On the afternoon of 7 October 2010, Ambassador Ebihara chaired the 7th Visit Japan Campaign Promotion Committee Meeting.

The Visit Japan Campaign was launched in 2003 to ¡Èachieve the goal of 10 million overseas visitors to Japan in 2010.¡É Japan¡Çs tourism appeal is as a soft power that can inspire empathy in foreign nationals. It contributes to mutual international understanding through one-on-one exchange, and in this age of a shrinking national population, the arrival of international visitors can result in regional revitalization and business expansion. For these reasons, the public and private sectors are working as one, with the Japan Tourism Agency coordinating the effort.

The Embassy established the Visit Japan Campaign Promotion Committee for the UK in 2004 to discuss strategies for effective promotion of Japan in the UK. The Committee is chaired by the Ambassador and comprised of both UK and Japanese members from various fields including the media and tourism industries.

In the meeting, some members expressed appreciation of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) London Office¡Çs effort for the promotion of tourism to Japan despite the recent severe economic climate. Some members also stressed the need for more comprehensive promotion to attract young people.

In the evening, Ambassador Ebihara hosted the Visit Japan Campaign Reception. This year, the Ambassador received as many as 200 guests involved in the campaign. In his speech, the Ambassador expressed his appreciation to all involved in the campaign for their contribution and requested their continuous cooperation in the Visit Japan Campaign. The participants took the opportunity to enjoy Japanese sake and renew their resolution to contribute to the campaign.