#Japan #Chiyoda #Leisure White Paper #Domestic Travel #Leisure Activities

Insights from the Leisure White Paper 2025

On July 15, the Japan Productivity Center (JPC) released a preliminary report titled the 'Leisure White Paper 2025'. This comprehensive study, focusing on the participation rate in leisure activities, reflects a notable shift in public sentiment towards prioritizing leisure over work. The findings are based on a national survey conducted through the internet, gathering responses from 3,467 individuals aged between 15 and 79 across Japan.

Key Findings:

Rising Preference for Leisure

A record high of 67.8% of respondents identified themselves as part of the 'leisure-oriented group.' This category is defined by individuals who seek meaning in life through leisure rather than work, marking an increase since 2021. Particularly noteworthy is the 37.8% of respondents who indicated a strong inclination towards finding fulfillment in leisure, also reaching a new peak. This data reveals a cultural shift where the balance between work and leisure is increasingly tilting towards prioritizing personal time and enjoyment.

Domestic Tourism Dominates Participation Rates

In terms of participation in leisure activities, domestic tourism continues to reign supreme for the third consecutive year. The report highlights that 48.3% of individuals engaged in domestic travel, such as summer and winter getaways or hot spring visits, maintaining a stable rate compared to the previous year (48.7%). However, it remains below the pre-pandemic figure recorded in 2019, which was 54.3%.

Next in line was video watching, capturing the attention of 38.1% of respondents—a slight increase from the previous year. While it showed an upward shift from the previous year's ranks, it still falls short of the peak participation (39.4%) observed in 2020. The decline in preferences for dining out outside of everyday meals is also notable, as it moved from the second rank to third, reflecting changes in consumer behavior.

Top 10 Leisure Activities Participation Rates:

1. Domestic Tourism (48.3%)
2. Video Watching (38.1%)
3. Dining Out (excluding daily meals)
4. Reading (excluding work/study-related)
5. Music Listening
6. [Further activities included, ranked accordingly]

Potential Demand Analysis

Despite the steady rates of current participation, the report indicates a decrease in potential demand for travel. 'Overseas travel' held the top spot for potential leisure activities for the second year running, although anticipation levels dropped compared to the previous year, as expressed interest in both overseas and domestic travel witnessed a decline of 3.9% and 0.6%, respectively.

Average Participation Rate

An interesting note is the slight decrease in the average number of activities participated in per individual. The report indicates that respondents engaged in an average of 10.2 activities, a minor drop from 10.4 in 2023 and significantly lower than the 12.3 activities recorded in 2019. This reflects a growing trend of seeking quality over quantity in leisure engagement, as pandemic pressures continue to influence lifestyle choices.

Conclusion

The results of this survey will be further elaborated in the upcoming full release of the 'Leisure White Paper 2025' scheduled for October. Through these findings, it is evident that the public is increasingly valuing leisure, and this trend is expected to shape future tourism and leisure trends as well as consumer habits. More detailed information can be found on the 'Leisure White Paper' website here.