Tourism in Japan Today Essay Example

Tourism in Japan Today Essay Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner for many countries. Most of them are keen on creating an environment that is conducive and attractive for tourists. Governments and the private sector the world over market the tourist attractions within their jurisdictions to ensure they get a share of internationaltravelers. Local tourist destinations are also increasingly becoming popular with citizens of the country which the attractions are located being charged lower prices by the relevant entities to encourage them to visit and promote their tourism sites. People are usually interested in visiting new places, beautiful landscapes, sunny beaches, primitive societies and historical monuments among others. Asia as a continent prides itself in being the home to a significant proportion of international tourists. Japan is one of the biggest beneficiaries. The country is home to about nineteen world heritage sites. Japan has managed to keep intact key aspects of its culture, a factor that h as for years ensured it continuously attract tourists whoareinterested in learning more about the way of life of its people (McDowell 2015). Japans tourism industry is headed for great growth with current trends and future the government future targets set to see inbound visitors making sector become the countrys main source of employment. .The countrys tourism sector is recording steady growth. The number of tourists in Japan has been increasing in the recent years. The year 2016 has seen the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan rise to 2.3 million in the month of July alone (Japan National Tourism Organization 2016). The figure represents a 19.7 percent increase in terms of proportion compared to July of 2015. The figure surpassed that recorded in the month of April 2016 that initially had the highest figures for the year 2016 with the excess figure standing at 215000 visitors. The government had placed its estimates on inbound visitors at 20 million visitors by the year 2020 with last year missing the target by less than half a million with the figure standing at 19.7 million. The figure represents a 47.1% rise compared to that of the year 2014. The growth rate for the year 2016 is the highest since 1964 when the countrys national tourism organization started collecting data. Given the momentumwithwhich the tou rism sector is growing, the country is set to not only achieve the year 2020 target but also surpass it by ahugemargin. The success has got the government to start considering reviewing the target and setting a higher one. We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism in Japan Today specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism in Japan Today specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism in Japan Today specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The composition of inbound visitors has also changed. Chinese visitors constituted the largest proportion of the visitors for the first time Japans tourism history. Such an event was unexpected. There are several factors that can explain the change. One of them is the growing middle-class in China. The economic growth in China has been accompanied by an increase in the number of people joining the countrys middle-class category who have greater amounts of disposable income that they can spend on luxury. Another reason for the large number of Chinese visiting is the weakening of Yen (Japans currency) against the Chinese currency (World Travel Tourism Council 2015). The depreciation of the Yen makes inbound visitors find the cost of visiting Japan as holiday destination cheaper than before. The third factor in growth is relaxing of Japans visa requirement. The Chinese tourists were also the largest spenders. Their total expenditure accounted for about 40.8% of the 3.5 trillion Yen spe nt bytouristsin 2015. The spending was so much and popular that it resulted in the coining of the term bakugai which means explosive buying, to refer to the shopping sprees associated with the Chinese tourists. Even though China ranks at the top in terms of inbound tourist to Japan, factoring in the population shows a lot of potential for growth (Research Co 2016). For instance, even though Taiwan and Hong Kong are much smaller in comparison to China their proportionate tourist numbers are far much than those of China. In view of the growth potential, Japan can look forward to a greater number of inbound Chinese tourists than before.Japan also still has more room for deregulation, a factor that is bound to lead to a surge in the number of tourists from its three biggest inbound tourists that include Chinese, Taiwanese and Koreans. However, a reversal in the weakening of the Yen may lead toa countereffect that may see the numbers become more unpredictable. Inbound tourism is one of the most promising businesses in Japan. Holiday and travelisthe new employment platform and economic driver for the population. Its contribution