Free Japan Airfare To 10,000 Foreigners Coming In 2012?

Above, Nakamise Street in Asakusa, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Looking to drum up tourism to Japan next year, the Japan Tourism Agency has announced an interesting plan.

According to the Wall Street Journal's online edition:

[The] Japan Tourism Agency has proposed offering free airfare to 10,000 foreigners to visit the country next year.

The project would only cover travelers’ airline fees: visitors would have to pay their own food, lodging and other costs. Still, if implemented, it will cost about ¥1.1 billion ($14.3 million). That’s roughly 10% of the tourism agency’s overall 2012 budget appropriation request, and an indication of how serious the tourism slide may have become. The national budget is expected to be approved in parliament next March.

“Since the earthquake, the number of visitors has dropped drastically, so to make an impact we think it’s necessary to have this many people (10,000) come to Japan,” said Shuichi Kameyama, a Japan Tourism Agency official, on Tuesday.

This sounds great, if implemented, for Japanese monster fans. All they'd need is a "certain travel guide" and some food, lodging and souvenir money.

To read the full WSJ article, go here.