Project to create an inbound business that represents Osaka, connecting locally-oriented visitors to Japan with the city and people of Osaka.

Osaka JOINER is a local tour guide service that connects travelers visiting Japan, such as Europeans, Americans, Australians, and repeaters, with local communities, allowing them to schedule and personalize tours at short notice. The service is implemented by Osaka Metro AdEra, a member of the OsakaMetroGroup, and has established a scheme that enables even inexperienced travelers to serve as guides (JOINER) to connect travelers and the local community. Through the planning and provision of friendly, local-like services that meet the needs of visitors to Japan and their expectations of Osaka, we aim to gain the satisfaction and consumption of travelers, deliver the benefits of inbound tourism to many businesses, and help improve the environment for accepting inbound travelers.

Project Inauguration

The needs of Western Australian travelers are “immediate” and “flexible,” and there are not many Japanese services that can meet these needs. Also, the image of Osaka is “friendly city and people, local drinking, eating, and socializing,” which is vague compared to Kyoto and other well-known tourist destinations. By taking into account the needs of travelers and their expectations of Osaka, they thought that they could create an inbound business that would be used by travelers, help them enjoy Osaka even more, increase the number of Osaka fans, and contribute to Osaka.
The inbound industry has the image of being run by a limited number of experienced players, but there are now many young, globally active people who have studied and worked abroad, and Osaka has many attractive stores even if the environment for inbound travel has not yet been developed, In order to share the benefits of inbound travel with everyone, and to realize the “Osaka-like” experience that visitors to Japan are seeking, they place importance on broad collaboration and working together, and are designing our services based on this scheme.

Project Activities

Osaka JOINER launched the service at the end of March, after preparing for the operation by collaborating with approximately 300 restaurants, retailers, experience centers, and other businesses that shared the concept of Osaka JOINER, hiring, training, and conducting role-playing with guide staff with overseas experience, and so on. Since then, they have expanded our partnerships with lodging facilities, tourist information centers, cruise terminals, and other businesses that have contact with inbound travelers to increase our track record, and have already guided over 500 travelers. They have also started transportation advertising using assets of the Osaka Metro Group and large-scale promotions in Umeda and Namba, and in the future we will further accelerate our efforts to promote our services on overseas OTAs, as well as on the web and social networking services. They will continue to accelerate our efforts in this area.

Future Prospects for the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai

The Osaka-Kansai Expo is expected to attract approximately 3.5 million international visitors to Japan. Efforts will be made to provide visitors to Osaka with uniquely local experiences that allow them to enjoy the city to the fullest. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the inbound tourism landscape has shifted, and while Osaka once hosted many travelers from Asia, preparations to welcome visitors from Europe, the Americas, and Oceania appear to be lagging behind other cities. This is where Osaka JOINER aims to play a central role, working in collaboration with many partners to raise awareness and enhance the city’s appeal.

Contrary to common misconception, the service area is not limited to locations along the Osaka Metro lines. It also extends to Kyoto, Nara, and Wakayama. As guests tend to be locally oriented and prefer long stays, the focus is not only on helping them fully enjoy Osaka, but also on introducing them to other attractive regions and people across Japan, and vice versa.

JOINER is a framework that enables interactive communication with travelers, fostering close connections. It provides opportunities to hear travelers’ candid thoughts and to introduce and recommend places in a way that truly resonates with them. Building on these strengths, the range of services beyond local guiding will be expanded. With agility and flexibility, and through collaboration with many people, the aim is to create benchmark examples from Osaka that will be recognized nationwide.