Gravity（Attraction） of Kyoto 31 The cause of overtourism is overconcentration II ～ Distributed tourism, such as Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Arashiyama, and Fushimi Inari, is effective when promoting their attractions～
Photographed on 23th Jan. 2026
Don Quijote（Don Quixote）, Kawaramachi-dori Shijo-Agaru
Yoshie Doi
On 20th Jan. 2026, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasuyuki Kaneko said, “The number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2025 is expected to reach approximately 42.7 million,” which would be the highest number ever, surpassing the approximately 36.87 million visitors in 2024.
Japan began attracting inbound tourists in 2003, and has made it a growth strategy, with the number of visitors increasing to the 20 million range in 2016 and the 30 million range in 2018. Although the number of visitors fell due to the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020, it recovered rapidly from 2023 onwards.
In Kyoto, there are calls for measures to combat overtourism.
In this climate, a Don Quijote store specializing in inbound tourists is scheduled to open in Kyoto. The store will be open from 10:00 AM to 1:00 AM, targeted at overseas tourists, and is generating a lot of buzz by selling fruit skewers, which are not something Japanese people would think of.
After reading this article, I visited a Don Quijote. It seems that many inbound tourists know about Don Quijote through social media before they visit Japan, and Don Quijote’s awareness continues to rise thanks to its “pre-trip strategy.”
The commercial, which was a collaboration with world-famous artist and Japanophile Bruno Mars, has been met with a great response both in Japan and overseas, and the company has gained recognition around the world. It also appears to be a very successful strategy, which has enhanced the “post-trip strategy” of encouraging customers to visit Don Quijote during their trip and then spread the word about Don Quijote to their acquaintances on social media after their trip.
In 2024, the company focused on raising awareness “before traveling” and focused on social media promotions to spread the appeal of Don Quijote to all corners of the world. Don Quijote’s operating company, Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPIH), reported consolidated sales of 2,246,758 million yen (up 7.2% from the same period last year) for the fiscal year ending June 2025. Operating profit was 162.2 billion yen (up 15.8% from the same period last year). This marks the 35th consecutive year of increased sales and profits, setting a new record high. It seems that their long-standing sales strategy is finally paying off. (Continued next time)
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Translated by Masami Otani
