The Nara Mahoroba-kan, the pilot store and tourism information center run by the Nara Prefectural Government in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district, is hosting a series of events to help communities and businesses affected by torrential rain and typhoons that hit the southern parts of prefecture earlier this year.
Last week, the store started marketing a ¥10,000 voucher that can be used to buy souvenirs or pay for rooms at inns and hotels in Yoshino-gun and Uda-gun counties, as well as cities of Gojo and Uda. The voucher can be purchased at ¥8,000 apiece, with the ¥2,000 gap subsidized by the prefectural government to help bring in tourists to the areas.
In addition, on Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., a Kyoto-based duo Cenal will hold a free charity performance at the store. Cenal's 2010 song "Mamoritaimono" was a theme song for the celebrations commemorating the 1,300th anniversary of the ancient capital's founding that year. They have been actively engaged in charity efforts in the wake of mudslides and other disasters that hit Nara.
From 1 p.m. on Nov. 27, a hot pot dish of wild boar and traditional Yamato vegetables will be offered to visitors for free.
For more information, call the Nara Mahoroba-kan at (03) 3516-3931 or visit www.mahoroba-kan.jp.