Flight To Japan suspended again!!!

Malaysia Airlines is suspending direct KK-Tokyo and Osaka flights just as traffic is set to grow, said Reiko Tsunone, Manager of Borneo Trail that caters for the Japanese market.

"We are quite surprised why MAS decided to suspend the flights because we are expecting this market to grow, " said Reiko, who has worked in Sabah for nearly a decade.

She noted that 26,000 Japanese tourists visited Sabah as of 31 October.

"Actually Sabah is becoming the most popular spot for the Japanese market in Malaysia, much more than Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi.

"The reason is nature, beach resorts, mountain, jungles, wildlife and diving. Japanese are getting more interested in nature, unlike before," Reiko said.

"In the past, we traveled for shopping, more on cities but now the trend is changing towards nature and sports as well.

"Sports tourism may be new but we see it coming," Reiko noted, citing the arrival of former Japan national player and All Japan Inter-College Champion and now Professor of Sports, Prof Chikako Ikarugi, who led four top student players of the Konan University, Kobe, for a three-day international exchange for youth, under the Asean-Japan Centre Sports Project, last Tuesday.

The four are Yuya Tadokoro, 21, Masato Ichii , 20, Jumpei Ikada, 19, and Tsukasa Chigira, 21, along with Ms Machiko Sakaki, Director of Promotion with Holiday Club Co Ltd and Takamasa Hashitomi, press and information office manager.

"Even though this is a small number, we start slowly and we are expecting this market will grow especially because Malaysia is very strong in badminton, stronger than Japan and Japanese players can learn from Malaysian players, " Reiko said.

"Since Malaysia Airlines has disappointed all of us, we are going to work very hard to bring even more tourists from Japan via Air Asia through Hong Kong," said KL Tan, Managing Director of Borneo Trail.

Immediately after their arrival in Kota Kinabalu Tuesday afternoon, the Japanese group headed for the Sabah Sports Complex to spar with the top State players Nurdin Mohd Said (State champ '03, '04, '05, '07 and 2010), Nurfadli Mohd Said ( State champ 2010); Datu Amirdin Moksin (State cham '05, '07), Marcel Simon (Current national junior player), Timy Foo (State champ 08), Andy Jr Fabian (State U-16 champ '09, U-18, '09, '10, '11), Mohd Syafig Saide (State player '08) and Anthony Saimim (Current State U17 champ).

On Wednesday, State coach Yapp Su Chiew gave the Japanese a coaching session before they played against both the State team and top student players of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Another playing session with the State team for Thursday before the Japanese fly home on Friday.

Daily Express Sabah Online.