Japan's Worst Tourist Draws

Above, Hibiya's Godzilla statue.  Is it on the list of "worst" tourist draws?  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

CNN Go has posted an article on what are (in the writer's opinion) the worst tourist draws in Japan.

Some of them I can agree with, while others I would have to disagree with him (C. B. Liddell) on. I enjoyed seeing the Imperial Palace (been there twice) and Tokyo Tower (at least Tokyo Tower has some kaiju history connected with it).

Liddell starts his article with:

It’s no secret that Japan is trying hard to attract tourists. How can it not be, of course, after the industry fell to its knees in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami?

Sure, the country has much to offer, but mixed in with the interesting stuff there’s also plenty of dross that means first-time visitors can easily end up having a very disappointing time.

Especially if they blindly follow the guidebooks ...

These often recommend extremely boring activities simply because all previous guidebooks have done so.

They also routinely misinterpret key Japanese concepts, like “wabi-sabi,” which Western travel-guide writers think denotes an aesthetic of rarified beauty.

By contrast, most Japanese know that it tends to signify the most soporific elements of their culture.

For these reasons, rather than recommending what to enjoy, it may be more useful to point out what to avoid when visiting Japan.

Thank goodness I didn't fall into the "conventional travel guide" trap of blindly regurgitating the tourist draws they repeatedly list.  The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan focuses on the locations/landmarks shown in the movies that Godzilla and "friends" trashed.

Some of the places on the list are worth seeing at least once (especially for first-time visitors).

To see the list, go here.