Forget the steep prices, crowded cities and concreted countryside -- Japan, famous for sending hordes of tourists around the globe, now wants to repackage itself as a tourist destination.
In an about-face for a nation that made little attempt to attract visitors when its economy was humming along, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi says he wants to double the number of tourists to 10 million a year by 2010.
It's not likely to be a ticket back to boom times, but with the economy in a funk he has little choice, experts say.
"Tourism is the biggest industry in the world today and Japan cannot afford to miss the boat," said Alex Kerr, a US-born author who has advised the government on promoting tourism.
Even doubling the number of visitors would hardly turn Japan into a tourist mecca, however. No.1 destination France, for example, welcomes more than 70 million a year.
But the government hopes to achieve a better balance with the 16 million Japanese who head each year for destinations from Hawaii to Florence, taking their credit cards and cash with them.
Yukio Nakayama, for one, would be happy to see more foreigners walking in the door of his small hotel.
"Everyone in the industry feels that way now," said Nakayama, who owns the 67-room Kokusai Hotel in Aomori, an area of northern Japan known for apples, garlic and a noisy festival featuring huge floats depicting demons, gods and mythical creatures.
Unusually for a mid-winter day, Nakayama's hotel was full, thanks to an influx for the Asian Winter Games. Normally, he said, his hotel would be virtually empty during the winter.
"The population isn't growing, so if we don't get tourists from abroad, we won't be able to carry on," Nakayama said.
Prices falling
Visitors to Japan still need fatter wallets than those who travel to other parts of Asia and reports of US$100 melons and beef at US$17 for 100gm may put many off.
But the idea that prices for everything in Japan are shockingly high is as mythical as Aomori's paper monsters.
Deflation -- blamed by many for the economy's deep-seated woes -- is lowering price tags for travelers and residents alike.
"I live in central London. Everyone says Tokyo is so expensive, but for me it's slightly cheaper," said David Atkinson, who recently visited to research an update to the backpacker's favourite Lonely Planet guidebook.
Experience in countries like Thailand has shown that government campaigns can succeed in putting new tourist spots on the map, said Nick Winstone, director of UK-based Mekong Travel, a travel agency specialising in Southeast Asia.
"I think the main problem with Japan is that there just isn't the information out there for people to be aware of it," he added.
It's a view the government shares.
If the spending is approved, the Transport Ministry will launch a ?2 billion (US$17 million) "Visit Japan" campaign in the year from April 1, focusing first on South Korea, China, Taiwan and the US.
But some old Japan hands say the country needs a fundamental makeover, not just better advertising and public relations.
"Japan has dedicated itself to one thing and one thing only for the last 50 years -- that is manufacturing," said Kerr.
Tourism was dismissed as an activity for poor countries, Kerr said, despite the fact that the US, the world's richest country, also makes the most money from foreign visitors.
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