Record 2013 Tourism in Japan

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Carol J Williams, Record 2013 Tourism in Japan Despite Islands Spat, Nuclear Fallout. Los Angeles Times, Dec 11, 2013
www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/l ... ism-record-20131211,0,6936589.story

Note:
(a) photo caption: "Tourists pray under a waterfall during a ninja training tour in the town of Nabari, home of the feudal spies, mercenaries and saboteurs who roamed the region in the 15th century. Japan is promoting its ninja heritage as part of its effort to boost tourism and a faltering economy. (Everett Kennedy Brown / European Pressphoto Agency)"

* City of Nabari  名張市
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%8D%E5%BC%B5%E5%B8%82
(三重県西部、伊賀地方 [/伊賀盆地] に位置する; 伊賀忍者の技・術・道具などの展示は赤目四十八滝入り口付近にある展示施設にて行われている)

translation: located in the western part of Mie Prefecture and within Iga region/basin [both of which are named after ancient 伊賀国]; The tradecraft and tools of Ninja from Igaryū 伊賀流 (centered in 名張市 and 伊賀市--on the north of the former city--of Mie Prefecture) are showcased near the entrance to Akame 48 Waterfalls.
* tradecraft (n; First Known Use 1961):
"the techniques and procedures of espionage"
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tradecraft
* 赤目四十八滝
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B5%A4%E7%9B%AE%E5%9B%9B%E5%8D%81%E5%85%AB%E6%BB%9D
(地名「赤目」の由来は、役行者が修行中に赤い目の牛（■右列に画像あり）に乗った不動明王に出会ったとの言い伝えにあるとされる)

translation: The name Akame 赤目 reportedly came from “en-no-gyōja” [or 役 小角; a wizard; 634-701; 修験道の開祖; 修験道: “Japanese mountain asceticism-shamanism incorporating Shinto and Buddhist concepts”], in the midst of ascetic practices, riding a red-eyed bull (see picture to the right) to meet a god called Fudōmyō-ō.   
* 伊賀流 and Kōgaryū 甲賀流 (based on 近江国甲賀の地; 近江国 was on the northwest of 伊賀国) are two most noted schools 流派 of 忍術 ninjutsu.

(b) There is NO need to read the TEXT of the LA Times report. The excerpt from Bloomberg is enough. See next.
(c) The LA Times report cites

Chris Cooper, Japan Says 2013 Visitors to Top Record 10 Million on Yen. Bloomberg, Dec 11, 2013.
www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-1 ... is-year-on-yen.html

Quote:

"The nation will probably welcome its 10 millionth visitor of the year in the middle of this month, Shigeto KUBO [長官 久保成人], head of the Japan Tourism Agency, told reporters in Tokyo today. The previous annual record was 8.6 million in 2010. * * * As many as 9.5 million people visited Japan in the 11 months to November, surpassing the previous annual record set in 2010, the year before the nation was hit by a record earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown, the Japan National Tourism Organization said today.

"Chinese visitors to Japan increased 96 percent from a year earlier to 101,900 last month * * * Visitors from China * * * plummeted last year after Japan purchased some of the disputed islands from a private citizen * * * Kubo today said there was no evidence that the number of Chinese tourists declined after China announced the zone on Nov 23.

"The number of people visiting Japan is still behind those going abroad. About 14.6 million Japanese traveled overseas in the 10 months to October, according to JNTO.

* There is no need to read the rest of the Bloomberg report.
* Japan Tourism Agency (JTA; set up in 2008)  観光庁, under Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism 国土交通省
* Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO; established 1964)  国際観光振興機構, an Independent Administrative Institution of the government of Japan