MATSUE (ANN/THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN) – Following eased coronavirus restrictions, a bridal company in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, is planning wedding photo shoot tours for foreign tourists in Japan, amid the recovering demand for tourism.
In November, the Matsue-based Marie Yashiro Co invited three couples from Taiwan, where wedding photoshoots are reportedly popular, to preview the tour. Company officials said they aim to sell full-fledged tour packages in the next fiscal year after refining the content based on participant feedback.
The firm decided to plan the tour in response to recovering demand for inbound tourism, focusing on the popularity of wedding photoshoots among couples in Taiwan and Hong Kong. As the project was selected as a recipient of the Japan Tourism Agency’s subsidiary program to help create tourism content, the firm is preparing to start the tour in cooperation with the Matsue city government.
In 2019, according to the city government, a total of about 78,700 foreign visitors stayed overnight in Matsue. By country and region, Taiwan accounted for about 20 per cent of the visitors, making them the largest group.
“(Matsue) regards East Asia as a priority market, and we believe the project by a private-sector company will contribute to the local economy,” said a Matsue city official.
Couples who took part in the trial tour visited the Tamatsukuri hot spring resort and the area surrounding Miho Shrine in the city. The couples, who wore yukata as well as traditional Western wedding attire, posed for photos at a ryokan inn and a Japanese garden while a Taiwanese photographer took pictures.
A Taiwan woman, who is a fan of Japanese culture, participated in the tour with her boyfriend. “In Taiwan, you cannot experience a wedding photo shoot in a kimono,” she said. “It was also nice to be able to enjoy a Japanese garden, where you can see the seasons change.”
Kenta Hiroto, who oversees the project at Marie Yashiro, said he was aware people wished to have wedding photoshoots in Japan even before the coronavirus pandemic. “We hope to take advantage of the growing inbound demand and boost Matsue’s tourism through our project,” he said.
The company plans to accept applications for the tour through social media ads targeting Taiwan visitors from as early as February next year.
