Travel Madness Expo 2023 gives glimpse of what awaits at the 'The Land of Endless Discovery'

MANILA, Philippines — The restrictions have been eased, so it’s time to make a trip to Japan!

There is so much to do there that it’s worth learning more about this endlessly enchanting place. Many people might think of theme parks or cherry blossoms when they think of Japan, but it has so much more to offer.

This year, to raise awareness of some of these wonders, the Japan National Tourism Organization Manila Office invested in a display of the Visit Japan Pavilion at the Travel Madness Expo 2023, last June 30 to July 2, 2023 at the SMX Convention Center.

The Travel Madness Expo is one of the largest travel fairs in the Philippines. It attracts thousands of people who want to learn more about travel destinations, and also look for deals from different airlines, travel agencies etc., as well as various freebies. Discounts on travel and special offers for airfare and activities were also aplenty at the Travel Madness Expo.

Walking around the Expo even felt like taking a little mini-trip as many countries offer destination and cultural presentations and giveaways at their booths!

The Visit Japan Pavilion was designed to look like the interior of a ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn) so you could spot it across the room. It attracted a ton of curious visitors who were drawn in by the look but stayed for the activities and brochures from all over Japan! 

As for the activities, visitors enjoyed learning about writing in Katakana. There was also a tea workshop by Teavolution PH where guests learned the origin and history of tea, different types of tea and the proper way to prepare them.

A lot of them even took a photo in a real traditional Japanese Yukata. Several guest performers such as MNL48 and UP Tugma played and riled up the crowd with their performance.

Visitors were encouraged to participate in the freedom wall, a wall of posts for anyone to read or leave behind a thought. The facilitators also held a memory game to play, these activities kept people interested in the booth and got them primed for a trip to Japan.

In the Visit Japan Pavilion, several Japanese organizations were involved and were also giving information on their destinations and/or products, giveaways and souvenirs to interested visitors. The co-exhibitors included The Prefectures of Toyama and Okinawa as well as the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and J.CLAIR.

One of the prefectures on display was Toyama. Located at the very center of Honshu, the main island of Japan, Toyama Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan to the north and precipitous mountains in the other three directions. Toyama is full of nature's offerings such as beautiful sea and mountain landscapes and natural delicacies.

It is one of the few places in Japan where you can see glaciers and has many national parks to explore. There is a glass museum that is very popular and worth the visit. The true experience of Toyama, however, is the seafood. Situated on one of Japan's most beautiful bays, Toyama is the place to get local seafood.

There were tons of giveaways from Toyama Prefecture to those who followed their Facebook page, Travels In Toyama Japan. The giveaways included bookmarks, memo pads, and more!

The other prefecture that was on display was Okinawa. It is the southernmost prefecture of Japan with a subtropical climate. It’s known for its clear blue sea and not-your-ordinary Japanese culture. Visit be.Okinawa to learn more!

Some of the best things to do in Okinawa are snorkeling or visiting the beaches. But there is more to Okinawa than water sports. They also have Okinawa World, a cultural theme park that is great for a rainy day, as well as several shopping and cultural districts to explore in Naha and Okinawa city.

J.CLAIR Singapore is an association jointly established by local governments in Japan to promote and provide support for local internationalization. It stands for The Japan Council of Local Authorities and International Relations and is based in Singapore. Their portion of the booth featured information about Nagano, Kochi, Hokkaido and more. 

JR West was also present and distributed giveaways and special offers! JR West is a Japanese railway in western Japan known for its scenic routes. Trains are the best way to get around Japan and learning more about the railway is an excellent start planning your trip!

Going around the expo felt like a mini go around the world with all the deals and freebies that were being given away! While Japan is well known for its rich traditional culture, visitors got to know that there is so much more to uncover. 

There is something to do in Japan for every season: enjoying cherry blossoms and various flowers in the spring, water activities and forest bathing in the summer, the beauty of colored leaves in the fall, and snow activities in the winter! All of that is on top of world-class shopping, convenient transportation, unique food, exciting theme parks and so much more.

Come and visit Japan and see why it’s called the land of endless discovery!