Message From JNTO's New President

Above, several Yokohama landmarks featured in "Godzilla vs. Mothra" (1992) covered in "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The new president of the Japan National Tourism Organization had a special message posted at Breaking Travel News.com.

It reads in part:

My name is Ryoichi Matsuyama, newly appointed as the president of JNTO on the 1st of October 2011. First of all, on behalf of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the support for Japan from all over the world after the 3.11 Earthquake this year.

Since March, strong efforts have been put into recovering from the damage caused by the earthquake. The number of visitors to Japan has been picking up over the past few months and those who have come have found Japan is safe and still a fabulous place to visit. I appreciate those who understand and support Japan.

Japan’s tourist attractions are open and functioning well, just as they were before the earthquake. During the last seven months, we have heard many comments from people who visited Japan saying Japan stands unchanged and full of incredible things to see and do. JNTO will work hard to spread those words to the world.

To read Mr. Matsuyama's full message, go here.

"Pacific Rim" News

Above, the "Big G." No news yet on Legendary's Godzilla project.

The Hollywood Reporter has posted some news on Legendary Pictures' Pacific Rim project:

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are so keen on the early special effects from Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim that they're moving up the movie's release from July 12, 2013, to May 10, 2013.

Del Toro begins shooting the Godzilla-meets-Transformers pic begins this fall in Toronto. Thomas Tull's Legendary is taking the lead on the project.

Nothing new yet on Legendary's Godzilla project.

A Word of Thanks!

Right, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The 20% autumn discount sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan was a big success! Thanks to the press release service I started using a few months ago, more people on the Internet were reached than ever before.

This shows that people still are interested in traveling to Japan, especially those who are fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies. This is despite the current problems of the poor exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen (hovering around 76-77 yen/dollar exchanged). Hopefully, once there's a new president is elected next year and a changeover in control of the U.S. Senate, the exchange rate will improve and more people will find a trip to Japan more appealing.

L.A. Daily News Hits 100

Above, "you know who" made it to front page of The Daily News in 2001.

The Los Angeles Daily News hit 100 years old today.

In today's editorial marking the milestone, they wrote:

The Daily News has been passing down the San Fernando Valley's stories ever since the company's founding Oct. 13, 1911, as The Van Nuys Call. The history of this city within the city of Los Angeles lives in the archives of its hometown paper. In the paper's own history, too.

Like the communities it covers, the paper changed its name a few times: from the Van Nuys Call to The Van Nuys News, then The Valley News and Green Sheet, then the Valley News and finally (in 1981) the Daily News.

The Daily News put yours truly on their front page in July 2001 in their article on the ceremony at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors honoring the surviving cast members of the Adventures of Superman on the show's 50th anniversary. I arranged for the ceremony through the offices of L.A. County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Imagine my surprise when I saw myself staring out of newsracks.

Congratulations to The Daily News on their 100th anniversary!

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.

Monster Japan Travel Guide Discount Extended One Day! (Thanks To Christopher Columbus)

Oops! I forgot that today is Columbus Day and there's no mail delivery or pick-up!

So I am extending to tomorrow the 20% autumn travel discount (when mail service resumes) of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Orders postmarked October 11 will have the discount honored!

Governor Moonbeam's Veto Allows For Warrantless Cellphone Searches

Well, looks like the further erosion of civil liberties is happening in California.

Wired.com is reporting:

California Gov. Jerry Brown is vetoing legislation requiring police to obtain a court warrant to search the mobile phones of suspects at the time of any arrest.

The Sunday veto means that when police arrest anybody in the Golden State, they may search that person’s mobile phone — which in the digital age likely means the contents of persons’ e-mail, call records, text messages, photos, banking activity, cloud-storage services, and even where the phone has traveled.

Police across the country are given wide latitude to search persons incident to an arrest based on the premise of officer safety. Now the nation’s states are beginning to grapple with the warrantless searches of mobile phones done at the time of an arrest.

Remember, elections have consequences!

To read the full article go here.