Tourism Seen from the Sea
── How is the sea treated in tourism policy and tourism statistics?
Key visual created with generative AI
What This Study Confirmed
Japan’s tourism policy already has a model for helping people enjoy nature on land safely. According to the 2026 White Paper on Tourism, national parks implement disaster-prevention and mitigation measures to protect visitors. They have also begun pilot programs in which visitors contribute toward the cost of conserving the natural environment.
We could not find an equivalent framework for the sea in the same white paper.
This is not because marine activities go uncounted. Private-sector leisure statistics count diving and surfing at the same level of detail as golf and skiing, and Okinawa Prefecture measures participation in marine recreation every year. What we could not confirm was a framework connecting participation data with operator numbers, employment, revenue, and the cost of safety.
Could the models already used on land also be applied to the sea?
This does not require inventing an entirely new system. National parks already have a policy model. Skiing already has a statistical framework. Private statistics already count marine activities separately. The missing step is to apply those existing approaches to the sea.
Then, our association collects numbers from the field to fill in the blanks:The actual number of accidents, the deployment status of emergency materials, and the actual situation of business operators.These figures are intended for people designing policy and systems.
Below is the basis for this claim.We have not pointed out any deficiencies in any institution.This report records the models that already exist on land and the gaps that remain at sea.
What is this material?
I have read and recordedHow the sea, marine leisure, waterside safety, and coral are treated in tourism-related reports published every year by the national, prefectural, and related organizations.
The Association of Marine Leisure Promotion (AMP) conducts research on the safety of marine leisure activities such as diving and snorkeling, and the preservation of the marine environment. In our daily work, we deal with maritime accidents, the actual situation of business operators, oxygen deployment, and on-site operations. From the perspective of dealing with these issues, I wanted to find outhow the tourism policy of the countrypositions the sea.
This document was not created to criticize any institution.The purpose is to record exactly what is written and what is not written.
How to investigate and its limitations
First, I would like to point out the limitations of this material.
What I read
| Materials | range |
|---|---|
| Japan Tourism Agency “2025 Tourism Situation 2026 Tourism Measures” (2026 White Paper on Tourism) | Summary version 18 pages, table of contents 4 pages, Part I 81 pages, Part II 33 pages, Part III 35 pages |
| Same as above2024 version/2025 version(for comparison over time) | 12 PDF files for 3 years total, 454 pages |
| Japan Tourism Agency “Inbound Consumption Trend Survey” “Travel/Tourism Consumption Trend Survey” | Survey form(questions and options themselves) |
| Okinawa Prefecture “2024 degree tourism statistics survey report” | 3 separate reports and statistical data collection (36 sheets in total) |
| OECD『OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026』 | 328 pages, approximately 140,000 words |
| Japan Tourism Agency “Travel and Tourism Satellite Account (TSA)” 2023 edition | Tables 1 to 8/Reference tables |
| Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “Japan Standard Industrial Classification” | Applicable subdivisions of the 2023 revision and 2013 revision |
| OCVB “Okinawa Tourism Area Chart”/Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) research and statistics | Presence of activity data of foreigners |
| Japan Productivity Center『Leisure White Paper2025』／Japan Travel Bureau Foundation『Annual Report on Tourism Trends2025』 | Handling of marine activities on the private/research side |
Some materials are illegible
Japanese characters cannot be extracted from the Japan Tourism Agency's white paper and survey form PDFs using normal text extraction. This is because the font does not include a character mapping table. In fact, I was only able to extract 6 bytesfrom a certain questionnaire.If you search for words without realizing this, all words will return "0 results."If you make this mistake in materials that treat "what is not written" as a finding, the conclusion itself will be destroyed.
For this reason, we imaged all pages and subjected them to character recognition (OCR) to count the number of occurrences of words and phrases, and then read the text to confirm the context of relevant passages. Furthermore, regarding the white paper,another person in charge re-reads all pages at twice the resolution using another character recognition engine, andvisually confirms the images themselves for the relevant pages of the table of contents, safety section, maritime section, footnotes, and figures and tables.
Still, "0 items" here is 0 items within the range that could be confirmed by two character recognition and visual inspection of the relevant page. This is not proof that it does not exist.
What I haven't read.This material read the 8 points above. In addition to the white paper, the tourism policy includes basic plans and individual projects, and waterside safety falls under the jurisdiction of the Japan Coast Guard, the police, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Japan Sports Agency, and the Ministry of the Environment.Do not write "It is not in the national policy." I write, "I could not confirm this in this white paper."I have not yet read the Overnight Travel Statistics Survey and Incoming Tourist Statistics Based on Common Standards.
