Japan: A Cruising Mecca

On November 20, 2024, I gave a keynote speech at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the Japan Marina and Beach Association (the national trade association for Japanese marinas).

The title of the 45-minute speech was: “Japan: A Cruising Mecca.” You can download the presentation that I used for the speech below. However, it is in Japanese, so here is an English summary.

Download the Presentation (PDF)

• After cruising Japan for six years, I came to appreciate the many reasons that make Japan an excellent cruising destination (I used many photos to highlight these points).
  • Japanese people and hospitality.
  • Scenery.
  • History and culture.
  • Food.
  • Hot spring baths.
  • “Interesting.”
  • Safe.
  • Many moorage options.
  • Excellent domestic and international transportation access.
• Japan therefore has the potential to become a “Cruising Mecca” that would bring many economic benefits to Japan, especially for rural areas.
• The number of foreign cruisers is rising significantly for several reasons.
  • Increasing awareness of Japan’s many attractions.
  • Word-of-mouth among cruisers.
  • Deregulation, especially regarding the Closed Port Permit.
  • More cruisers doing the circum-Pacific route rather than a global circumnavigation.
  • Overseas PR by my company.
  • Relaxation of regulations affecting superyachts, led by SYL Japan.
• There are many problems that make it difficult for Japan to become a Cruising Mecca.
  • 1899 Shipping Law, which deals only with commercial/cargo ships.
  • A bureaucratic mindset that focuses on controlling, not supporting, cruisers.
  • Various visa restrictions and limitations.
  • Various bureaucratic inefficiencies and inconsistencies.
  • Lack of moorage facilities that meet the needs of foreign cruisers.
  • Inadequate emergency support.
  • Lack of people with the linguistic and technical skills to support foreign cruisers.
  • Non-existent charter industry.
• To address these problems so that Japan can become a world-class cruising destination, I made various proposals.
  • Establish “Cruise Japan,” a public-private NPO.
  • Research good\bad examples of other countries.
  • Develop a long-term, comprehensive plan to make Japan a Cruising Mecca.
  • Establish a Cruising Permit system that would give cruisers one-year renewable visas.
  • Improve and expand moorage options, including extensive use of mooring buoys.
  • Support the development of a charter business.
  • Make visas more readily available to people who want to work in the marine industry.
  • Promote “Cruise Japan” overseas, including at boat shows and in various media.

At the party that evening, many marina managers, bureaucrats, journalists, and other people involved in the marine industry thanked me for the remarks and expressed their desire to support the development of Japan as a Cruising Mecca. And since I returned to Fukuoka, several people have already followed up by email.

Japan is already a great place to cruise, and bureaucratic restrictions have been significantly reduced over the past decade. With further encouragement (and pressure), I have no doubt that the government will make it even easier for cruisers to visit Japan and to stay longer.