Japan is finally getting serious about attracting some foreign visitors to its shores.

The government, which hopes to double the number of foreign tourists to 10 million by 2010, has already earmarked 2 billion yen for the current fiscal year for a Visit Japan campaign, mainly targeting people in South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, China and Hong Kong.

"The government came up with the campaign after reviewing its past measures to boost the number of visitors, for which not enough money was allocated," said an official at the tourism department of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry. "We have finally started what many other countries and their leaders have earnestly implemented as a matter of national policy."

The earlier campaign, known as Welcome Plan 21, was drawn up in 1996.

In 2001, according to the World Tourism Organization, the world's top tourist destination was France, followed by Spain and the United States. Japan meanwhile came in a lowly 35th -- putting it behind such countries as Poland and Croatia.

In 2002, 16.52 million Japanese traveled abroad, but only 5.24 million foreigners visited Japan, creating an international tourism deficit of 4 trillion yen.

The new campaign will include setting up information booths at tourism fairs and inviting foreign media, travel agents and other stakeholders to Japan. It is hoped this will promote the country and help create tours in collaboration with the private sector.

"The nation has exhausted all of its fiscal and financial policy tools in stimulating the economy and there are few remaining measures to stimulate demand -- such as encouraging people to enjoy their leisure time and spend some money," said Haruo Shimada, a professor of economics at Keio University and special adviser to the Cabinet Office. Shimada took the initiative in organizing the tourism campaign.

The tourism industry generates around 50 trillion yen in domestic consumption and creates about 4 million jobs. Increasing the number of foreign visitors by 3 million could add 2.7 trillion yen to the gross domestic product and create an extra 160,000 jobs, according to a government estimate.

But even after a calamitous start to the campaign -- the war in Iraq and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in parts of Asia -- the government still faces an uphill battle in trying to attract visitors to Japan, which has earned itself an unfavorable reputation thanks to its cool reception of foreigners.

"The Japanese have been too lazy for too long when it comes to seriously considering welcoming foreign visitors," said Shimada, referring to Japan's closed society. "We must drastically reform the system to create a barrier-free society in which Japanese and foreigners can live in harmony."

In this regard he cited train tickets and traffic signs.

"The very fact that they are only written in Japanese demonstrates the typical attitude of the Japanese, who are apathetic about the presence of foreigners and make it difficult for them to get around," Shimada said.

He also urged the government to make it easier for other Asians to obtain entry visas.

Most people who visit Japan are from South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the U.S., according to the Japan Tourist Association.

"Those applying for a visa at the Japanese consulate in South Korea are required to fill in necessary documents in either Japanese or English," he observed. "I find it totally ridiculous."

Many European countries have a reciprocal agreement with South Korea and Hong Kong that allows tourists from those countries to visit for short periods without needing a visa. Singapore has a similar agreement with some of its Asian neighbors, according to the association.

Japanese tourists visiting South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan do not need visas, but when people from those countries want to visit Japan, they have to apply to the Japanese government for permission, it said.

Japan's abysmal WTO ranking as a tourist destination proves it is not a popular choice among foreign visitors, with some experts blaming the government's longtime one-sided policy.

When the yen got stronger against the dollar in the late 1980s, the government encouraged Japanese to go abroad and spend money, leaving foreigners with an unfavorable impression of Japan as being a strange and expensive country, according to Kishimitsu Sato, a professor of tourism at Rikkyo University.

Sato said the government had a policy target in the late 1980s of doubling the number of Japanese travelers abroad to 10 million in a bid to avert "Japan-bashing" by the United States and other countries that were apparently frustrated by Japan's ballooning current account surplus.

Increasing the number of foreign visitors may not have a dramatic impact on the economy, Sato said, pointing out that the majority of travelers here are the Japanese themselves. But it could bring positive changes to the nation's tourism industry, which is losing its appeal among many Japanese.

"Things the Japanese take for granted may appear wondrous in the eyes of foreigners, such as the scenery of farming villages or a traditionally dressed old woman in the countryside," he said.

"If (foreigners) spread the word about the uniqueness or beauty of Japan, it may prompt more Japanese to reevaluate their own country, take more domestic trips and revive the nation's tourism industry."

Kosuke Motani, senior adviser of the planning department for regional development at the Development Bank of Japan, said the Japanese must project unique and positive images of their nation, such as its safe cities, in which even young women can venture out alone after dark.

Some countries have succeeded in promoting their cultures, Motani said, citing South Korea, which draws tourists on the strength of its cuisine and busy downtown areas.

"The Japanese must take another look at their culture, lifestyle and identity, which makes them unique and attractive to the people outside," he said.