Japan cuisine biggest draw for foreign tourists: survey

A recent poll by the Japan National Tourist Organization found that 71.2 percent of foreign tourists are most interested in eating traditional Japanese food.

In the questionnaire-based survey of 726 foreign visitors, 517 said they were most interested in eating traditional Japanese dishes. This response was followed by 49.2 percent who said their main interest was seeing traditional Japanese architecture and 46.3 percent who said they were most interested in visiting Japanese gardens, JNTO said.

Respondents were asked to select from a list up to five things they were most interested in doing while in Japan. Some 35.5 percent said they were most interested in going to hot springs, followed by 28.7 percent who said their main interest was in staying in traditional "ryokan" inns.

In a section where respondents were asked to identify the best experience they had during their stay in Japan, many said it was eating, according to the organization.

The respondents said they were particularly keen on sashimi, sushi, "udon" (wheat noodles), and "okonomiyaki" (pancakes containing vegetables and other foods).

Summing up the survey results, JNTO said, "Given the fact that five of the eight restaurants given a three-star rating on the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2008 that went on sale on Nov. 22 were traditional Japanese-cuisine restaurants . . . it appears that Japan can expect to see travelers continuing to come to Japan with an eye to eating Japanese food in the country where it originated."