currently rivals that of the auto industry that is a major employer. The sector currently employs more than 3% of the countrys total population (Japan Macro Advisors 2016). After the winning the bid to host the 2020 Olympics, the government intensified its efforts aimed at promoting tourism. The private sector was not let behind. Various stakeholders began taking advantage of the measures set in place by the government in promoting tourism to offer complementary services that would help create enabling conditions. One of suchinitiativeswas by NTT Docomo Inc that launched a wireless internet service to cater for foreign tourist some of whom had initially complainedaboutthe lack of wifi in the country (Kodera 2014). Such kinds of initiatives by both the government and the private have created more employment opportuni ties especially in the service industry. Clearly, Japans tourism industry is headed for great growth given the current trends and future the government future targets that might see the inbound visitors become the main source of employment. The countrys tourism sector is recording steady growth. Inbound tourist numbers in Japan have been increasing at an unprecedented rate in the recent years, helping it set new records in its tourism sector (Business Monitor International Ltd. 2016). The composition of inbound visitors has also changed. This year, Chinese visitors constituted the largest proportion of the visitors for the first time in Japans tourism history. Factors such as deregulation, a weakening Yen and a surge in the middle-class are the main contributors to this new trend. Despite the fact that China ranks at the top in terms of inbound tourist to Japan, factoring in the population size shows a lot of potential for growth. Japan can take advantage of the opportunity to do more in terms of deregulation and creating a more conducive environment for tourists.Inbound tourism is one of the most promising businesses and the various stakeholders in Japans tourism industry should do their best to maximize their income. Bibliography Business Monitor International Ltd. (2016).Japan tourism report. London, Business Monitor International. Japan Macro Advisors, (2016).Number of Visitors to Japan|Foreign visitors|Tourism. [online] japanmacroadvisors.com. Available at: https://www.japanmacroadvisors.com/page/category/economic-indicators/gdp-and-business-activity/number-of-visitors-to-japan/ [Accessed 19 Sep. Japan National Tourism Organization (2016)Welcome to the Japan national tourism organization website. Available at: http://www.seejapan.co.uk/jnto_consumer/index (Accessed: 19 September 2016). Kodera, A. (2014)Tourism emerges asneweconomic driver for Japan | the Japan times. Available at: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/08/25/reference/tourism-emerges-new-economic-driver-japan/#.V-AIjTVJR-8 (Accessed: 19 September 2016). McDowell, P. (2015).Japan, Sage, London Research, J.T. and Co, C. (2016)Japan tourism marketing Co. Available at: http://www.tourism.jp/en/statistics/ (Accessed: 19 September 2016). World Travel Tourism Council (2015)Economic Impact 2015 Japan. Available at: https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic%20impact%20research/countries%202015/japan2015.pdf (Accessed: 19 September 2016).

Importance of Jade in Chinese Culture

Importance of Jade in Chinese Culture Jade is a metamorphic rock that is naturally colored green, red, yellow, or white. When it polished and treated, the vibrant colors of jade can be extraordinary. The most popular kind of jade in Chinese culture is green jade, which has an emerald hue.   Called 玉 (yà ¹) in Chinese, jade is important to Chinese culture because of its beauty, practical use, and social value. Here is an introduction to jade and why it is so important to Chinese people. Now when you browse through an antique shop, jewelry store, or museum, you can impress your friends with your knowledge of this important stone. Types of Jade Jade is classified into soft jade (nephrite) and hard jade (jadeite). Since China only had soft jade until jadeite was imported from Burma during the Qing dynasty (1271–1368 CE), the term jade traditionally refers to nephrite, and so soft jade is also called traditional jade. In preColumbian America, only hard jade was available; all Native American jades are jadeite. Burmese jadeite is called feicui in Chinese. Feicui is now more popular and valuable than soft jade in China today. History of Jade Jade has been a part of Chinese civilization from the earliest days. Chinese jade was used as a material for practical and ornamental purposes at an early period in history, and it continues to be very popular today. The earliest Chinese jade is from the early Neolithic period Hemudu culture in Zhejian Province (about 7000–5000 BCE). Jade was an important part of ritual contexts in the middle to late Neolithic periods, such as the Hongshan culture that existed along the Lao River and the Liangzhu culture in the Tai Lake region (both date between 4000–2500 BCE). Carved jade has