KUANTAN: Tourism Malaysia held talks with the publisher of popular Japanese animation television series – Jujutsu Kaisen – in Japan on Dec 11, hoping to secure their consent to help promote tourism in the state capital here.
State Unity, Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Leong Yu Man said the publisher had requested a week to get in touch with the creator who goes by the pen name Gege Akutami before coming up with a decision on the matter.
"Tourism Malaysia's deputy director Ahmad Junaidy Yahaya who is based in Tokyo was accompanied by Pemaja (Alumni of Friendship Programme for the 21st century Asean-Japan) president Datuk Sahariman Hamdan during the meeting with the anime publisher on Monday.
"Following the meeting in Tokyo, the publisher requested one week to discuss and seek consent from the anime creator. We were informed that the creator seldom appeared in the public," she told reporters after distributing the Bantuan Prihatin Pahang (BPP) for mountain guides, tour guides and boat operators at the Pahang Tourism office here today.
On Dec 6, Leong told the Pahang state assembly that the state government was hoping to capitalise on Kuantan's newfound fame after it was mentioned by anime and manga character Kento Nanami in episode 42 of the Jujutsu Kaisen series.
Prior to his death in the series, the main character Nanami had expressed his desire to visit and settle down in Malaysia, specifically in Kuantan.
Anime fans here shared images of the beach believed to be located at Pantai Kempadang here on social media with some going on to create a Kento Nanami Memorial Shrine landmark on Google Maps.
Meanwhile, Leong said if everything goes as planned, the state government planned to build a memorial for Nanami here and invite the creator to visit the state.
"We are hoping for a favourable reply from the creator which is expected next week. We want to invite the creator to visit Pahang, organise programmes with anime industry followers and sell merchandise related to the Jujutsu Kaisen series," she said.
Leong said Sahariman, who is the Malaysian Homestay Association president since 1995 and had been actively involved in tourism seminars in Japan, was coincidentally in Tokyo this week so he was engaged by Tourism Pahang to join the discussion with the publisher.
Caption:
1.State Unity, Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Leong Yu Man(sitting middle) with the Bantuan Prihatin Pahang (BPP) recipients at the Pahang Tourism office in Kuantan.