Businesses encouraged to be more Muslim-friendly ahead of 2020 Olympics
Japan's tourist board is hoping to entice more Muslim visitors to the country ahead of hosting the 2020 Olympics.
Visitors from Malaysia and Indonesia already come to the country, but now officials are encouraging businesses to become more Muslim-friendly.
Sampling Japanese cuisine is considered a must for any tourist visiting the country.
But food was a big concern to Rahanim Adb Rahim, a Malaysian school principal, ahead of her visit to Tokyo with a group of teachers from her school.
As practicing Muslims, the use of pork and alcohol is prohibited in Islam and meat must also be cut by a Muslim using appropriate methods.
But after spending a day at Senso-ji, a popular temple in Tokyo and enjoying a traditional Japanese lunch of seafood tempura, the teachers have been surprised at how easy everything has been for them.
I think Tokyo is very clean and I am so comfortable with Tokyo, says Johan Majid, a Japanese Language Teacher at the Gombak Integrated Fully Residential School.
As a Muslim, I don't think there is much problem for me to take food and also to do my salat (prayers) and I hope everybody especially as a Muslim should try to come to Tokyo to enjoy the scenery, it's beautiful, and everything in here.
That's welcome news for Japanese tourism officials.
Looking ahead to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is trying to boost tourism as part of his Abenomics growth revitalisation plan.
The government hopes to increase the annual number of tourists to 20 million by then.
They're counting on a still small but growing market of Muslim tourists as Japan looks to diversify from it's traditional market - China, Taiwan and South Korea - and are doing what they can to make Japan a more attractive country to visit.
The largest number of Muslim visitors travel from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Almost 160,000 Malaysian tourists visited Japan in the first nine months of 2014, while around another 111,000 came from Indonesia.
Beginning in 2013, visa exemptions made it easier for Malaysians to visit Japan, while similar exemptions for Indonesians are due to start on 1 December.
But Rahim still sees room for improvement in making Japan more Muslim-friendly.
Now that I have experienced my first day here, it is Muslim-friendly except perhaps if we can like we mentioned earlier have the prayer room, for men maybe it's not that difficult but for ladies, perhaps there can still be room for improvement to tell the Muslim that they are most welcomed to Tokyo actually, she explains.
Muslims should pray five times a day, and prayer rooms are hard to come by.
Shuichi Kameyama, the executive director of the tourism organisation's marketing and promotion department, says there's not enough prayers rooms at the moment - but things are changing.
Space for prayer rooms like the ones in the airport, large train stations or recently in shopping malls have been created. The number of prayer rooms at the locations of where these people would go are not enough and from now on, if such the number of such visitors are increasing, I think there will be more of these facilities at the location that receives these visitors, Kameyama explains.
Department stores like the popular Takashimaya Shinjuku are some of the pioneers.
It recently opened a prayer room after seeing an increase in Southeast Asian shoppers, says Koda Mikio, with the store's marketing office.
Customers from countries where there are many Muslim people are increasing. I heard such customers had been looking for a place to pray so we led them to a changing room and so on. We want our customer's experience to be stress free which is why a prayer room was needed and why we have created one.
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【4K】Hello Kitty town - Tama city illumination
Not a vlog, no intrusive faces or talking, pure Japan only.
Video from Tama monorail is not ready yet, so I publish video taken after last station.
Tama city is located on the west from center of Tokyo. The main city attraction is Sanrio Puroland - castle of Hello Kitty, so that part of city is also called as Hello Kitty town.
Map
Time 11/25 around 4pm
Filmed in UltraHD 4K 60p with Lumix GH5 camera, 8-18 f2.8-4 lens and Beholder EC1 stabilizer.
Feel free to correct my English or suggest a video to film.
【4K】From Shinagawa station through Season Terrace illumination to Rainbow bridge
Not a vlog, no intrusive faces or talking, pure Japan only.
Shinagawa is a city on the south from the center of Tokyo. Funny, but Shinagawa station is located in neighbour city Manato. Here you can see Shinagawa station, its both sides, Season Terrace park with illumination and walk through dark streets of Tokyo to port part closer to western side of Rainbow bridge. Video is taken befor Odaiba fireworks which was in previous video.
Map
Time 12/09 around 4:30pm
Filmed in UltraHD 4K 60p with Lumix GH5 camera, 8-18 f2.8-4 lens and Beholder EC1 stabilizer.
Feel free to correct my English or suggest a video to film.
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ジャパンフィッシングショー
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会 期 2019年1月18日（金）～ 20日（日）
開場時間 1月18日（金）9：00～13：00 ビジネスタイム
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協 力 公益財団法人 横浜観光コンベンション・ビューロー
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19アンタレスに真紅のスコーピオン⁉︎シマノの2019最新リールが遂に情報解禁！
19アンタレスはアンタレスミニ⁉︎ シマノの総合カタログが素敵過ぎる
【C94】コミックマーケット９４ 1日目 始発ダッシュ！夏のコミケ94開幕【COMIKET 2018.8.10】
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村田基・ジャパンフィッシングショー2017シマノ フルステージ ポイズンシリーズとワールドシャウラの違いとは！？徹底解説
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【C91】コミックマーケット91 ２日目Comiket2016コスプレイヤーさん感動をありがとう！【WINTER COMIKET 2016 COSPLAY 】
【4K】Walking along Oyokogawa park to SkyTree tower
Not a vlog, no intrusive faces or talking, pure Japan only.
As one of viewers suggested I walked to SkyTree tower through Oyokogawa park. Quiet place in the center of Tokyo, some people even called this walk as ASMR video.
Map
Time 12/30 around 4pm
Filmed in UltraHD 4K 60p with Lumix GH5 camera, 8-18 f2.8-4 lens and Beholder EC1 stabilizer.
Feel free to correct my English or suggest a video to film.
Visiting Nagoya Castle | 5 Minute Tour | CarNichiWa.com
Visiting Nagoya Castle | 5 Minute Tour | CarNichiWa.com
Recorded on location in Nagoya, Japan
Video © 2017 CarNichiWa.com
【4K】Tokyo Game Show 2017
Not a vlog, no intrusive faces or talking, pure Japan only.
Filmed in UltraHD 4K 60p with Lumix GH5 camera, 8-18 f2.8-4 lens and Beholder EC1 stabilizer.
Feel free to correct my English or suggest a video to film.
Morning walk in Buddha Garden Delhi University North Campus