Asia Internet Report

Japan has yet suffered another blow to their country. If you think the devastation of the earthquake and tsunami is not enough, then there is indeed more consequences in the economy of Japan. The devastation in Japan brought out an immediate response to travelers as reports have been coming in that the country is currently experiencing a slump in the number of foreign visitors. And given that the country would be focusing on rebuilding whatever damages were brought about by the tsunami and the earthquake, travelers are having second thoughts in visiting a much defocused country in terms of tourism. The most parties most affected? Tour groups providing gay Japan tours, tours for seniors, tours for backpackers, and travel agencies.

Although there are no certain reports of a slump in the tourism industry of Japan, it would be an immediate reaction from travelers regarding the condition that Japan is currently facing. The Japan National Tourism Organization is still uncertain of a slump in tourism since they have no statistics yet of any travel cancelations bound for Japan but one thing is for certain, if the country would not hasten up their rebuilding process, there will definitely be a problem in their tourism industry.

One indication of this impending slump in their tourism would be the uncertainty amongst the leisure travelers and business travelers. This particular uncertainty was evident as the U.S. tour operators were bombarded with calls regarding citizens concerned about what to do with their booked flights to Japan considering that the said country is still in its rebuilding process. Moreover, the U.S. State Department has already made travel alerts for potential visitors in Japan that the country is currently having temporary power outages and water shortage. Added to that, there might also be a shortage in food since the government is currently prioritizing its citizens as the government continues to supply rations for those who are in the evacuation centers. “Air traffic continued to suffer delays, and most public transportation in Tokyo and other major cities has been substantially reduced by power shortages and damage to highways and rail lines,” according to the State Department.

Last year, Japan had more than 8.6 million visitors, which were composed of around 727,000 American citizens according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. According to the Department of Commerce, this would then be a very significant number for the country considering that the total number of American visitors have an average of $5 billion of spending.

But despite all the things that Japan is going through, they are still optimistic that they still have more to offer more particularly in their tourism industry. Apart from what people actually know about the devastation in Japan, the only regions significantly affected by the catastrophe are the Northeastern regions of Japan. As far as tourist attractions are concerned, the tourist spots in Japan were barely affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Japan has been one of the unfortunate victims of Mother Nature’s wrath as seen on the aftermath brought by the tsunami and earthquake that struck its land. Japan suffered the wrath of the strongest earthquake ever recorded with an 8.9 magnitude earthquake. Moreover, the country also suffered a series of ground trembling aftershocks with an average magnitude of more than 5 that sent people panicking in their homes and the streets. Added to that, they have also suffered the fate of a tsunami which was stirred up by the earthquake and aftershocks mentioned earlier. The tsunami rose to 23-feet and the enormous volume of water swept away everything in its path. The epicenter of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake was detected 80 miles of the coastline of Japan. The earthquake’s effects were mostly felt on the Northeastern part of Japan particularly in the Natori city. Luckily, there was no significant damage on Japan’s capital city, which is Tokyo.

The devastation of the tsunami was clearly documented as it was recorded and the videos were fed live during the brink of the tsunami’s devastation. Live video feeds from local news teams showed the devastation of the earthquake and the tsunami as evident in the burning houses in a residential area in Natori city. Also, there were video feeds showing the devastation of the tsunami in Sendai Airport wherein people have sought refuge on top of the airport as they watch the devastation during the wake of the tsunami. There were trucks, cars, ships, boats, and even planes that were swept away by the torrent of the tsunami.

The aftermath of the earthquake is really devastating. The residential areas in the city of Natori turned into mere piles of debris, rubbles, and corpses. The overall death toll from the affected areas is expected to exceed 1,000 according to the Kyodo news agency. Also, the defense ministry of Japan said 1,800 houses were devastated, added the Kyodo news agency. But the most devastating effect of the tsunami and the earthquake came to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, as there are possibilities of a nuclear meltdown as devastating as that of the Chernobyl in Russia. The citizens of Japan are still on a race to prevent a nuclear meltdown as they struggle to flood the cooling systems of the nuclear reactor.