Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Sydney Office has welcomed a new executive director to head up the team, with Kana Wakabayashi taking over from Mariko Tatsumi.

Wakabayashi, who hails from JNTO's head office in Japan, has moved from Tokyo to Sydney to take up her second overseas posting.

“I'm excited to build on the momentum of my predecessors to show what makes Japan such a wonderful travel destination,” Wakabayashi said.

“JNTO Sydney office has been receiving great support from the travel industry and media in promoting Japan, and we've seen the results.”

2016 saw a record number of Australians visit Japan: 445,200 pax, an 18.4% increase from 2015 and 47.1% increase from 2014.

“This momentum shows no sign of stopping as more and more Australians learn about Japan's diverse attractions. With the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics approaching, awareness is continuing to grow,” she said.

“Food is becoming the focal point for more and more travellers, so I am eager to build on this and increase awareness of diversity in Japanese cuisine, especially in regional areas. I hope that more travellers will explore Japan outside of the ski and cherry blossom seasons and experience our beautiful nature all year round.”

With a background of over 15 years promoting Japan as an inbound destination, Wakabayashi brings vast experience and in-depth knowledge. She intends to work closely with her team and local partners on JNTO Sydney's marketing activities to drive more tourism to Japan, to help meet the Japanese government's new target of 40 million overseas visitors by 2020.

About Japan National Tourism Organization
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is a government body whose aim is to promote Japan internationally as both a leisure and business travel destination. Consisting of offices around the world, JNTO is the ultimate resource for travel-related information on Japan. JNTO Sydney Office looks after the Australia and New Zealand markets. For more information, please see www.jnto.org.au

For more information, please contact:
Sally Miles
Business Development & Marketing Assistant Manager
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Sydney Office
P: 02 9279 3177
E: jntoinfo@jnto.org.au

Download a photo of Wakabayashi here