Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan

• Tourism in Japan is booming thanks to the improved yen-dollar rate, the perception of Japan as a "safe" country, and the increasing promotion of Japan as a destination by the Japanese government in advance of the 2010 Olympics. Demand is expected to remain strong for the next few years.
• Few authors could be as knowledgeable on these points as Amy Chavez: 25 years in Japan, fluent in the language and culture, running an island bar and offering services to tourists. She also writes frequently in print and online. A recent controversial article with lots of hits online saw her condemning the new culture of tipping in Japan (and getting a lot of hits!).
• Covers dozens of scenarios with short, practical how-to suggestions.
• Illustrated and designed with a contemporary "Japanese" look.
• Practical and on point: Unlike other titles in this area, it does not go into a lot of historical and cultural background that just seems distancing to non-Japanese (as in "you don't really belong here" or "you'll never understand")
• Is careful to include tips for electronics, cell phones, and other modern devices, and for traveling with kids
• Subtly tries to convert American travelers to "polite" travelers, in the hope that some of these lessons and "best practices" will carry over to the return home!

TOURISM IN JAPAN

• The Japanese government is investing heavily in promoting Japan as a tourist destination in advance of the 2020 Olympics, so from 2018-2020 tourism to all parts of Japan is expected to be strong.

• In 2015, according to www.tourism.jp, there were 2,621,212 North American visitors to Japan, with 2,066,516 from the U.S.Among other English-speaking groups there were 752,150 visitors from Australia, 516,976 from the U.K., 462,780 from Canada, and 98,804 from New Zealand.

• Japan attracted 24.03 million international tourists in 2016. Japan has 19 World Heritage Sites, including Himeji Castle, Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto and Nara. . . . The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 ranks Japan 4th out of 141 countries overall, which was the best in Asia. Japan gained relatively high scores in almost all aspects, especially health and hygiene, safety and security, cultural resources and business travel. (Wikipedia/Tourism in Japan)

• Japan Times (Oct 19, 2016) reported: "Tokyo and Kyoto have been picked as the world’s best and second-best cities outside the United States, the U.S. travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler said Tuesday."

• "The total number of foreign visitors to Japan this year [2016] is expected to top 20 million for the first time. The government has doubled its annual target of overseas visitors to 40 million in 2020, when Tokyo will host the Olympics and Paralympics." (Japan Times)