Watausagi is a guesthouse that just opened in 2024 in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, a small city on the Sea of Japan side.
Today I would like to report on how we compiled the addresses of guests who stayed at Watausagi from their booking forms and created a ranking by country.
Guests at Guesthouse Watausagi are
Since starting the guesthouse, I've often been asked where my guests come from.
We see reports on national news about increasing inbound tourism demand, but if you live in the countryside, you don't really feel it.
I was one of those people who felt the same way, so I was really looking forward to welcoming customers after we opened and finding out what kind of customers we had.
Today, I would like to summarize the results of the data I collected and my impressions from talking to customers.
Country Rankings 2024
First, we've created a ranking by country to make it easier to understand.
This is a tally by number of groups, not by number of people.
1st place Japanese book 61.1%
2. France: 10.1%
3. United States: 4.7%
4th place: Germany: 4.0%
5th place: Middle country: 3.4%
6th place: Others: 16.7%
The result was as follows!!!
It's a result that is obvious, if anything.
However, it turns out that the remaining 39%, or almost 40%, of our customers are from overseas!
I hope you can see that there is quite a lot of inbound demand.
actually···
From my own experience handling check-in, I'd say it was about half and half.
This is because, in the system, foreigners living in Japan are counted as Japanese.
This is because the data is compiled based on current address, not nationality.
Looking at these results, I think my skin sensations were pretty accurate.
What brings you to Tsuruoka City from abroad?
You may be wondering, why did they come to this guesthouse in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture?
I was also very interested❣️😆
So I've been handling as many check-in tasks as possible myself.
The information I got from chatting with customers while actually dealing with them was...
The purpose of travel for almost 100% of our foreign customers is to「出羽三山神社」でした！
Dewa Sanzan Shrine is certainly a nationally famous power spot, but it seems to be creating quite a buzz abroad as well .
In particular, the five-story pagoda is described as "amazing!", and guests who return from their worship there all express how impressed they are.
Still excited, everyone showed us the many photos they had just taken.
Living in my hometown, I don't have many opportunities to go there, but I've recently started thinking about visiting the shrine once in a while 😆
I want all Japanese people to know about the charms of Dewa Sanzan Shrine.
There is also an article that explains Dewa Sanzan Shrine in detail, so please refer to it!
Dewa Sanzan Shrine, a “rebirth journey” through the present, past, and future
Why do foreigners love Dewa Sanzan Shrine?
The next question is a simple one.
Guesthouse Watausagi is located in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, a small city in the Tohoku region.
It's not a particularly prosperous city, and in fact it's not very accessible; it's such a small city that even many Japanese people have never heard of it.
Why do people from abroad bother to come there?
There are many mountain worship, mountain ascetic training, temples, shrines, and even five-story pagodas outside of Tsuruoka.
First of all, why would you come to Japan and visit your own temples?
This is entirely based on my own research, but...
Many foreigners say it's the influence of "anime."
In particular, people of the generation who sympathized with trees, forests, gods and faith in films such as Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke."
Also, the worldview of Dewa Sanzan Shrine seems to resonate very well with people of the generation who grew up reading "Dragon Ball" and "Naruto."
Japanese anime is a culture that we can be proud of around the world.
Of course, cosplayers won't mind, but for those who want to immerse themselves in this world, it will be an amazing experience.
And how do foreigners find out about Dewa Sanzan Shrine? Apparently it's entirely through social media and word of mouth!
Extremely. Such a modern reason .
I like Japan anyway
Many of the foreigners who stay at Guesthouse Watausagi stay for multiple nights.
Speaking of Japanese travel,
On a two-day trip, or at most three days and one night, you get to your destination in the shortest time possible, enjoy the main destination, eat delicious local food, and then hurry home. It may seem a little boring, but it's a special event that's different from everyday life.
Isn't that a strong image?
However, many of the international guests staying at Watausagi are not like that.
Some people travel in Japan for periods ranging from two months to six months, and even up to a year.
It is not uncommon for such people to stay in a rural town like this for two or three nights.
What will you do if you stay in Tsuruoka for several nights?
When I asked, some people said, "Tomorrow is a holiday," which surprised me at first.
From a Japanese perspective, doesn't it seem unthinkable to have a day off while traveling?
Some people don't make any plans on their days off and just relax at their guesthouse, while others go and visit some nearby tourist spots.
Everyone here is very calm, has good manners, and seems to be having a great time.
I am so grateful that the people at Guesthouse Watausagi have the mental space to spend time like this.
So, I have a question for all of you: What kind of spots do you go to in Japan?
The most common response was that they visited temples, shrines, and Buddhist temples.
Ise Shrine, Izumo Taisha, Mount Hiei, Kumano Kodo. There were some brave souls who completed the entire pilgrimage.
I find it very strange that people from other countries are interested in Japanese history and religious views, even though many people living in Japan have difficulty visiting Japanese sites, or don't visit (or aren't interested in doing so).
Indeed, for such people, a visit to Dewa Sanzan Shrine, where they can embark on a journey of rebirth, may seem very appealing.
summary
For this reason, we hope to welcome many guests in 2025 and continue to find new ways to help them fully recover from the fatigue of their travels.
In particular, for foreigners, the opportunity to stay in a rural town like this in Japan is something that they probably won't have many times in their lifetime.
We want to provide you with a wonderful stay, make you fall in love with Japan even more, encourage you to spread the word about it on social media, and make Guesthouse Watausagi an amazing spot so that more people will fall in love with Japan.
Today's article is focusing on foreign visitors, but I am also researching domestic visitors at the same time, so I will write an article about that on another occasion.
That's all for today.
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