The government of Aomori Prefecture which straddles the whole of the northern end of Japan's main island of Honshu — and is best known as the nation's apple capital — broke new ground in its tourism promotion campaign late last year, when it announced it would start selling the prefecture as the land of "power spots" and "mystery zones."
The term "power spots," referring to places that are believed to give visitors immediate spiritual energy, has gained substantial popular currency in Japan over the last few years.
However, while the resultant sudden deluge of camera-toting, luck-seeking visitors has excited many communities hosting such "holy" and "magical" sites — complete with eateries, souvenir shops and guest houses — others have frowned on the profane and often marketing-driven interest in venerable institutions such as temples and shrines.