Tohoku Region Sees Surge in Cruise Vessels; Local Municipalities Make Efforts to Utilize Tourist Resources, Attract Ships

Kotaro Hirose, Shuntaro Sakamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

17:08 JST, November 13, 2024

MORIOKA — The Tohoku region has seen a remarkable surge in the number of overseas cruise vessels visiting its ports. 74 ships had called at Tohoku-area ports this year as of the end of October, already surpassing the record high of 73 ships set in 2023, with the total for 2024 expected to reach 76. That is in stark contrast to the COVID-19 pandemic period from 2020-2022, during which no ships visited, according to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism ministry.

The increase in cruise ships has been driven by growing overseas interest in events such as summer festivals and desire to see remnants from the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Valuable experiences

Silver Nova, a passenger ship about 245 meters long and weighing about 55,100 tons that departed from Vancouver, called at a port in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, at the end of September. This was her first time visiting a port in the Tohoku region.

After enjoying trying on kimonos and visiting several tourist attractions, about 700 passengers left for their final destination, the Port of Tokyo.

A 77-year-old man visiting with his wife from Hamburg, Germany, went into Miyako to see a remnant from the 2011 disaster. He said that he felt the terror of the tsunami and that it was an experience difficult to gain in other cities.

“This quiet city has become vibrant,” Momoko Otsuto, a 69-year-old woman who runs a shop in downtown Miyako, said with a smile.

Activities to attract ships

While the number of overseas cruise vessels visiting ports has increased nationwide compared to 10 years ago, the growth has been particularly remarkable in the Tohoku region. Comparing figures from 2023 to those from 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tohoku region saw an increase of about 55%, while the figure for the Kanto region was about 15%.

Local municipalities are also helping to boost the numbers through efforts to attract cruise ships. For the past ten years, Akita Pref. has periodically invited executives of overseas cruise vessel operating companies to visit. People invited have been shown around spots like the Akita Kanto Festival heritage center and Lake Tazawa.

Port officials in the city of Aomori, Aomori Pref., also go to the United States and China to drum up visitors from those places. “The fact that the downtown area is located within walking distance of Aomori Port is also appreciated,” a representative of the city concluded.

‘Relaxed tourism’

Places around the region have been working on developing port facilities and fostering talented people in hopes of attracting more ships.

In October, the local tourism association of Miyako, Iwate Pref., hosted a seminar to train local people as tour guides. A National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter offered the participants advice on interpreting.

“I want to effectively convey the charm of my hometown,” said Tomomi Morita, a 51-year-old woman who hopes to become a guide.

“One of the factors is that, following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been growing interest in ‘relaxed tourism’ that avoids crowded places,” Prof. Nobuaki Endo of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology said. “It is also necessary to make efforts to effectively utilize existing tourism resources and improve the quality of cruise ship travel.”