Sébastien Duval

Cherry-blossoms-colored vegan tonkotsu ramen: yellow broth, open monaka shaped like cherry blossoms containing a yellow sweet potato paste, vegan grilled meat, black-wood-ear mushrooms, green leaves, and pink ramen in chopsticks.

A completely empty ramen bowl! Plus a smaller one just keeping a bit of oil from the toppings.

Poster of the Sakura Vegan Tonkotsu Ramen with a stunning photo.

T's Tantan Tokyo Station never misses 🍜 I just disappeared a seasonal Sakura Vegan Tonkotsu Ramen 😋 Deliciously creamy with spicy crispy toppings and a sweet potato monaka 🌸 Clearing the bowl is the ultimate review 🥣 1,450 yen. Next time: vegan mentaiko rice? #VeganRamen #VeganTokyo #VeganJapan

Group photo with winners, judges and organizers.

🧵19/ The #JapanTravelAwards proved interesting & valuable for a 5th time 👍🏻 The 206 applicants lacked #Aomori & #Tottori prefectures so I'll contact officials/pros there… Next: Email the pros met, inform colleagues, and consider collaborating (I already discussed with a client to target 2027 awards).

Julie Baud beside an artistic wall.

🧵18/ Julie Baud's "Secrets d'Artisans Japonais" won the 2026 Best Inbound Travel award for ceramic/pottery tours in #Aichi with behind-the-scenes access, in English & French 🏺 Unable to attend the #JapanTravelAwards ceremony. We met; #Japan is lucky to have her 🙂 www.secretsdartisansjaponais.com/en

Klook Japan general manager Wataru Masuda (left) and Kinosaki E-Transport Tours delegates (centre & right) holding the award certificate.

🧵17/ The General Manager of gold sponsor Klook Japan handed the #JapanTravelAwards 2026 Klook award to Kinosaki E-Transport Tours 🛵 You can use e-bikes, scooters or even tuk-tuks! May this service in #Hyogo inspire other hot spring towns all over Japan ♨️ tavizo.jp/puchitabi

Judge Naoya Shimizu (left) and Ozu Castle Stay delegates (centre & right) holding the award certificate.

Ozu castle and locals in armour, etc. ready for the luxury welcome parade.

🧵16/ #JapanTravelAwards judge Naoya Shimizu gave the 2026 Best Tourism Development award to Ozu Castle Stay 🏯 As a consultant on a revitalization project in #Ehime, I helped polish this authentic luxury stay. It's #Japan first restored wooden castle you can stay in 🌌 castlestay.ozucastle.com/en/home

Judge Lang Hao (left) and Traditional Cultural Experience Villa Tsutaya delegate (right) holding his award certificate.

🧵15/ #JapanTravelAwards judge Lang Hao handed the 2026 Best Cultural Travel award to Traditional Cultural Experience Villa Tsutaya. Feel at home in #Nagano at this 110 y.o. house turned inn where the owner was raised. Hearth & kamado cook, weave, dye… like/with the locals. uchiyamatsutaya.com/en/

Judge Seiya Hongo (left) and Kita-Karuizawa Sweet Grass delegate (right) holding his award certificate.

🧵14/ #JapanTravelAwards judge Seiya Hongo handed the 2026 Best Family Travel award to Kita-Karuizawa Sweet Grass 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 This year-round outdoor accommodation with camping site, treehouse, and cottage features nature-based activities for families in #Gunma 🏕️ sweetgrass.jp

Judge Lara Horin (left) and the Futaba Area Tourism Research Association team, holding their award certificate.

🧵13/ #JapanTravelAwards judge Lara Horin handed the 2026 Best Social Impact award to Futaba Area Tourism Research Association 👥 #Indian & #Japanese leaders crafted tours with locals to reshape how #Fukushima is understood and to revitalise its economy & society… Unique worldwide! f-discover.com

Judge Jake Dolosa (left) and Miyakojima Dugong Research Tour delegate (right) holding her award certificate.

🧵12/ #JapanTravelAwards judge Jake Dolosa gave the 2026 Best Educational Travel award to Miyakojima Dugong Research Tour in #Okinawa 🧜‍♀️ Participants join experts on boats to survey, contributing to conservation research. True investigative #ecotourism! www.manateelab.jp/tour

Judge Joy Jarman-Walsh on the left, with two delegates of Ento (centre & right) holding their award certificate.

Sea & land seen through the giant window of a room at Ento.

🧵11/ #JapanTravelAwards judge @jjwalsh.bsky.social handed the 2026 Best Sustainable Travel award to Ento 🌿 It's #Japan first geopark-based facility where you can sleep, a “geo-hotel” in #Shimane. I’m very curious, and interested in learning more about breadth & depth on site… ento-oki.jp/en/

InKimono won both the 2026 Best Accessible Travel and Best LGBTQ+ Travel awards.

