Japan Tourism Agency

This article is about an extra-ministerial bureau of MLIT of Japan. For an independent administrative agency using JNTO as its acronym, see Japan National Tourism Organization.

The Japan Tourism Agency (Japanese: 観光庁, Hepburn: Kankō-chō), JTA, is a Japanese government organization which was set up on October 1, 2008 as an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.^[5]

Japan Tourism Agency

観光庁 Kankō-chō
Joint Government Building No. 3
Agency overview
Formed	October 1, 2008 (2008-10-01)[1]
Jurisdiction	Japan
Headquarters	Yubinbango 100-8918, Chiyoda-ku, Kasumigaseki 2-chome No. 1 No. 3, Tokyo
Employees	200[2]
Annual budget	¥26,438 million JPY[3]
Agency executives	Secretary, Shigeki Murata[4] Deputy Secretary, Norio Kimura[4]
Parent agency	Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Website	www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/

Background of establishment

Japan Tourism Agency seated itself with intentions to stimulate local economies and to further international mutual understanding,^[6] following legislation of Basic Act on Promotion of Tourism Nation (in December 2006, to wholly revise Tourism Basic Act),^[7][8] committee resolutions in both Houses of the Diet in the legislation process,^[9][10] and a decision at a Cabinet meeting of Basic Plan (in June 2007)^[11][12] which was drawn as provided by the Basic Act. One legal basis of the Agency is the Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.^[5]

The two committee resolutions (of almost the same contents) were made by the Committee on Land and Transport of each House of the Diet, to point out eight issues on which the government should take appropriate measures when it enforces the Basic Act. In issue No. 8, it was stated that the government should make efforts to set up a tourism agency.

In the Basic Plan, five fundamental targets were set, whose substances were, respectively, to increase the number of:

a. foreign tourists visiting Japan;

b. International meetings held in Japan;

c. nights for a stay in accommodations per one Japanese during domestic sightseeing tours;

d. Japanese tourists to overseas;

e. expenditure in Japan on sightseeing tours.

All five targets each had a numerical value.

Departments

• General Affairs Division
• Tourism Industry Division
• International Tourism Policy Division
• International Exchange Promotion Division
• Tourism Area Promotion Department

See also

• Japan National Tourism Organization