Monday, September 9, 2024 A scenic train journey in Japan, linking Tokyo and Saitama prefecture, will soon offer passengers a unique culinary experience with Singaporean cuisine, starting in January. This Singapore-inspired train ride, featuring authentic Singaporean dishes while passengers take in Japan’s picturesque seasonal landscapes, will operate for a limited three-month period. The collaboration between Seibu Railway and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) aims to highlight Japan’s rural areas to international tourists while simultaneously encouraging Japanese travelers to visit Singapore.
Japanese visitor numbers to Singapore have struggled to recover to pre-pandemic levels since COVID-19, and this initiative is part of STB’s efforts to reignite interest among Japanese tourists. Outbound travel from Japan has remained subdued, partially due to the depreciation of the yen. As of July this year, approximately 300,000 Japanese tourists had visited Singapore, according to STB figures.
STB’s regional director for North Asia, Serene Tan, reported an 80% increase in arrivals from Japan between January and July this year compared to the same period last year. Seibu Railway, which serves about 1.6 million passengers daily across its 180km network spanning Tokyo and Saitama, is at the heart of this initiative aimed at rekindling tourism between the two countries.
.
