Sunday, October 30, 2011

How to squander an opportunity: a Japanese favourite, the questionnaire

Natora was recently at the annual Japan Festival in Sydney, Australia. We tried hard to understand what the the Organisation to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad, the JRO below was thinking in this questionnaire. Question five is a die hard from time immemorial, and well, expressing a favourite as a dish just doesn't come easily does it. Kudos to the JRO in the Iron Chef mention. This is one Japanese export which has captured the world's imagination.
Food glorious food ... might one way to a potential visitor to Japan be through his or her stomach? Natora thinks so and is putting its money where its mouth is in supporting the burgeoning JapanTourist network, a large scale initiative designed to 'remake' Japanese tourism from the inside out. JapanTourist will be covering the nation as it canvasses establishments including eating houses in English, followed by Chinese and Korean.
JapanTourist is kick starting the process which will see users generate their own content in the form of reviews and ranking of these establishments. This on-going coverage goes on to become a vital reference source for the visitors of the future to Japan. It is envisaged that a given establishment may receive such a glowing review as to incite travel to that region, wherever it may be.
One could realistically surmise that anyone who steps foot in a restaurant serving Japanese food abroad is predisposed to that country, and that if the right chords are struck, could be tempted in some way to go in search of the 'real article'. We've all seen them ... the JAL posters of Fuji and cherry blossoms in perhaps the not-so-endowed Japanese eateries abroad. If done in a tactful, tasteful way, and in the name of 'experiential tourism', surely the darling of the industry worldwide, Natora can see options for campaigns, either spot of on-going in the sector.

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