Travel Reservations in Japan Experience a Rise

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Japan’s tourism sector is booming and the evidence is clear. According to the trains of Japan Railways Group and some of the country’s major airlines, seat reservations for the festive season have increased since last year. The data of the companies, which was presented on Friday, showed these results visibly.

According to six JR group firms, till Thursday, the seats reserved on express train and on Shinkansen trains from the dates 27 December till 5 January, 2013 has grown by six percent to a staggering 3.43 million. Seats reserved for domestic flights were also seen to go up by 17 percent to a colossal 4.13 million and reservations on international flights were seen to go up by seven percent to 790,000 for the time between 20 December and 8 January. The calendar dates have affected these figures as both 28 December and 5 January are weekends. This will allow workers to take a long break which will include the three day New Year holiday from 1 January.

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According to an official of Japan Railway Co. The train reservations have increased because of the rise in tourism and the fact that people are usually go back to their hometowns during this time of the year. The official also mentioned that the number of tourists going skiing has increased over the year. The Company have also claimed that reservations of seats have increased in bullet and other trains going to the Nagano Prefecture and Tohoku region. 

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However, Hokkaido Railway Co. have suffered a drop in seat reservation as the company, that was already targeted for shoddy rail checks, has reduced its number of restricted express trains, losing out on customers to a variety of buses.

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Flights to Chinese destinations have drawn more customers after the Senkaku Islands issue lessened the demands earlier this year. All Nippon Airways returned to their 2011 figures with the rise in reservations and Japan Airlines enjoyed a fabulous six percent growth. Comparatively, flight reservations to South Korea dropped 12 percent at JAL because of the decline of the South Korean pop culture that was growing in popularity in Japan.

Therefore, Japan has experienced a massive growth in holiday travel reservations this year due to locals and tourists.

Kagurazaka Slope: One of the Greatest Tourist Attractions of Japan

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Are you planning to go to Japan anytime soon? If yes, then you might want to find out a little about the country before you visit. If you want to visit unique areas of Japan, then it is best to do an in-depth study of the place. There are various places where you can visit but if you want to go to a place that is not too crowded and something other than a castle or a colossal statue of Buddha, then you may consider taking a trip to Kagurazaka Slope. This place is in the middle of the Yamanote line in Tokyo. In this area, years ago, politicians, artists and Geishas used to mingle.

The word Kagurazaka is a combination of two words, kagura and saka. Kagura means ‘a shrine-dance to music’ and saka means ‘hill’. This area of Tokyo is very beautiful. Most of the area had to be rebuilt as it was burned during an air raid in 1920. However, even after restoration, it looks a lot like what it used to look like in the 17th century.

A Kagurazaka festival takes place on a yearly basis every July and is one of the greatest Japan tourist attractions. The festival includes a Hozuki Ichi which literally means ‘ground cherry pod festival’, and parades that feature folk dancers called Awa Odori. The area is great to explore during the time of the festival. As the events of the festival are scheduled in the evening, you can start early in the day to explore this beautiful area. This was the area where Geisha culture or Karyukai was born. Around 1910, around 600 Geisha made this area their home. In fact, till date, a few Geisha houses or Ryotei, still operate out of this area. You can also grab yourself a copy of a walking guide of this place, which will make things easier for you.

Awa Odori, the folk dance, on Kagurazaka Slope

This is the highlight of the entire festival. This local dance is performed by 15 dance troupes who parade down the Kagurazaka Dori.

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Hozuki Ichi

The Hozuki Ichi is hosted near the area around the temple Bishamonten Zenkokuji. You take a lovely stroll through the beer garden and enjoy the fair.

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This is truly a unique and wonderful place to visit on your next trip to Japan. Read up on it before you go, so that it is easier for you.