Japanese municipalities are turning their low name recognition into tourism promotion opportunities, using self-deprecating jokes to attract attention. The Akita prefectural government’s tourism strategy division launched a campaign from May to July this year to distribute accommodation coupons under a catchy slogan, “Akita Prefecture: Still Unnoticed.” The northeastern prefecture has struggled with its low name recognition despite its rich tourist attractions, including the Shirakami-Sanchi mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which also straddles Aomori Prefecture, and the Akita Kanto Festival, a traditional summer event in August. In June, the number of overnight stays in Akita totaled 339,100, up 34.4% from a year earlier, marking the highest growth rate nationwide, according to the Japan Tourism Agency’s statistics.
The city of Kusatsu in Shiga Prefecture, aims to raise its name recognition by promoting itself as “Kusatsu without onsen hot springs,” setting itself apart from the town of Kusatsu in Gunma Prefecture, one of the country’s leading hot spring resorts. Last year, the city’s tourism and products association released a mascot character named “Onsen Dorobou,” a thief who steals hot spring water from all over Japan to turn Lake Biwa in Shiga into a hot spring. The character attracted widespread attention, leading to its appearance at the Kusatsu onsen festival in Gunma in August.
Among Japan’s 47 prefectures, Tottori became the only one without a Matsuya gyūdon beef-on-rice restaurant after Matsuya Foods Holdings opened an outlet in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, this spring. The prefectural character, “Toripy,” posted on X, “I don’t care about it at all!” Even so, the attached photo shows him sitting at a desk with a fan bearing the slogan “Come here!” The post drew attention and recorded more than 800,000 page views. In April, the Tottori prefectural government launched a campaign using the hashtag “#If Matsuya comes to Tottori” to solicit collaborative menus using ingredients produced in the prefecture on its X account.
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