English 'anime' map compiled to attract foreign tourists+

TOKYO, June 17 Kyodo -
The Japan National Tourism Organization said Friday it has compiled an English-language map that introduces tourism spots and theme parks related to Japanese ''anime'' as part of efforts to attract more foreign tourists.
Museums and tour spots listed by the Japan Anime Map include Tokyo's Koganei, which is related to director Hayao Miyazaki's popular animation film, ''Spirited Away.''
The colorful map also introduces the culture of ''otaku'' -- obsessive fans of anime and video games -- by showing photographs and captions of main otaku districts across Japan including Tokyo's Akihabara.
The map can be downloaded through the organization's website, while 10,000 copies are being distributed in China, South Korea, the United States and other countries.
The organization said the map will be available in Korean from around early July.
The Japanese organization announced Thursday that the number of foreign visitors to Japan halved in May from a year earlier in the wake of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in March.
==Kyodo
2011-06-18 00:13:49