Japan's ten million program: The paradox of statistical success

Abstract

This paper is based on the assumption that there are many things that can be determined from the history of tourism as a general social and economic phenomenon. There is clearly something to be gained from understanding something of the history of outbound tourism from the world's most economically advanced country: Japan. This may be to do with a unique aspect of the political manipulation of international tourism; the way in which outbound tourism was geared for growth as a high profile ‘export substitution’ strategy for allaying criticisms about Japan's growing trade imbalance with the rest of the world while at the same time on the domestic front allowing the government to be seen to be doing something about the quality of life for its citizens. This paper traces the history of the particular policy known as the ‘Ten Million Program’ and identifies a paradox in that while the Ministry of Transport's 5 year plan for ‘doubling the annual number of tourists going abroad’ was achieved in a raw statistical sense, the other important aspect, that of changing cultural attitudes towards leisure and time off from work remains something of a paradox.