December 19, 2025: An American with 30 years of experience in Japan talks about inbound tourism in Nagoya

Reporter: Dan Lewis (Inbound Tourism Advisor)

The number of inbound tourists visiting Japan from overseas is currently booming. The main reason seems to be the widespread international recognition of Japan's appeal.
The appeal of Japan is perceived very differently by Japanese people living in the area and foreigners from overseas. In order to attract inbound tourists and do business with them, it's important to understand Japan from a foreign perspective.
This time, we invited Dan Lewis, an American who fell in love with Japan after visiting it and has lived in Nagoya for 30 years, to speak. He carefully explained how Nagoya's appeal appears to Americans. He began with a shocking comment about Nagoya Castle, considered Nagoya's top tourist attraction: "I was disappointed because the castle was just a building." However, he said, "I was impressed by the stone walls surrounding the castle." This is because the names of the people who built it are carved into each stone. It seems that their perspective differs from that of Japanese people.
This regular meeting reminded me that in order to help inbound tourists understand the good things about Japan and become fans, it is important to understand how they see things. I plan to have another discussion with Dan Lewis.