Experisys Awarded Niigata Prefectural Tourism Association's 'High-Value-Added Inbound Tourism Destination Creation Project'

With the Purpose of "Creating a 'mechanism' for culture to be passed on 100 years into the future," Experisys Inc. (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Tomoyoshi Maruyama; hereinafter "the Company"), which promotes high-value-added travel and experiences for wealthy inbound tourists from planning and development to sales and distribution, announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Niigata Prefectural Tourism Association (hereinafter "Niigata Prefectural Tourism Association") in July 2025 for content creation work related to the Japan Tourism Agency's "High-Value-Added Inbound Tourism Destination Creation Project in Regional Areas." The Company has developed and refined tourism content for wealthy Western tourists in three areas: Sado, Yahiko/Tsubamesanjo, and Yuzawa/Uonuma, and has established sales channels to overseas travel agencies targeting wealthy clients.

■ Project Overview

(1) Purpose

While Niigata Prefecture possesses an abundance of unique regional resources that cannot be replaced by other regions, such as the World Cultural Heritage represented by the "Sado Island Gold Mines," Living National Treasure-class traditional crafts, unparalleled metalworking technology in Tsubamesanjo, and sake brewing culture nurtured by the clear snowmelt waters of Uonuma and Yuzawa, further development was required to exclusively accommodate high-value-added travelers (the wealthy class).

Targeting the wealthy Western demographic with high consumption rates, this project aimed to improve the spending per inbound tourist and ensure the sustainable development of the regional economy by developing and refining high-value-added experiences in collaboration with local businesses, establishing a sales structure, and promoting these offerings to overseas clients.

(2) Content Development

Combining the three axes of "unique Japanese tourism resources," "rarity," and "high quality standards," the Company has developed experiential content that makes wealthy Western tourists want to "visit Niigata." All of these are highly exclusive programs that emphasize dialogue with artisans and local residents, condensing the unique value of Niigata that cannot be experienced in standard sightseeing.

Examples of Content:

[Sado Area] Learning from Living National Treasure Sekisui Ito: The Beauty of Mumyoi-yaki Born from the Earth of the World Heritage Sado Gold Mine

This program offers the opportunity to learn about Mumyoi-yaki pottery, which uses clay from the earth of the "Sado Island Gold Mines" registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2024, and includes a special production experience. It is a unique experience program exclusive to Niigata where two rare resources—a World Cultural Heritage site and a Living National Treasure-class traditional craft—intersect.

[Tsubamesanjo Area] Experiencing Japanese Aesthetics Born from a Single Sheet of Copper at Tsubamesanjo's "Gyokusendo"

A program to tour the workshop at "Gyokusendo," one of Japan's leading Tsuiki copperware brands, under the guidance of artisans of "Tsuiki copperware," a tradition passed down since the Edo period. This is a valuable opportunity to directly experience advanced metalworking techniques inherited for over 200 years through dialogue with the artisans.

[Yuzawa/Uonuma Area] Snow and Satoyama Brewery: The World's Only Craft Sake Assemblage Experience

An "assemblage" experience led by Tomomi Duquette, Japan's first female craft sake brewery founder and holder of the WSET Level 3 wine tasting qualification, where participants blend multiple raw sakes nurtured by Uonuma's snowmelt water. This is a rare experience to create "your own, one-of-a-kind sake in the world" based on personal taste and sensitivity, allowing participants to feel the rich sake culture of Niigata and Uonuma with all five senses.

(3) Overseas Sales Channel Cultivation and Promotional Measures

For the developed content, test marketing (January 14-15, 2026) was conducted. After incorporating feedback from a market perspective and making final adjustments to the content, it was listed on the Company's members-only EC site. A sales channel reaching a network of over 60,000 travel agencies targeting wealthy clients, both directly and indirectly, has been established.

■ Project Background and the Role of Experisys

The Japanese government has set a target of 60 million inbound foreign tourists and 15 trillion yen in consumption by 2030 (Cabinet decision in March 2026), increasing interest in attracting high-value-added travelers to regional areas. According to a survey by the Japan Tourism Agency*, high-value-added travelers who spend 1 million yen or more per visit to Japan account for only about 2% (approx. 590,000 people) of all inbound tourists, yet they represent about 19% (approx. 1 trillion yen) of the total consumption amount (as of 2023).

*Japan Tourism Agency "Promotion of Attracting High-Value-Added Travelers in Inbound Tourism" (Updated November 2025)

In the wealthy Western market, a trend known as "Quiet Luxury" is becoming prominent, with rapidly growing interest in deeply enjoying connections with local communities and "authentic cultural experiences" rather than consuming luxury goods. Niigata Prefecture's World Cultural Heritage, traditional crafts, and sake culture have extremely high affinity with this demographic. By utilizing the Company's "integrated production and sales" model for experience development and overseas sales, it is believed this will lead to the promotion of attracting wealthy tourists to regional areas.

■ Experisys: Business Development to Date

With the Purpose of "Creating a 'mechanism' for culture to be passed on 100 years into the future," the Company realizes regional revitalization through sustainable tourism.