Japan Tourism Agency Starts New Tohoku Campaign

Above, Godaido temple at Matsushima Bay. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, the number of tourists fell 20 to 40% from pre-3/11 levels, according to an editorial in The Japan Times.

The Japan Tourism Agency has a new tourism campaign (started March 18) to try to drive up Tohoku tourism numbers.

The Japan Times wrote:

"Destination Tohoku," the tourism campaign to help promote and revive tourism in the Tohoku region, started March 18. The Japan Tourism Agency and the local governments and tourism industry in the region hope that the campaign will bring tourists back to the region, which was devastated by the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami, and the subsequent Fukushima nuclear crisis.

The appeal of the campaign, which will last through March 31, 2013, is that people can help Tohoku recover from the effects of the disasters by enjoying hot springs, festivals, shopping, local food, cherry blossoms, and other attractions in the region.

It is hoped that as many people as possible will visit Tohoku. Schools are strongly encouraged to choose Tohoku as the destination of their excursions. Business enterprises should strive to hold their employee-training seminars in the region.

The Tohoku region is one of the most scenic in Japan. I visited the region in 2006. Matsushima Bay, a short train ride from Sendai, is one of the most scenic in Japan and is often compared to Carmel, California in scenery.



The family-run Bansuitei Ikoiso Ryokan (above) in Sendai was one of the nicest ryokans (Japanese inn) I've ever stayed in. It is one I don't have to hesitate to recommend!

To read the full editorial go here.

The Great East Japan Earthquake

Above, Godaido temple with the Matsushima Bay village in the background in 2006. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A year ago this coming Sunday, March 11, the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami struck the northeastern areas of Japan's main island of Honshu. The quake struck at 14:46 hours (2:46 PM JST).

The quake was felt throughout Honshu. It even caused the tip of Tokyo Tower to bend. The damage in the Tohoku region was much worse.

According to Wikipedia's List of Earthquakes In Japan:

This megathrust earthquake's hypocenter was reported to be off the Oshika Peninsula, the east coast of Tohoku. It was the strongest to hit Japan and one of the top five largest earthquakes in the world since seismological record-keeping began. It was followed by a tsunami with waves of up to 10 m (33 ft). The disaster left thousands dead and inflicted extensive material damage to buildings and infrastructure that led to significant accidents at four major nuclear power stations.

(Over 19,000 were killed and scores of people are still missing.)

It was nighttime in the Los Angeles area and I was working the graveyard shift in Burbank. At around 11:15 PM, I received a call from one of my co-workers. He asked if I heard about the earthquake. At that time, I didn't. I immediately got off the phone and searched around the radio dial for news reports. They weren't hard to find.

The reports on the damage and casualties were constantly coming in. Over the course of the night, the news reports were getting worse. I contacted all my Japanese friends in the U.S. and in Japan to see if they and their families made it through okay. All did. I spent much of the early morning hours texting with the last promo model, Miki Hayashi, for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Her family wasn't in the affected area and were fine.

In the immediate days that followed, I monitored the Internet to see how badly damaged Sendai and Matsushima Bay were. I had been to both in 2006. Sendai's airport was hard hit by the tsunami. Matsushima Bay was spared catastropic damage by the tiny islets that dot the bay.


For several days, I searched around for any news about the Godaido temple at Matsushima Bay. Did it survive or was it destroyed? Then, on March 4, I saw a photo showing Godaido still standing on its rock. Why was I so concerned about Godaido? Call it sentimental. My dad was a MP briefly stationed in Sendai before being sent over to South Korea in 1951. He sent my mom a picture of him standing in uniform in front of the temple. In 2006, I visited Sendai and Matsushima Bay and had a photo taken at almost the same spot in front of Godaido as my dad's photo (right).

In the weeks following the earthquake, people from around the world came to Japan's aid with food, supplies, volunteers and money. I contributed through a set-up with Wells Fargo Bank. The sponsors of Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima donated thousands of dollars from the sales of autographed photos of Nakajima at Monsterpalooza in Burbank, California. The U.S.S. Ronald Reagan was sent to Japan to assist.

Above, Haruo Nakajima with Miki Hayashi at Monsterpalooza with an autographed photo that the proceeds went to Japan earthquake relief. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, most of the rubble has been cleared, leaving barren areas where towns once thrived. It'll take years for a full recovery. The Japanese rolled up their sleeves and got right to work.

The quake, tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear reactor radiation problem caused a major drop in tourism to Japan. Much of it was fed by hysterical reporting by western media.

Today, the Japanese tourism industry is well on its way to a full recovery and they are optimistic that they may top 2010's record tourism levels this year. This blog has been "beating the drums" in support for Japan's tourism industry and will continue to do so.

Here's an interesting article on Matsushima Bay one year later.

Ridley Scott To Participate In Japan Quake Film Project

Above, one of the tiny islets off Matsushima Bay that blunted the force of the earthquake-generated tsunami. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake is ten days away. A film project is in the works to document it. Director Ridley Scott will participate.

Asia Travel Today reported:

TOKYO — Hollywood director Ridley Scott is to take part in a project documenting the first anniversary of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, a television network said Wednesday.

