Tokyo Otaku Mode Partners With Japan Tourism Agency; Kaiju Fans Ignored

Above, Akihabara, Tokyo, a center of otaku subcultures. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo Otaku Mode (TOM) is partnering with the Japan Tourism Agency in promoting Japan travel, according to an Anime News Network article.

They wrote:

TOKYO - Tokyo Otaku Mode Inc. (incorporated in Delaware, U.S. by President and CEO Tomo Kamei), the managing body of Tokyo Otaku Mode (TOM), a worldwide distributor of otaku content including anime, manga, and cosplay, announces its participation in the Visit Japan Campaign, the Japan Tourism Agency's project to promote travel to Japan, as well as the implementation of promotions for overseas Japanese pop/subculture fans through a partnership with Expedia (Washington, U.S. / CEO Dara Khosrowshahi), the world's largest online travel site. This is the second year in a row that TOM will be participating in Visit Japan Campaign. 

The special website (http://otakumode.com/sp/visit_japan) launched last year by TOM during its participation in the Japan Tourism Agency's Visit Japan Campaign, held with the cooperation of Japanese-managed companies using Japanese pop culture in overseas marketing, is getting a massive renewal for this promotion. The site will reopen on Aug. 1, 2014 and will include a survey campaign in which Expedia travel discount coupons will be given out, as well as videos of influential overseas figures introducing Japan, and other content to promote travel to Japan. 

I did some perusing of the site and didn't find anything kaiju fan-related. It appears that for some reason kaiju fans don't seem to warrant the attention of Japan's tourism promoters. Hopefully, this will change in the future. After all, kaiju fans also have money to spend on Japan travel as do fans of manga, anime and cosplay.

It seems odd that this should occur as the new American Godzilla is getting a lot of attention since it opened in Japan July 25. Plus, since Godzilla raked in over half a billion dollars worldwide, do they really think our numbers are too small for their attention?

To read the article, go here.