KANAZAWA, Ishikawa Pref. — while
tourism in Japan has been sluggish
since the March 11 calamity, a British couple recently completed a 100-day
tour of all 47 prefectures to help bring foreign travellers back to the
country.
Jamie Lafferty, a 28-year-old writer,
and Katy Morrison, a 29-year-old photographer, made the journey as part of
the Travel Volunteer Project initiated
by a travel agency in central Japan. Lafferty and Morrison were selected as
"travel volunteers" from among 1,897 applicants from 85 countries. Magellan
Resorts & Trust Inc. in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, launched the initiative to show the world
through foreigners' eyes that Japan remains a safe and attractive
destination. The agency had to do something: All of its reservations from
overseas were cancelled following the March catastrophes.
Fukushima Prefecture, home to the crippled nuclear plant, was part
of their itinerary. The
couple also visited Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, in November, and dined on Sanuki
"udon" noodles, a local specialty. "If anyone is planning a second trip to
Japan, or perhaps doesn't fancy
the crowds that fill Tokyo, Kyoto et al., then we recommend simply coming
here . . . there's some of its most visited shrines and temples, and the
excellent noodles, of course," the couple wrote on their blog.
"Basically it's all of Japan, in miniature."Their
journey blogs have been accessed
more than 50,000 times in the last four months.
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VOCABULARY
1. Woo (verb) - to try to
persuade someone to do something such as buy something from you, vote for you,
or work for you.
Example: The company must find creative ways to
woo new employees.
2.
Sluggish (adj.) - moving or reacting slowly or lazily than normal
Example: Troy woke late feeling tired and sluggish.
3.
Initiate (verb) - to start or begin (something)
Example: Doctors have initiated a
series of tests to determine the cause of the problem.
4.
Initiative (noun) - a plan or program
that is intended to solve a problem
Example: The mayor has proposed a new initiative to
improve conditions in our schools.
5.
Catastrophes (noun) - a terrible
disaster
Example: The earthquake in Japan last March was a
catastrophe.
6. Crippled (verb) - to make
(something) unable to work normally : to cause great damage to
(something)
Example: Higher taxes
could cripple small businesses.
7.
Itinerary (noun) - a plan or list of
the places you will visit on a journey
Example: Our itinerary included
stops at several famous temples and shrines.
8.
Fancy (verb) - to like or want
something, or want to do something
Example: Sorry, but I don't fancy going out
tonight.
9.
Miniature (noun) - exactly like
something or someone but much smaller
Example: She's her mother in miniature.
10.
Access(verb) - to open or load
Example: The file can be accessed by
many users at the same time.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.
Discuss the effect of the earthquake on Japan’s tourism.
2.
How is tourism in Japan before and after the earthquake?
3.
What can you say about the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant?
