Editorial
Staggering holiday calendar could be a shot in the arm for tourism
The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) has compiled a proposal to stagger long holidays by region in the spring and fall, alleviating the overcrowding of transportation services and hotels and stimulating demand for domestic tourism.
According to the proposal, which the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) aims to implement in 2012, some of the days that are currently designated as public holidays will be eliminated. Instead, five-day holidays that include Saturdays and Sundays will be allotted to the public by region in both spring and fall.
The plan divides the nation into five regions: Hokkaido, the Tohoku region, and the north Kanto area; the south Kanto area; the Chubu region and the Hokuriku-Shinetsu region; the Kinki region; and the Chugoku region, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa.
The idea of staggered holidays came about in response to appeals by the tourism industry. As a result of most people taking holidays at the same time -- including during Golden Week, which falls generally from late April to early May -- the days in which the industry can make a profit is limited. Some say that only 100 days or so out of the year are profitable for the industry.
In addition, there is a tendency among potential travelers to give up their travel plans because of crowds, traffic congestion, and the high price of travel during the busy season. If staggered holidays can raise the profitability of the tourism industry, this will help create jobs and revitalize regional communities. It may also enable the industry to strengthen their capacity to cater to foreign tourists.
Many worry about the confusion that can result from a change in holidays, however. Business leaders have pointed to the possibility that families will be allotted different holiday periods depending on where family members work or study, and that staggered holidays will prove a challenge for corporations that work on a national scale.
Around 30 percent of respondents to a JTA public opinion survey said that they were against the new proposal, citing "weakening awareness of the original meaning of the holidays," "staggered holidays will interrupt our work," and "it will become difficult to participate in festivals and events" as reasons for their objection.
Some also wonder that if "public holidays" no longer mean days off, the spirit of the National Holidays Law will be compromised. In particular, there are bound to be objections against Constitution Day and Children's Day being work days for some of the public.
Yet, despite these problems, the proposal is a significant one that is worth a try, not just for the economic effects like increased domestic demand and expected boost to tourism, but as a chance for the Japanese people -- who are known for "being bad" at taking time off -- to proactively rethink the ways in which they work and their relationships with their families.
The term "work-life balance" has gained widespread acceptance and use in Japan, but in 2008, private employees took only an average of 47.4 percent of the paid holidays they were entitled to. There is a huge gap between Japan and such countries as the U.K., Germany and France, where the rate is nearly 100 percent.
How people take and spend holidays is up to the individual. It goes without saying that there needs to be a general mentality shift in order to build an environment that makes it easier for people to choose how they will take days off. Maybe it's going a bit far for the government to take the lead in this process of rethinking work and rest, and helping boost tourism demand. But in a country where the common line of thinking is "Since everyone is taking time off, I will, too," or "Since no one is taking time off, I can't, either," staggered holidays is something worth trying.
(Mainichi Japan) March 5, 2010