Japanese Consul-General reveals Bali as educational tour destination
Badung, Bali — The Japanese Consul-General in Denpasar, Miyakawa Katsutoshi, has revealed that Bali represents a significant opportunity for educational tours (study tours), with considerable potential for tourism operators on the island to capitalise on.
“If Japan were to organise a study tour, Bali is definitely one of the good news destinations,” Miyakawa Katsutoshi told Antara news agency at Jimbaran Hub in Badung Regency, Bali, on Wednesday.
He explained that Japanese students visit Bali to gain a deeper understanding of local culture, including studying the social and environmental conditions of the island.
One aspect that could serve as a learning opportunity, he noted, is waste management efforts. “They are indeed shocked (by the rubbish) because Japan is clean, but this becomes a valuable lesson for students about what happens when waste is not properly managed,” he added.
He explained that school holidays in Japan typically occur in March-April and during the summer vacation period in July-August. These periods present opportunities to target the travel and tourism market, including promoting Bali’s tourism offerings.
Regarding Japanese visitor arrivals in Bali, current trends are positive, though numbers have yet to surpass the 2008 peak when 350,000 Japanese tourists visited the island. According to data from Bali’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of Japanese visitors to Bali in 2025 reached 208,000, ranking tenth among all foreign visitor sources.
This represents an increase of nearly 18 per cent compared to 2024, when 176,000 Japanese tourists visited. The senior diplomat, who has had a long career in Indonesia, attributed the failure to significantly exceed previous visitor numbers partly to reduced direct flights and fewer available routes. Currently, only the national carrier Garuda Indonesia operates direct flights from Denpasar to Tokyo.
Previously, he noted, Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) had served the Japan-Bali route. Beyond connectivity challenges, he added, unfavourable exchange rates have made travel costs prohibitively expensive. “Previously, one US dollar was worth approximately 80 yen, but now it stands at 160 yen, making it twice as expensive. As a result, accommodation and airfares have become significantly more costly,” he explained.
He plans to approach Japanese airlines to explore the possibility of opening new direct flights to Bali. “If there is a good opportunity, I will discuss with JAL or ANA the possibility of opening a new route,” he said, adding that Japanese tourists place considerable emphasis on the safety of tourism destinations.