Key Experts Explore Japanese Games, From The Early Famicom Creations Of The 1980S To Today’s Giant E-Sports Franchises

All Nippon Airways (ANA) will launch new content,  “IS JAPAN COOL? GAME CHRONICLE,” that focuses on Japanese game culture and seeks to increase awareness of Japan’s contributions to this growing industry. The content will be part of IS JAPAN COOL? website that is designed to promote international tourism in Japan. With the number of game-centric visitors to Japan on the rise, this website is a vital tool in planning travel itineraries.

Video games are the combined product of creators’ imagination and developers’ passion. Japan has long been a trendsetter in video game design and this website offers tourists a crash course in the history of video games and their impact on Japanese culture.

“ANA seeks to act as an ambassador for Japan and its culture on the global stage, and the launch of this new website section will help drive tourism while providing an important educational resource for those interested in video games,” said Takashi Shiki, Senior Executive Vice President of ANA. “Like everything we do, IS JAPAN COOL? has always sought to set the gold standard for tourism websites, and this latest addition certainly goes above and beyond expectations. We invite all visitors to Japan by using IS JAPAN COOL? to help plan their trips.”

Available in English and Chinese, ANA first launched “IS JAPAN COOL?” in 2012 to make Japan more accessible while also introducing the nation’s unique culture and attractions to the world. In addition to its detailed explanation of Japanese culture, IS JAPAN COOL? offers local insight that helps tourists navigate during their visit to Japan. The website features insider information on cities and local prefectures including Tokyo, Okinawa, and Kyoto while providing detailed overviews of Japanese culture such as washoku (Japanese cuisine), contemporary arts, matsuri (festivals), as well as budo and geido (martial arts and performing/fine arts).

This website focuses on Japanese game history at four different stages, breaking it down by decade to highlight achievements in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s and discussing 100 key topics that exemplify each of the four eras. Giving achievement points for each article read and video watched, this website itself is even structured like a video game to give visitors a memorable experience as they learn more about Japanese video games.

Each decade has a distinct theme, with image resolution and music faithfully being reproduced to evoke the technical limitations and overall aesthetic of each era. This allows visitors to learn about advances in game technology in each era.

Visitors can also watch interviews featuring prominent game experts from developers and creators sharing their behind-the-scenes stories and insider perspectives to professional gamers who offer their views on the industry today. This compelling content is available only on the “IS JAPAN COOL? GAME CHRONICLE” website.

ANA embraces its Japanese roots and is proud to celebrate the many distinct aspects of its culture and history. Video games make up one of Japan’s most important modern culture exports and ANA seeks to welcome the next generation of tourists, particularly those with an interest in video games.

(Image provided with ANA news release)

FMI: www.ana.co.jp/group/en