Thank you very much for participating in the tour, which was last tour of Tokyo Free Walking Tour in 2024.

On this tour, we hosted 22 people from USA, Canada, and China. We divided into 5 groups. The weather was fine but the temperature was low as we are in the midst of winter. When you come to Japan in this time of year, please prepare a coat and a sweater to keep your body warm outside.

We were very much pleased to host so many and wonderful people from all around the world. Number of guests was one of the biggest in our Asakusa tour history.

As time goes by, 2024 is ending and a brand new year is coming, and then a quarter of century has passed since we entered the 21st century.

Through this first quarter of the century, Japan has boosted its tourism industry and this year seemingly marks record high foreign tourist visit. We feel that’s happening through this year’s activities.

Especially, in this winter snow resorts attract many tourists from abroad due to the big amount of snowfall of this season. One of the guides of TFWT just recently visited Niseko, Hokkaido prefecture, one and half hour flight north from Tokyo and met so many foreign tourists who came there to enjoy skiing or snowboarding because of its high quality of snow, called “Powder Snow”.

He met not only foreign tourists but an Australian man who manages leisure facilities that provide various tours to enjoy skiing or other activities.

Mr. Ross Findlay, CEO & Founder at NAC Niseko Adventure Centre. He not only formulated winter leisure activities but summer activities including rafting.

After traveling in Tokyo, you can fly to Hokkaido for skiing in winter or rafting in summer. But formulating tours for tourists are very different from enjoying them and that is what we are dealing with since the establishment of Tokyo Free Walking Tour. As Japanese tourism industry grows, more and more foreigners join and contribute to the industry so we can learn from them.

As for snow leisure, what we have to keep in mind is there are lots of efforts being made to make wonderful snow resorts like Niseko.

Japan is a big snow country where snow fall so much that land is snowed so high and people living in snowfall areas have to struggle with this unlike tourists. Can you imagine what would happen if no snow is removed from such car and drive around the street?

Every time people drive from a parking lot, scrubbing a car surface is first thing to do before starting an engine.

Surely streets are covered with snow so snow removal work on roads is necessary as well.

That is part of hard work behind successful tourism.

We, the guides have to keep in mind that good tourism is supported by hard work.

We continue to make efforts to provide enjoyable tours in the next year, 2025 as well.

Again, thank you very much for joining tours hosted by Tokyo Free Walking Tour throughout this year. We hope to see you again next year to share joyful moments with foreign guests as we did this year.

We sincerely wish you a happy new year.

(Posted by Masa)