Regarding the notationIn this document, "Coral" is written in katakana. This is a notation commonly used in the academic field, and the kanji ``sango'' is used to refer to jewelry.
How does the white paper describe the ocean?
Main basis:[1] Japan Tourism Agency・2026 White Paper on Tourism
As an industry
The 2026 White Paper on Tourism refers to "tourism-related industries" asaccommodation and travel industries. The theme chapter of Part I is ``Towards the realization of a tourism industry that is a good place to work - Securing human resources and improving productivity in the lodging industry'', and an entire chapter is devoted to the lodging industry.
On the other hand,We were unable to confirm any descriptions, statistics, or classifications that identify marine leisure operators as an industry in this white paper."Marine sports," "business associations," and "recreational fishing" are not found in either the summary version, Part I, Part II, or Part III.
However, this does not mean that the country does not know.As you will see in the next section, there is an industry classification.
Marine leisure appears in the following three contexts.
- As an opportunity to experience-- Providing experience opportunities such as events and cruising that utilize "sea stations", "Sea Station Festa" nationwide
- As a subject of management--- Appropriate management of pleasure boats in the three waters of ports, rivers, and fishing ports, and measures against abandoned boats.
- As information dissemination── Dissemination of maritime tourism through the portal site “Umi Coco” and “C to Sea Project”
None of the three have the business operator as the subject.It is not written about employment, productivity, or safety.
Furthermore, the item name "Promotion of regional tourism utilizing marine leisure" actually exists in the white paper (Part II printed p.106-107, Part III printed p.136). However, the contents are measures against abandoned boats and an event at the ``Sea Station''.
So what about the statistics?
Main basis:[2] Japan Standard Industrial Classification
What is not written in the white paper and what the country is not aware of are two different things. Therefore, I looked intoindustry classification.
There are classifications. However, the grain size is not uniform.
| business | Japan Standard Industrial Classification (revised 2023) |
|---|---|
| golf course | Medium classification 80 Entertainment industry → Minor classification 804 Sports facility provision industry →Minor classification 8043 Golf courses |
| Recreational fishing boat industry | Medium classification 80 Entertainment industry → Minor classification 809 Other entertainment industry →Subdivision 8093 Recreational fishing boat industry |
| Diving service industry | Medium-sized category 80 Entertainment industry → Minor category 809 Other entertainment industry →Examples of subdivision 8099 “Amusement industry not elsewhere classified” |
| diving school | Subclassification 8246 Liberal arts/skills teaching industry(specified as “nonconformity case” in 8099) |
Fishing boats have an independent subclassification. There is no diving service.It is only listed alongside the fishing pond industry in the category of ``entertainment industries, n.e.c.''.
And——Even within the same category of “diving,” services are divided into entertainment and schools are divided into education.At the site, it is not uncommon for a single company to provide training, guides, and equipment rental.Statistically, the business operator can be divided into multiple categories.
Economic size and employment cannot be extracted.
Main basis:[3] Travel and Tourism Satellite Account
Travel and Tourism Satellite Account (TSA)is a framework for the government to estimate the economic effects and employment of tourism. It is based on international standards and published by Japan Tourism Agency.
In the 2023 version of TSA, these businesses will be consolidated into “Sports and Entertainment Industry.” The employment table for the same account says:
Sports and entertainment industry Employed790,000/ Employed730,000
This total includes people working in marine activities, but the data does not show how many.Golf courses, amusement parks, fishing boats, and diving services are all on the same line.
Marine-sector workers are being counted—but at a level of aggregation that makes them impossible to isolate.
⚠ This 790,000 people is the number of people in the sports and entertainment industry as a whole, and is not multiplied by the proportion involved in tourism.Cannot be used as the number of marine leisure workers.
In terms of safety
"Water accidents," "drowning," "marine disaster," "life saving," "lifeguard," "swimming," "maritime security," "water safety"—These words could not be found in all volumes.
The section ``Ensuring the safety of travelers, etc.'' deals with fire prevention for chartered buses, passenger ships, road transportation, accommodation facilities, infectious diseases, and responses to sudden illness or injury of foreign travelers.
Passenger shipshave a comprehensive description of safety related to the sea. Based on the ``Comprehensive Safety and Security Measures for Passenger Ships'' compiled in response to the Shiretoko Pleasure Boat Accident in 2022, the Maritime Transportation Act, etc. has been amended to improve the quality of seafarers, strengthen audits, and make life rafts compulsory.
There are certainly examples where serious accidents have affected the system.On the other hand, accidents during diving, snorkeling, and swimming never appear in the white paper's safety description.
