MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU campaign aims to attract more Malaysians, Indonesians to Tohoku, Japan

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The Reconstruction Agency, the government body in Japan coordinating reconstruction activities related to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, is developing a New Tohoku project to promote tourism in Tohoku, Japan. 

A MUSLIM-FRIENDLY* TOHOKU campaign has been launched as part of the campaign. The campaign aims to establish infrastructure necessary to receive Muslim inbound traffic in six prefectures of the Tohoku district. Travel collaterals targeting Muslim-majority countries with stable economic growth such as Indonesia and Malaysia have been developed. 

The campaign is driven by growth in the number of Muslims visiting Japan as well as an estimated jump in Japan's inbound tourism market that is expected toward 2020, when the 2020 Summer Olympics will take place in Tokyo, Japan. Tourist numbers from Indonesia and Malaysia have grown nearly threefold over four years, from 2012 to 2016. 

MUSLIM-FRIENDLY workshops have also been held at major hotels in Tohoku to deepen the understanding of the concept in order to create and develop new omotenashi (お持て成し, Japanese-style hospitality) services to welcome Muslims. As a result, facilities with prayer rooms and Muslim-friendly meals have been developed in Tohoku, expanding on the only two lodging facilities which had Muslim-friendly meals in the six prefectures of Tohoku as of March 2017, according to a study conducted by Halal Media Japan. 

The MUSLIM-FRIENDLY TOHOKU PR Japan representative office, run by Sunny Side Up  is looking to increase the number of facilities taking part in the campaign, while enhancing tourists' experiences of MUSLIM-FRIENDLY omotenashi. Tours featuring Tohoku's unique history and nature have been created along the lines of the well-travelled Golden Routes that highlight Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Kyoto. Information on MUSLIM-FRIENDLY facilities and tours is also introduced through websites for inbound tourists such as JAPANiCAN. 

Explore: 

Check out Tohoku on JAPANiCAN

*Muslim-friendly refers to services that are extended with compassion and understanding of the special needs of Muslim visitors, but does not come with formal halal certification. Muslim-friendly venues may offer pork-free and alcohol-free menus, providing ingredient labelling of meals on menus, and set aside spaces for prayers and purification.