Key FactorsCULTURE
JAPANESE CUISINE IS AN INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE,
AND THE CAPITAL CITY, TOKYO, HAS MORE MICHELIN STARS
THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN THE WORLD.
EXPERIENCE THE UNIQUE FLAVORS OF JAPAN FOR YOURSELF.
Background
Many aspects of Japanese culture have gained global popularity in recent decades. These range from forms of contemporary entertainment such as anime, manga and video games to the heritage of traditional practices and disciplines, such as tea ceremony, origami, karate and kendo. There is a wide variety of uniquely Japanese cultural experiences to choose from when planning incentive tours and auxiliary conference events.
Recent News
Bonsai, the art of carefully cultivating and shaping a plant in a pot is a distinctive and longstanding part of Japanese culture that has increasingly captivated people around the world--as seen in the tenfold increase of annual bonsai exports in the past nine years. The rising popularity of this art brought together 45,000 visitors of diverse nationalities for the World Bonsai Convention in 2017, which took place in Saitama.
At the other end of the technological spectrum, art meets technology in unique art installations that use cutting-edge technologies in lighting, projection and motion capture to create unforgettable experiences. Such is the case of the recent opening of the pioneering digital art museum, Borderless.
Meetings & Events
The creative use of technology in a museum space is of interest to the International Council of Museums (ICOM), which will convene in Kyoto in September 2019 for a General Conference. 3,000 members of the association will discuss "The Future of Tradition," with particular regard to collaborative partnerships and local community involvement.
Another example of a prominent event in the socio-cultural studies field is the 2018 Language Resources and Evaluation Conference (LREC) held in Miyazaki. The conference demographics consisted of a mostly international audience, and the welcome ceremony provided them with a uniquely Japanese experience. Held at the sacred Miyazaki-Jingu Shrine, the ceremony featured performances related to the origins of Japan, as well as rites conducted by the shrine authorities.
Destinations
When it comes to popular Japanese culture, the largest conventions are held at Big Sight, in Tokyo. With 230,000 square meters of floor space, the sheer size of the venue is exceptional. Twice a year, Big Sight hosts Comiket (a comic market and convention), attracting half a million people on each occasion. Events like AnimeJapan and Tokyo Game Show are on a similar scale, underlining Big Sight's reputation as a key venue for both consumers and industry.
