Japan Tops Ranking of Tourism Destinations for First Time

Hello everyone.

Welcome to "Learn Japanese from the News."

In this program, we'll learn Japanese and more about the country through Japanese news stories.

So, Chiara, have you done any traveling lately?

Yes, I actually just came back from filming on Sado Island.

It's right off the coast of Niigata Prefecture.

And it is the most magical place.

There are little fishing villages filled with wooden houses, and shrines hidden in the forests, a gorgeous coastline... it's pretty magical!

I envy you because Sado Island is one of the places I really wanted to visit.

I had recommended it.

Our headline for today is - Japan Tops Ranking of Tourism Destinations for First Time.

Before we go to the news clip, let's go over some words to listen for.

"Kootsuu."

Transportation.

"Anzen."

Safety.

"Anshin."

Peace of mind, or security.

OK, let's watch the news clip.

Every two years since 2007,
the World Economic Forum organization surveys global tourism destinations
and announces the results.

This year's report marked
the first time that Japan was ranked first
out of 117 countries and regions.

The reasons include
the convenient transportation, wonderful nature and culture,

and the safety and security of its cities,
which allows visitors to enjoy the sights.

No. 2 through 10 were the U.S., Spain,
France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, the U.K.,
Singapore, and Italy.

The organization says,
"The coronavirus issue has made it clear that tourism is important
to the global economy.

Countries around the world must ensure
that everyone can sightsee safely."

So, I think for many of us here in Japan this news came as a delightful surprise.

When you live somewhere you lose perspective - you stop noticing things like how convenient the transportation system is.

Really, it's one of the things that most surprised me when I arrived that everything is always on time. It's amazing.

And also how clean the cities are, even a city as big as Tokyo.

OK, Now let's review some sentences from the story.

The reasons include the convenient transportation, wonderful nature and culture, and the safety and security of its cities, which allows visitors to enjoy the sights.

Now, read along with me.

"Kootsuu ga benri na koto ya subarashii shizen ya bunka ga aru koto

machi ga anzen de anshin-shite kankoo o tanoshimu koto ga

dekiru koto nado ga riyuu desu."

So the first thing that's mentioned is Japan's transportation infrastructure.

Yeah, this is one of my favorite things about living in Japan.

There is such great public transport.

You can go almost anywhere without having to drive a car.

It's so convenient.

So have you ever experienced the language barrier when using public transportation in Japan?

Yes, I think buses are really a challenge.

It's really hard to tell where they're going.

The terminals can be very confusing, and often the schedules themselves are very very minimal, with just a few kanji to let you know where things are going.

So, it can be very challenging even if you've lived here a long time.

For example, take Shibuya Station.

Here are three words you'll need to know to find a bus.

"Noriba" - literally, place for boarding vehicles.

In other words, bus stop or bus terminal.

"Keitoo-bangoo" is route number.

"Ikisaki" is destination.

Remember these three words and you should be able to avoid getting onto the wrong bus by accident.

If you want to go from Shibuya Station to Tokyo Tower, there's a bus bound for Shinbashi Station that will get you there.

Look for bus stop "59."

The route number is "Shibu 88," and the final destination of the bus is "Shinbashi Ekimae."

The route number is key, because there are buses that have the same destination but take different routes.

Once you know these three pieces of information, you'll be well on your way.

Now let's check in with Tokunaga-sensei for some more useful expressions.

Here are some words to know
when riding the bus or train.

The kanji "hatsu"
means "departure."

We use it as a suffix after a time of day
to express time of departure.

For example, "juuyo-ji sanju-ppun hatsu"
means "2:30 p.m. departure."

If you want know the departure time,
ask "Nan-ji ni demasu ka?"

The kanji "chaku" means "arrival."

Use it as a suffix
to express time of arrival.

If you want to know the arrival time,
ask "Nan-ji ni tsukimasu ka?"

Next, let's say you want to
go to Tokyo Tower.

Try asking "Tookyoo-Tawaa ni ikimasu ka?"

or "Tookyoo-Tawaa ni tomarimasu ka?"

So check where your bus or train is bound,
and where you're getting off.

All right, let's move on to the following sentence.

The coronavirus issue has made it clear that tourism is important to the global economy.

Now, read along with me.

"Shingata korona uirusu no mondai ga atte sekai no keizai de

kankoo ga daiji na koto ga wakarimashita."

People across Japan are now getting ready to welcome back travelers.

At this airport, for example, they're setting up information desks with multilingual interpretation devices in order to break down the language barrier.

And there's an easy way to spot these desks.

Look out for these symbols.

Outside of Japan the "i" symbol is common, but here in Japan you'll also often see the question mark being used.

These sorts of pictograms are great for overcoming both language and cultural barriers.

So for "onsen" hot springs, there are actually two official pictograms.

In Japan we use a semi-circle with three squiggles.

The international symbol adds three people.

Because there was some concern that the Japanese symbol might be mistaken for a hot meal!

Inside Japan.

Asakusa is one of Tokyo's most popular tourist spots.

As Japan eases border restrictions, international travelers are starting to return.

What do they think of Japan's transportation system?

The train system is very very unique, and it's fast, it's not as expensive as people think.

And it's fairly easy to travel practically anywhere.

We sometimes use tickets when we travel like long distance, but otherwise, Suica card - we use that a lot.

Prepaid smart cards or IC cards make it possible for locals and travelers alike to ride public transportation without using cash.

Because they can be used on trains, buses, and taxis, it's easy to transfer between services.

And they can be used for more than just getting around.

They're great, you can
use them at "konbini."

More and more "jihanki"
let you pay with these cards.

I use it at the "konbini"
or when I don't have my purse.

"Konbini" is short for convenience store.

They sell everything from food to sundries.

"Jihanki" is short for "jidoo-hanbaiki," which means vending machine.

People find these smart cards really useful.

These prepaid public transit smart cards can also be used in many places such as hotels, restaurants, taxis, and so on.

But it doesn't mean that you can use them everywhere.

So if you are unsure, show your smart card to staff and ask, "kore tsukaemasu ka?"

or "Can I use this?"

That's a very good expression.

Definitely.

Then, that's all for today.

We'll see you next time.

See you soon!