Chugai Travel
Encyclopedia
is a travel agency
based in Taitō, Tokyo
, Japan
. It is a Zainichi Korean
Chongryon
-affiliated company that caters international travels and especially international travels to North Korea
. Its current CEO is Han Jeong-chi (한정치, 韓正治). It also has package deals for people with Japanese passports to tour North Korea. Although the package deals for groups were discontinued under the guidance of JATA (Japan Association of Travel Agents). Chugai Travel functions as the Japanese branch office of Air Koryo
and the Korea International Travel Company.
's Japanese language travel book, The Beauty of Chosun (朝鮮 魅力の旅).
Travel agency
A travel agency is a retail business that sells travel related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, sightseeing tours and package holidays that combine several products...
based in Taitō, Tokyo
Taito, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Taito City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 168,909, with 94,908 households, and a population density of 16,745.86 persons per km². The total area is 10.08 km².-History:The ward was founded...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is a Zainichi Korean
Zainichi Korean
Koreans in Japan are the ethnic Korean residents of Japan. They currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, also often known as Zainichi for short, who are the permanent ethnic Korean residents of Japan...
Chongryon
Chongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan , abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chae Ilbon Chosŏnin Ch'ongryŏnhaphoe in Korean or Zai-Nihon Chōsenjin Sōrengōkai in Japanese), abbreviated to Chongryon The General Association of Korean Residents...
-affiliated company that caters international travels and especially international travels to North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. Its current CEO is Han Jeong-chi (한정치, 韓正治). It also has package deals for people with Japanese passports to tour North Korea. Although the package deals for groups were discontinued under the guidance of JATA (Japan Association of Travel Agents). Chugai Travel functions as the Japanese branch office of Air Koryo
Air Koryo
Air Koryo ) is the state-owned national flag carrier airline of North Korea, headquartered in Sunan-guyŏk, Pyongyang. Based at Sunan International Airport , it operates international scheduled and charter services to points in Asia and Europe....
and the Korea International Travel Company.
Relevancy in Japan
There are two main activities in Chugai Travel. First, it is the mainstay travel agency for Koreans living in Japan who have North Korean passports. It also caters its services to the Chousenseki residents (Koreans born and reside in Japan without any nationality affiliation). Second, it is the first and only travel agency in Japan that is directly connected to North Korea. It does, however, provide its package services to other agencies. Chugai Travel promotes the North Korean official tour brand called Koryo Tour (コリョツアー). So forth, Chugai Travel is the only travel agency mentioned in the Choson SinboChoson Sinbo
The Choson Sinbo is a newspaper based in Japan, published in both Korean and Japanese. The name literally means 'Chosun Newspaper'. It is published by the General Association of Korean Residents, a pro-North Korea representative body for Zainichi Koreans, who also run The People's Korea , an...
's Japanese language travel book, The Beauty of Chosun (朝鮮 魅力の旅).
Relationship with North Korea
- It arranged an investment tour in the Rajin-Sonbong Economic Special ZoneRajin-Sonbong Economic Special ZoneThe Rajin-Sonbong Economic Special Zone was established by the North Korean government near Rason to promote economic growth through foreign investment. It is similar to the Special Economic Zone setup by the People's Republic of China and elsewhere to pilot market economics in a designated...
in 1996. - It made a failed attempt to expand a government-orchestrated tour package of the Pyongyang Mass Game to American tourists in 1997.
Air Routes to North Korea
Chugai Travel provides tourist packages through China and Russia.- Through BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
- Japan ~ Beijing (one night stay) ~ PyongyangPyongyangPyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
(On Air Koryo) - Japan ~ Beijing Capital International AirportBeijing Capital International AirportBeijing Capital International Airport, is the main international airport serving Beijing, China. It is located northeast of Beijing's city center in an enclave of Chaoyang District that is surrounded by rural Shunyi District. The airport is owned and operated by the Beijing Capital...
(transferred at the same day) ~ PyongyangPyongyangPyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
(On Air Koryo)
- Japan ~ Beijing (one night stay) ~ Pyongyang
- Through ShenyangShenyangShenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
- Kansai International AirportKansai International Airportis an international airport located on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, southwest of Ōsaka Station, located within three municipalities, including Izumisano , Sennan , and Tajiri , in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The airport is off the Honshu shore. The airport serves as an...
(All Nippon AirwaysAll Nippon Airways, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
) ~ Shenyang Taoxian International AirportShenyang Taoxian International AirportShenyang Taoxian International Airport is an airport in Shenyang, Liaoning, China. It is located about 20 km south of the city center.As for 2010, Shenyang Taoxian International Airport was the 21th busiest airport in the People's Republic of China with 8,619,897 passengers.-Airlines and...
~ PyongyangPyongyangPyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
(On Air Koryo)
- Kansai International Airport
- Through VladivostokVladivostokThe city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
- Niigata AirportNiigata Airportis a second class airport located northeast of Niigata Station in Niigata, Japan.-Airlines and destinations:The following destinations are served from Niigata :-External links:*...
~（Vladivostok International AirportVladivostok International AirportVladivostok International Airport is located near Artyom, Primorsky Krai, Russia roughly an hour's drive north of center of the city of Vladivostok. It was formerly known as Knevichi Airport, named after village Knevichi...
）~ PyongyangPyongyangPyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
(On Air Koryo)
- Niigata Airport