Japan may be experiencing a swell of foreign tourists, but not all areas of the country are reaping the rewards.
The Tohoku region is still struggling to carve out a slice of the growing tourism pie, leading tour operators and local businesses to take new steps to elevate its name recognition.
While the region, whose international reputation was damaged by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear disaster, has begun to see signs a tourism revival in recent years, businesses in Tohoku worry that the increase is not enough, and that the area falls short compared to Hokkaido and other popular travel destinations in Japan. New strategies are needed to revamp the disaster-stricken region's reputation, tourism stakeholders believe.