Japanese viewing N.Z.

Press, 27 September 1982, Page 6

Japanese viewing N.Z.

Cherry blossoms, green grass, and friendly people are some of the immediate impressions .of nine top Japanese journalists whose visit to New Zealand could give the tourist industry a big boost. The journalists represent major regional newspapers throughout Japan and a television company. Their impressions of the five-day trip to New Zealand, which started yesterday, will be read by many potential visitors.

Most Japanese coming to New Zealand are from the Tokyo area, and so the pro-' motion of this country in other Japanese centres could increase its attraction as a holiday destination. The visit was organised by the Mount Cook Line with Air New Zealand and the Government Tourist Office in Tokyo and is likely to be repeated. The journalists will visit Mount Cook, fly over the Tasman Glacier and Mil-

ford Sound, visit Queenstown and Rotorua, and leave Auckland on Friday.

At a reception in Christchurch last evening the visitors said that the gardens they had seen in Christchurch were similar to those in Japan. The cleanliness and greenness of the city also made an impact. In spite of the brevity of the visit, the topics that' the journalists are likely to write about will vary widely. Some are interested in’ sport, others in business and industry. and one is a specialist in home economy. He will comment on the lifestyle and food of New Zealanders.

The group's escort, Mr Jun-ichi Mizuno, of the Tokyo Tourist Office, said that Ne’w Zealand’s compactness made it an ideal destination for a short holiday. An enormous range of scenery could be seen in a short stay. Too much emphasis was placed on seasons in promot-

ing New Zealand, he said. The New Zealand winter was much milder than that of Tokyo, but by emphasising the' season some Japanese would not visit because they expected similar cold weather. New Zealand was an “ever spring” country, said Mr Mizuno. The contrast of colours in the landscape was very vivid with silver mountains and green grass. Facilities were well developed but the provision of more Japan-ese-speaking guides would help expand the tourist industry. Japanese tourists liked the fresh fruit and vegetables in New Zealand. They were not so keen on mutton but like seafood.

Mr Mizuni said that a big meal of crayfish which cost $2O at a top restaurant in New Zealand would cost three times as much in Tokyo. Pumpkins and onions imported from New Zealand

were a feature on many Japanese tables, he said. New Zealand could hold a special appeal for the Japanese because of similarities in size and landscape. It could represent the sort of country a less industrialised Japan might have been, he said. Some of the beauty that Japan had lost through heavy industrialisation was still evident in New Zealand. Mr Mizuno said that a Japanese student who had studied in New Zealand commented of the country: “I felt as if I went back to a place where my grandfather was as a young lad.

After six visits Mr Mizuno is still adjusting to cherry blossoms flowering in September rather than the April season celebrated in Japan. New Zealand blossoms reflected the vivid colour range of the country; they were rick pink and often double-petalled whereas the delicate Japanese blossom was white, he said.