Japan’s Yomiuri Telecasting Corp has produced a special feature in one of its variety shows introducing some of the tourist attractions in Taiwan to thank the nation for its generous donations after the powerful earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March.
The special feature, titled Thank You, Taiwan, will be hosted by Yuki Tomochica and Yomiuri News anchorwoman Naomi Uemura.
In a scheduled stop at a branch of Din Tai Fung in Taipei yesterday, both spoke highly of their visits to the country.
Tomochica said Jioufen (九份) in New Taipei City (新北市) and Longshan Temple in Taipei were her favorite places in Taiwan.
Jioufen reminds people of the old days in Taiwan, whereas Longshan Temple allows people to find out more about their destiny because of all the fortune-tellers around the temple, she said.
Stone hot pot was her favorite Taiwanese food, she said, adding that Taiwanese food was better than she had imagined.
Uemura focused more on modern Taiwan.
“Before I came, I thought only old [Taiwanese] people could speak Japanese,” Uemura said. “I visited Ximending (西門町) on Wednesday and found that young people can talk to me in Japanese. I was amazed and felt the warmth of the people.”
Uemura said her favorite Taiwanese food was xiaolongbao, or steamed pork dumplings.
The Tourism Bureau said a prompt Taiwanese donation of ￥16 billion (US$198 million) after the March 11 earthquake was widely reported on several Japanese TV stations and in magazines, adding that many Japanese travel agents had sold package tours to express their gratitude to Taiwan.
The bureau said the variety show’s main audience are women aged 20 to 40 residing in Osaka, Kyoto and nearby prefectures, with the number of viewers estimated at more than 2.92 million.
The special feature is to be aired on the Yomiuri network in the middle of next month, the bureau said.
People in Taiwan will also be able to view the feature on the Videoland Japan Channel, the station said.
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