NEW YORK: Japan’s government promoted Japanese tourism and food at an event in New York Monday.

Products including sake and traditional “Wajima-nuri” lacquerware produced in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, which was hit by a deadly earthquake on Jan. 1, were introduced.

The event was part of efforts to promote visits to Japan and help the recovery of areas damaged in the 7.6-magnitude earthquake.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the event that Japan has a variety of attractiveness such as cultural and natural heritage sites and food culture.

He made the comments while referring to former gold mines on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, which were recently registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

The prime minister also called for people to visit the 2025 World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka.

About 200 people, including tourism business operators, participated in the event, where Japanese sake and “wagyu” Japanese beef meals were served.

Japanese scallop and yellowtail were also offered in an effort to promote sales in the United States amid China’s ban on imports of Japanese fishery products imposed due to the discharge of tritium-containing treated water into the sea from the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant.

JIJI Press