- 5 Feb 2005
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Japan recruits foreigners to improve its travel advice
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is planning to recruit dozens of foreigners to visit the country and give advice on how to make things more travel-friendly for non-Japanese speaking visitors even as it aims for higher tourist numbers.
The government will pay travel allowances to about 100 native English, Chinese and Korean speakers to visit key cities and come up with ideas on how to make it easier for travelers to use public transport, stay at local hotels and eat at local restaurants, said an official at the Japan Tourism Agency.
"What we hear is that there really isn't enough information on things like how to buy train tickets, or how to use the baths in traditional Japanese inns," said the official....
Read the whole article here
It's a nice idea of getting advice from foreign visitors, although I think it will be a lot cheaper to ask tourists that are already inside Japan by putting survey lists inside hotel rooms for example.
What are your experiences when you came to Japan. Maybe we can make a list over here and actually send them to the National Tourism Organization (... only thing is, you won't get paid for it).
* roman letters for all the train stations names on the boards above the ticket machines at the train stations.
* better maps at the hiking paths.
* more garbages bins on the streets... I got used to not having them but when I first came here I was just shocked about not being able to trow my trash away.
I'm sure that you guys have some other and better idea's.