KYOTO - JTB’s domestic travel and inbound tourism demand have rebounded sharply as the company’s annual revenue has surpassed 1 trillion yen, and it is now taking on a major transformation of Japan’s travel industry through a series of unconventional strategies.
Yamakita, who became president in June 2020 at the height of the pandemic, has been driving these reforms by challenging long-standing industry assumptions and reshaping the role of a travel agency.
On an early morning in Kyoto, a group of visitors quietly arrived at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, known for its maple trees that exceed 300 in number. Although the grounds were still closed to the public, guests on a special tour were ushered inside ahead of normal opening hours, guided toward a secluded area where brilliant autumn leaves glowed under the rising sun. The experience, normally crowded with long queues during the day, unfolded in a private, peaceful atmosphere that left guests impressed by the rare sense of luxury.
The early-entry maple tour is planned by industry leader JTB, but the company’s after-hours strategy does not end with morning access. At Mii-dera Temple, a site connected to the Tale of Genji, visitors on another JTB tour were welcomed shortly after 6 p.m., when regular visiting hours had ended. Special lighting illuminated the autumn foliage, creating a dramatic scene in the darkness with no crowds or waiting times. Participants praised the tour, saying it offered a completely different way to appreciate the season.
Behind these time-shifted experiences lies a clear objective. Kyoto is currently overwhelmed by overtourism, with crowds filling even ordinary sidewalks and crosswalks resembling the scramble of Shibuya. Popular areas such as Arashiyama are so congested that visitors can barely move, and residents relying on buses complain of packed vehicles that cannot open their doors. JTB hopes to ease this burden by spreading visits across different hours of the day, allowing travelers to enjoy sightseeing more calmly while helping local communities maintain livability.
But JTB is not relying on time dispersion alone. Veteran staff Miyauchi and Okamura traveled to Otsu in Shiga Prefecture, just nine minutes from Kyoto Station by train, to collaborate with Biwako Kisen, a local cruise operator. Their aim is to develop new inbound-focused lake cruises that can divert some tourist flow from overcrowded Kyoto. Otsu’s proximity to Kyoto makes it an ideal alternative, and Lake Biwa offers abundant tourism resources, including historic sites, scenic islands regarded as power spots, and charming temple districts that remain relatively unknown.
On one of these islands, visitors follow a tradition in which throwing a small plate through the legs of a torii gate is believed to grant wishes. The area has long attracted quiet admiration, and JTB hopes to raise its profile by presenting it as a compelling destination that helps relieve pressure on Kyoto.
JTB is also responding to congestion in other regions. Near Nabegataki Falls in Oguni Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, a natural attraction that once drew more than 200,000 visitors annually, heavy congestion used to cause massive traffic jams, partly because large buses could not navigate the narrow approach roads. The situation frustrated both tourists and local residents.
The problem was resolved through JTB’s crowd-management reservation system, Ticket Hub. Visitors reserving in advance receive a two-dimensional barcode, which must be scanned on arrival. Without a reservation, entry is not permitted during busy periods. This system has successfully dispersed peak-time crowds without reducing the total number of visitors, eliminating traffic jams while ensuring that tourism revenue continues to support the region. Local officials say longstanding overtourism concerns have been eased thanks to the system.
These new strategies are part of JTB’s broader mission to revitalize tourism through ideas that did not exist before. Leading the transformation is Yamakita Eijiro, now 61, who assumed the presidency in 2020 when global travel demand collapsed and the business suffered unprecedented losses. Despite taking office in the worst possible conditions, Yamakita guided the company back into the black and restored annual revenue to over 1 trillion yen.
As Japan’s largest travel agency by transaction volume, JTB has long dominated the industry, but the revival under Yamakita has been driven by bold, rule-breaking business concepts. His latest initiatives extend to remote islands in the Seto Inland Sea, where JTB is exploring high-tech services to draw visitors to areas rich in attractions such as olive farms and newly opened facilities, underscoring the company’s shift from a traditional travel agency to a creator of tourism infrastructure and experiences.
JTB’s reinvention continues to reshape Japan’s travel landscape, offering new models for managing crowds, expanding regional tourism, and redefining what a major travel company can be.
