The past two weeks I’ve heard Japanese spoken many times in many places, much more than I’ve ever heard. Wondering why the sudden influx. Tourists? Chinese schools?
They probably heard about some very famous beef noodle soup.
Cus its cheap?
There have always been lots of Japanese in Taipei. There is a Japanese school in Tienmu. And tons of Japanese SMEs operate here including Japanese food chains. Taiwan is a popular travel and retirement destination as well.
Japanese people love Taiwan, and Taiwanese people love Japan. It’s a mutual love affair that people from China absolutely hate.
You can see sakura here first. That’s probably why there are so many Japanese people in Taipei right now. Next month Taiwanese people will be in Japan to see the real thing.
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[quote=“Charlie Phillips”]Japanese people love Taiwan, and Taiwanese people love Japan. It’s a mutual love affair that people from China absolutely hate.
You can see sakura here first. That’s probably why there are so many Japanese people in Taipei right now. Next month Taiwanese people will be in Japan to see the real thing.[/quote]
Exactly. Japanese feel welcome here, something that may not happen in other parts of South East Asia… or China. It is safe, it is close, it is culturally similar, not only in architecture, but customs, legacy. As a matter of fact, there are old restaurants that preserve traditional ways of preparing food from colonial times, that even Japanese have lost themselves, so they come for the food. Seriously.
Japanese used to be the mayority of tourists coming to Taiwan before the Mainlander influx.
[quote=“Charlie Phillips”]
You can see sakura here first. That’s probably why there are so many Japanese people in Taipei right now. Next month Taiwanese people will be in Japan to see the real thing.[/quote]
Ah, that explains it! Sakura. Had no idea Japanese would travel to Taiwan just to see that when they have plenty in their own country.
[quote=“nonredneck”][quote=“Charlie Phillips”]
You can see sakura here first. That’s probably why there are so many Japanese people in Taipei right now. Next month Taiwanese people will be in Japan to see the real thing.[/quote]
Ah, that explains it! Sakura. Had no idea Japanese would travel to Taiwan just to see that when they have plenty in their own country.[/quote]
Probably like in Taiwan, it is cheaper to book a flight and get out of the country than travel in your own island. I mean, a night at a hostel is barely over 1000 ntd, flights as low as 3k to 9k, food really affordable. No big bite on the wallet for a family.
They also feel “gratitude” for the sympathy shown when the tragic quake and tsunami struck them. It si their way of saying “thank you”.
I know this is a little off topic, but there’s been a huge flux of South Korean tourists as well.
I work in the Zhong Shan MRT area and when I do travel by MRT to work on those gloomy days (like today), there’s always a small group of Japanese or Korean tourists standing in front of the ticket vending machines trying to figure out where to go.
I definitely noticed an influx of tourist in this area compared to last year.
I will never understand food tourism. I like a nice dinner as much as the nice woman (Hey!) but who gives enough of a shit to board a plane?
[quote=“ranlee”]I know this is a little off topic, but there’s been a huge flux of South Korean tourists as well.
I work in the Zhongshan MRT area and when I do travel by MRT to work on those gloomy days (like today), there’s always a small group of Japanese or Korean tourists standing in front of the ticket vending machines trying to figure out where to go.
I definitely noticed an influx of tourist in this area compared to last year.[/quote]
Talking about weird reasons to visit, the South Koreans are here because of a TV show. 
[quote=“Icon”]
Talking about weird reasons to visit, the South Koreans are here because of a TV show. [/quote]
If I’m not mistaken, some of the Japanese are here because of a TV show as well.
I do not remember the name of it, but I know it was about a Japanese businessman’s first business trip to Taiwan and he had visited some restaurants in Yilan and in Taipei.
If I remember correctly, Korean’s are here because there was a Kdrama that was filmed in the Beitou Hotspring area, right? Also have no clue what the name of the drama is.
Sorry I’m useless, but I hear these things from the gf and she usually keeps out the details bc she knows I won’t remember them. 
