Japan Tourism Agency

{{About|an extra-ministerial bureau of MLIT of Japan|an independent administrative agency using JNTO as its acronym|Japan National Tourism Organization}}

{{Infobox government agency

|agency_name = Japan Tourism Agency

|nativename_a = {{lang|ja|観光庁}}

|nativename_r = {{tlit|ja|Kankō-chō}}

|logo =Logo of JTA.svg

|logo_width = 170

|logo_caption =

|seal = Go-shichi_no_kiri_crest.svg

|seal_width = 100px

|seal_caption =

|picture = Central-Government-Building-3-01.jpg

|picture_width = 250px

|picture_caption = Joint Government Building No. 3

|formed = {{Start date|2008|10|01}}{{Citation

|year=2009

|title=Opening Doors

|periodical=Highlighting JAPAN

|volume=9

|issue=2

|pages=8

|url=http://www.gov-online.go.jp/pdf/hlj_ar/vol_0018e/08-10.pdf

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120000425/http://www.gov-online.go.jp/pdf/hlj_ar/vol_0018e/08-10.pdf

|archive-date=2013-01-20

}}.

|jurisdiction = {{JPN}}

|headquarters = Yubinbango 100-8918, Chiyoda-ku, Kasumigaseki 2-chome No. 1 No. 3, Tokyo

|employees = 200[http://www.bb.mof.go.jp/server/2018/dlpdf/DL201811001.pdf {{lang|ja|国土交通省定員規則}}] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905180436/http://www.bb.mof.go.jp/server/2018/dlpdf/DL201811001.pdf |date=2018-09-05 }} {{in lang|ja}}

|budget = ¥26,438 million JPY[http://www.bb.mof.go.jp/hdocs/bxss010bh24.html 財務省] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222122416/http://www.bb.mof.go.jp/hdocs/bxss010bh24.html |date=2015-12-22 }}, Ministry of Finance. {{in lang|ja}}

|chief1_name = Secretary

|chief1_position = Shigeki Murata{{cite web |url=https://www.ryoko-net.co.jp/?p=151232 |last=Hasegawa |first=Takato |script-title=ja:【観光庁幹部人事】11代目観光庁長官に村田茂樹氏、国交省大臣官房長など歴任 |trans-title=Japan Tourism Agency Executive Personnel Changes: Shigeki Murata to be the 11th Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, former Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism |work=The Ryoko Shimbun |publisher=Ryoko Shimbun-Shinsha Co, Ltd |date=June 24, 2025 |access-date=July 10, 2025 |lang=ja}}

|chief2_name = Deputy Secretary

|chief2_position = Norio Kimura

|parent_agency = Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

|website = {{URL|http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/}}

|footnotes =

}}

The {{Nihongo|Japan Tourism Agency|観光庁|Kankō-chō|lead=yes}}, JTA, is a Japanese government organization which was set up on October 1, 2008 as an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.[http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H11/H11HO100.html {{lang|ja|国土交通省設置法}}] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215062436/http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H11/H11HO100.html |date=2012-02-15 }}, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. {{in lang|ja}}

Background of establishment

Japan Tourism Agency seated itself with intentions to stimulate local economies and to further international mutual understanding,[http://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/kanko/shinsetsu.pdf {{lang|ja|「観光庁の新設（平成20年10月）について」}}] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010103511/http://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/kanko/shinsetsu.pdf |date=2008-10-10 }}, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Retrieved on 2008-09-23. {{in lang|ja}} following legislation of Basic Act on Promotion of Tourism Nation (in December 2006, to wholly revise Tourism Basic Act),[http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H18/H18HO117.html {{lang|ja|観光立国推進基本法}}] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519194912/http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H18/H18HO117.html |date=2009-05-19 }}, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. {{in lang|ja}}[http://www.sangiin.go.jp/japanese/gianjoho/old_gian/165/16505165004.htm {{lang|ja|議案審議情報}}] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025081436/http://www.sangiin.go.jp/japanese/gianjoho/old_gian/165/16505165004.htm |date=2008-10-25 }}, House of Councillors. Retrieved on 2008-09-29. {{in lang|ja}} committee resolutions in both Houses of the Diet in the legislation process,[http://www.shugiin.go.jp/itdb_kaigiroku.nsf/html/kaigiroku/009916520061206008.htm {{lang|ja|会議録「第165回国会国土交通委員会第8号（平成18年12月6日（水曜日））」}}] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725002137/http://www.shugiin.go.jp/itdb_kaigiroku.nsf/html/kaigiroku/009916520061206008.htm |date=2011-07-25 }}, House of Representatives. Retrieved on 2008-09-23. {{in lang|ja}}[http://www.sangiin.go.jp/japanese/gianjoho/ketsugi/165/f072_121202.pdf {{lang|ja|観光立国推進基本法案に対する附帯決議平成十八年十二月十二日参議院国土交通委員会}}], House of Councillors. Retrieved on 2008-09-23. {{in lang|ja}} and a decision at a Cabinet meeting of Basic Plan (in June 2007)[http://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/kanko/pdf/kihonkeikaku.pdf {{lang|ja|「観光立国推進基本計画」}}]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. {{in lang|ja}}[http://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/kanko/061220kihonkeikaku.html {{lang|ja|観光立国推進基本計画}}] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227084117/http://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/kanko/061220kihonkeikaku.html |date=2007-12-27 }}, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. {{in lang|ja}} which was drawn as provided by the Basic Act. One legal basis of the Agency is the Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.

The two committee resolutions (of almost the same contents) were made by the Committee on Land and Transport of each House of the Diet, to point out eight issues on which the government should take appropriate measures when it enforces the Basic Act. In issue No. 8, it was stated that the government should make efforts to set up a tourism agency.

In the Basic Plan, five fundamental targets were set, whose substances were, respectively, to increase the number of:

:a. foreign tourists visiting Japan;

:b. International meetings held in Japan;

:c. nights for a stay in accommodations per one Japanese during domestic sightseeing tours;

:d. Japanese tourists to overseas;

:e. expenditure in Japan on sightseeing tours.

All five targets each had a numerical value.