Press Releases
“Explore REAL JAPAN ” (in Seoul)
1. From February 19th (Friday) to 21st (Sunday), in cooperation with local governments from the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster area and other localities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold a comprehensive promotional event to introduce sightseeing area, products, and local conditions to participants in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, for the purpose of wiping out the unfounded rumors related to the disaster.
2. More specifically, the following projects are planned.
(1) On February 19th (Friday), a reception at the official residence of the Japanese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea will be held to invite local government officials, sightseeing company staff, shipping industry personnel, members of news media organizations, and other related individuals and to transmit the information about the revival of the disaster area. Participating local governments (Aomori Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, and Kagoshima Prefecture) will feature their sightseeing spots and local products, as well as Japanese sake, and cooking demonstrations of local Tohoku cuisine will be performed by a Japanese chef.
(2) Also, on February 20th (Saturday) and 21st (Sunday), a promotional event will be held at Wangsimni Station’s BIT PLEX. This event will feature elements such as talk shows run by Korean bloggers who visited Aomori Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, and Miyagi Prefecture last year. They will introduce charming elements of the areas such as cuisine and sightseeing spots with their pictures and videos. A folk craft workshop will give participants a chance to try out decorating an “Okiagariboshi” , a type of doll that gets up on its own when knocked down, and local mascot characters from Aomori and Miyagi will greet and perform on the stage. Participating local governments will also introduce their sightseeing spots and products, enabling participants to get a sense of “fresh and seasonal Japan.”
(3) Masakazu Hamachi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Kaneshige Wakamatsu, State Minister for Reconstruction, will be in attendance for the above reception in (1) as well as for the opening ceremony of the promotional event in (2).
3. Through the initiatives above, accurate information about the current state of reconstruction and other circumstances in the disaster area will be transmitted to the world, and in addition to developing opportunities to wipe out the reputational damages from the disaster, the event will provide the latest information, sharing the appeal of “fresh and seasonal Japan” with all participants.