Japan Picks 3 Cities To Be Tourism Role Models

Above, Nagasaki harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japanese government has chosen three of its nation's cities to be tourism role models.

The Japan Times reported:

The government has selected three cities — Kushiro in east Hokkaido, Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture and Nagasaki — as model cities for luring foreign visitors to the countryside, tourism minister Keiichi Ishii announced Friday. 

The three cities will each create organizations to promote exchanges between the public and private sectors, polish the appeal of their tourism resources, such as traditional culture and nature, and strengthen PR overseas, Ishii said.

To read more, go here. 

Japan’s Cities Offer The Best of Old and New

Above, a view of the gardens of Nijo Castle in Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over at the Utica, New York Observer-Dispatch there is a new three-page article on things to see and do outside of Tokyo.

They begin with Kyoto and then move to Kanazawa and, from there, to Hiroshima and nearby Miyajima. Then, the article proceeds to Osaka (I am surprised that Osaka wasn't mentioned right after Kyoto since the two cities neighbor each other) and day trips from Osaka to Nara.

To view the full article, go here.