NIPPON.COM




 

Tokyo, Aug. 10 (Jiji Press)--Online travel is starting to boom in Japan, where the novel coronavirus is spreading at an alarming pace, with some tour products allowing participants to view countryside scenery and interact with local people, and others offering virtual travel experience and local specialties.

Travel companies are trying to meet growing needs from consumers who are refraining from long-distance trips amid the epidemic but want to feel like they are making trips while staying at home.

Hankyu Travel International Co. sells an online tour featuring sightseeing spots in Chiba Prefecture. When an image of Kameiwa Cave in the city of Kimitsu in the eastern Japan prefecture is shown on the screen of a personal computer, the voice of a guide says: "In the stream are Japanese rice fish, and tree leaves are green and beautiful. The scenery looks cool."

The tour is gaining popularity, with one participant saying, "I felt as if I was actually in the place, so it was fun."

The tour product also introduces Mount Nokogiri, where people can have a panoramic view of the Boso Peninsula, which covers a large part of the prefecture.