Tourism Japan luring tourists off the beaten track

[...] even in the pre-COVID days, provincial cities often struggled to raise their profile overseas. A stronger yen also dragged on international travel. Now, however, social media and a boom for visiting locations featured in famous anime movies and shows are providing a boost to lesser known areas. Fans of the animated film "Your Name," for example, have been flocking to Gifu, one of Japan's few landlocked prefectures, since the movie came out in 2016. Getting to such areas will soon be more convenient, as well. The West Japan Railway Company is expanding the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture, in Spring 2024. Currently it runs between Tokyo and Kanazawa. The plan is to eventually extend the route to Osaka.

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There are some challenges lying ahead to cultivate rural sightseeing spots, however. "In order to have tourists visit repeatedly, it is important not only to satisfy them with attractive content, but also to prevent them from feeling disappointed," said Yagasaki, the professor. Issues to address, she said, include poor translations of tourist information, inadequate transportation services, and many shops still only accepting cash. "Improvements in these areas are important to become a tourist destination of choice for overseas visitors."

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