Travelience has been selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for a commissioned project.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) called for projects under the Fiscal Year 2013 Cool Japan Promotion Program, aiming to support Japanese enterprises and creators who will lead the Cool Japan initiative so as to expand their businesses to overseas markets.
The result of the selection’s official announcement can be viewed here.
(1) Project Title
The vitalization of the shopping district in line with the rising customer satisfaction on culinary services from foreigners visiting Japan
(2) Cool Japan’s Merchandise
A local region’s specialty food
(3) Implementation Outline
The target population focuses primarily on foreigners and tourists visiting Japan who feel a dissatisfaction and inconvenience with the restaurants currently situated in the shopping district. This project aims to develop and effectuate a translated English menu, a specialized vegetarian menu, and a Halal food menu for Japanese restaurants within the area. Food maps introducing the latter two menus will be offered in restaurants.
With this, not only will the foreigners previously hesitant due to the inconveniences within local restaurants acquire something new, but the more veteran patrons will find themselves frequenting the restaurants as well; thereby resulting in a more rejuvenated shopping district than ever before.
Furthermore, the project aims to construct mid-range independent business models through the use of information transmission techniques such as those which make use of SNS and word of mouth to construct a positive branding and establish promotion to increase the number of frequent visitors and guests.
In 2013, the country’s greatest tourist spot, Asakusa, will be the subject, as well as the basis of information for this trial model case.
From 2014 onwards, this project aims to expand its service to tourist spots within the whole country.
(4) Project Team
Asakusa Shopping Federation
NPO Nippon Asia Halal Association
Bianco Nero Corporation
Ad Interface Co.,Ltd.
(5) Pre-Inaugural Project Details
Approximately 600 foreign tourists have joined our company’s tours in the span of March to September of the current year (2013). During this period, customer dissatisfaction was perceived from majority of the foreign tourists.
Accordingly, we has proposed to the Asakusa Shopping Federation a solution to address the perceived customer dissatisfaction of the visiting tourists.
Together with the Asakusa Shopping Federation and the Regional Consortium, Travelience Corporation, as a representative company, has applied and was chosen for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Commissioned Project.
(6) Future Prospects
The main targets of this project until February 2014 are: the establishment and maintenance of an English menu in restaurants within the Asakusa shopping district; the integration of a specialized vegetarian and/or Halal food menu; and the distribution of food maps in various places within the metropolitan area.
Furthermore, centering on overseas media, this project aims to promote and give an exclusive branding to Asakusa as “a tourist spot where foreign visitors can enjoy the leisure of encountering delicious food, with restaurants also considering the vegetarian and Halal food culture.”
From 2014 onwards, this project aims to offer the service to local self-governing bodies and even shopping districts in the whole country as part of establishing a more vibrant shopping district within local regions.
For questions regarding any of the contents, please contact:
Travelience Corporation
Person-in-charge: Hashimoto
TEL：03-6830-0896
Email: contact@travelience.com
