The "Discover the 'Heart' of Japan" Awards Announced: Kobori Mamoru: Showcasing Japan’s New Charms to Taiwanese Travelers

▲The 4th Discover the Heart of Japan Awards ceremony was held on the 31st. (Photo / Provided by the Japan Tourism Agency)

Reporter Tsai Wen-jun / Taipei reporting

The 4th "Discover the Heart of Japan Awards" were announced on the 31st. This year, a total of 36 travel agencies and 118 travel products participated in the competition. The five travel agencies that won the Discover the Heart of Japan Grand Prize are Lion Travel, Kuo Kuang Travel, lN Travel, Rebecca Travel, and Uni Travel.

Mamoru Kobori, Director of the Japan Tourism Agency, stated that Japan is one of Taiwan’s travel destinations and is very close to Taiwan. Among visitors to Japan, 80% are repeat travelers. The "Discover the Heart" in the "Discover the Heart of Japan Awards" refers to "new" travel products and "new" experiences that resonate with the "hearts" of people in Taiwan. Therefore, through this competition, the aim is to allow Taiwanese travelers who have visited Japan multiple times to experience travel products that incorporate different characteristics and new attractions of Japan, and to enjoy a completely different kind of Japanese fun than before.

Nakasugi Motoyoshi, Director of the Economic Division and Head of the Tourism Exchange Group at the Interchange Association, Japan, pointed out that last year the number of exchanges between Taiwan and Japan exceeded 6 million for the first time, and the relationship between Japan and Taiwan has become increasingly solid. In addition to tourism, there has also been increasing cooperation with many local governments in terms of regional exchanges, bringing hearts closer together, which makes one look forward to even more people traveling between the two places. Furthermore, the Taiwanese market for travel to Japan has seen significant changes due to the increase in LCC flights and independent travel. In light of this situation, efforts will continue to be made together with those in the travel industry to promote travel to Japan in the future.

The criteria for the Grand Prize in this judging were based on three standards: experiential tourism, crossing regional and local boundaries to arrange regional itineraries that allow visits to many places, and collaboration with local governments and tourism associations, which served as the basis for selecting the winners of each award.

List of winning travel agencies for the Discover the Heart of Japan Grand Prize:

1. lN Travel – “Five Prefectures of West Seto, Kyushu, and Shikoku Five-Day Tour”
2. Rebecca Travel – “Scenic Seisan Line, Ryotei and Geisha Dance, Hokuriku Shinkansen Seven-Day Tour”
3. Kuo Kuang Travel – “Legend of a Fairyland ~ Tohoku Oku-no-Hosomichi, Shirakami-Sanchi Secret Land, JR Shinkansen, Hakodate Starry Night Five-Day Tour (Enter via Hakodate, Exit via Aomori)”
4. Uni Travel – “Iwate North Sanriku 'Kuzumi Hokkyo Ama' Tono Ancient Village Deep Experience Seven-Day Tour”
5. Lion Travel – “South Kii Shirahama Three Sceneries, Tokushima Indigo Dyeing, Awa Odori, Naruto Whirlpools, Tadao Ando Five-Day Tour”

List of winning travel agencies for the Discover the Heart of Japan Excellence Award:

1. lN Travel – “West Shizuoka, Tokai Three Prefectures, Jingu Mountain Onsen, Gajoen Hotel, Mountain and Sea Hot Spring Luxury Five-Day Tour”
2. Fanta Travel – “CAMPING LIFE: Camper Van Adventure in Hokkaido 5 Days | Five-Star Campsite | RV Camper Van | Flower Field Farming Experience | Handmade Cuisine | Hot Spring Soaking”
3. Golden Empire Travel – “Awaji Peninsula: Blooming Flowers and Ripening Fruits, Journey Through Peach Blossom Paradise MIHO Art Museum, Japanese Ninja Training Experience, Colorful Maneki-neko Painting, Lagunadeng Fort Fun Six-Day Tour”
4. Ruiwei Travel – “Mihara City, Seto Inland Sea, Island-Hopping Thousand Cherry Blossoms, Five-Senses Healing Journey”