Japan Unveils Plan to Attract More Muslim Visitors

To accommodate the growing number of foreign tourists, Japan is launching a model project to make the country more welcoming for vegetarians and Muslims, The Japan Times reported yesterday.

The Japan Tourism Agency will provide subsidies to local governments and businesses to develop specialized menus, install prayer spaces, and use pictograms to identify food ingredients, the source mentioned.

The project aims to create tourism programs that cater to the diverse dietary and cultural needs of visitors, with six model areas to receive state funding to cover the costs of these initiatives.

The number of tourists to Japan from Southeast Asian countries with large Muslim populations, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, is increasing steadily, says the Japan Tourism Agency.