Two spaces coexist
What we need to be careful about here isnot to connect these two by cause and effect.
It is tempting to write, ``Because it is not treated as an industry, there is no framework for safety.'' However, there is no material to support this.And as will be explained later, even in countries that treat marine leisure as an industry, the safety of the players is not treated in the same way.It is not the case that if you position it as an industry, safety will come with it.
All that can be said as a fact is that two blank spaces coexist.
This void isn't just for this year
It may be that this year's white paper just happened to be like that. To confirm this, we compared the three years' worth of(12 PDFs, 454 pages in total) of2024, 2025, and 2026 editions witha dictionary of the same words and phrases using the same aggregation rule.
| words | 2024 edition | 2025 edition | 2026 edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| water accidents, drowning, marine accidents, lifesaving, lifeguards, swimming, maritime security, water safety(8 words) | All 0 | All 0 | All 0 |
| Diving, snorkeling, scuba, marine sports, business organizations, recreational fishing(6 words) | All 0 | All 0 | All 0 |
| marine leisure | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| maritime tourism | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| sea bathing | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| coral | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| abandoned boat | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| national park | 87 | 84 | 62 |
In all three years, I couldn't find the same words in the same way.
However, I am not saying that it has not existed for a long time or that it has decreased.
This is where you want to be cautious.
You can't say that it hasn't existed since a long time ago.I have only checked for 3 years. I haven't looked into what it was like before that.
It cannot be said that the number of descriptions about the sea has decreased.This is because the direction of the difference is not just one.The 2024 edition includes support for private businesses that create maritime tourism content and create an environment for receiving tourism.On the other hand, the 2026 version includes a reduction in abandoned boats and a mention of coral.There is a mix of things that continue, things that have disappeared, things that have increased, and things that have moved to another department.
The numbers 87 → 84 → 62 for national parks are not evidence thatpolicy has weakened.This is simply the number of occurrences, including the fact that the structure of the special feature changes from year to year and the same words are repeated in the same paragraph.
This material states that "the same gap has continued for at least the last three years."
Arranging land and sea in the same white paper
Main basis:[1] Japan Tourism Agency・2026 White Paper on Tourism
This is what I want to say most about this document.
The 2026 White Paper on Tourism already has a model that treats nature as tourism. It's a national park.
| sea | Land (national park) | |
|---|---|---|
| Measure items | Marine Leisure Festival (abandoned boats, events, information dissemination) | Independent item. Part II36cases / Part III26cases |
| User safety | Unable to confirm | "Disaster prevention and mitigation measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of users" |
| Burden of costs related to maintenance | Unable to confirm | "We conducted a demonstration experiment to introduce a system in which some of the natural environment conservation costs will be borne by users." |
| References to the natural environment | Coral =1items in all volumes (one item of enumeration) | Ecotourism = Part II5cases / Part III8cases |
| Summary version 18 pages | "Ocean", "Marine", "Beach bathing", "Coral", "Water accidents" =0results | National Park1・Ecotourism1 |
Regarding the demonstration experiment on conservation costs, the white paper states:it was carried out in collaboration with a variety of actors, including members of local councils, researchers with knowledge of the natural environment, and private businesses with know-how in providing services.
In other words, it is not as if the national tourism policy does not have frameworks for dealing with ``user safety'' and ``financial resources for conservation.'' It is in the national park.
There is no equivalent structure in marine leisure at sea.
There is not a single word for ``sea'' in the chapter/section headings (check all 4 pages of the table of contents). There are no words related to the sea in the 18-page summary version either. In Part I, ``Tourism Trends,'' that is,the part that describes how we perceive the current situation, there is virtually no mention of the sea. The ocean appears only in the policy sections of Parts II and III.
As a supplement, the white paper defines "marine leisure" only in one footnote, and that footnote is placed in the context of countermeasures against harmful rumors associated with the release of ALPS treated water into the ocean (Part II, printed p. 90, footnote 12).
What are other countries doing?
Main basis:[7] OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026
I read "OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026" (328 pages) published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in July 2026. Contains chapters in which governments report on their tourism policies.
