A poster inside JR Yamaguchi Station promotes the city's selection in the US newspaper, showcasing its appeal to tourists. August 23, Yamaguchi City. (©Sankei)
Nearly three-quarters of a year has passed since January when the New York Times selected Yamaguchi City as one of the "52 Places to Go in 2024." The 2023 pick, Morioka City, experienced a surge of domestic and international tourists. That was partly due to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, but the momentum continues.
So, how is Yamaguchi City, often called the "Kyoto of the West" for its scenic beauty, doing? I visited the city to explore and see if there have been any noticeable changes.
When I arrived in late August, Yamaguchi City was in the grip of an intense heatwave. At JR Yuda Onsen Station, home to the hot spring mentioned in the New York Times article, temperatures had soared past 37°C (98.6°F). There were few tourists to be found. While having lunch at a local diner near the station, I asked the owner how business had been. She grimaced and simply said, "There's nothing." The influx of visitors hasn't matched expectations.
No Hoards at a National Treasure
JR Yamaguchi Station is the closest stop to the city's main attraction. That is the National Treasure Rurikoji Temple's five-storied pagoda.
Posters announcing Yamaguchi as one of the "52 Places to Go in 2024" are on display throughout the station. These posters, featuring photos from local festivals, capture the community's high hopes. However, locals feel little impact. A taxi driver shared, "There's hardly any effect. Maybe just a slight increase in Western tourists…"
A 10-minute taxi ride from the station through Yamaguchi's lush cityscape brought me to Kozan Park. The main attraction is Rurikoji Temple's five-storied pagoda. However, it is currently undergoing its first major renovation in 70 years, with construction expected to last until fall 2025. Like elsewhere, tourists were few. A staff member at a nearby cafe gave a wry smile and commented, "The feature in the US newspaper hasn't had the impact we hoped for. We'll just have to do our best."
Missing Tourism Economic Boost
Many workers in tourist areas have yet to experience the anticipated economic boost, and the numbers reflect this. Yuda Spa Cooperative in Yamaguchi City reports on the total number of domestic and international tourists (excluding school trips). From January to July 2024, the spa cooperative saw a slight decline of 3.2% year-on-year, totaling 191,295 visitors.
However, inbound tourism alone saw a 43.1% increase, reaching 8,561 visitors. While Taiwan and South Korea have traditionally been the main sources of these visitors, Western tourists rose by 33.8% to 922. This growth can likely be credited to the city's feature in the New York Times.
Morioka City's Big Boost
Compared to Morioka City, which was selected in 2023, Yamaguchi's performance feels somewhat underwhelming. According to estimates from Iwagin R & Consulting, based in Morioka, foreign visitors to that city increased by more than 60,000 in 2023 compared to 2018. This surge created an economic ripple effect exceeding ¥1.8 billion JPY ($12.3 million USD).
In May, Associate Professor Shinya Kato from Yamaguchi University's Faculty of Economics conducted an interindustry analysis using Morioka's data. He estimated that Yamaguchi Prefecture could see an economic impact of ¥9 billion ($61.5 million). His projection for Yamaguchi City included attracting 912,000 tourists over the year, with 55,000 expected to be inbound visitors.
However, the actual figures fall short of these predictions. Professor Kato observed, "Tourists were coming from both Japan and abroad up until the [Golden Week] holiday period in May. However, the impact has since diminished. It seems the attention has already faded." He emphasized the need for a coordinated promotional effort between the public and private sectors.
Promoting Yamaguchi City
Following its feature in the New York Times, Yamaguchi City launched several promotional initiatives. These included a discussion between Craig Mod, the American writer who endorsed the city, and Mayor Kazuki Ito. They also ran ads in Fukuoka City's subway and distributed flyers with coupons at hotels in Hiroshima.
A city representative mentioned that tourism has been "gradually increasing," though they have yet to reach their full potential. Yamaguchi City also wants to strengthen its social media presence. Therefore, the city plans to collaborate with Yamaguchi University to enhance the official city YouTube channel, Yamaguchannel.
Experience the 'Warmth of the People'
Yamaguchi City may have struggled to attract the hoped-for visitors and hasn't achieved the expected economic impact. Nevertheless, the warmth of its people is what stood out to me during my visit. Craig Mod described his interaction with one of the local residents, saying, "I felt an immediate and pervasive kinship with him."
As I walked around, I experienced the same. Passersby greeted me warmly, and I could easily see how Mod felt his heart warmed by these interactions.
Many of the locals I spoke with modestly remarked, "There's nothing in Yamaguchi City." However, I came away convinced that the city's true treasure is its warm and welcoming residents.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author and photographer: Koya Chida
