Domestic Travel: Accident-Ridden Remote Islands and “Atami” Chosen by Taipa and Mompa
The Realities of “Traveling without a Car,” a Rapidly Growing Trend among Young People
Now that information gathering via smartphones and SNS has become the norm, a “new style of travel” is gaining sympathy among young people. This is the option of “not renting a car at the destination.
While public transportation is sufficient in major metropolitan areas such as Tokyo and Osaka, rural areas remain a “car society. In areas where there are no railroads and few buses, the range of activities would be severely limited without a rental car.
However, for today’s young people, the latest trend is to enjoy destinations that can be enjoyed without a car. From popular sightseeing spots in the Kanto region to remote islands in Okinawa, we will explain the “realities of domestic travel” as witnessed by a travel journalist in the field, which is undergoing drastic changes.
Rental Car Accidents on the Rise on Miyakojima Island
Miyakojima Island, Okinawa. Miyakojima is one of the most popular remote islands in Japan, and there are direct flights from Tokyo and Osaka. There are no railroads on Miyakojima, and although there are buses on the island, they are not very numerous. There are many car rental companies, including major companies, located in and around Miyako and Shimojijima airports, which are the gateways to the island by air.
When the author used a rental car in Miyako, the first advice he received from the staff was, “Please be careful of accidents. When asked why, the shopkeeper replied, “Recently, there have been many accidents with islanders and between rental cars, and we are busy dealing with them.
He also told us that “the number of traffic accidents involving rental cars has increased tenfold in the past few years.”
On another island, there was a story of a parking lot with lines drawn on the asphalt because of the increase in street parking by rental cars in a place that had suddenly become a tourist spot. In fact, in the parking lot of a popular tourist spot on Miyako Island, we saw police officers hurriedly handling accidents in a parking lot overflowing with rental cars with “wa” and “re” license plates.
The “Unfamiliarity with Driving” Trap Lurking in Regional Travel
According to the “Survey on the Actual State of Mobility” released in March 2013 by the Cabinet Office’s Office of Regulatory Reform, there are clear regional differences in the means of transportation in travel destinations.
- The results show clear regional differences in the means of transportation when traveling.
- Train/subway” 58.2
- Private car/rental car” 36.2
- Walking” 27.7
- Outside of metropolitan areas
- Private car/rental car” 56.6
- Train/subway” 32.2% “Train/subway” 21.1
- Walking” 21.1
While renting a car is an important means of transportation when traveling in rural areas, there are many paper drivers who do not usually own a car and only drive when traveling. Driving in unfamiliar places can be dangerous, even in rural areas with less traffic than in large metropolitan areas.
What is the “mempa” that Generation Z emphasizes?
Witnessing the frequent accidents involving rental cars in tourist areas and the real-life scenes of police cars being dispatched to the scene, it is perhaps not surprising that Gen Z’s defensive instinct is to avoid the despair of having to deal with an accident on a trip they have taken.
In addition, the elderly are the main group of people who drive cars on a daily basis and use them on their trips. I encountered many near-misses, such as sudden jumps out of alleys and parking far out of bounds. The problem of elderly drivers is no exception, even in travel destinations, where the risk of “unwanted accidents” lurks.
In the “Survey on Lifestyle and Travel 2026” released by the JTB Research Institute in March 2014, it was revealed that while younger generations place more importance on time performance (time performance), travelers are increasingly prioritizing “mental performance” (mental performance) to avoid failure and mental stress. The survey revealed that the younger generation is placing more emphasis on time performance (typa) while prioritizing “mempa (mental performance)” to avoid failure and mental stress.
The shift away from rental cars among young people is not merely due to financial reasons or not having a driver’s license, but is also due to a mentality of avoiding the characteristics of rental cars, which “entail risk in addition to travel costs”.
Enjoying a great time without a car! Atami’s V-shaped recovery
One of the destinations currently gaining popularity among young people is Atami City in Shizuoka Prefecture. It takes about 45 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen bullet train and about 2 hours by conventional train. Even today, with the large number of inbound tourists, the area in front of JR Atami Station is crowded with mostly Japanese tourists of young age.
Atami is attractive in that major tourist spots can be reached on foot or by bus. The steep stairs from the beach to the station are not a problem for physically fit young people. Furthermore, the recent “Showa-retro” boom has made the area a popular photo spot, and the nostalgic coffee shops and shopping streets offer a variety of dining options that can be enjoyed to the fullest even without a car.
According to statistics from Atami City, the number of visitors to Atami, the total of those using lodging facilities and recreational tourists, gradually declined from 7,806,475 in FY 2003 to 5,231,252 in FY 2011, excluding the COVID-19 crisis. However, the number began to increase again after that, reaching 7,217,162 in FY19 before the Corona disaster, and then 6,273,274 in FY23, a remarkable V-shaped recovery.
In addition to Atami, Kusatsu Onsen, Kamakura, Enoshima, and Mt. Takao have been crowded with travelers recently. All of these are places where travel can be enjoyed without a car.
Okinawa’s Measures to Deal with Young People’s Departure from Cars
On the other hand, the aforementioned Okinawa Prefecture is feeling a strong sense of crisis over young people’s shift away from cars. According to a January 2011 survey by Okinawa Prefecture and the Okinawa Convention Bureau, 62.9% of Generation Z travelers said they “do not want to drive on their trips” when traveling in Okinawa. At the same time, 83.3% said they would like to use public transportation in Okinawa.
According to the same data, 67.2% of tourists visiting Okinawa use rental cars as their mode of transportation. The only rail system in Okinawa is the Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail), which connects Naha Airport with Naha City and Urasoe City, and there are not many buses to the suburbs. If you just want to go from the airport to a resort hotel, a round-trip bus will do the job. However, if you want to visit tourist spots, enjoy gourmet food, or go shopping along the way, you will need a car.
In response to this situation, the Okinawa Prefectural Government has announced on its official website, “There is more to traveling in Okinawa than just renting a car! How to Enjoy Okinawa Travel: Transportation Options Other Than Rent-a-Car” and actively introduces remote islands and model courses that can be visited without a car.
The Future of the “Costliest” Travel Chosen by Young People
With the recent rise in prices and the increase in inbound travel, hotel costs have skyrocketed, and the cost of traveling within Japan has become higher than ever before. Renting a car is inexpensive if a large number of people share the cost, but it is not cheap for a small group of one or two people. When the author rented a compact car for three days and two nights on Miyakojima Island, it cost less than 20,000 yen, including full coverage insurance.
In addition to this, the cost of gasoline is also a heavy burden. Fuel costs in the remote islands are especially higher than in the mainland, and in mid-March on Miyakojima, regular gasoline cost as much as 231 yen per liter (self-serve).
Considering the popular “cospa” and “mempa” points of view, traveling without a car is certainly cheaper and more comfortable. The money saved by renting a car allows one to spend more on hotels and enjoy one’s stay.
Considering the diversification of young people’s hobbies, the fact that young people are becoming less car-conscious, and the fact that the percentage of car ownership will not increase unless people can afford to own a car in their daily lives, we may see an era in which “destinations that can be enjoyed without a car” will become even more popular than “destinations that cannot be enjoyed without a car.
Interview, text, and photographs： Shikama Aki