Singapore, August 2022 – In a special collaboration between the Singapore offices of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO Singapore), East Japan Railway Company (JR East Singapore), and KDDI Asia Pacific Pte Ltd (KDDI Asia Pacific), residents in Singapore can now “visit” and “experience” one of Japan’s largest summer festivals in the palm of their hands.
Ignite the Passion: Festivals in Japan
With free-and-independent travel (FIT) to Japan still closed, JNTO Singapore and JR East Singapore are launching a month-long campaign as part of the former’s promotion “Ignite the Passion: Festivals in Japan” with an aim to garner interest in Japan’s lesser-known regions and their traditional festivities.
“Nebuta AR Campaign” and “Matsuri AR Campaign”
Through the use of AR (Augmented Reality) technology from KDDI, participants can experience the excitement of Aomori Prefecture’s Aomori Nebuta Festival, one of the Three Great Summer Festivals of Tohoku, as well as the warmth of Fukushima Prefecture’s beloved Akabeko traditional craft, through smartphones and mobile devices via QR Code.
Run concurrently throughout September 2022, two photo campaigns titled “Nebuta AR Campaign” and “Matsuri AR Campaign” will be held respectively at JNTO Singapore’s campaign page as well as at JAPAN RAIL CAFE, which is operated by JR East Singapore.
Elaborates Hayashi Hiroyuki, Director of Lifestyle Businesses in JR East Singapore: “As part of the cafe’s mission to promote inbound tourism to Japan, we hope customers to our cafe will get the opportunity to experience the unique aspects of Japan’s culture and traditions.”
How to participate
To participate in either campaigns, participants simply need to snap a photo of the AR models and post their entries on their Instagram pages with the hashtags “#jbyjfestival” and “#japanrailcafe”.
By joining in the campaigns, the first 1,000 participants will be entitled to claim a sure-win giveaway prize, while also automatically qualifying for JNTO’s Lucky Draw Contest, which has attractive prizes up for grabs including a pair of air tickets to Tokyo sponsored by All Nippon Airways (ANA).
At JAPAN RAIL CAFE, visitors are welcome to use either AR Nebuta or AR Akabeko models in their entries. Concludes Hayashi Hiroyuki: “While we await the resumption of FIT to Japan, I hope this is a step towards encouraging Singaporeans to visit Japan as soon as they can.”
In addition, JNTO Singapore will conduct online events through their campaign site, and broadcast live from Japan to introduce various Japanese festivals and how to enjoy them. JAPAN RAIL CAFE will also have a special festive menu and organise events with the theme of Japanese festivals in the month of September.
Header image credit: Japan National Tourism Organization Singapore
