If it feels like everyone you know is going to Japan, it’s because they are

There used to be a thing people would do when you mentioned you were travelling to Japan. “Isn’t it expensive?” they would ask.

Like, the food? The hotels? The trains? Plenty of travellers had the idea that they would like to go to Japan, but the price was an issue. There was a perception that the obvious joy of travel in the Land of the Rising Sun was tempered by the huge costs involved.

Australians are flocking to Japan in record numbers. The country is now our third most popular destination.Credit: iStock

You don’t hear that so much any more. That’s partly because there’s a greater understanding that Japan was never all that pricey if you didn’t want it to be: if you stayed in modest accommodation and ate food at casual restaurants and bought yourself a Japan Rail Pass to get around, you could see the country relatively affordably.

There’s also, however, a growing awareness that Japan is essentially on sale right now. Everything must go. The whole place is in the bargain bin, thanks to an incredibly friendly exchange rate.

Five years ago, if you had travelled to Japan, one of your shiny Australian dollars would have bought you 75 yen. If you visit today, that dollar will buy you 102 yen. That’s a 36 per cent increase.

What was once a $16 bowl of ramen now costs under $12. That modest hotel that was $266 a night is now $195. Admission to that cool exhibit was $56; now it’s $40. A day of skiing in Niseko was $126; it’s now $93.

So you can understand the attraction. You can start to see why it feels like every person you know is either planning a trip to Japan or has just come back from one.

Food is one very good reason to head to Japan.Credit: Bloomberg

And the numbers back that up: travel to Japan is up 12 per cent for the last 12 months compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Japan is the third most popular destination for Australian travellers now, behind only New Zealand and Indonesia. And recent data from booking.com shows Tokyo as the second-most-searched-for destination among Australians looking for a place to stay, up 25 per cent year on year (and behind only Seminyak).

Even countries close to Japan, perceived to offer similar experiences, are seeing a knock-on effect – travel to South Korea among Australians is up 28 per cent.

It helps, of course, that there are budget airlines with flights from Australia to Tokyo and Osaka. You can go direct with Jetstar. You can also stop along the way with the likes of AirAsia X and Scoot. Likewise, you can get good deals with China Airlines via Taipei. Even full-service carriers such as Qantas, ANA and JAL are offering good fares at the moment.

There’s more to the attraction than just affordability, however; more to the fact that Japan has been steadily building as a favourite for Australian travellers for some time now.

Take jet lag into account, or rather the lack of it. You get on a flight to Tokyo, you spend 10 hours or so on a plane, you get off and there’s been a one-hour time change.

Tourists are taking advantage of the weak yen.Credit: Bloomberg

If you’re a good sleeper on planes you can get a night flight, grab some shut-eye, wake up at your normal time and you’re in Japan, all set to go. Race out of the blocks. Go and get yourself some ramen.

There’s a perception, too, that Japan is a safe and predictable country to travel around, which is absolutely true. This is one of the safest countries in the world where petty crime is very rare.

In the past 10 years or so, there has also been a noticeable effort in large Japanese centres to increase signage in English, which makes the country much easier for novices to navigate. Apps such as Google Maps and translation services also help travellers easily clear some of the old roadblocks, any feelings of disorientation or an inability to communicate.

This feeling of safety and openness also helps to provide access to a culture that is very different from Australia’s and yet eminently enjoyable. Everything from onsen baths and ryokan stays to the hyper-modernity of arcade parlours and shopping malls, from the tiniest little bars specialising in your favourite music genre or drink to overnight stays in ancient temples and classes in tea-making, flower-arranging, martial arts or whatever it is you’re into … there are very few closed doors in Japan.

And we haven’t even talked about food. Australian travellers are becoming increasingly obsessed with food. We don’t want to just eat well when we travel – we will travel to eat well. And where is the food better than Japan?

This is a country that covers all bases, all styles, all budgets. Whether you’re snacking on $1 caneles from a convenience store (7-Eleven in Japan sells insanely good caneles), eating artisanal ramen for $12 a bowl, buying a bento box from a train station or dining on the finest kaiseki meal, you will almost always have a good gastronomic experience in Japan.

So, yes, if it feels like everyone is going to Japan right now or is planning to go or has just come back, there’s a reason for that. They are.