Gundam, Washoku, Yukata, Farm-Tour, Crayon Shin-Chan, and What Else?

Fujiyama and geisha used to be topmost keywords for foreign tourists visiting Japan but not anymore. They are better equipped with fresh tourist data and visit Japan for something else.

Gundam for instance - the hero of a popular robot anime. Touring foreigners flock for GunPla, short for Gundam plastic models. Even a world contest is held to compete Gundam skills. The GunPla corner of the Super Kidsland Character House in Akihabara is a never-to-miss tourist site. Youngsters in Korea study Japanese out of affection for Gundam, confides a Korean tourist, 19.

Washoku or Japanese cuisine is another new entry in tourism culture. Many tourists find fun in self-rolling Sushi; just as many love Okonomiyaki so much that they now can tell Kansai style from Hiroshima style.

Kimono has always been a typical Japanese charm. A local hot spring in Kinosaki happened to be featured in the "Lonely Planet" (English version) some time ago and is now acclaimed to be "the best place to experience Japan's typical hot-spring resort". Now, the town is full of foreign tourists strolling in Yukata, a summertime variation of kimono.

Get acquainted with a term "Satoyama" or the outskirts of the countryside. The City of Kameyama, Kyoto is known for Kyoto vegetables. A casual plan "farm tour" hit the jackpot and somehow attracted American tourists. The plan started in 2009 and several thousands have visited Kameyama.

Then, one last episode has to do with a set of postcards named "Crayon Shin-Chan". Kasukabe is a city in Saitama, 30 km north of Tokyo, home of Crayon Shin-Chan. A number of tourists visiting Tokyo stretch their legs to Kasukabe just to buy the set of postcards "Crayon Shin-Chan". It's the title of a Japanese manga and its anime adaption was aired in 1992. The show has been dubbed in 26 languages.

So, what else?

News Source: withnews