Japan to designate 88 animation sites to attract foreign tourists

Japan to designate 88 animation sites to attract foreign tourists. September. 22, 2016 07:33. by 도쿄=장원재특파원 peacechaos@donga.com.

Takadanobaba station in Tokyo, Japan, sends out the theme music of "Astro Boy," a cartoon also familiar with Koreans. This service is for cartoon fans visiting this area. Near the station stands a science castle where "Astro Boy" appears to have been born in. The production agency of Osamu Tezuka, called the father of Japanese animation, is also nearby.

A calm residential area in Mitaka, Tokyo has Ghibli Museum, where the works of director Miyazaki Hayao, called the god of animation, are exhibited. The place is always booked with people from all over the world all year long that one has to make reservations in advance.

Japan tries to attract tourists by leveraging its animations that are famous globally as new tourist resources. The Animation Tourism Association was established last Friday in participation of Japan's largest travel agency JTB, Japan Airlines and Narita International Airport. Tomino Yoshiyuki, director of well-known animation "Gundam," was inaugurated as the first president.

The association will accept candidates for areas or places that are the stages of animation cartoons, streets and birthplace of the authors, memorial buildings, and museums related to works. Registration can be made at its homepage (animetourism88.com) that is serviced in various languages. To attract foreign tourists, the association also plans to designate 88 places as animation holy places, and make a tour route that connects these places. The number 88 comes from Japans 88 famous temples in Shikoku.

"Many foreign tourists come to Japan to visit animation sites," the Yomiuri Shimbun said. "Since there are many stores, temples and cultural facilities of various regions used as animation backgrounds, the plan is to link these to boost regional economies as well."

The Japanese government also plans to actively support this idea as it tries to double the number of foreign tourists by 2020 when the Olympics will be held in Tokyo. Japanese media reported that Yōsuke Tsuruho, minister in charge of Cool Japan Strategy, was eager to promote this, saying, "I want to lead this successfully by cooperating with the Japan National Tourism Organization."