The government is set to accelerate a major project to vitalize the nighttime economy in rural areas. It plans to light up such facilities as art and other museums as well as national parks in the evening, while extending the opening hours of those public places. It also intends to help establish a system to recognize bars and restaurants where people can enjoy dining a sense of with security even at night in an aim to increase consumption and the number of nights visitors spend in rural areas.
The Destination Management/Marketing Organization will lead the efforts by inviting concrete plans for the project. The organization is comprised mainly of local tourism associations. The government hopes that tourist facilities and their nearby restaurants and commercial facilities will work together to promote nighttime consumption while ensuring the availability of transportation.
One billion yen has been appropriated for related expenses in the budget for fiscal 2020 to cover the costs associated with lighting up, demonstration experiments and other such activities.
Efforts to improve the nighttime economy are spreading nationwide, particularly in urban areas. With primarily foreign tourists in mind, a demonstration experiment of a night cruise service using yakatabune, or roofed boats with a tatami room inside, is being conducted on the Sumida River, in the Odaiba seaside area and elsewhere in Tokyo. A system to recognize bars and restaurants where people can enjoy safe nighttime dining has also started in some regions. It is hoped that these efforts will be expanded to local areas.
Furthermore, the government aims to increase the consumption of visitors in Japan to 8 trillion yen this year. Spending per foreign visitor is ideally expected to reach 200,000, yen although it is currently at about 150,000 yen.
It has been pointed out that Japanese cities are lagging behind other major cities in terms of nighttime economy.
According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the scale of the nighttime economy in London is 3.7 trillion yen, creating 720,000 jobs. Popular tourist attractions there include the Ghost Bus Tours, led by guides disguised as ghosts. Also, the subway runs 24 hours a day on weekends in the city.
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