Japan voted Best Country in world for 2nd year in a row in Conde Nast Traveler poll – Nationwide
Conde Nast Traveler has released the results of its Readers’ Choice Awards, and for the second year in a row, Japan has been voted Best Country. Japan finished with a score of 95.32 in the annual user survey, followed by Switzerland at 94.62 and Thailand at 92.29.
A detailed breakdown of the scoring system isn’t provided, but in announcing the results Conde Nast references pent-up demand for travel to Japan, which was one of the very last countries to re-open to international leisure travel following the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with restrictions in place even as the eyes of the world turned to Japan during the Tokyo Olympics.
The Games being over doesn’t mean that there’s a lack of things to see and do in Japan, though, and Conde Nast cites such myriad attractions as the country’s iconic cherry blossoms and Ghibli Park as being big draws for visitors from overseas, along with historical architecture, avant-garde art events, and delicious food and drink. Japan also ranked sixth in the survey’s rankings of Friendliest Countries in the World, and Tokyo placed sixth on its list of Friendliest Cities in the World.
Not mentioned in the announcement, but impossible to ignore, is the impact of current currency exchange rates. During the last two years the yen has been extremely weak, making travel in Japan its most affordable in a generation for inbound international travellers. With Conde Nast being primarily focused on luxury travel, cost might not seem like it would be a major concern for its readers, but the immensely favourable exchange rate is allowing those with moderately deep pockets to enjoy some of Japan’s finest high-end travel experiences, with the added bonus of enjoying them in a country with highly developed travel infrastructure even outside of resort areas.
It’s unclear how long the exchange rate will be so attractive for foreign tourists. Japan’s unique cultural mix of modern and classical elements, though, and its penchant for blending home-grown traditions with intriguing influences from outside its borders, are fundamental parts of its society, though, and so it’s going to remain a great place to visit for years to come.
More Japanese firms extend food expiration dates to reduce waste – Nationwide
Efforts to reduce food waste are gaining momentum in Japan, with many companies extending expiration and best-before dates for processed foods, although small businesses have been notably slower to do so, a recent survey showed. The survey, conducted by a Consumer Affairs Agency panel and targeting 585 food manufacturers, found that expiration or best-before dates had been extended for 43 percent of the 935 products covered. But while large and medium-sized companies have actively adopted such measures, over half of small businesses had no plans to follow suit, citing difficulties such as maintaining consistent product quality and managing the associated costs, the survey said.
The government has set a goal of halving food waste by fiscal 2030 compared with fiscal 2000. Data for fiscal 2022, released this year, showed that the business sector has already met this target, although household waste remained short of the goal. The survey, conducted online from July to August, defined small- to medium-sized companies as those with capital of up to 300 million yen or fewer than 300 employees, while small businesses were classified as those with fewer than 20 workers. Companies outside these categories were classified as big firms.
The survey covered 112 items with expiration dates and 823 with best-before dates. It showed respondents had no plan to extend these dates for 33 percent of the products, while indicating interest in doing so for 23 percent but citing challenges in maintaining quality and safety in different seasons and according to consumer handling, among other factors. By company size, 53 percent of small businesses reported no plans to extend expiration dates, compared with 29 percent of small- to medium-sized firms and 15 percent of large companies.