There are countries that consider marine leisure as an industry.
| Country/Region | Initiatives listed |
|---|---|
| Germany | The Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs has a position of "Federal Government Coordinator for Marine Economy and Tourism", andthis position is the person responsible for coordinating tourism policy within the federal government. |
| Italy | National marine tourism strategic development planis being formulated. Targets promotion, infrastructure needs,regulatory framework |
| Denmark | One of the three national tourism development agencies is "Coastal and Natural Tourism". We are building a national tourism data infrastructureVisitDatain collaboration with the national tourism bureau. |
| Belgium (Flanders) | Newly established Blue Economy Experience Center. ``Coastal vision is shaped by tourism'' |
| Egypt | The number of employees in the tourism sector includespeople engaged in yachting and marine activities. |
| Colombia | 88 tourist piersare being constructed and installed on rivers and oceans. The purpose is stated as "To ensure safe berthing, embarkation, and disembarkation" |
*The table above is a summary of the reports of each country's government included in the OECD report, translated into Japanese by our association. Not translated by OECD.If there is a difference between the original and translated text, only the original text is valid.(Indication defined by OECD: In the event of any discrepancy between the original work and the translation, only the text of the original work should be considered valid.)
It is possible as a system to structure marine leisure as a subject of tourism policy.Denmark's efforts in particular are an answer to the question of "who counts the number of people who go into the sea, and how?"
However, the report does not mention how effective these efforts were. To talk about what it looked like after it was introduced, we need to look at primary sources from each country.
However, "safety for the player" is not there either.
I reread the same report from the safety side. 328 pages, approximately 140,000 words.
| phrase | Number of cases | phrase | Number of cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| drowning | 0 | water safety | 0 |
| lifeguard / lifesaving | 0 | swimming | 0 |
| snorkelling / surfing | 0 | water sports / boating | 0 |
| diving | 1 | cruise | 29 |
The only one, diving, is listed alongside snow-based activities asan example of tourism resources that could be lost due to climate change. Not as an industry or as a subject of safety.
There are 65 safety items, which include public safety, travelers' sense of security in the face of disasters, travel information, occupational safety and health, and risk management.
The ``maritime safety'' in the OECD report also referred to the sea as transportation.
This is the same structure as the Japanese white paper that deals only with passenger ships.
Japan is not the only country that does not include "safety for visitors" in its tourism policy. It seems that this slot is not yet available in the field of tourism policy itself.
Please note that this does not mean that other countries do not have waterside safety measures. It may not be listed in the tourism policy report, but may be placed under the jurisdiction of maritime affairs or health. The national chapters are also self-reports of national governments.
What it means to count
Main basis:[4] Okinawa Prefecture tourism statistics survey/[10] Japan Tourism Agency survey form/tally
To say something about safety, we needdenominator. How many people went into the sea and what happened? Without a denominator, no one can say whether there is more or less.
The white paper has no denominator.
In the 2026 White Paper on Tourism, we were unable to confirm figures equivalent to the number of participants, number of businesses, and number of accidents for marine activities. The main figures—total number of travelers, total number of overnight stays, and travel spending—are shown in granularity down to regional blocks (Okinawa is one block). The way the definition itself is written is careful. It includes the total and actual numbers, preliminary figures, and notes for comparison due to changes in the survey.It's not that the writing style is rough, but that the target itself is not placed.
But Okinawa Prefecture was counting
Okinawa Prefecture's ``2024 Tourism Statistics Survey Report'' examines what visitors from outside the prefecture do in Okinawa every quarter. The results for 2024 degrees are as follows (multiple answers allowed).
| activity | Annual total | July to September | January to March |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist spots | 71.6% | 71.0% | 76.9% |
| Enjoy Okinawan cuisine | 49.2% | 51.3% | 49.8% |
| Sea bathing/marine leisure | 31.3% | 57.1% | 9.3% |
| shopping | 28.0% | — | — |
| Diving | 6.1% | 8.6% | 2.5% |
| golf | 1.2% | — | — |
Swimming and marine leisure is the third activity after sightseeing and Okinawan cuisine.It reaches nearly 60% in summer and drops to less than 10% in winter. In the Yaeyama area, the annual rate is 41.6%, rising to 66.2% in the summer.
It is not impossible to measure how many people go into the sea. Okinawa Prefecture is measured every year.
However, this study has scope. The target of the investigation is "Japanese passengersdeparting from the prefecture usingaircraft (direct flight)".Foreign customers are not included in the activity investigation.I checked all 36 sheets of the statistical data collection, but there was not a single word such as "foreigner," "nationality," "inbound," or "visitor to Japan."
Of the 9.9527 million visitor arrivals in 2024, 7.6612 million were visitors from outside the prefecture (Japanese).Of the remaining 2.29 million foreign customers, how many went into the sea?
The published figures are listed as is.No recalculation or estimation is performed.The scope of the survey (Japanese passengers from outside the prefecture using direct flights) is also clearly stated in the text.
Source notation (as published in this article): (Source) Okinawa Prefecture “2024 Tourism Statistics Survey Report”
The country is measuring. However, it is not counted separately.