Photo of a lesbian couple in colourful kimono and of a gay couple in subdued kimono on the left. Positive comments from social networks on the right.

🧵10/ Double win! InKimono also wins Best #LGBTQ Travel at 2026 #JapanTravelAwards, via judge Georgie Ichikawa 🏳️‍🌈👘 #Japan is safe & welcoming, and I loved guiding lesbians on honeymoon here. So glad that InKimono photos of gay/lesbian couples also get the love they deserve!

Judge Josh Grisdale (left), InKimono CEO Stasia Matsumoto (centre), and judge Georgie Ichikawa (right).

Wheelchair client in kimono on the left, and diverse praises from social networks on the right.

🧵9/ #JapanTravelAwards judge @joshgrisdale.bsky.social handed the 2026 Best Accessible Travel award to InKimono ♿👘 This personalised kimono rental/styling in #Tokyo may be #Japan only such wheelchair-aware service. The Polish owner strives to ensure fun without diluting the culture 👍🏻 inkimono.com

Judge Ally Hongo (left) and the delegate of Ryokan Ohana (right), holding her Grand Prix certificate.

🧵8/ #JapanTravelAwards judge Ally Hongo handed the 2026 Grand Prix to Ryokan Ohana 🏆 This inn in #Fukuoka is #Japan only nationally designated place of scenic beauty where you can sleep ✨ The family keeps considering how to ensure this 400 y.o. building remains in 100 years! ohana.co.jp/en/

Delegate of Ryokan Ohana (in black) hugging organizer Ally Hongo (in white).

Judge Lara Horin (left) with Futaba Area Research Association winners.

Me (right) with judge Joy Jarman-Walsh (second from left) making new friends/connections.

🧵7/ We could also all feel the human connections both on stage during the awards ceremony and in the packed room while networking afterwards. I notably chatted and exchanged business cards with sponsors, winners, hospitality & tech pros, content creators, and reporters 🤝

Organizer Seiya Hongo crying, beside organizer Ally Hongo.

Delegate of Futaba Area Tourism Research Association on the verge of tears.

🧵6/ The #JapanTravelAwards ceremony was moving & powerful, with organizers, judges, and winners crying or on the verge of tears 🥹 Sitting in the front, I could feel the raw emotion in the room!

Lara Horin with examples of destination marketing from her work for Sapporo city: month-by-month guide, must-try restaurant list, and ultimate 1-day itinerary for first timers.

🧵5/ #DestinationMarketing pro’s tip for SNS? Act like an online #tourism office, not like a billboard 💡 Be useful (solve problems…), authentic (share locals’ favorites…) and immediate (daily weather stories top engagement!). Also, treat comments as feedback and product roadmaps. Thanks, Lara Horin!

🧵4/ On #success: an award winner shared a vital lesson on subventions. Use them to build a “permanent motor” for continuity, not for short-term gains as a “discounted seller”. The latter path is painful 1-2 years later once fundings dry up. Strategy over temporary boosts!

🧵3/ The "Failures" segment was valuable: slow recognition of travelers' diversity (no meat, can't ski…), over-explaining to the point of boredom, communication deficiency between providers & agents leading to tourists' claims… The first is why I started my inclusion crusade 10+ years ago!

Moderator then panelists from left to right: Seiya Hongo, Marika Tazawa, Sho Suzuki, Stasia Matsumoto, Lara Horin.

🧵2/ A truly balanced panel: gender parity, a mix of staff & award winners, and a blend of Japanese & international perspectives. Even the geography is diverse: Hokkaido, Nagano, Niigata, and Tokyo 🗾 A rarity in Japan so huge kudos to the Shiitake Creative organizers ✨

MC and program of the event

🧵1/ Great vibes at 2026 #JapanTravel Forum! Now at #Tokyo American Club for panels, awards, networking… Grateful to Shiitake Creative for the invite as #JapanTravelAwards press to celebrate inclusive, sustainable, and remarkable tourism 🗾

The president of San'in Tourism Organization during his opening speech.

MC Alexander Stankov introducing local areas: San'in Kaigan, Oki islands, Mount Mitoku, Lake Nakaumi & Shinji, Mount Daisen, and Oku-Izumo.

Useful networking, free trip subsidies… at San’in Discovery Night, by San’in Tourism Organization, in #Tokyo. Next: follow up with officials, #Shimane & #Tottori promoters, travel agents, and guides for PDFs, French market bids, 2026 plans… Grateful to MC/consultant Alexander Stankov for his invite!