The Briton, famous for “Alien”, “Blade Runner” and “Gladiator”, will join “Japan in a Day”, a film about life in the nation 12 months after the disaster that claimed more than 19,000 lives, Fuji Television Network said.

Fuji TV will work with Scott Free, a production company run by the director and his brother, to knit together videos shot by members of the public and footage gathered from 200 TV cameras set up in the affected areas.

To read the full story, go here.

Japan's Foreign Ministry Inviting Overseas Bloggers To Quake Zone

Above, one of the tiny islands off Matsushima Bay.

An interesting news item from The Mainichi Daily News caught my attention:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's Foreign Ministry is inviting prominent overseas bloggers and twitterers to visit areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The ministry has launched the initiative to revive the tourist industry in quake-hit northeastern Japan. It wants foreign guests to write about the progress made in rebuilding disaster-ravaged communities and let the world know that the area still remains an appealing holiday destination.

This is an excellent idea. Although it doesn't make up for the defunct plan to give away 10,000 round-trip flights to foreigners, it does make sense to have bloggers from around the world to see for themselves the progress Japan has made in the quake disaster zone.

Above, Armand at Godaido Temple at Matsushima Bay in 2006.

I visited Sendai and Matsushima, both hit hard by the March 11, 2011 quake and tsunami, back in April 2006. It would be interesting to see both areas now to see how they compare to when I last visited.

Above, the statue of Date Masamune at the site of Sendai Castle.

The article also states:

The ministry aims to invite a total of over 10 such communicators by the end of March.

Well, I am willing to take a trip to the quake devastation zone and report on it. This operator is standing by!

To read the full article go here.

Visit Rodan's Sendai Station

Above, Sendai Station during my visit in April 2006.

Up in northeast Japan is the city of Sendai. It lies in the Tohoku region of Japan that was hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11. Clean-up and repairs are currently undergoing in the area.

One prominent landmark featured in kaiju movies was the JR Sendai Station. I visited Sendai in 2006. The station was featured in two giant monster movies: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Gamera 2: Advent of Legion. Sendai Station suffered no major damage during the earthquake.



In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), the area near Sendai Station suffered major damage due to the shockwaves from a fly-by of Rodan (photo above). Just prior to Rodan's fly-by of Sendai Station, a fly-by along the coast near Matsushima Bay was shown. Matsushima Bay is noted for its 200 small islands and is often compared to Carmel, California in scenic beauty.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan showcases Sendai and its role in the two kaiju movies along with information on where to stay and other attractions to see.

Last November, I posted a spotlight article on Sendai Station. To view it, go here.

Japan Quake Losses Pegged At $211 Billion

Above, the Godaido Temple at Matsushima Bay. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The News.com has an article on the dollar cost of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and radiation leakage. It is pegged at $211 billion.

This includes property losses, losses to the agricultural, fishing and tourism industies along with infrastructure losses.

TOKYO: Japan’s economy has sustained colossal loss of $211 billion as of October 8, 2011 in the wake of the Great East Japan earthquake followed by tsunami. The leakage of the nuclear power plants has also damaged the exports of the country and other sectors of economy that include agriculture and fishery particularly the tourism industry.

The fishery industry has been damaged the most affected because of the contamination of the water and soil, Yozabura Ishihara, member of House of Representatives of Japan told this to The News here on Friday. “Now the central government has allocated $10 billion from its budget just for the decontamination of the water and soil and to this effect the process has begun.” To a question he said the unemployment rate, which before the tragedy was at 4.3 percent, has increased to 6.5 to 7 percent particularly in disaster affected prefectures of Miyagi and Iwat.

To read the full article, go here.

Matsushima Tourism Haunted By Atomic Fears

Above, Godaido temple with Matsushima Bay businesses in the background. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The latest article on the state of tourism in the Tohoku region of Japan has been posted by Mysinchew.com.

The article starts with:

Seagulls flock around passengers on the deck of a cruise boat, hoping for scraps; hotels and inns show no-vacancy signs and fresh oysters are served in seaside restaurants.

But despite an appearance of normality, business is far from booming in Matsushima, where serene pine-covered islands have attacted generations of tourists to an area classed as one of Japan's three most beautiful spots.

The guesthouses and hotels -- in a district the Michelin Blue guide gives its maximum three stars -- owe most of their business to workers helping to rebuild coastal communities shattered by the March 11 tsunami.

Matsushima escaped the worst of the disaster, its island-dotted bay breaking up the ferocity of the giant waves that devastated hundreds of kilometres (miles) of picturesque Pacific coast.

But the tourists on whom Matsushima's economy depends are few and far between.

The article blames the state of Matsushima's tourism on the ongoing problems of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. The article goes on to state:

Fears about the effect of leaking radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant 110 kilometres (70 miles) south have all but stopped the influx of visitors from China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan.

Matsushima is one of the most picturesque towns in Japan to visit. It is often compared to Carmel, California in beauty.

As the Fukushima nuclear power plant is 70 miles from Matsushima, it is silly to by-pass Matsushima when visiting Japan. People should visit Matsushima as well as nearby Sendai. I had a great time visiting both in 2006. Sendai Station was featured in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II in 1993 and in Gamera 2: Advent of Legion in 1996. [See The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan for details.]

To read the full article, go here.