A few years ago, the preoccupation of good spot was the responsibility of new employees. However, the atmosphere changed in Japan as power abuse in the workplace emerged as a social problem. In 2019, when Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare started to “eliminate bullying” by announcing guidelines to prevent power abuse in the workplace, specialized companies that would take charge of the good spot began to emerge instead. In Japan, when cherry blossom season comes, people are crowded with people who open a mat from dawn and wait for the cherry blossom viewing site. These days, however, most of them are employees of agency companies. A man who was camped with a mat spread at Ueno Park in Tokyo on the 23rd told TV Asahi, “I came out from 5 a.m. and have been taking over the flower viewing site instead of customers,” and “The number of requests has increased significantly these days.” A company president who hired an agency said, “When I was young, I was in charge of a famous cherry blossom viewing site. But now I can’t let novice employees do this, so I hired an agency.” Companies are scrambling to secure customers. An agency promoted on its website, “We secure popular places with a 99% chance,” and “There is no problem with agency service even if it rains.” He also said, “We can secure everything from small people to places where group flowers can be seen from up to 100 to 150 people. Large companies are also requesting to entrust the name of the place.”
The agency fee is around 30,000 yen on average. Some say it is “expensive,” but some say it is “not a waste” in that it is possible to secure a place regardless of time, weather, or the number of people.
Meanwhile, according to Reuters, more and more Russians are going on cherry blossom viewing trips to Japan after being blocked from direct flights to Europe in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine. It is said that visa issuance takes three to four days at the most, and is popular because flight prices are also low.
In this regard, Dmitry Gorin, vice president of the Russian Tourism Federation, told Reuters, “Russians who want to see cherry blossoms in Japan are flocking to the embassy to receive a visa for travel to Japan.” “This year, the number of Russians vacationing in Japan will double from about 100,000 last year,” he said.
SAM KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