If it wasn't written in the white paper, perhaps it was in the underlying statistics?That's what I thought, so I read the Japan Tourism Agency's survey form itself.
Inbound consumption trend surveyincludes the question ``What did you do during your stay in Japan?'' and there are 21 options. Among them is this.
Other sports (golf, marine sports, etc.)
Marine sports are not an independent option. It's in the same category as golf.In other words, it is not possible to extract only those who participated in marine sports from this number.
On the other hand, the same question above says:
skiing/snowboarding
Snow has independent options.
Looking at the published summary table, the selection rate in 2025 is as follows.
| all purposes | Tourism/leisure purposes | |
|---|---|---|
| Skiing/Snowboarding | 2.88% | 2.62% |
| Other sports (golf, etc.) | 1.90% | 1.42% |
In the travel and tourism consumption trend survey targeting Japanese people, there was no questionto ask what people did while traveling. There are only three categories of travel: ``sightseeing/recreation'', ``homecoming etc.'', and ``business trip/business''.
The word "marine sports" will disappear from the published list.
Now, try putting the two notations side by side.
| Notation | |
|---|---|
| Survey form What respondents see | Other sports (golf,marine sports, etc.) |
| Publication summary table What we see | Other sports (Golf, etc.) |
The published table does not include the word "marine sports".In fact, even after examining the entire summary table file, I couldn't find a single word containing "Marine."
You can't tell just by reading the published list that this 1.90% figure includes people who went into the sea.
Sea activities are not just summed up. It is not visible from the table that the numbers are added up.
A summary of activities limited to those who visited Okinawa Prefecture was not included in the published summary table by prefecture(There is no activity item in the table). It's tempting to think that in Okinawa, most of the other sports are done by the sea, butThere are no published numbers to confirm this.
⚠ It is also not possible to back-calculate the amount for marine sports based on seasonal differences (the price of "other sports" increases from July to September). The total value remains the same, including golf, etc.
The same thing is happening with expenses.
Both surveys have a section that asks you about your expenses during your trip. It's lined up like this.
| Does the expense have a name? | |
|---|---|
| Ski | An independent cost item called “ski resort lift”(both surveys). Furthermore, the domestic survey included "Rental fees (Ski equipment, camping equipment, bicycles, etc.)" |
| golf | "Sports facility usage fee (Golf course, tennis court, etc.)" |
| Sea activities | There are no independent expense items."Other entertainment service expenses (Recreational fishing boat, guide fee, photography fee, etc.)" is only mentioned once. |
The amount has also been announced (in 2025, per foreign visitor to Japan, per person, per visit).
| Expense item | Amount spent |
|---|---|
| Ski resort lift | 556 yen |
| Other entertainment service expenses | 1,333 yen |
The lift fee at the ski resort is 556 yen.On the other hand, 1,333 yen includes many things other than the sea, sothis amount cannot be considered as consumption of the sea.
Diving boat fees, snorkeling tour fees, and guide fees are included in "Others."Therefore,the economic scale of marine activities cannot be extracted from national statistics either.
Regarding foreigners, I couldn't find it anywhere
The Okinawa Prefecture survey targeted Japanese people. National surveys were combined. So, is there anything else?—I looked into the statistics from the Okinawa Tourism and Convention Bureau's "Okinawa Tourism Area Chart"andJapan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
In the medical record, you can see foreign customers down to the city, town, or village level.You can also filter by Ishigaki City. However, all that can be seen isthe number of visitors, their timing, and where they came from.What you did is not included yet.
The actual participation rate for sea activities was not found in JNTO's public statistics.
However, I will be precise here.JNTO lists diving as a priority outdoor sport along with golf and skiing.In other words,it is not that we do not recognize sea activities as a target for attracting tourists. Although it is recognized, the actual number of participants cannot be extracted from published statistics.
In all cases,describes the range of items included in, and numbers and charts are not reproduced.This is not the purpose of pointing out deficiencies in the materials.
Source notation (as published in this article): Source: OCVB “Okinawa Tourism Area Chart” / Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
However, private statistics counted separately.
This is where I changed my perception the most in writing this material.
"Leisure White Paper" by Japan Productivity Center, a public interest incorporated foundation, measured sea activities as an independent event.Achievements for 2024.
| Event | Participation rate | annual cost per person |
|---|---|---|
| Golf (course) | 5.0% | 154.7 thousand yen |
| fishing | 5.6% | 52.0 thousand yen |
| skiing | 2.9% | 78.8 thousand yen |
| Skin diving, scuba diving | 0.7% | 101.3 thousand yen |
| Surfing, windsurfing | 0.4% | 158.8 thousand yen |
| Yacht, motor boat | 0.4% | 147.0 thousand yen |
The three sea sports are arranged at the same granularity as golf and skiing.It is not a separate frame or "other".
