Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010

Members of the foreign community often hit up Metropolis for advice. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism? Not so much. But that’s just what happened recently when the Japan Tourism Agency sought our input for devising a new tourism campaign to replace Yokoso! Japan. After considering dozens of new slogans and logos, the agency—with our comments—settled on a cheery hinomaru-and-flower illustration and the phrase “Japan. Endless Discovery.” The new promotion was unveiled at a press conference in The Hotel New Otani, with members of mega-popular boy band Arashi serving as “image enhancers.”

For more information about the “Japan. Endless Discovery” promotion, see www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho.