[Columbine]

I think Japan has a lot of appeal to the tourist market. I often meet people who know very little of Japan, but think it would be an interesting place to visit, and lots of people who have met Japanese people and been fascinated by it, done lots of research but who have never been. What puts them off actually doing it is usually some combination the following:

Distance; it's a long way to go for a two-week or less holiday.
Expense. Not only are flights a lot, it's not a cheap place to eat/stay either necessarily. Travel around the country is expensive too.
Fears that they can't speak the language/can't read anything and will struggle to get around.
Put off by the different food, related to above.
Don't know where to go or what to see.
Doesn't have a reputation as a holiday resort destination.
Have kids, feel it would be too difficult to go there with young children.
Want to see maples/cherries, but those only occur in a narrow window, mostly at times of year where time off is difficult.
Very hot and humid in the summer, when easiest to go abroad.
Other members of family not so keen.
Worried now about earthquakes/ other disasters.

So little to do with what's IN Japan or how much they know about it. Japan has a reputation as being interesting, beautiful, fun, different, full of entertainment, safe and clean; that alone appeals to some people, but it's rarely plugged as a typical tourist destination. Besides, Japan doesn't really, really need American and European tourists- they have an increasing tourist trade with Hong Kong/ Mainland China and Korea, and a well-developed domestic tourism trade as well. Their economy isn't reliant on tourism, so unlike places like Thailand, they aren't really as pressured into developing it on such a massive scale.