free plane tickets to Japan

[cteno4]

from the profit of the way on Jtrains group.

Since the downturn of general tourism to all of japan after the nuclear incidents japanese tourism agency is offering 10,000 free roundtrip plane tickets to japan! they are looking for folks that will share their experience live via social media on their trips. you apply with a planned itinerary and they would like to see your social media skills.

very interesting, hope it helps japan's tourism

perhaps jns folks should try for this with a train fanning angle.

jeff

http://seetell.jp/en/21236

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy/AJ2011102615769

[Nick_Burman]

Going out to get a Lonely Planet guide, back soon! The articles don't say where does one apply for these tickets...

Of lately I've been mulling what I would like to see on an hypotethical first trip to Japan. Other than the obvious tourist destinations, so far I have thought about 8 "musts": Ooigawa Railway, Iida Line, Tateyama-Kurobe Alpenroute, Kurotetsu, Umekoji, Saitama, Utsube & Hachioji lines and the Choshi Dentetsu. The difficult part is working everything together (other than Iida, Tateyama-Kurobe and the Kurotetsu, these three fairly interlock end-to-end with each other).


Cheers NB

[cteno4]

looks like its not for sure till april 2012 when the next fiscal year roll around and if the funds are approved. looks like the cat got out of the bag early!

http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/page01_000222.html

they want folks with big twitter and facebook followings i think like the other ministry does. they want wide live social media coverage it looks like.

cheers

jeff

[Mudkip Orange]

Presumably I'm still on the hook for the Nozomi fares and the love hotels, eh?

[The_Ghan]

Apparently there is a requirement to visit the Fukushima Prefecture.  I read this:

Starting November, the ministry will invite the total of about 15 people over time from Europe, the United States, China and the Middle East who have large Facebook or Twitter followers. They will be selected by the Japanese embassies and consulates overseas, and they will be invited to Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures.

.. on this webpage: http://seetell.jp/en/20269

Cheers

The_Ghan

[The_Ghan]

You know, Mrs_Ghan and I were in negotiations with FlightCentre, Broadway (Sydney)  to travel to Japan in May when the Fukushima disaster occured.  We promptly cancelled, of course.  We are now talking about a trip in October next year.  It will be Mrs_Ghan's first trip to Japan.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[Martijn Meerts]

There was something like this in a Dutch paper as well.. They were looking for a couple to visit Japan and write a travel report. It'd be an all expenses paid trip.. Singles don't stand a chance of winning though.. Bloody discrimination ;)


Ghan, I'm considering a trip to Japan around that time as well. Have to see what funds are like now that I have a mortgage to pay (and of course, the banks are in trouble because of stupid investments, and they want to regain funds by getting home owner to pay more ...... ) I really think it's about time for a visit though. Guess I should find my 'teach yourself Japanese' course again and get the basics in my head ;)

[Shashinka]

There was something like this in a Dutch paper as well.. They were looking for a couple to visit Japan and write a travel report. It'd be an all expenses paid trip.. Singles don't stand a chance of winning though.. Bloody discrimination ;)


Ghan, I'm considering a trip to Japan around that time as well. Have to see what funds are like now that I have a mortgage to pay (and of course, the banks are in trouble because of stupid investments, and they want to regain funds by getting home owner to pay more ...... ) I really think it's about time for a visit though. Guess I should find my 'teach yourself Japanese' course again and get the basics in my head ;)

I was a runner up. Got pretty damn close. (Helped I knew the organizers through LinkedIn)

The only thing that keeps me from going is the exchange rate, however ooking at the airfares too the flights to Narita from IAD for a March-April 2012 time frame, are now averaging 1300 USD plus. Historically or at least since I started following them in late 2004, the average for a March-April time frames was 800 via UA, ANA, and JAL. The last trip to Osaka (in April 2010) the airfare was below a grand.

[The_Ghan]

...
Ghan, I'm considering a trip to Japan around that time as well. Have to see what funds are like now that I have a mortgage to pay (and of course, the banks are in trouble because of stupid investments, and they want to regain funds by getting home owner to pay more ...... ) I really think it's about time for a visit though. Guess I should find my 'teach yourself Japanese' course again and get the basics in my head ;)

Hey Martijn,

We're about 90% sure ATM.  If we are going we will start booking airfares etc, about June-July.  Our rough plan is is this:  Base ourselves at Fukuoka for a few days, then work our way towards Tokyo on the Shinkansen route, stopping off at Hiroshima, Himeiji, Osaka, Kyoto-Nara, and Nagoya.  Things then get a bit fuzzy as I want to go through the Hakone Tozan line, Gotemba, Fujikyu, and Kofu City - where I used to live.  This might all be done as day trips out of Tokyo.

Because Mrs_Ghan will be coming the trip must be equally balanced between degustation, shopping and trains.  If she has her way, the split will be something like 45/45/10 ... hahaha ... It is also her first trip to Japan, so I'll need to do some of the big ticket items again, but I'm making sure that around half the holiday will be new to me.

Keep you posted.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[nightshade]

its not official yet for the free tickets......
looked into that one and they did not approve it yet....
asked my inlaws and they did not hear anything ......

[bikkuri bahn]

its not official yet for the free tickets......
looked into that one and they did not approve it yet....
asked my inlaws and they did not hear anything ......

Exactly. The budget to fund the scheme has not been passed.  It's just a proposal now.

As noted in the original post, the offer is dependent on whether the JTA’s budget is passed. It will be some time until that is known. A JTA spokesman said the earliest possible update is in late December, when the Finance Ministry is expected finish its review. At that time the JTA will likely post the freebies’ latest status on the agency website. (In English here, and in Japanese here).

