About the Database
The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) has set up this website for searching English-language texts on sightseeing destinations in Japan. The texts, totaling around 7,000, have been prepared for the JTA’s “Promoting Multilingual Support for Sightseeing Destinations around Japan” project. The objective of the database is to provide regions in Japan and the private sector with content they can use to supplement or refer to for creating their own texts for media, such as interpretive signs, pamphlets, and websites.
About the Project
The JTA’s project was launched in FY2018 with the goal of increasing visitor satisfaction of their stay in Japan.
Existing English-language texts are often poorly written or contain inadequate descriptions, and do not capture the full richness of sightseeing destinations. To address this issue, the JTA collaborates with relevant ministries, agencies, and other partners to bring together travel writing experts, dispatch them to regions throughout Japan, and support the preparation of English texts. The objective is to create content which engage international visitors with a clear story, and to accumulate regional know-how in development of multilingual texts.
A team of professionals, including native English writers, gather information on site to compose texts that augment the understanding of international visitors. Since FY2020, the JTA has also been adapting the English texts into clearly written, engaging Chinese texts in simplified and traditional Chinese for Chinese-speaking travelers.