Since Japan is never going to be free of danger from natural disasters, how can we get tourists to embrace the opportunity to "experience" nature, rather than be scared by it?

Most of this good news is happening because of the increase in foreign tourists and the accompanying surge in infrastructure improvements that local investors are making to support those extra tourists.

Last week Japan Travel launched Japan's first open tours marketplace for inbound travelers featuring tours getting people out of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and explore Japan in greater depth.

Will Shanghai Disneyland siphon off Chinese and overseas visitors to Japan, and what other overseas facilities or events could derail Japan's ascendency as a tourist destination for the throngs in Asia?

Overseas tourist tragedies (Egypt and Tunisia) remind us just how lucky we are with public safety in Japan, and how Japan should be selling itself as a safe destination for international tourists wanting somewhere exotic to go.

Since JAL emerged from bankruptcy in 2010, the company has been on a combination of cost-cutting and strategic route planning. Everything was relatively new, staff were courteous and imbued with "omotenashi".

Already Japan is becoming one of the premier holiday destinations for wealthy people in Asia, we think it won't be too long before we start seeing the same phenomenon here that Florida has with Canadians.

With the rise of Online Travel Agents (OTAs) suddenly foreigners are being directed to places and activities in Japan that are being decided and arranged by marketers and tour planners based abroad.

Japan has many unique and interesting experiences. What all these events have in common, apart from the fact that they are powerful enough to draw foreign travelers, is that they are highly popular here at home as well.

The Japanese government and tourist industry has been wrestling recently with how to look after its growing number of Muslim travelers -- especially for food, cosmetics, and toiletries.