But it’s possible that the final product may look different from the original proposal; namely there could be fewer than 10,000 free flights on the table. In any case, should the proposal make it past the Finance Ministry intact, the budget is expected to pass parliamentary review in March of 2012, upon which the JTA hopes to start accepting applications by April at the earliest.

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/10/17/how-to-win-a-free-flight-to-japan-maybe/

[Martijn Meerts]

Ghan, would be cool to meet up there and do a day trip somewhere, if Mrs. Ghan is okay with that of course ;)

I'll probably know more around March/April next year, when my tax return is calculated. If I stop buying multiple trains every month, it really shouldn't be a problem.

I definitely want to be in Kyoto for the Jidai Matsuri festival, which is October 22. So I definitely need to book early, otherwise most hotels will be filled up around that time. Also need to buy tickets for the Ghibli museum well in advance, there's just no way I'm going to skip that ;)

[bill937ca]

I got an email yesterday about this from the Japan National Tourism Organization.  Here is the archived version of the newsletter.

http://www.japantravelinfo.com/newsletter/jntony/2011_11/index.html

Japan Party Express Entry procedures.

https://www.facebook.com/visitjapan?sk=app_272956779412712

Newsletter sign up and archive.

http://www.japantravelinfo.com/newsletter/index.php

[The_Ghan]

Ghan, would be cool to meet up there and do a day trip somewhere, if Mrs. Ghan is okay with that of course ;)

I'll probably know more around March/April next year, when my tax return is calculated. If I stop buying multiple trains every month, it really shouldn't be a problem.

I definitely want to be in Kyoto for the Jidai Matsuri festival, which is October 22. So I definitely need to book early, otherwise most hotels will be filled up around that time. Also need to buy tickets for the Ghibli museum well in advance, there's just no way I'm going to skip that ;)

Martijn,

Sorry, I don't know how I missed this post. 

I've never been to the Jidai Matsuri festival or to Ghibli Museum.  Mrs_Ghan would be happy to join us for either, followed by a meal.  Eg: we could meet for lunch and then watch the procession or Mrs_Ghan could have a sleep in while you and I ride a few lines first.

Mrs_Ghan's very much into food and beautiful gardens (odd for a girl in her 20's), so our trip will be a balance between trains, gardens, nostalgia, culture and food.  We probably won't make any plans until about June, but expect to be in Japan through the month of October.  Our general plan ATM is to work from Fukuoka to Tokyo over a 4 week trip with the shinkansen line being the backbone of our trip.  We won't be riding trains all day, but Mrs_Ghan will happily do a day trip to Yufuin, Hakone, Fuji, etc. every second or third day.  She accepts regular commutes and short trips, so long as she's going somewhere to see or do something ... or eat something (although you'd be surprised considering she's quite petite). 

Mrs_Ghan was good in the UK and Europe last year, but she did get a little board of the Thalys from Paris to Amsterdam.  Conversely, she loved the trains in Switzerland so much that she wants to build a little layout based on Zermatt and The Matterhorn.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[Martijn Meerts]

I'm not really planning anything specific for now either, just too early for that.

I do know that the Jidai Matsuri festival and Ghibli museum will be part of my trip though. No way I'm going to miss one of those (unless the museum is closed for some reason or the other).

The Thalys is pretty boring, I took it from Rotterdam to Paris once. It was an older Thalys, and had very little leg space and no space to put your luggage really. The return trip I actually hitched a ride with some friends who were by car, even though I had a return ticket for the Thalys ;)

Switzerland has some lovely train routes, so it's not so strange that people really enjoy those.

[linkey]

Yes this has been publised on facebook a few months ago in with over 600 people liked it including me. Now just wondering if this will actually happen cause I would like to go and the areas I would be going to would be in the Fukushima Prefecture

[Shashinka]

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-scraps-plan-to-give-away-10000-free-flights-to-visitors

Looks like it's off. Between the global economic downturn and a ridiculously strong yen, I couldn't afford the lodging, food costs anyway even if I were able to save the $1500 flight.

[spacecadet]

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-scraps-plan-to-give-away-10000-free-flights-to-visitors

Looks like it's off. Between the global economic downturn and a ridiculously strong yen, I couldn't afford the lodging, food costs anyway even if I were able to save the $1500 flight.

It was never really "on" from what I understand.  There seems to have been a little bit lost in translation.  When the reports first started coming out in the west about this, my wife looked into it (she is Japanese) and all she could find in Japanese was something about it being "considered".  The only thing official-looking that I could really find in English was a message denying that any plan existed yet.  It seemed like westerners were going nuts over it, as you'd expect because we'd be the beneficiaries of it, but most Japanese knew nothing of it and it wasn't really a big story there.  But as happens in many countries when word of what amounts to a handout to outsiders is discovered (especially when so many people are hurting at home), once people did hear about it, the negative reaction in Japan was pretty swift and severe and the plan never really got out of the "throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks" phase.

Too bad, there was a brief moment when my wife and I thought we might be able to finance half of our next trip there...

[linkey]

As we see it again having idiots responding to the Japan Today article having a go at the Japanese Government, it's like doesn't matter what Japan does these people like to go off and be total fools of themselves.

Okay sure I understand why the Japanese Government pulled the pin on this, after all they should be helping out their country folk first and then they could do this campaign in the future when they have got many of the affected areas in business wise up and running and helping those who are still rebuilding.

No matter what if they do have this run again or not I will still be going to Japan Oct-Dec 2013/4 depending on my brother when he has the funds to go as well.