When you’ve explored all the sights of Japan, trekked Mt Fuji, admired the cherry blossoms and taken a ride on a bullet train, what else is special out there? Where do you go next?
A visit to an incinerator plant? Or a trip to a waste disposal plant, perhaps?
Both these locations are offered on tours organised by the Ota Tourist Association in Ota Ward, Tokyo.
Tours of areas such as airports and industrial plants around Tokyo have been attracting curious tourists.
Those who visited the Ota Incineration Plant were given a close look at a giant crane that handles large amounts of waste.
“I’ve lived in the ward for a long time, but I’m discovering new things all the time,” a 77-year-old woman told the Japan Times.
/haneda-day27-251113/Tours-by-Hato-Bus-Company-brings-visitors-to-off-l.jpg?tr=w-600%2Ch-340%2Cfo-auto "Tours by Hato Bus Company brings visitors to off-limit areas of Tokyo Haneda Airport.")
Tours by Hato Bus Company brings visitors to off-limit areas of Tokyo Haneda Airport. Photo Credit: Ota Tourist Association
Hato Bus Company, a bus tour operator based in Ota Ward, has been holding the “Haneda Airport Best View Drive” since 2022.
The tour allows participants to visit an off-limit area of Haneda Airport, letting them watch planes take off and land up close.
Tamagawa University Prof. Shigeki Taniwaki, a specialist in tourism policy, said that the reason for the emergence of such tours is that more and more people are placing importance on experiences that can only be enjoyed at a specific time and place.
“Traditionally, focus has been placed mainly on tour plans that take large numbers of tourists to certain destinations, but this raises concerns about issues such as overtourism. Going forward, I think there will be growing demand for high-quality tourism with added value,” he said.