama in December 2020 &#8211; Ryuji\/Pixta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Japan at the turn of the millennium<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the year 2000. The Nokia 3310 is the undisputed king of the burgeoning mobile phone market, Bill Clinton is seeing out his final year playing his saxophone in the White House, and the world has yet to be spun off its axis by the events of 9-11. This is also the year that my university friend, Simon, and I started InsideJapan Tours, with the mission to share the joy of Japan with the world.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30608\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30608\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30608 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1-720x487.jpg\" alt=\"Young man wearing sunglasses stretches his arms in front of traditional torii gates\" width=\"720\" height=\"487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1-720x487.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1-768x519.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1-564x381.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1-900x608.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1-390x264.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1-780x527.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1-510x345.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Takayama-2000-001-1.jpg 984w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30608\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young Alastair on a visit to Takayama in 2000<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Back then, Japan\u2019s 1990s bubble had just burst, but it was still the world\u2019s second biggest economy \u2014 pumping out cars, Sony Discmans, precision-engineered cameras and gorgeously sleek flat-screen TVs. A little bit of Japan was in nearly every home across the Western world, and yet in tourism terms it still felt exotic and expensive \u2014 somewhere a friend of a friend might have been to once, on business. To visit felt like being in on an incredible secret. This was the most amazing civilisation on earth, and nobody knew about it!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30551\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30551\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30551 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-720x410.jpg\" alt=\"Passersby walk around in Akihabara during the first decade of the year 2000\" width=\"720\" height=\"410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-720x410.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-1024x583.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-768x437.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-564x321.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-1200x683.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-900x513.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-390x222.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-780x444.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo-510x290.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Akihabara-Electric-town-Tokyo.jpg 1345w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30551\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Akihabara Electric Town in the early noughties<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As I (somewhat haphazardly) led my first clients around the country as a novice tour leader, we were greeted by the Japanese with a friendly but bemused nervousness. A linguistically challenged group of foreigners, eager to slurp down bowls of ramen and have our first taste of real sushi, we were a source of constant surprise and curiosity \u2014 from our willingness to have a go with chopsticks to our bizarre dietary requirements (\u201cYou don\u2019t eat meat? Not even bacon?\u201d).<\/p>\n<p><strong>The dawn of mass tourism<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Two decades later, Western tourists were no longer a novelty in Japan\u2019s most popular destinations. Visitor numbers had soared, with over 30 million foreign arrivals in 2019. Japan featured prominently at the top of holidaymakers\u2019 bucket lists. You might even say it had gone mainstream.<\/p>\n<p>Inevitably, this meant the \u201cJapan experience\u201d had changed. A lot of the changes have been positive, making Japan more accessible to more people than ever before. A proliferation of boutique experience providers now enable visitors to try their hand at everything from tea ceremony to theatrical sword fighting. All major destinations are now well signposted in English, and museums offer multilingual headsets. Where we used to have to translate the menus for our favourite restaurants, now every establishment has its own \u2014 not just in English, but in Chinese, Korean, and even Spanish. Even vegetarians are now well catered for!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30233\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30233\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30233 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-720x540.jpg\" alt=\"Smiling waitress wearing traditional clothes serves sake to a group of customers in a Kyoto restaurant\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-564x423.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10-510x383.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8.-Kyoto-Yasaka-Tempura-Endo-10.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30233\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yasaka Tempura Endo in Kyoto, always welcoming guests from all over the world<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But as we\u2019ve seen the world over, from Machu Picchu to Venice, too many tourists are a bad thing. I\u2019ve been dismayed with the Japanese government\u2019s obsession with numbers. 20 million, 30 million, 60 million \u2013 a seemingly endless ratcheting up of the inbound travel conveyor belt. Of course, even in 2019 you could still step away from the tourist trail and find a Japan as-yet untouched by mass tourism \u2014 but visit only little-known destinations and you\u2019ll miss out on some of the best of Japan. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/kyoto\/\">Kyoto<\/a> and Tokyo will always be special, no matter how popular they become, but at a certain point I couldn\u2019t help feeling nostalgic for the days when my small group of intrepid tourists had them all to ourselves.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Looking past the pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The pandemic has, of course, changed everything. At the time of writing, no tourists have arrived in Japan since April 2020. The clackety-clack of suitcase wheels on the pavements of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/japanese-destinations\/tokyo\/\">Tokyo<\/a> is gone, and its thousands of restaurants and hotels are eerily quiet. Even in Kyoto, that most over-touristed of Japanese cities, locals have begun to miss the buzz that tourists bring, and businesses are hurting in their absence.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30554\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30554\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30554 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-720x480.jpg\" alt=\"Uncrowded shot of Tokyo's famous red gate, Kaminarimon, during the state of emergency in January 2021\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Kaminarimon-in-Jan-2021-Ryuji-Pixta.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30554\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaminarimon minus the crowds, Asakusa, in January 2021 &#8211; Ryuji\/Pixta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But this is all temporary. When borders finally re-open, I believe that Japan will, once again, offer the best of that experience I had with my clients all those years ago. A chance to be a post-Covid pioneer, and to bask in the warmth of all that pent-up <em>omotenashi <\/em>(Japan\u2019s unique version of hospitality). To be one of those first few returning visitors to see the maples of Miyajima resplendent in the red, orange and gold of autumn; to celebrate the dawning of a pandemic-free spring under the cherry blossoms; to look around and feel incredibly lucky that all this is once again available to be experienced and cherished.<\/p>\n<p>For a while at least, I think we can pretty much guarantee there will be <em>far <\/em>fewer visitors from overseas in Japan. But this isn\u2019t just a numbers game.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30557\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30557\" style=\"width: 720px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30557 size-half-width\" src=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-720x480.jpg\" alt=\"Stock photo of two paper cranes, with the words &quot;Japan Social Distancing&quot; and two hearts between them\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-564x376.jpg 564w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/insidejapan.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Social-distancing-cranes-Japan-patchii-Pixta.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30557\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Japan in the post-Covid world &#8211; patchii\/Pixta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We anticipate that \u201clow-touch\u201d trips are going to be increasingly popular in the post-Covid world, with visitors choosing to stop in fewer places but spend longer in each. Join this movement and you\u2019ll be rewarded with a richer experience, with plenty of time to really get beneath the surface \u00a0 Previously overcrowded destinations such as Kyoto\u2019s Gion district or the floating shrine gate of Miyajima Island won\u2019t be deserted (the Japanese <strong><em>love<\/em><\/strong> to travel in their own country), but they will be calmer, quieter, and feel much more special for it.<\/p>\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F30527\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! No travel to Japan for a whole year. It\u2019s the longest I\u2019ve stayed away since 1998, and it\u2019s starting to make me fidgety. More and more, I find myself zoning out of my inbox and imagining myself back in my second home, surrounded by familiar and longed-for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2363,1,2356,2361],"tags":[1310,4788,4849,4985,4988],"class_list":["post-30527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-world-of-insidejapan-tours","category-uncategorized","category-japanese-miscellaneous-blog-posts","category-when-to-go-to-japan","tag-asakusa","tag-covid19","tag-after-covid","tag-future-of-travel","tag-social-distancing"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30527"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34787,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30527\/revisions\/34787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}