Hoping to boost Thai people's interest in visiting Japan, events to promote Japanese culture and tourism took place this weekend at various places around Bangkok.

The Japan Weekend events, organized by the Japan External Trade Organization together with Japanese government entities and the private sector, featured youth pop culture including music and manga as well as selected sightseeing spots in Japan.

Among the highlights were short concerts by pop singers and idol groups such as Yui Makino, Choucho and Akamaru Dash, while the manga event displayed original works by Japanese artists and introduced e-comic books to Thai readers.

The tourism fair provided information for self-guided travelers, whose numbers have been rising dramatically, and a business-matching session between tourism-related companies of both countries.

Japan Weekend is part of a government initiative to promote tourism and cultural content in the Asia-Pacific market, where the working-age population is increasing.