Vegan green salad on my table, with avocado, green beans, broccoli, cucumber, lime, sprouts, mixed leaves, and Genovese dressing visible.

Before riding my train back home from Tokyo station, I ate again at Mr Farmer Tokyo Midtown Hibiya restaurant. Its big vegan green salad was tasty: avocado, green beans, broccoli, cucumber, lime, sprouts, and mixed leaves with Genovese dressing 🥗 Next time, vegan cake too? English OK. #VeganTokyo

Vegan mushroom sandwich in my hand, with focaccia, shimeji, eryngii, caramelized onions, and lettuce visible.

Hiking near Mount Takao, I discovered Takao Veg Stand restaurant, open from 08:00. Cooked before my eyes, its vegan mushroom sandwich was fine: focaccia, shimeji, eryngii, caramelized onions, tomato/cashew/almond paste… Next time: vegan chili beans 🥪 Friendly Japanese chef, English OK 👨‍🍳 #VeganTokyo

🧵5/ Happo-en's new potential is clear 👍🏻 I gained key insights for Tokyo/Kyoto/Fukuoka events 👍🏻 Male-only speakers… Next: Follow up with leaders, inform colleagues, and pitch our consulting for large projects. Grateful for the invite (was I the only foreigner?) following years of light interactions 🙂

Golden lobby with 3-wall nailless woodwork art.

Detail of the woodwork art. No painting was used; differing colours were generated by using different types of wood then gold was applied.

The illustrator showed us his prototype: a cardboard box with inner paintings on "walls" and slits to represent doors and other openings.

The designer, wood artist and illustrator all came to talk about the creation of the lobby.

🧵4/ The renewed #Tokyo Happo-en impressed me 👍🏻 Its #MICE facilities have great soundproofing, high-end tech, full accessibility, standard & halal kitchens, and a stunning lobby with 3-wall kumiko nailless woodwork #art! Great for international events 👍🏻 It just needs a signature scent at the door 💡

More than 220 attendees were in the room or watching a livestream in the neighbouring coffee room.

Happo-en's CEO spoke first.

Two panelists joined the discussion.

Happo-en's CEO (left) moderated a panel discussion with two professionals (right).

🧵3/ Happo-en Group's core: developing areas via cultural assets. After the CEO's speech, we dove into #machizukuri neighbourhood making, traditional crafts, and engaging youth to take the lead. Great insights from #Fukuoka Bank and a #Kyoto tourism professor on blending community with urban design.

The speaker shows graphs in Japanese demonstrating that despite an occupancy rate down to 8.3%, the sales are up to 177.8% thanks to successful rebranding!

The speaker shows graphs in Japanese representing the evolution of the sales from 9.4 billion yen in 2013 to 9.4 in 2024 to an expected 13 in 2030 thanks to the renewal, with a share of the wedding business shrinking from 82% to 66% to an expected 48%.

Slide in Japanese about HR solutions including the dispatch of chefs, development of dishes, and management support.

Slide in Japanese about "digital transformation" solutions featuring robots and virtual reality.

🧵2/ An insightful talk in Japanese compared #Tokyo Happo-en #MICE venue before/after its 2025 renewal, justified changes due to a 2030 vision, detailed exciting business results since the autumn reopening, and mentioned services (HR, DX, local cuisine, experience design) based on their experience.

Me in the lobby. The golden wall behind me is made from wooden parts assembled without nails, and represents a Japanese landscape with trees and a house.

🧵1/ Inspired at Happo-en Next 2026 Summit while scouting for #JapanTravel upcoming #MICE events: bold rebranding & #Tokyo renewal (weddings ➡️ cultural infrastructure for 100-year business), discussion with the CEO and managers of new vegan-friendly venues in #Kyoto & #Fukuoka (shrine! EN/FR staff!)…

Me with a traditional “hannya” Noh mask beside my face at Nagoya Noh Theatre.

🧵14/ Nagoya proved its massive potential ✔ Key insights gained for 2026 #AsianGames & beyond ✔ Next: follow up with local managers, share info/contacts with colleagues… Later, scout the Crowne & Hilton hotels (managers met during this #MICETrip). Big thanks to #Nagoya Convention & Visitors Bureau ✨

Beds and living room of the Manhattan suite.

Bathroom of the Manhattan suite.

More modest, my room was nevertheless comfortable and much bigger than this photo suggests.

🧵13/ During this #MICETrip, I stayed at Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel, visiting its Manhattan suite, enjoying mountains on the horizon during a delicious healthy breakfast on 15F… Comfortable & restful 🛌 I'd definitely recommend this hotel located at #Nagoya shinkansen station (no train noise) 👍