179 so ports develop infrastructure to meet these needs. However, the cruise industry develops terminals first, usually in places without any other facilities, and demand for ships and passengers follows. Let’s take a look at what kind of supplyside efforts have been made to grow cruise demand in Japan. One initiative is the investment in building cruise terminals at ports across Japan. The map opposite shows that 14 ports have opened cruise terminals since 2018. Specifically, new terminals have opened in Otaru and Hakodate in Hokkaido, Aomori and Akita in the Tohoku region, and Kanazawa, Kyoto Maizuru and Sakaiminato on the Sea of Japan side of the country. New terminals have also been built in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Kochi on the Pacific side, as well as Sasebo, Yatsushiro and Kagoshima in the Kyushu region. The industry is also implementing both hard and soft supply-side initiatives across the country. Some of the hard measures include renovating passenger facilities and constructing covered walkways. The Japanese government is also compiling guidelines for next-generation cruise terminals, which outline how they can accommodate ultra-large ships, speed up customs, immigration and quarantine procedures, and introduce environmental measures and technology. Meanwhile, the soft measures include conducting infection control training, holding seminars to promote local understanding of cruise ships, and developing tourism products that maximise the attractions of the region. By implementing these initiatives on a national scale, the industry has successfully attracted calls from foreign cruise ships at ports all over the country. The number of ports welcoming foreign ships increased from 67 in 2019 to 92 in 2023. The Japanese government has set a target of 100 ports by 2025. Post-pandemic, the quality of the cruise experiences on offer in Japan has changed significantly too, and the market is now very diverse. Many ports in Japan are developing tourism products that offer guests authentic experiences that take advantage of the uniqueness of the region. The results of these efforts are gradually becoming apparent. In 2019, more than half of the cruise ships calling at Japanese ports were casual class, when combined with premium class, 81 per cent were medium- to large-sized vessels. However, in 2023, small luxury and expedition-class ships accounted for more than half of the visiting cruise vessels. What is even more noteworthy is that each type accounts for around 20 per cent of the total number of visiting cruise ships, indicating that a balanced diversified market has been realised. One of the most important indicators for the future growth of the Japanese cruise market is the number of inbound foreign visitors. The Japanese government has set a goal of welcoming 60 million foreign visitors to Japan in 2030. The number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2024 was 36.86 million, which surpassed the previous record of 31.88 million in 2019. Considering this, it seems that it will be possible to achieve the government’s 2030 target. Currently, most of these inbound foreign visitors arrive in Japan by plane and return home after sightseeing on land by train or car. The next key point for the Japanese cruise industry is to convert the rapidly increasing inbound foreign visitors into cruise passengers who visit Japan from the sea. This sea inbound tourism route is an unexplored blue ocean, and now is the time for foreign cruise lines to invest in Japan. Why not take this opportunity to consider deploying your cruise ship in Japan? “ Now is the time for foreign cruise lines to invest in Japan” Otaru Akita Kanazawa Kyoto Maizuru Kagoshima Yatsushiro Sasebo Sakaiminato Tokyo Hakodate Aomori Yokohama Osaka Kochi New cruise terminals in Japan A total of 14 ports have opened facilities for cruise ships since 2018
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