For the second year in a row, Condé Nast Traveler heralded Japan as the world’s premier travel destination. This October, a record 3.31 million visitors descended upon Japan as its culinary traditions and modern gastronomy magnetically pull food-obsessed tourists.
Globally, culinary tourism is more than just a trend; it’s become the preferred way to experience culture. Over the next decade, the culinary tourism market will grow from $1.09 trillion to $4.21 trillion by 2023. Today’s travelers want deeper connections through local flavors, whether mastering pasta-making with an Italian nonna or sourcing fresh fish in Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market.
For travel company Viator, cultural tours are their popular experience category this year, growing nearly three times from pre-pandemic levels. “There are so many elements of culture that can be experienced through cuisine (sometimes exclusively!), and it’s one of the ways to dive into not only the general culture of a country but various regions as well,” says Samantha Marino, marketing manager of Oku Japan, which offers a guided tour through Japan’s culinary traditions.
For Japan, bookings for cultural tours have nearly tripled since 2019. In Tokyo, Kyoto, and Ōsaka, people want to experience the city’s unique culture, food, and history.
“We see spending for experiences continue to increase—particularly in categories that allow travelers to express personal passions and dive deeper into destinations’ unique traditions and natural landscapes,” says Laurel Greatrix, Vice President of Brand and Communications for Viator.
Marino adds, “Dedicating an entire tour to this culinary theme allows us to take our guests to more destinations across Japan, providing them with a richer and more diverse range of experiences than they might encounter otherwise.”
Japan’s Culinary Heritage
With 387 Michelin-starred restaurants and more eateries per resident than any other country, Japan is having more than just a foodie moment. The country’s dedication to food goes beyond sustenance; it’s a mix of tradition and beautiful, meticulous presentation that makes for an unforgettable dining experience.
I spent 11 days this past fall on Oku Japan’s culinary heritage tour to try and find the roots of Japanese cuisine. Beyond the popular sushi and ramen, I set out to uncover Japan’s rich history and culture by eating my way through the country.
As General Manager of Oku Japan Hiroshi Kawaguchi explains, “To discover Japanese food, we have to travel to rural mountainous areas as well as coastal regions, where the elements that make up this cuisine can be found.”
In the rural mountain area of Gokayama, where ancient thatched-roof houses still dot the landscape, we were welcomed into the home of a local man. We first foraged wild mountain vegetables and then enjoyed homemade sake made from the small patch of sake rice he grows near his home. The sake was not the kind in your local sushi restaurant; it was Toga Doburoku sake, an unfiltered, cloudy, fermented sake.
Through our guided interpreter, he spoke about the generations of his family that had tended the land. Later, after dining on hot pot, homemade soba noodles, and pickled vegetables, our host’s wife serenaded us on her karaoke machine, complete with a light-up microphone and video.
As my time in Japan progressed, I found myself unconsciously adopting the rhythm of those around me: the slight bow when saying hello, cradling my daily bowl of miso soup close to my mouth, slurping chewy noodles, and, of course, using chopsticks for every meal.
These experiences are what global travelers are looking for. But more than that, they’re the moments that quietly reshape us, leaving imprints that linger long after we return home.
John Yee, a fellow traveler on the Oku tour, adds, “This trip to Japan has impressed my wife and me so much that we want to incorporate some of the design and the values that we’ve seen on our travel when we return to the United States.”
Preserving Tradition in Modern Japan
The rise in culinary tourism creates opportunities and challenges for Japan’s food ecosystem. In the first half of 2024 alone, Japan welcomed 17.78 million foreign visitors, surpassing pre-pandemic figures from the same period in 2019. While the tourism boom is economically beneficial, it’s also strained food supply chains.
Japan faced a table rice shortage this summer, which caused rise stocks to decrease to their lowest levels in 20 years. The shortage is primarily due to surging tourist demand for iconic rice dishes like sushi, onigiri, and donburi and changing climate patterns affecting crop yields.
For travelers, this could mean higher prices and a potential scarcity of rice-based dishes central to Japanese cuisine.
This delicate balance between tradition and tourism is playing out in other areas across Japan. In response to growing international interest, many traditional ryokans and family-run restaurants offer English menus and cooking classes while maintaining centuries-old techniques.
The Japan Tourism Agency launched initiatives to preserve and promote traditional culinary crafts like sake brewing and wasabi farming, recognizing that these practices are not just cultural artifacts but living traditions that need active support to survive.
Most recently, Japan’s traditional sake brewing process landed on the prestigious UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The centuries-old art stands alongside Washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine), Kabuki theater, and other Japanese cultural crafts.
Japanese Government Unveils Initiative Supporting Regional Food Tourism
Visitors to Japan spent 1.2 trillion yen, or $7.8 billion, on food and drink last year. The Japanese government has positioned the food and beverage sector as a cornerstone of its tourism growth strategy, creating programs to develop and promote the country’s diverse culinary landscape.
Support includes grants of up to 50 million yen per successful applicant. These funds target various aspects of culinary tourism: establishing bases for collecting ingredients, such as wild plants, and for carrying out local cultural experiences. The program particularly emphasizes supporting rural communities in showcasing their unique culinary heritage.
“Our Culinary Heritage tour not only scratches the surface of Japanese food by simply offering nice tasting experiences but is based on the enthusiastic idea of finding the roots of Japanese food,” says Kawaguchi.
Marino agrees, “We hope our guests return home with a deeper understanding of Japan’s culinary treasures–appreciating the history behind familiar dishes and discovering a newfound admiration for those they may have never encountered before.”
