List of Columns: http://urc.or.jp/fukuokagrowth-2015-2016-column?lang=en

(by Shinichi KAJIHARA, Managing Director)

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, the number of visitors to Japan grew from 10.36 million in 2013 to 13.41 million in 2014, an increase of 29.4%. Based on statistics from the Economy, Tourism, and Culture Bureau of Fukuoka City announced in March 2015, the number of people who entered Japan through Fukuoka City surpassed 1.20 million, increasing 33% from the 900,000 people for the previous year and hitting an historic high. It appears that because of the weaker yen, the number of visitors to Japan from almost all countries increased, but growth was strongest for those from China. Residents of Fukuoka who have called the city home for some time probably feel that there has been an increase in the number of times they hear foreign languages, such as Chinese, while out and about in the city. Even the Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Center hosted one teacher and fourteen students from Hong Kong who came to study Fukuoka City’s urban development in late June, and they noted that one of the reasons they selected Fukuoka was because it was inexpensive on account of the weaker yen.
There is a lot of discussion about how Japan’s response to its declining population will impact the future of the country. For Fukuoka City, however, the population is expected to grow for the time being, but the size of the working-age population is already contracting, and the number of elderly is sure to increase. Therefore, it is necessary for the city to attract tourists from overseas and increase the non-resident population in order to maintain the city’s vitality into the future.
Using a basic concept that was set in 1987, Fukuoka City has formulated an urban development plan in which it will take the lead in becoming an Asian hub for exchanges. Since then, the city has steadily promoted Asia-oriented internationalization through various efforts such as ones related to international exchanges, including creation of the Fukuoka Prize, and operating the Beatle boat service between Fukuoka and Busan (Korea). Japan is currently drawing the attention of people throughout the world because of the weaker yen and its hosting of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and this is a major chance for Fukuoka City to take a further large step toward becoming a global hub for exchanges.
By April 2015, the Cruise Center at the Chuo Warf, which was constructed to handle the growing number of arrivals and departures of large cruise ships and to smooth immigration procedures, was completed, and work to respond to the greater number of visitors to Japan was underway at a furious pace, which included department stores opening airport duty free shops and more stores providing currency-exchange services. In the future, there are plans to develop infrastructure, such as facilities and public transportation, and the city of Fukuoka is transforming itself in order to enter a new stage of internationalization.
In 2016, Fukuoka City will host the Lions Club International Conference. It is expected that 25,000 people, 15,000 of which will be from overseas, will attend the conference, making it the largest event up to now. This is the ideal opportunity for Fukuoka City to raise its international presence.
Looking at the various opinions of visitors to Japan, many praise the high quality of service in Japan. Of course, developing the city’s physical environment to receive tourists, such as increasing the number of hotels and other facilities, introducing multilingual signs, and increasing the convenience of public transportation, is important. At the same time, however, in terms of soft aspects, if the city can possess a sense of hospitality, communicate with convention attendees, and win the praise of visitors from overseas that it was great that the convention was held in Fukuoka, the city’s name will spread throughout the world. Although there are numerous issues that must be resolved, such as language problems, the whole area should work together to use this convention as an opportunity to transform Fukuoka into to a global hub for exchanges.

Note: Recently it was officially decided that the sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution will be recorded as World Heritage sites. Locations such as the Yahata Steel Works and Miike coal mines will become World Heritage sites, finally giving Fukuoka Prefecture, too, such sites. This can be expected to draw even more tourists to Fukuoka.

テキスト：常務理事　梶原 信一

日本政府観光局による我が国全体の訪日外国人は、２０１３年の１０３６万人から２０１４年には１３４１万人と２９．４％増えたそうです。福岡市においても２０１５年３月に発表された福岡市経済観光文化局の統計によれば、福岡市の入国者数は１２０万人を突破し過去最高を記録し、なんと前年９０万人から３０万人（３３％）増となりました。円安により、中国を筆頭にほとんどの国の入国者が増えたそうです。以前から福岡に住んでいる方は、最近街中で中国語をはじめいろいろな外国語が飛び交う状況が以前にもまして増えてきたことを実感されていると思います。当研究所にも、６月下旬に香港から福岡市のまちづくりを勉強するため先生１人、学生１４人が研修を受けに訪れましたが、福岡を訪問先に選んだ理由の一つに円安で費用負担が少ないことを挙げていました。

現在、人口減少社会にどう対応していくかが国の将来を左右する大きな問題として議論されています。福岡市は今後も当分人口は増加する見込みですが、すでに生産年齢人口は減少してきており、高齢化人口も確実に増加していきます。そのため、福岡市においても、将来にわたり都市活力を持続的に維持していくためには、海外からの訪問客を呼び込む交流人口を増やしていくことに取り組んでいく必要があるでしょう。

福岡市は、１９８７年に策定した基本構想で、他都市に先駆けて「アジアの交流拠点都市」をめざすまちづくりを打ち出しました。以後、福岡アジア文化賞の創設をはじめとした国際交流の取組や福岡―釜山航路となるビートルの就航などにより着実にアジアを中心とした国際化の進展を進めてきましたが、円安という追い風や、２０２０年の東京オリンピック開催など、世界の人々の目が日本に向いている今、福岡市がグローバル交流拠点として一層飛躍する大きなチャンスです。

すでに２０１５年４月に大型クルーズ船の発着回数増に対応し円滑な出入国審査を手続き行う中央ふ頭のクルーズセンターが完成したほか、空港免税店への百貨店の出店、外貨両替ショップの増など、海外からの訪問客の増大に対応した動きが急ピッチで進んでいます。今後、施設や公共交通などインフラ整備も計画されており、福岡のまちが、新たな国際化へのステージに向けて変わりつつあります。

そして来年２０１６年には、福岡市でライオンズクラブ国際大会が開催されます。この大会は、全体で２万５千人、そのうち１万５千人が海外からの参加者が見込まれるこれまでにない大きなイベントです。国際的に福岡市のプレゼンスを向上させるための絶好の機会が訪れます。

訪日外国人のさまざまな意見をみると、日本のサービスの質の高さを評価する声が多いように感じます。ホテルを始めとした施設の充実や標識の多言語化、公共交通利便性向上などハードの受入れ環境の整備はもちろん必要なことですが、合わせてソフト面でもおもてなしの心をもって参加者とコミュニケーションをし、この大会に参加した海外の訪問客から「福岡はよかった」という評価をいただければ、「フクオカ」の名前が世界中に広まることになると思います。海外から多数の訪問客の受け入れに当たっては、言葉の問題などいろいろ解決すべき課題も多いと思いますが、この大会が福岡のグローバル交流拠点形成につながるよう地域全体で取り組んで成功させましょう。

【追記】この度「明治日本の産業革命遺産」が正式に世界遺産へ登録されることになりました。官営八幡製鐵所、三池炭鉱跡など、福岡県にもついに世界遺産が誕生します。福岡市にもさらに多くの観光客が訪れることが期待されます。