The Japan Shopping Tourism Association (JSTO), a general incorporated association, was established with the goal of promoting the appeal of shopping in Japan to foreign tourists, and a press conference was held on September 3rd. The association will promote efforts to strengthen promotions to attract foreign tourists based on the concept of "shopping," as well as the development of an inbound tourism environment with language support, payment options, and tax exemptions, in line with initiatives undertaken by leading inbound tourism countries around the world. Utilizing the experience of the "Visit Japan Campaign," which has been implemented primarily by the government since 2003, and private sector know-how, the association will operate as the first all-Japan project led by private companies. The organization's representative director is JTB President Hiromi Tagawa, and its executive director and secretary-general is USP Japan President Kenichi Niitsu, former head of the Isetan Mitsukoshi Sales Division and a member of the Government Visit Japan Plus 2013 initiative. Expected members include JTB, JCB, NTT Data, and Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings.

Recruitment of participating retailers will begin in October, overseas promotion activities will begin in November, and the first "Japan Shopping Festival" is scheduled to be held from December to February 2014. By 2020, the goal is for member businesses to achieve inbound sales of 300 billion yen, 6 million guests to visit Japan through the campaign, and 100,000 member businesses, with the aim of creating the world's best "shopping tourism" tourism content.