Tokyo is appealing to the increasingly cosmopolitan Australian appetite with the launch of Tokyo Lunch – a promotion that aims to grow the number of Australian visitors to the Japanese capital after several flat years.
Chitose Maeda, director of city sales for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's tourism division, told Travel Today that since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, annual Australian arrivals to Tokyo have stalled at around 300,000.
While the number of Australians heading to Japan is on the rise, the majority are heading for its ski slopes. The challenge is for Tokyo to convince them to stopover in the city en route, Maeda said.
As a result, the city is looking to its culinary prowess to entice visitors. Last week, Japanese cuisine made the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list, Maeda revealed, while he pointed out that Tokyo holds more Michelin star restaurants than Paris.
The resulting promotion, which launched in Sydney yesterday, involved eight restaurants which have devised a special Tokyo Lunch menu to honour the city and its culinary traditions, which will be available until February 25. Participating restaurants include Azuma, Blancharu by Yomo, Izakaya Masuya, Japan City Eat Street, Japaz, Ocean Room, Ooh Rice and Sake.
The launch of the project coincides with the annual Japan Expo which will take place at Sydney's Tumbalong Park this weekend, where food will also play a significant role alongside pop culture and fashion.
The Sydney representative of Tokyo Tourism, Katsuji Tochino, attributed the popularity of Tokyo's food scene to its offer of healthy, tasty, well-presented seasonal dishes.
He revealed the long-held Australian view of the city as highly expensive as the main deterrent, claiming the perception is no longer accurate.
"There is a strong stereotype here that Tokyo is very expensive but that's not the case anymore," he said. "The commodities bubble has burst."
He used a plate of “conveyor belt” sushi as an example, highlighting the price in Australia as around $3, but in Tokyo as just $1.17.