also been found in sites dated to the Longshan culture (3500–2000 BCE) by the Yellow River; and the Bronze age cultures of Western and Easter Zhou dynasties (11th–3rd centuries BCE). In  Ã¨ ª ªÃ¦â€"‡è § £Ã¥ ­â€" (shuo  wen  jie  zi), the first Chinese dictionary published in the early second century CE, jade was described as beautiful stones by the writer Xu Zhen. Jade has been a familiar substance in Chinese culture for a very long time. Uses of Chinese Jade Archaeological artifacts of jade include sacrificial  vessels, tools, ornaments,  utensils, and many other items. Ancient music instruments were made out of Chinese jade, such as the yuxiao  (a flute made of jade and played vertically), and chimes. The beautiful color of jade made it a mysterious stone to the Chinese in ancient times, so jade wares were popular as sacrificial vessels and were often buried with the dead. One example of the ritual importance of jade is the burial of the body of Liu Sheng, a prince of the Zhongshan State (Western Han Dynasty) who died around 113 BCE. He was buried in a  jade suit  composed of 2,498 pieces of jade stitched together with gold thread. Importance of Jade in Chinese Culture Chinese people love jade not only because of its aesthetic beauty but also because of what it represents regarding social value. In the Li Ji (Book of Rites), Confucius said that there are 11 De, or virtues, represented in jade: benevolence, justice, propriety, truth, credibility, music, loyalty, heaven, earth, morality, and intelligence. The wise have likened jade to virtue. For them, its polish and brilliancy represent the whole of purity; its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represent the sureness of intelligence; its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice; the pure and prolonged sound, which it gives forth when one strikes it, represents music. Its color represents loyalty; its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity; its iridescent brightness represents heaven; its admirable substance, born of mountain and of water, represents the earth. Used alone without ornamentation it represents chastity. The price that the entire world attaches to it represents the truth. Book of Rites In the Shi Jing  (Book of Odes), Confucius wrote: When I think of a wise man, his merits appear to be like jade. Book of Odes Thus, beyond monetary worth and materiality, jade is greatly prized as it stands for beauty, grace, and purity. As the Chinese saying goes: gold has a value; jade is invaluable.   Jade in the Chinese Language Because jade represents desirable virtues, the word for jade (yu) is incorporated into many Chinese idioms and proverbs to denote beautiful things or people. For example, å† °Ã¦ ¸â€¦Ã§Å½â€°Ã¦ ´  (bingqing yujie), which directly translates to clear as ice and clean as jade is a Chinese saying that means someone is pure and noble. ä º ­Ã¤ º ­Ã§Å½â€°Ã§ «â€¹ (tingting  yuli) is a phrase used to describe something or someone that is fair, slim, and graceful. Additionally, 玉å ¥ ³ (yà ¹nÇš), which means jade woman,  is a term for a lady or beautiful girl.   A popular thing to do in China is to use the Chinese character for jade in Chinese names. The Supreme Deity of Taoism is known as Yuhuang  Dadi (the Jade Emperor). Chinese Stories About Jade Jade is so ingrained in Chinese culture that there are famous stories about Jade (here called bi). The two most famous tales are He Shi Zhi Bi (Mr. He and His Jade or Hes Jade Disc) and Wan Bi Gui Zhao (Jade Returned Intact to Zhao). The stories involve a man named Bian He and a piece of jade that eventually became a symbol of united China. He Shi Zhi Bi tells the story of Mr. He and how he found a piece of raw jade and tried to give it to two generations of kings, but they didnt recognize it as valuable and cut off his feet as punishment for trying to pass off an unworthy stone. Eventually, the grandson of the first king finally had his jeweler cut the stone open and found the raw jade; it was carved into a disc and named after Mr. He by that grandson, Wenwang, the king of the Chu State, around 689 BCE. Wan Bi Gui Zhao is the follow-up story of this famous jade. The carved disc was subsequently stolen from the Chu State and eventually ended up owned by the Zhao. The king of the Qin State, the most powerful state during the Warring States Period (475–221 BCE), attempted to buy the jade disc back from the Zhao State in exchange for 15 cities. (Jade is known as ä » ·Ã¥â‚¬ ¼Ã¨ ¿Å¾Ã¥Å¸Å½, Valued at multiple cities because of this story.) However, he failed. Eventually, after some amount of political chicanery, the jade disc was returned to the Zhao State. In 221 BCE, the emperor Qin Shi Huangdi conquered the Zhao state, and as the ruler and founder of the Qin dynasty, he had the disc carved into a seal representing the new united China. The seal was part of the royal stores in China for 1,000 years before being lost during the Ming and Tang dynasties. Source Wu Dingming. 2014. A Panoramic View of Chinese Culture. Simon and Schuster.