Japan's Foreign Ministry Inviting Overseas Bloggers To Quake Zone

Above, one of the tiny islands off Matsushima Bay.

An interesting news item from The Mainichi Daily News caught my attention:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's Foreign Ministry is inviting prominent overseas bloggers and twitterers to visit areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The ministry has launched the initiative to revive the tourist industry in quake-hit northeastern Japan. It wants foreign guests to write about the progress made in rebuilding disaster-ravaged communities and let the world know that the area still remains an appealing holiday destination.

This is an excellent idea. Although it doesn't make up for the defunct plan to give away 10,000 round-trip flights to foreigners, it does make sense to have bloggers from around the world to see for themselves the progress Japan has made in the quake disaster zone.

Above, Armand at Godaido Temple at Matsushima Bay in 2006.

I visited Sendai and Matsushima, both hit hard by the March 11, 2011 quake and tsunami, back in April 2006. It would be interesting to see both areas now to see how they compare to when I last visited.

Above, the statue of Date Masamune at the site of Sendai Castle.

The article also states:

The ministry aims to invite a total of over 10 such communicators by the end of March.

Well, I am willing to take a trip to the quake devastation zone and report on it. This operator is standing by!

To read the full article go here.