Digital

A major Japanese data company opens a capsule hotel specializing in sleep analysis as ‘sleep tech’

A major Japanese data company opens a capsule hotel specializing in sleep analysis as ‘sleep tech’

NTT Data, a major Japanese data company, will open a capsule hotel specializing in sleep analysis, acquiring, accumulating and analyzing sleep data using infrared cameras, sound-collecting microphones, and body movement sensors.
Amazon launches ‘Alexa’ for hotels as part of its first BtoB services, making bulk installation in a property possible

Amazon launches ‘Alexa’ for hotels as part of its first BtoB services, making bulk installation in a property possible

Amazon Japan (Amazon) has begun offering ‘Alexa Smart Properties (ASP)’ as a service for businesses using the personal AI assistant Alexa. Tokyu Hotels & Resorts will introduce Echo Show 8 to 56 premium class rooms at the lifestyle hotel "SAPPORO STREAM HOTEL" that will open in Sapporo on January 16 2024.
Airbnb Japan introduces its first new functions exclusively forJapan, reflecting the current trends of increases in group guests and stays in local areas

Airbnb Japan introduces its first new functions exclusively forJapan, reflecting the current trends of increases in group guests and stays in local areas

Airbnb Japan has introduced new specific functions for Japan in line with the recent trends in the Japanese market, saying that guests choose locations other than famous tourist spots and prefer to group travel.
Tokyo Ota creates a digital SENTO (public bathhouse) experience tour for foreign travelers arriving in Haneda Airport

Tokyo Ota creates a digital SENTO (public bathhouse) experience tour for foreign travelers arriving in Haneda Airport

Digital SENTO(public bathhouse) experience tour for foreign travelers who arrive in Haneda Airport located in Ota area is developed as a Japan’s unique tourism attraction.
Japan Travel and Tourism Association builds a digital platform to help local regions use tourism data analysis

Japan Travel and Tourism Association builds a digital platform to help local regions use tourism data analysis

Japan Travel and Tourism Association has built ‘Japan Travel and Tourism Association Digital Platform’ to help local regions use tourism data analysis for sustainable tourism business, offering a basic function and a paid extension function.
A Japanese real estate sharing service provider is preparing for selling new crypto-assets as a money-raising means, offering rights to stay in properties to buyers

A Japanese real estate sharing service provider is preparing for selling new crypto-assets as a money-raising means, offering rights to stay in properties to buyers

NOT A HOTEL, a Japanese real estate sharing service provider, has signed MOU with GMO COINS to prepare for selling new crypto-assets as a money-raising means, trying to build a scheme for everyone to own and use NOT A HOTEL properties all together.
Digital Wallet for Osaka Kansai EXPO is in service on November 1, naming e-money as ‘MYAKU-PE!’ and reward point as ‘MYAKU-PO!’

Digital Wallet for Osaka Kansai EXPO is in service on November 1, naming e-money as ‘MYAKU-PE!’ and reward point as ‘MYAKU-PO!’

‘EXPO 2025 Digital Wallet’ service started on November 1 2023 to connect the EXPO with wallet users, nicknaming e-money as ‘MYAKU-PE!' and reward point as ‘MYAKU-PO!’
Tourism DX on an app for rent-a-bicycle users is tested in Shimanami area, a popular destination in Japan for cyclists

Tourism DX on an app for rent-a-bicycle users is tested in Shimanami area, a popular destination in Japan for cyclists

Shimanami Japan, a local DMO, has started tourism DX demonstration on its app for rent-a-bicycle users in Shimanami area in order to increase local spending by them.
Booking.com apologizes the unpaid matter to partners, explaining it results from shift to a new payment system

Booking.com apologizes the unpaid matter to partners, explaining it results from shift to a new payment system

Booking.com released a apology letter to partners regarding delay of payment to partners and explained that it happened in the process of shifting to a new payment system to secure higher security.
Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau installs generative AI on its official website, responding inquiries with more than 20 different languages

Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau installs generative AI on its official website, responding inquiries with more than 20 different languages

Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau will install multi-language generative AI ‘Kotozna laMondoI’ with a capability of more than 20 different languages on its official website.
Experience booking platform ‘Klook’ starts selling a package of accommodation and local activities in Japan particularly for young generations

Experience booking platform ‘Klook’ starts selling a package of accommodation and local activities in Japan particularly for young generations

Local experience booking platform ‘Klook’ has started offering ‘Stay +,’ a package combing accommodation booking with in-destination products such as such as airport railway tickets or theme-park admission tickets.
A Japanese IT solution provider for accommodation links with ChatGPT to raise its multi-language AI chatbot service’s capacity

A Japanese IT solution provider for accommodation links with ChatGPT to raise its multi-language AI chatbot service’s capacity

tripla, a Japanese IT solution provider for accommodation, has raised capacity of its multi-language AI chatbot service ‘tripla Bot’ through a linkage with ChatGPT.
JTB launches a new joint venture with trip.com for the inbound travel business to Japan

JTB launches a new joint venture with trip.com for the inbound travel business to Japan

JTB and trip.com have agreed to lunch a new joint venture to solve challenges of hospitality operators and local governments in the inbound travel market from Asia to Japan.
83% of Japanese people experienced EC for shopping in 2022, valuing AI-based recommendation and stories behind products

83% of Japanese people experienced EC for shopping in 2022, valuing AI-based recommendation and stories behind products

The ratio of Japanese people using EC websites for shopping in 2022 was 83.6%, and 64.4% used it more than once in a month. Personalization or customization was more preferred than before.
Millennials and Generation Z in APAC more tend to look for ‘luxury travel’ and ‘local experience’

Millennials and Generation Z in APAC more tend to look for ‘luxury travel’ and ‘local experience’

Among Millennials and Generation Z in APAC, one out of every three respondents answered they want to spend more than $2,000 for the next travel, and 63% said that they book local experience first before departure, according to Klook survey.
Ministry of Tourism Japan expands a partnership with ‘Pokémon GO’ to help travelers rediscover local historic architectures

Ministry of Tourism Japan expands a partnership with ‘Pokémon GO’ to help travelers rediscover local historic architectures

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has started a partnership with ‘Pokémon GO’ in three cities to help users rediscover historic architectures in local areas.
Yahoo Japan launches a new BtoB tool to foresee the next-coming trends from search data

Yahoo Japan launches a new BtoB tool to foresee the next-coming trends from search data

Yahoo Data Solution Service will launch a new BtoB tool ‘DS. INSIGHT Trend’ as a new function on ‘DS,. INSIGHT' to visualize rising topics or trends from about 9 billion sorts of searched keywords a year and GPS data from about approved 10 million users.
Online travel expenditure in Japan was 4,804 JPY in May 2023, rising for the first time in the past three years and nine months

Online travel expenditure in Japan was 4,804 JPY in May 2023, rising for the first time in the past three years and nine months

online shopping expenditure by a household with two or more persons was 22,227 JPY in May 2023. Online travel expenditure was 4.804 JPY, nominally 48.2% more than a year ago and higher than 4,771 JPY in August 2019.
Trip.com signs a strategic partnership with Mizuho, a mega bank of Japan, for joint marketing activities

Trip.com signs a strategic partnership with Mizuho, a mega bank of Japan, for joint marketing activities

Mizuho, a mega bank of Japan, Mizuho China and Trip.com signed a strategic partnership agreement to address rise in quality in tourism industries of China and Japan from a long-term perspective.
International travel-tech conference ‘TIS2023’ will be held in Spain in October 2023 with special discount offered for Travel Voice Japan subscribers

International travel-tech conference ‘TIS2023’ will be held in Spain in October 2023 with special discount offered for Travel Voice Japan subscribers

The 4th ‘Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS) 2023’ with a theme of ‘Travel revolution takes off’ will be held at Fibes in Sevilla, Spain for three days from October 18 to 20 2023. For Travel Voice audiences, 50% discount is offered.