This table also shows that it is not possible to judge by looking only at the participation rate.The annual cost per participant in surfing is higher than in golf.Diving is more expensive than skiing.Having a small number of people and having little economic significance are not the same thing.
The above table shows the published values of your division as is.We do not reproduce the figures or tables themselves.We do not add up, recalculate, or convert units. The event names will remain as written in your headquarters.
Source notation (as published in this article): (Source) Japan Productivity Center "Leisure White Paper"
The Japan Travel Bureau Foundation's "Annual Report on Tourism Trends2025"also independently measures "sea bathing and marine sports" as local activities during Japanese domestic travel. The implementation rate in 2024 is——
Nationwide 2.1% / Okinawa Prefecture 20.1%
Okinawa is about 10 times the size of the whole country.
This is the published value of your foundation.We do not reproduce charts or recalculate ratios.The number of answers for Okinawa Prefecture, 435, is also clearly stated in the text (below).
Source notation (as published in this article): (Source) Japan Travel Bureau Foundation “Annual Report on Tourism Trends2025” 2025
⚠ The Leisure White Paper is an internet survey of 3,467 people aged 15 to 79 nationwide, and is not a statistics of visitors to Okinawa or foreigners. Okinawa Prefecture in Annual Report on Tourism Trends has 435 answers.You cannot multiply the average cost by the number of people and call it market size.
Not “not there” but “not divided”
This is where I want to be precise.
It is incorrect to say that "ocean activity is not measured."
- Okinawa Prefecture is measured forJapanesewho came from outside the prefecture.
- Private leisure statistics measurediving, surfing, and sailing as separate events
- The annual tourism research report also independently measures"sea bathing/marine sports"
- A country's tourism statistics are measured on foreigners. However,is combined with Golf and cannot be separated. Regarding the Japanese people, I have not heard about their activities.
In other words, dividing and counting is actually happening.
So what is missing?The reason this document could not be confirmed is as follows.
A framework that connects demand-side figures such as how many people enter the ocean to the number of businesses accepting those people, sales, employment, and safety costs—all based on the same definition.
There is a participation rate. There are also classifications of businesses. However,I could not find a way to connect them within the scope of this document.
And even though it's the same "activity," according to the country's tourism statistics, there is a limit for snow, but not for the ocean.
⚠ Furthermore, there was no mention of the words "safety," "accident," "injury," or "insurance" in the questionnaires for both surveys.National tourism statistics do not ask what happened during the trip.However, understanding accidents is also the jurisdiction of the Japan Coast Guard and the police, and whether tourism statistics should be responsible for this is another discussion.
And "those who enter the sea" are not monolithic
The Okinawa Prefecture survey includes a cross-tabulation that shows the attributes of those who participated in the activities. I took it out.
| Sea bathing/ Marine leisure | diving | |
|---|---|---|
| One person | 7.3% | 25.7% |
| Family with children | 31.7% | 8.4% |
| personal travel | 73.9% | 82.8% |
| First time in Okinawa | 12.1% | 12.1% |
One out of every three people going to the beach and marine leisure is a family with children. One out of every four people dives alone.
Even though they are the same "people entering the sea," they look completely different. Even if safety information is to be delivered, the delivery methods should not be the same.
In both cases,12.1%were first-time visitors to Okinawa, and the rest were repeat visitors. By region, the Miyako area accounted for 50.1% for sea bathing and marine leisure, and 6.1% for diving, while Kumejima accounted for 37.1% and 13.7%.
⚠ This cross tabulation cannot indicate the likelihood ofaccidents or the effectiveness of countermeasures.Also, this survey targets Japanese customers.
There is already something to put
This material was not created to say that some institution is not doing its job.
Okinawa Prefecture measures the percentage of people entering the ocean each year. That is an achievement for the prefecture. National parks have already begun to demonstrate the safety of users and the burden of conservation costs. That too is a national achievement. National statistics accurately tally ski resort lift fees as an independent expense item.
What I have come to understand from reading up to this point is that it is not "nothing."
What you need is already somewhere else.
There are already two types
First one. National parks have a proven system for user safety and for paying part of the conservation costs to users.
The same questions apply to the conservation of coral reefs and the safety of marine activities. Who will bear the costs? How much is required of users?The country has already begun to address that question on land.
Second. The country's tourism statistics have a slot for snow.
