Japan’s ‘quiet revolution’ of luxury travel nears fruition

From the first sunrise of Jan. 1 to the closing moments of Dec. 31, travel in Japan in 2024 was dominated by one concept: overtourism.

For many, this influx of overseas visitors — real or imagined — posed more challenges than opportunities. Taxi companies struggled to meet demand, convenience stores with picturesque views grappled with crowd-control measures and officials debated charging foreign visitors more for basic services.

However, amid all that handwringing over how to handle Japan’s culmination as a global tourist hot spot, one industry spent much of last year quietly putting together the puzzle pieces of success: luxury travel.