Is Decentralized GW Long Holiday Good?

Osaka – Saturday, March 20, 2010

March 22, Spring Equinox Day, is National Holiday in Japan and therefore today is the start of our extended weekend. The next National Holiday/long holiday is Golden Week Holiday in May. Japanese government is planning to decentralize Golden Week Long Holiday, usually set May 3 – 5 (with April 29 as a National Holiday, weekend and strategic office shut down, some companies make a long holiday of April 29 – May), but most Japanese citizens seem to be against the idea, according to a recent TV news in Japan. In this article, the author would like to explain the objective and overview of the government’s plan and introduce different views of the citizens from different standpoint.

1. What is the objective/background of the plan?

The government came up with the plan as an action plan of the fourth field of focus of the growth strategy, which is tourism and local community, mentioned in the previous article How Japan's Growth Strategy Shoud Be? They believe that this plan would improve tourism to boost the economy, and make Japan a Tourism-Oriented Country.

2. What is the plan?

The plan is to decentralize Golden Week long holiday usually set May 3 (Mon) – 5 (Wed). With weekend, this would make 5 day holiday. They plan to divide Japan into 5 regions, and set GW holiday of each region separately, in different week. For example, GW long holiday for region 1 is May 3 (Mon) – 5 (Wed), region 2 is May 10 (Mon) – 12 (Wed), and so forth.

GW long holiday in good climate is one of the best seasons of the year to going on a vacation and sightseeing, and a result, GW holiday is notorious for crowdedness. With the plan, the government believes that people going to on a vacation and sightseeing will not be concentrated in a particular period but will be dispersed meaning less crowdedness. They believe this would encourage more people to go on holiday and sightseeing on accumulated basis, leading to greater consumer spending in total.

3. How each segment Japanese citizens view the plan?

When the broadcasting company asked 200 citizens whether they are in favour or against the play, only 58 people answered that they are in favour and the remaining 132 answered that they are against the plan.

According to the interviews conducted to major segments, the result was the same. Although sightseeing and accommodation industry segment are mostly in favour, other segments are against the plan.

1) Sightseeing spots and hotels are mostly in favour.

Major and popular sightseeing spots and hotels are in favour. This is because they believe that decentralization of the long holiday meaning less crowdedness would attract more tourists in total and therefore would be a big advantage for their business.

However, minor, less popular sightseeing spots and hotels are against the plan. This is because tourists that would visit them to avoid crowdedness of the popular sightseeing spots and hotels would not need to avoid the crowdedness, so they may well be attracted to popular places and hotels. And therefore, they believe that the plan would have negative impact on their business.

Travel agencies and souvenior shop owners are in favour, for the same reason with major and popular sightseeing spots and hotels.

2) Companies are mostly against.

Companies are mostly against the plan, whether they are operating nationwide or locally.

Companies operating nationwide are strongly against the plan. This is because one branch of a region would be off when all other branches in other regions are operating, and this would cause many problems, especially in logistics and (online) accounting.

Quite a few companies operating locally (exclusively in one region) are also against the plan. This is because the influence they have from the market and business partners operating in other regions of different GW holiday would cause many problems to their operation.

A food company making and supplying lunch to schools insist that they would not be able to obtain necessary ingredients. This means they would not be able to operate smoothly, therefore, they would not be able to meet their customer needs and thus give negative impact on their business.

A fish wholesaler insists that the plan would decrease their business opportunity. This is because its means no business if their market (Tokyo, Osaka etc.) is closed when they are operating.

Other factories are against because decentralized long holiday makes them difficult for them to set their own holiday, i.e. the time to shut their plant down, for the same reason.

3) Households and individuals are mostly against.

Individuals and households are against the plan, excluding a few.

Although a female in 20s are in favour, because sightseeing spots and hotels would not be so crowded, another female is against because she would not be able to go on a holiday, sightseeing or do other things with her parents. This is because her parents and she lives apart in different regions of different GW holiday timing.

A family living together was strongly against the plan for the same reason. Location of the father’s workplace, children’s school and their house happen to be of different timing of the GW holiday so the family would not be able to enjoy holiday together.

4) Education industry is against.

Education industry is against the plan because they feel the plan would have negative effect on children. The representative interviewed did not specify reason in detail; however, he may well be thinking of possible cases such as of the household mentioned above.

4. How does the government view to the reaction of the citizen?

When the broadcasting company reporter briefly explained the above views of the citizens, the government representative replied that the concept of the plan is boosting tourism to make Japan a Tourism-Oriented Country.

The objective and concept is fully understandable and it is indeed one way of boosting the economy; however, it is a question whether this plan really is a good solution to achieve the goal. What do you think?