Japanese online travel agency (OTA) Rakuten Travel aims to draw foreign travellers to Japan’s lesser-known destinations by way of its multilingual website.

The OTA hopes that the site can serve as a comprehensive travel guide focused on both popular and less-explored areas even as the Japanese government plans to bank on the increasing popularity of secondary destinations among repeat inbound tourists.

According to Rakuten Travel’s global head Jeremy Bek: “There are more hidden gems to discover, so I think people will keep coming back and keep wanting to discover Japan [on a deeper level.]”

Bek explained that up to 30 percent of international bookings at Rakuten Travel are for travels to secondary destinations, as well as nature treks and mountain climbing expeditions.

A truly comprehensive travel guide to Japan

In its present incarnation, the Rakuten Travel website is available in nine languages, including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Indonesian.

It offers a guide to car rentals and a customer call service to respond to troubles encountered during travels, along with various types of authentic accommodations, including traditional ryokan inns, machiya which offer accommodations in traditional architecture, and family-run minshuku guesthouses.