This article for AP by Yuri Kageyama published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports how 88 locations in Japan are going to be designated "animation spots" in order to get tourists to visit these otherwise unremarkable spots where artists have painted popular manga characters on buildings etc.
The Big Idea:
Create a tourist trail that induces foreign tourists to explore Japan and spend money, thus benefiting a stagnant economy. Tourists will be encouraged to go to the Anime Tourism 88 Web site and vote for their favorite locations.
To my Western way of thinking, this Anime Trail seems like something of only very limited appeal for Westerners - maybe of interest to teenagers only. But perhaps visitors from other Asian countries are the primary target, and the anime art will be of broader appeal.
I'd like to hear from anyone who can enlighten me about this.
