The female character has introduced sightseeing spots and specialties in the prefecture in promotional videos. When Ibaraki climbed out of the 47th spot in the rankings last year, some on social ...

Japan’s much-lauded four seasons aren’t felt as much in Tokyo as they are in the full, rural vistas of Yamagata Prefecture.

Yoshihisa Takeshi, president of Anko no Yado Marumitsu, a ryokan inn in Kita-Ibaraki, was pleased to see the prefecture move out of last place. “The efforts by producers and tourism operators to ...