Japanese Prefectures Showcase Tourism, Food Culture in N.Y.

New York, Oct. 22 (Jiji Press)--Japan’s National Governors’ Association held an event in New York on Thursday to promote famous sights and food cultures in six prefectures in the Asian country.

The six were Toyama, Shizuoka, Mie and Nagano in central Japan, as well as Miyagi in the country’s northeast and Chiba, east of Tokyo.

The tourism seminar, aimed at travel agencies and media organizations, was held to expand sales channels for local products and attract travelers from North America as the Japanese market shrinks due to the decreasing population.

At the venue, “Kokiriko,” a folk song from the Gokayama rural district, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Toyama, was introduced together with a graceful dance performed to pray for a good harvest.

The event also included a presentation on the characteristics and history of Shizuoka tea, as well as an Iga-style ninja show representing Mie, which drew a cheer from the audience as the performers engaged in spectacular action sequences, wielding swords and other weapons.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]