TOKYO, Japan – Buoyed by a weak yen and an explosion into the worldwide pop culture zeitgeist, Japan has been experiencing a tourism boom. During the period January 2024 through July 2024, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) reported a record high 3,292,500 international visitors. Tokyo continues to be the most popular destination with data from Statista, a global data collection platform, showing 19.
54 million tourists visiting the Japanese city between 2014 and 2023. For those waiting to visit this iconic metropolis, here are a few things to look out for. THE SIDEWALKS SPEAK Having 6,158 persons per square kilometre, Tokyo is not only Japan’s most densely populated prefecture, it‘s one of the most densely populated cities in the world.
The famous Shibuya Crossing is the perfect statement on pedestrian culture in Tokyo with up to 2,500 people using the intersection every two minutes. Overseas visitors to Tokyo will immediately notice tenji blocks, textured yellow tiles that line many of its sidewalks. Tenji translates to Braille, thus Braille blocks.
These are installed for the visually impaired, allowing them to navigate the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Invented by Seiichi Miyake in 1965, they were eventually adopted nationwide, and evolved into the two main styles used in Japanese public spaces, including buildings. The line-shaped tenji blocks provide directional guidance, while the dot-shaped blocks, usually found at crosswalks, denote caution.
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