Ambitious Japan: 9 Million Tourists In 2012

Above, the Fuji TV building in Odaiba, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan has big hopes to draw more foreign tourists to the country this year.

The Mainichi Daily News reports:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's tourism minister Takeshi Maeda said Tuesday that the government aims to attract over 9 million foreign visitors to Japan in 2012, exceeding the past record of 8,611,000 in 2010.

I was one little piece of the 2010 record as I made my last Japan visit in December 2010 to promote The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Japan's ambitious goal for 2012 is a tall order as there are still fears (most of it unfounded) over radiation problems in Fukushima in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11.

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