Salsaga Blog

TOKYO, April 24 /PRNewswire/ — JTB Group will distribute real-time information about the rice-farmingprocess of one farmer in Tome City, Miyagi, from April 25 on the JTB-operatedsite, “JAPANiCAN.com”, which is the English travel website designed forforeigners visiting Japan. URL: www.japanican.com (i) It will be posted on the top page ofJAPANiCAN.com On JAPANiCAN.com, many activities have been conducted in cooperation withlocal governments to contribute to the revitalization of local communities.Partnership with Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, was established and acollaborative campaign with Kyoto City was implemented in 2007. “JapanQuest”,in which foreign travelers introduce the Hokkaido / Tohoku region and Kyushu,was also issued. This time around, for the first time, real-time informationwill be delivered through the blog of people living in the area. The aim ofthis blog is to broadly distribute information on each area in Japan to theworld and to facilitate deeper understanding of Japan. The Tohoku region, in particular Sendai City, has actively worked oninviting international visitors. The number of tourists to Tohoku in 2007showed an increase of 0.7ACIORFIPROCENTE over last year. This project expects to expand thenumber of foreign travelers to Miyagi and the Tohoku region by enhancinginterest in Japanese rice-farming and local life. In Tome City, the site of this rice-farming blog, there are manysightseeing spots such as “Izunuma (Izu Marsh),” which is the designatedwetland under the Ramsar Convention and to which many migratory birds such asswans and ducks come flying, “Miyagi Meiji Village / Toyoma Area” in whichthere are precious buildings such as an old elementary school house and apolice station building of the Meiji era (1868-1912), and the historic siteof “Clandestine Christians” which arouse foreigners’ interest. The city isalso the hometown of “immigrants to Canada” who crossed the Pacific Ocean bya migrant-smuggling boat during the Meiji era. This rice-farming blog tells real-time stories from rice planting toharvesting with the cooperation of one farmer. Sightseeing spots of the citydescribed above, local events such as festivals, and other features ofpeople’s lives involving farmers will be included accordingly. (i) Outline Period: From April 2008 to September 2008 (the rice planting toharvesting season) Contents: The rice-farming process in real time. The description of theprocess of growing rice and agricultural work, and photo images willconstitute the main contents. Also introduced will be products made from rice(such as rice cake and Japanese sake). Next Step: Tours to experience rice-harvesting, opportunities tocommunicate with the local community through food (food-tasting events oflocal rice, etc.), and the mail-order sale of harvested rice will also beorganized. Information on accommodation, events and sightseeing facilitiesoutside Tome City (such as Sendai, Akiu, Matsushima, Naruko, Ishinomaki andKesennuma) will also be introduced. [Writer] Mr. Seikoh Sasaki (Toyoma-machi, Tome City / Tome Internationalization Promotion Supervisor) [Farmer] Mr. Kanichi Onodera (Towa-cho, Tome City / Tome City Council member) Contact: Tomoe Suzuki Corporate Communications JAPANiCAN Inc. Phone: 81-3-5796-5668 Fax: 81-3-5796-5686 E-mail: suzuki@japanican.jp URL: www.japanican.com Web site: http://www.japanican.com JAPANiCAN Inc.

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