Tourism Bureau launches pseudo-trips to Taiwan in Tokyo

觀光局在東京發起偽台灣旅遊

Travel-starved Japanese gather to enjoy Taiwanese music, cuisine, VR experiences


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Tourism Bureau on Sunday (Sept. 13) launched a special event at Tokyo's Eslite Spectrum Nihonbashi to promote the country's tourism and help quench the thirst for travel among the Japanese.

With strict border controls in place to contain the spread of coronavirus, people in Japan have longed for a chance to travel overseas. The term "Taiwan loss" also began trending on social media and was even used by Taiwanese politicians to describe the intense sorrow of the Japanese at their inability to visit Taiwan.

In an effort to satisfy Japanese' wanderlust, the Tourism Bureau's Tokyo Office held its first outdoor event of the year on Sunday and offered Taiwan's signature dishes, including beef noodle soup, fried chicken cutlet, and Taiwanese sausages, to participants. Music performances, DIY lanterns, and virtual reality (VR) simulations of Taipei skies were also featured to recreate an authentic atmosphere of the nation in Tokyo.

Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), Taiwan's representative to Japan, pointed out that a recent survey conducted by the Tourism Bureau shows that 95 percent of the respondents expressed the desire to visit Taiwan after the pandemic. He said the country has been relatively untouched by the global outbreak and remains one of the safest destinations for travelers around the world.

Meanwhile, digital displays of Taiwanese tourist hotspots will be shown on the second floor of the Eslite building. A "five senses" mini-tour will also be available for the public to experience the sights, sounds, smells, flavors, and textures of different Taiwanese regions, reported CNA.