``Skiing/Snowboarding'' option. An expense item called "ski resort lift." Rental expense item called "ski equipment."These are the frames used to check how many people and how much money is spent on snow activities each year.
The sea doesn't have that.
Third. And there are already statistics that separate and count the oceans.
As we saw in the previous chapter,private leisure statistics measure diving, surfing, and yachting as independent events with the same granularity as golf and skiing.The annual tourism research report independently measures "sea bathing and marine sports" and even shows the difference between Okinawa and the whole country.
This is not because it is difficult to separate and count. In fact, there are statistics that count them separately.
I'm not asking you to create a new system.
Bringing molds found in national parks to the sea. Bringing the statistical framework that exists for skiing to the sea. And the granularity that private statistics are already dividing should be applied to national statistics as well.
None of this is a new invention. It has already been created and is in use somewhere.
AMP is responsible for the connection
However, just because a frame is created doesn't mean the numbers will be filled.
- The number of people participating is held byprefecture
- The accident record is held by another agency
- Industry organizations like usare responsible for the actual situation of operators and on-site operations.
They have never been placed on the same definition.
What was missing wasn't the numbers themselves. It was between numbers.
I believe that AMP's role is not to monopolize data, but toput them on the same playing field and make visible discrepancies in definitions and areas that have not yet been measured.
It is not our job to create frames. It is possible to arrange the materials to fill the space and indicate where the space is.
What I can't say yet
Let me clearly state what this documentcannot say.
Items that were not investigated or could not be confirmed (12 items)
- The lack of description in the white paper means a lack ofawarenessby the Japan Tourism Agency and the country.
- Not being treated as an industry is the causeof the lack of safety description.
- Statistics regarding sea activities of foreign customers do not exist anywhere in Japan.
- Marine leisure market size and number of operators(Not in the preliminary version of the Leisure White Paper, and cannot be called market size by multiplying the average cost by the number of people)
- From the cross-tabulation of attributes,the likelihood of accidents occurring and the effectiveness of countermeasures
- OnlyAMP has the necessary data
- Compared to the 2025 version and earlier, has the handling of the sea increased or decreased?
- absolutely does not exist in the PDFfor words that were found to be 0 in character recognition.
- Strict population matchingof the estimated number of people multiplied by the participation rate of Okinawa Prefecture and the number of visitors.
- Effects and indicators of each country's efforts listed in the OECD
- Other countries do not havewaterside safety policies
- In the national survey form, were marine sportsalways combined withgolf, or were they added together somewhere along the way?
I won't fill it in with guesswork.
Frequently asked questions
We have summarized the most frequently asked questions among the contents described in this article. Both have the same contents as the relevant parts of the main text. Please also read the counting range (this is the number of occurrences in the main text, and the characters in figures, tables, and photographs are not checked).
Are there any mentions of water accidents or diving in the White Paper on Tourism?
When counting all pages of the 2026 White Paper on Tourism (summary version, Part I, Part II, and Part III) by character recognition, we were unable to confirm eight words: "water accidents," "drowning," "marine disaster," "lifesaving," "lifeguard," "swimming," "maritime security," and "water safety," and six words: "diving," "snorkeling," "scuba," "marine sports," "business association," and "recreational fishing." The results are the same for the 2024 and 2025 editions (3 years, 12 PDFs, total 454 pages). We counted the number of occurrences of main text, and did not check the characters in figures, tables, or photographs. The section ``Ensuring the safety of travelers, etc.'' deals with fire prevention for chartered buses, passenger ships, road transportation, accommodation facilities, infectious diseases, and responses to sudden illnesses and injuries of foreign travelers.
How does the sea appear in the White Paper on Tourism?
Marine leisure appears in three contexts. It can be used as an opportunity for experience (events and cruising using the "Seaside Station"), as an object of management (proper management of pleasure boats in the three waters of ports, rivers, and fishing ports, countermeasures against abandoned boats), and as a dissemination of information (dissemination of maritime tourism through the portal site "Umi Coco" and "C to Sea Project"). Passenger ships have comprehensive descriptions of safety related to the sea, and measures taken in response to the 2022 Shiretoko sightseeing boat accident are covered. "Coral" had 1 item in the 2026 version, and could not be confirmed in the 2024 and 2025 versions.
How are marine leisure operators classified statistically?
Although there is a classification in the Japan Standard Industrial Classification (revised 2023), the granularity is not uniform. Golf courses are classified under Division 8043, and recreational fishing boats are classified under Division 8093, but diving services are listed as an example of Division 8099 "Recreational industries n.e.c.," and diving schools are placed under Division 8246 (Liberal arts and skill teaching). The carriers of the sea are not uncounted, but are counted in inextricable granularity.
Aren't ocean activities measured in statistics?
It is incorrect to say that it is not measured. Okinawa Prefecture's "2024 Tourism Statistics Survey Report" shows that the percentage of visitors from outside the prefecture participating in "sea bathing/marine leisure" was 31.3% in 2024, and 57.1% in the July-September period (41.6% in the Yaeyama area, 66.2% in the July-September period). Private leisure statistics and tourism research annual reports also count sea events independently. On the other hand, in the government's survey, foreign nationals are included in "other sports (golf, etc.)" and cannot be separated, and Japanese nationals are not asked about their activities. What was not confirmed within the scope of this document's research was a framework that would link the number of people entering the sea to the number of businesses accepting them, sales, employment, and safety costs.
How are the sources and citation conditions of this material verified?
For publishers who require confirmation and permission before publication, we submit the cited passages and manuscript in advance, and publish the article after receiving their confirmation. The figures and tables themselves are not reproduced; only published figures are listed in the tables prepared by our association; no summation, recalculation, or unit conversion is performed. The date of acquisition and terms of use of each material are listed in the citation at the end of the document. You may freely quote the contents of this document as long as you cite "Association of Marine Leisure Promotion (AMP) 'Tourism Seen from the Sea'" as the source.
Contact us
Please feel free to contact the AMP Secretariat regarding the content of this document, provision of statistical data, and citation of data in the press, government, and parliament.
Contact us
Source ledger
[Numbers] in the text correspond to the following materials. The confirmation date is August 29, 2026. Materials that require confirmation before publication are published only to the extent that confirmation has been obtained.
- Japan Tourism Agency “2025 Tourism Situation 2026 Tourism Measures” (2026 White Paper on Tourism)
Document type: Government White Paper / Publication: July 10, 2026 / Reference: Summary version, Part I, Part II, Part III. Yearly comparison is Reiwa 6-8 edition, 12 PDF, total 454 pages.
Japan Tourism Agency public page - Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications "Japan Standard Industrial Classification" (revised July 2023)
Material type: Government classification/Reference: Subclassification 8043, 8093, 8099, 8246.
e-Stat's Japan Standard Industrial Classification - Japan Tourism Agency "Travel and Tourism Satellite Account (TSA)" 2023 edition
Document type: Government statistics / Reference: Employment table "Sports and entertainment industry".
Japan Tourism Agency's TSA publication page - Okinawa Prefecture "2024 tourism statistics survey report"
Material type: Local government statistics / Reference: Aggregation by activity, period, area, and companion.
Okinawa Prefecture report/data disclosure page - Japan Productivity Center Leisure Creation Research Institute "Leisure White Paper 2025" preliminary version detailed materials
Material type: Private national survey / Publication: July 15, 2025 / Reference: 2024 participation rate/annual average cost.
Japan Productivity Center publication page - Japan Travel Bureau Foundation “Annual Report on Tourism Trends2025”
Document type: Research institution research / Publication: 2025 / Reference: Local activities for domestic travel “Beach bathing and marine sports”.
Japan Travel Bureau Foundation public page - OECD (2026),OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026
Document type: International organization report / Publication: July 2026 / Reference: Marine and coastal tourism policies and safety-related terms of each country.
OECD report page - Okinawa Tourism and Convention Bureau “Okinawa Tourism Area Chart”
Document type: Regional tourism data/Reference: Recording range of visits, attributes, actions, excursions, etc. by municipality.
Okinawa Tourism Area Chart - Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) "Statistics of foreign visitors to Japan" and other public statistics
Material type: Government tourism statistics/Reference: Scope of recording of number of visitors to Japan, market information, and activity participation data in public statistics.
JNTO foreign visitor statistics - Japan Tourism Agency "Inbound consumption trend survey" "Travel and tourism consumption trend survey"
Material type: Government statistics / Reference: 2025 survey form, activity options, expenditure items, summary table.
Inbound consumption trend survey/Travel and tourism consumption trend survey
Page information
- Publishing/Research/Editing
- Association of Marine Leisure Promotion (AMP)
- First edition published
- August 28, 2026
- Last updated
- August 29, 2026
- version
- v2.2
Update history:v1.1 (August 28, 2026) Main text, FAQ, and structured data have been updated. v2.0 (August 29, 2026) Redesigned the visual structure for humans while retaining the text, added correspondence between claims and sources, direct URLs, source ledger, and page information. v2.1 (August 29, 2026) Adjust line spacing, paragraph spacing, and section margins throughout the page without changing the main text. v2.2 (August 29, 2026) Reduced the top and bottom margins that overlapped between sections.