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Japan's MOFA Launches Astro Boy Site for Tourists
posted on by Evan Miller
In anticipation of a busy travel season around the new year, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) launched a website today promoting ways for Japanese citizens to keep safe when traveling abroad. The site, which features the popular Osamu Tezuka character Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom), features a series of tips and videos for travelers going to foreign destinations. The tips, videos, and informational data reports on the site correlate with the special powers that Astro Boy has. In a statement, MOFA officials explained their selection of the popular character: "[Astro Boy] has been loved for generations as a defender of safety and security for many people."
Although the number of Japanese citizens traveling abroad dropped dramatically in 2003 due to the outbreak of SARS in Asia and the beginning of the Iraq war, tourist numbers for people traveling outside Japan are the highest they have been in the past seven years. Traditionally, the two-week period around New Year's Day is one of Japan's busiest seasons for travel due to the large number of people who are on vacation from work.
Image © Tezuka Production
