Foreigners' preferred prefectures for an "Autumn Journey in Japan": Tokyo Creative (Sumida Ward, Tokyo) revealed survey results, with Kyoto leading at 20.5%, followed by Hokkaido at 15.5%, and Aomori securing the third spot with 12.5%.
The rationale for selecting Kyoto as the top choice includes its picturesque autumn scenery (Greek, male, 25-34 years old) and the beauty of traditional architecture in conjunction with autumn foliage ("Kyoto is known for its traditional architecture, and it looks beautiful with autumn leaves," American male, 25-34 years old, and "I saw a post about Arashiyama on Instagram," Dutch female, 25-34 years old).
For Hokkaido, reasons cited are, "I think it's cooler than other places" (Canadian female, 25-34 years old) and "I consider it a good opportunity to see a lot of autumn leaves" (American female, 35-44 years old, and "Because I love delicious food and haven't been there yet" (Chinese male, 35-44 years old).
Regarding the third-ranked Aomori Prefecture, motivations include a desire to see beautiful autumn leaves, indulge in garlic dishes, and savor apples (Australian male, 25-34 years old) and learning about autumn foliage through a vlog by a YouTuber living in Japan (British male, 25-34 years old) and "Autumn is the season to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, including apples" (American male, 35-44 years old).
When it comes to social media platforms referenced for travel planning, "YouTube" significantly leads at 90.1%, followed by "Google Maps" (64.7%) and "Instagram" (59.1%).
Tokyo Creative conducted an online survey with 303 non-Japanese nationals from October 27 to November 6.
