Aomori, Feb 27, 2026 (News On Japan) - The Japan Tourism Agency announced in its accommodation travel statistics survey that both the number of guests and total overnight stays at lodging facilities across Japan increased in 2025, with some prefectures posting striking gains driven by unexpected promotional efforts.
Among them, Aomori Prefecture recorded the largest increase in overnight stays by Japanese travelers.
According to preliminary 2025 data released by the Japan Tourism Agency, the number of overnight stays by Japanese guests rose 12.3 percent year on year in Aomori, followed by Mie at 10.2 percent and Nara at 9.4 percent.
Regarding the factors behind the surge, aviation and travel analyst Kotaro Toriumi pointed to the impact of East Japan Railway. In 2025, JR East introduced a limited-time weekday unlimited ride pass priced at 10,000 yen per day and also stepped up the frequency of early booking discount campaigns.
Toriumi suggested that many travelers from the Kanto region may have chosen to journey as far as Aomori—the northernmost destination within JR East’s service area—to maximize the sense of value offered by such discount passes.
In the town of Owani in Aomori, another initiative has also drawn attention: the “Snack Mama Card.” Created to revitalize the local hot spring district, the trading cards feature the proprietresses of local snack bars.
The first edition proved highly popular, and a second series launched on January 30th. Some of the so-called “rare cards” even feature photos of the mamas from their younger days.
Visitors can obtain a card by going to the snack bar they are interested in and asking, “Mama, can I have a card?”—though customers are reminded not to forget to order food or drinks as well.
According to a town official, some visitors from outside the prefecture have stayed for two nights and already collected cards from all 14 participating establishments.
Each card includes sections such as “What the Shop Is Proud Of” and “Recent Worries.” For example, the mama of Snack Kurohime lists, under shop pride, “All appetizers are handmade,” and under recent worries, “I’ve gotten shorter.”
On the back of the card is a pentagon-shaped “Mama Analysis” chart. While Kurohime’s mama scores highly in “Talk” and “Stamina,” she appears slightly less confident in “Vision.” Her parameters for “Alcohol” and “Appetite” are maxed out, sparking curiosity among would-be visitors.
An official from Owani’s planning and tourism division said the project highlights snack bars that have existed in the town for nearly 150 years as part of efforts to promote the “good old Tsugaru” atmosphere. “If people go to snack bars, that leads to overnight stays,” the official noted.
The phenomenon is not limited to snack bar mamas. Across Japan, various regions have launched their own “local trading cards.”
In Kyoto, for example, there are sento bathhouse trading cards, while Aomori offers fisherman cards. Ibaraki has “Okami” innkeeper cards, and Aichi features Toyohashi hand-held fireworks cards, each reflecting local culture in creative ways.
The mama of Snack Flora in Owani, known as Fumichan, said tourist numbers have risen since introducing the cards. “After the second edition began, some people saw it on social media and came by Shinkansen from the Kanto area,” she said, adding with a smile, “I tell them, ‘Please visit at least five snack bars.’”
There is also a system in which visitors who collect five cards can receive a local specialty gift on a first-come, first-served basis, encouraging travelers to aim for at least five stops.
Meanwhile, among foreign visitors, Tottori Prefecture recorded the highest growth in overnight stays.
Preliminary 2025 figures from the Japan Tourism Agency show that foreign guest overnight stays rose 68.0 percent year on year in Tottori, followed by Niigata at 55.3 percent and Mie at 54.3 percent.
The increase in Tottori is attributed in part to expanded international flights and the popularity of the anime GeGeGe no Kitaro, which has strong ties to the prefecture.
According to the prefectural international tourism division, flights between Yonago Airport and Seoul increased from three times a week to five times a week starting in March 2025, and became daily services in December. In addition, flights between Yonago Airport and Taipei began operating twice weekly from May 2025. Approximately 40 percent of foreign visitors in 2025 came from South Korea and Taiwan.
The influence of GeGeGe no Kitaro has also been significant. Following the film’s overseas release in 2024, the number of people staying in Sakaiminato—home to the Mizuki Shigeru Road dedicated to the series—rose to roughly 2.8 times the previous year, according to analysis data from Navitime Japan comparing June to August in 2024 and 2025.
The data underscores the growing power of content such as anime and film in shaping travel trends.
As one commentator noted, rather than large-scale amusement facilities, more travelers appear to be seeking trips that allow them to enjoy nostalgic Showa-era streetscapes and everyday scenery rooted in local life.
Source: TBS
