Japan releases 26 signs to help tourists understand culture
In a bid to make tourists feel welcome, one Japanese prefecture believes it has found the secret.
In a campaign titled, Ten ways to make travellers happy, 26 signs have been released to help visitors understand their surroundings, Mashable reported.
Signs include a pig inside a bowl to let diners know that the dish contains pork, a man breathing various levels of flame denoting how spicy a dish is, and a thumb's up to say thank you.
Takefumi Shimomukai, director of the Iwate Prefectural Government's Morioka Regional Development Bureau said: "Until recently some owners believed their profits from serving only locals were sufficient, and due to the language barrier, they may have left foreign visitors with a feeling that they were not welcome."
"I believe that we can show off our hospitality and convince tourists that [we are] good places [to visit]."
Officials will also hold lectures around the city to enable locals to better interact with tourists, even if they can only use "broken English."
Earlier this year, Japan helped tourists understand the icons on their public high-tec toilets, by rolling out standard icons.
First appeared on Stuff.co.nz. Image credit: Morioka Regional Development Bureau
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