"Tobu Railway Co. Ltd" and Japanese travel agency, "Beauty of Japan," Form Business & Capital Alliance

TOKYO, Japan - Sept. 8, 2017 - PRLog -- Tobu Railway Co., Ltd. (Head office: Sumida-ku, Tokyo, President: Yoshizumi Nezu, hereinafter, Tobu Railway) and BOJ Inc. -- a Japanese travel company -- also known as BEAUTY OF JAPAN (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, President: Takahiro Noguchi),  have finalized a capital and business alliance agreement to strengthen the planning and sales of tours, which utilize sightseeing resources along the Tobu Rail Line (Tokyo North to Tochigi Prefecture), targeting inbound tourists from Europe, the US, and Australia.

Tobu Railway and BEAUTY OF JAPAN are now working together to improve and enhance experiential travel programs and activities along the Tobu Line, making them more attractive to inbound international tourists, mainly from the United States, Europe, and Australia. These travelers have a strong interest in Japanese culture, food, nature, and tradition, and the local regions of Japan accessed by the Tobu Railway Line, offer authentic experiences that touch upon all these attributes.

This is the first time that Tobu Railway has formed a capital and business alliance for initiatives targeting inbound tourists. This alliance enables Tobu Railway to develop attractive, affordable products utilizing the Tobu Group's facilities, such as: transportation, hotels, and leisure facilities. Tobu Railway plans to create and sell tours, including a "Zazen (Zen sitting meditation) Experience Program." Tourists would take the new limited express Revaty train (http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/news/20170418.html), which began operating in April 2017, to visit Nikko and to experience Zazen at Rinno-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Another offering, the "Lake Chuzenji Hiking Tour," will allow tourists to hike, enjoy mountain air, a pristine lake and waterfalls, and the fresh greenery/autumn leaves of greater Nikko.

Through this capital and business alliance, Tobu Railway and BEAUTY OF JAPAN are eyeing the future after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. They will further develop travel products for affluent tourists from the United States, Europe, and Australia and actively work to revitalize of all the sightseeing areas along the Tobu Line, including Tokyo's Asakusa/ Skytree area and the Nikko/Kinugawa area of Tochigi Prefecture.

For more information on Tobu Railway Co. Ltd, visit: http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/.

For more information on BEAUTY OF JAPAN Tours visit: http://beautyofjapantours.com/.

An outline of the capital and business alliance between Tobu Railway and BEAUTY OF JAPAN is shown below.

Outline of the capital and business alliance between Tobu Railway and BEAUTY OF JAPAN

1. Date of capital and business alliance agreement:  Monday, July 31, 2017

2. Content of business alliance:

(a) Development and sales of products for inbound tourists from the United States, Europe, and Australia in the business area of the Tobu Group.

(b) Development of products for inbound tourists from United States, Europe, and Australia, utilizing the facilities of the Tobu Group.

(c) Market research in United States, Europe, and Australia and development of products for affluent tourists.

(d) Sales and promotion utilizing overseas sales sites.

3. Examples of tours that will be created ... Tobu Railways plans to create and sell tours including:

(a) A "Zazen (Zen sitting meditation) Experience Program," in which tourists take the new limited express Revaty, which started operation in April this year, to visit Nikko and to experience Zazen at Rinno-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and

(b) A  "Lake Chuzenji Hiking Tour" in which tourists enjoy fresh greenery and autumn leaves in Nikko.

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About Tobu Railway

Tobu Railway Co., Ltd. is a private railway company with the longest route network in Tokyo and the Kanto Area. There are many leading sightseeing sites in Japan along the Tobu Line including Tokyo Skytree, Nikko, and Kawagoe. Tobu Railway undertakes the transportation business, principally rail, together with a wide range of business such as the leisure business including Tokyo Skytree, real-estate development, hotels, and department stores. In addition, Tobu Railway is currently preparing  for the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Nikko in the summer of 2020.

(1) Company name: Tobu Railway Co., Ltd.

(2) Representative: Yoshizumi Nezu

(3) Address: 2-18-12 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo

(4) Capital: 102,135,972,000 yen

(5) Foundation: November 1897

(6) Business description: Railway/bus business

　　　　　　　　Real estate/sale in lot/rental business

　　　　　　　　Leisure/hotel/product sales/ restaurant business

(7) URL: http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/

About BEAUTY OF JAPAN

BEAUTY OF JAPAN has strength in planning, arrangements, and sales of unique experience programs and tours including the discovery of sightseeing resources and creation of original tours utilizing sightseeing resources (ex. "Tour of Ryogoku with a former sumo wrestler") for inbound tourists with the motto "Discover the Beauty of Japan.

(1) Company name: BOJ Inc.

   (2) Representative: Takahiro Noguchi

   (3) Address: 5F Shintomicho 1-chome Bldg., 1-3-2 Shintomi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

  (4) Capital: 7,520,000 yen

  (5) Foundation: October 2014

  (6) Business description: Planning and arrangements of tours for inbound tourists from Europe, the US, and Australia.

Planning and arrangements of MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events), including: event Planning, arrangements, and administration of cultural experience programs.

(7) URL: http://beauty-of-japan.com/

Japan-based contacts for this press release:

Tobu Railway Co., Ltd. 　     　　　 +81-3-4405-5370

BOJ Inc.　Noguchi, Sasajima　　     +81-3-6779-9659