Japan Sentiment Recovers 15.1 Pts in South Korea, Drops in US; Food and Culture Popular

AUN Consulting surveyed 14 countries and regions regarding their affinity for Japan and desire to visit. Favorable sentiment remained high globally, exceeding 90% in 11 countries. South Korea saw a significant recovery, increasing by 15.1 points year-on-year to 86.9%, driven by improving relations. Conversely, sentiment in the US dropped by 7.8 points to 84.0%. When asked about the reasons for liking Japan, 'Japanese food' remained the most popular choice, particularly in Asia. This was followed by 'Four seasons/nature', 'High quality of products', and 'History/Culture'. Regarding desired destinations, Tokyo led with 70.1%, followed by Osaka, Kyoto, and Hokkaido. The biggest concern for travelers visiting Japan was the 'inability to communicate with shop staff' (13.63%), highlighting the need for better multilingual support, followed by anxieties about natural disasters like earthquakes.