Where Are the Popular Spots? A Ranking of Social Media Posts by Foreign Visitors to Japan

The number of foreigners visiting Japan has grown yearly and the inbound consumption by foreign visitors in Japan has ballooned to a level indispensable to Japanese consumption. In 2016, the number of foreign visitors in Japan reached a record 24 million 39 thousand (up 21.8% against the previous year).

Approximately 90,000 social media postings on such sites as China's largest social media site, Weibo, and Twitter by foreign visitors to Japan during their stay were analyzed to create an overall ranking, as well as rankings in five categories, of tourist spots around the country from which the posts were made.

In the overall ranking, USJ and Tokyo Disneyland ranked high above other destinations. It is thought that the fact that both these places are open all season and offer a variety of exciting experiences that trigger social media posts pushed up the total annual number of posts, resulting in a much higher number than Mt. Fuji, which placed third, and other destinations.

Tokyo Tower, Osaka Castle, and Senso-ji ranked in the top three of tourist destinations that are primarily to "see" historical structures and landmarks, showing that architecture that represents Japan drew attention.

USJ and Tokyo Disneyland had by far the largest number of social media posts among tourist destinations with rides and experiences meant for "having fun." As expected, these two iconic facilities seem to be popular among foreigners.

Among tourist spots where the main objective is to eat food and drinks and fresh ingredients, Tsukiji Market was top and Kani Douraku came in second. Although the emphasis is on eating, it appears gourmet spots that are fun to look at tend to have more posts.

In addition, Ueno Park, Shibuya Crossing, and Enoshima also made it into the rankings. The results indicate that places unique to Japan with experiences that can only be had in Japan tend to elicit social media posts. 【TokyoWalker/米木】