Taiwan is the largest source of visitors; Ishikawa Prefecture officially comes to Taiwan to attract tourists

Reported and photographed by You T-Ru / Taipei

Taiwanese love traveling in Japan, exploring not only major cities but also venturing into various regions. Today (14th), Ishikawa Prefecture held a travel business meeting in Taipei. Kitaguchi Giichi, a section chief at the International Tourism Division of Ishikawa Prefecture’s Tourism Strategy Promotion Department, pointed out that among foreign visitors to Ishikawa, Taiwanese make up the largest group, with 110,000 visitors annually. Coupled with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, Ishikawa has emerged as a new key Japanese tourist destination.


▲ Staff of the Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism Exchange Association. (Photo / Provided by J&T CONTENTS)

With one of Japan’s three most famous gardens—Kenrokuen Garden, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, the East and West Tea House Streets, and the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route among its renowned sites, Ishikawa blends modern architectural attractions with historical culture. Kanazawa City, in particular, is a place where visitors can easily explore on foot. “When travelers talk about Kanazawa, they’re sure to love the new architecture paired with visits to historic sites.” By combining old and new attractions along with cultural landscapes, Ishikawa has become one of the favorite Japanese cities among European tourists.


▲ Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa is one of Japan’s three most famous gardens. (Photo / Provided by Kanazawa City)

Aside from Taiwan being the largest source of visitors, the next biggest groups are from Hong Kong, the United States, and China, with one in every four visitors coming from Europe or America. Kitaguchi Giichi noted that Ishikawa, with its blend of history and culture—and Kanazawa, which is also an ancient city like Kyoto—attracts visitors because its attractions can all be explored on foot. To appeal to independent travelers, Ishikawa has also introduced four great value transportation passes: the Hokuriku Area Rail Pass, the Takayama-Hokuriku Area Pass, the Kansai-Hokuriku Area Rail Pass, and the Detective Conan Kanazawa-Kaga Rail Pass, each with its own unique features.