[quote=“ranlee”][quote=“Icon”]
Talking about weird reasons to visit, the South Koreans are here because of a TV show. [/quote]
If I’m not mistaken, some of the Japanese are here because of a TV show as well.
I do not remember the name of it, but I know it was about a Japanese businessman’s first business trip to Taiwan and he had visited some restaurants in Yilan and in Taipei.
If I remember correctly, Korean’s are here because there was a Kdrama that was filmed in the Beitou Hotspring area, right? Also have no clue what the name of the drama is.
Sorry I’m useless, but I hear these things from the gf and she usually keeps out the details bc she knows I won’t remember them. [/quote]
Granpas before flowers was the Korean And it was all over the place. Taipie, Ximending.
Haven’t heard about the Japanese show -must be recent- but Japanese are here also because of Takeshi Kaneshiro, to vist movie and ad locations -JAL and EVA . :lovestruck:
In addition to all the previous reasons, the Japanese Yen has lost some of its value. Less than 3.5 years ago it was 78 Yen per US$. Today it’s 113.5.
Also, prices in Taipei have risen much less than prices in Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong and other Asian destinations. Those three cities are now featured on some lists of “most expensive cities in the world.”
Traveling abroad has become more expensive for Japanese people, but Taipei is still very affordable.
[quote=“Icon”]
Granpas before flowers was the Korean And it was all over the place. Taipie, Ximending.
Haven’t heard about the Japanese show -must be recent- but Japanese are here also because of Takeshi Kaneshiro, to vist movie and ad locations -JAL and EVA . :lovestruck:[/quote]
I know Running Man was here last summer (spring?), but I’ve stopped following that show for sometime now, however, I’d definitely watch the episode they filmed here.
[quote=“Icon”][quote=“nonredneck”][quote=“Charlie Phillips”]
You can see sakura here first. That’s probably why there are so many Japanese people in Taipei right now. Next month Taiwanese people will be in Japan to see the real thing.[/quote]
Ah, that explains it! Sakura. Had no idea Japanese would travel to Taiwan just to see that when they have plenty in their own country.[/quote]
Probably like in Taiwan, it is cheaper to book a flight and get out of the country than travel in your own island. I mean, a night at a hostel is barely over 1000 ntd, flights as low as 3k to 9k, food really affordable. No big bite on the wallet for a family.
They also feel “gratitude” for the sympathy shown when the tragic quake and tsunami struck them. It si their way of saying “thank you”.[/quote]
It’s true about the cheap flights. We have a Japanese friend who has been coming over almost every weekend over the last 6 months. 10,000 yen return from Tokyo. Around $100USD.
[quote=“Icon”] As a matter of fact, there are old restaurants that preserve traditional ways of preparing food from colonial times, that even Japanese have lost themselves, so they come for the food. Seriously.
[/quote]
Interesting. Do you know which restaurants exactly that do this? Must be in the Linsen N. Rd. combat zone somewhere.
[quote=“Incubus”][quote=“Icon”] As a matter of fact, there are old restaurants that preserve traditional ways of preparing food from colonial times, that even Japanese have lost themselves, so they come for the food. Seriously.
[/quote]
Interesting. Do you know which restaurants exactly that do this? Must be in the Linsen N. Rd. combat zone somewhere.[/quote]
I saw an interview with one of them, actually, was down in Wanhua of all places. And one in Yilan. Must look it up in my saved links, but the people in the know know, LOL.
I was once taken to a sushi place you picked stuff more like a yam cha, on Wuxing road, and unmarked restaurant that you had to make a reservation though a friend of a friend… Sushi the size of cassette tapes…
Better than the hordes of mainlanders… Anyway, I live near Ximen and constantly see Korean tourists everywhere in the area. In particular when I shop at the Carrefour, they have a special section toward the back for “special” Taiwan products and on any given day, you can see Koreans grabbing them by the arm load along with the black man toothpaste and cans of fruit flavored Taiwan beer.