Miyagi to remove PR video amid sexist criticism

@GooGoo

Which is Latin for "acorn" !

Mike L, we call that a "glans" in biology class, not 'turtle head', haha

Even Kim Kardashian does California promotion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iey7_N_mEx4

A few years ago a commercial video was made to promote the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It was not like those traditional promotional videos you see. It was like a serial killer wandering the valley eating fine food. However, it was well received. Tourist numbers went up. It even won some award. It is still on YouTube. Just search "Barossa. Be consumed".

The bloke doesn't seem too bad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_n_piSyBD0

"Miyagi... iichou" while her lips are shown a suggestive manner and the chara gets a nose bleed. Totally sexist. Is there a Red Light district in Miyagi... if there is they'll like this commercial.

I'm really sick of Dan Mitsu to be honest. Don't find her attractive at all.

This is my 99th viewing of the clip. If Abe can use public fund to promote reproduction rate, what is wrong to use the same fund to promote tourism? The nice thing about the clip is that It has therapeutic effect too.

It's a bit archaic, isn't it?

Wt... is this video??

As a woman, moreover as a human being, I would dislike if a video supposed to promote my city turns into showing open mouth girl, causing noseblood and stroke big head turtle...

Using a ex-porn actress playing the "sensual guide" definetly won't help!!!

Of course that is a sexist video, and the people who made it using public fund should be fired. Such money for such a disaster.

I just hope the people traumatized by this lecherous riceball can ever make it through it and function in society again.

as I mentioned before in relation to this, should be canned on the grounds of abject mawkishness alone.

It should be noted that in Japan, a nosebleed (when Dan Mitsu whispers in the mascot's ear) means the mascot is thinking dirty thoughts. This is Japanese culture: when a man thinks naughty/sexual thoughts, his blood pressure rises, and gets a nosebleed. It is used in a humorous way in Japanese anime and TV very often to show that a person is thinking perverted things, but for that to be used in a tourism ad? ...that's not right.

Miyagi tourist board, government...what, you video was fine. It is sad you had to bow to all these troglidytes. It was a great video. No matter how much I am flamed for this, I loved the video. I love Japan and this style advertising. I am so disgusted with America and some others political correctness. Say all you want, I could care less. I thoroughly enjoyed the video and when I get back to Japan I may just have to visit because of this video to snub my nose and damn the naysayers.

Very cultural, very subtle and delicacy. The turtle is much better than a gun. Beautiful sound as well.

A bit wired but not sexist. Maybe the complainers have a naturally dirty mind? or those that think its fine have zero libido!?

Just saw the video... humorous (in the way many Japanese commercials are weird, thus humorous), but totally inappropriate for a government sponsored video to promote tourism. What an embarrassment.

kimochi desu ka? HAHAHAHA! What a classic.

Beautiful lips as long as not faked. There is nothing wrong. Japan is erotic nation, no shame about it.

What was that song by James Brown? This is a mans world...

Nicolas LebretonToday  04:57 pm JST

"Sex is baaaaaad, m'kay? Definitely not funny, m'kay?"

It seems humor is definitely not something that most people master very well over there in Miyagi as well as around here.

It must feel good to imagine yourself as the only person in a crowd who is okay with sex, a kind of libertine fantasy which requires nothing more of you that to be yourself. Oh, and the teeniest effort to ignore everything everyone else is saying and just imagine they think sex is bad without actually hearing them say it. Because no one in this debate has ever said that sex is either bad or not funny.

This video represents the people of Miyagi to the outside world. To say that they must be represented in a sexual way that appeals to you personally, simply because you enjoy when they are represented that way... yeah, that's a pretty monumental degree of sexism. The video itself isn't necessarily sexist, but how it was being used definitely is.

It's nothing compared to the girly magazine covers for public view at the conbini.

The elephant in the room here is that many Miyagi onsen ryokan still employ onsen geisha. Interesting that neither the critics nor the prefectural government would admit to it.

I don't know how common onsen geisha still are, but many many resorts throughout Japan will provide "companions", women who make small talk and pour drinks at enkai parties. There are also souped-up versions including ones in see-through tops, nurses uniforms, or ones that go topless and may permit a certain amount of touching once the drinks are flowing. Any inaka travel agent should be able to book you a package trip with companions included. I heard all this from blokes in the local inaka volunteer fire brigade who normally go for "pink companions" or "super see-through". All male parties will go back somewhere will old rooms and mediocre food if the companions are good.

Last week I was at the Hanshin game and they showed a video of many Kansai celebrities singing their anthem "rokko oroshi". It was a good way of showing some Kansai/Tigers pride. Instead of using Dan Mitsu who isn't even from Miyagi, why don't they use celebrities from/working there to promote their prefecture like Ai Fukuhara, Sandwichman and Takahiro Norimoto.

Always some one will be offended by something. Lower tooth row seems to be less than perfect and that must be offensive to some dentists - please consider their tender sensibilities. Have no Japanese language but did think the visuals were rather childish.

Didn't see too much with it. I am actually more offended that in Japan to promote something, you have to use some silly animated character to get grown adults to make a choice on vacation like they were kids watching the Saturday cartoons/commercials the months before Christmas.

How about an "adult" ad campaign that treats the viewers like adults and brings out the highlights of the area without resorting to kiddie characters.

The price tag attached to said video is somewhat irrelevant as its paid out at this point in time wither you take it down or not. 380 complaints really isnt all that crazy given that its now after the roll out of said promotional video. One could argue that the publicity generated by it being "news" was greater than any it could have generated else wise. Though unlikely to increase any prefecture revenue, or maybe some people are more delusional than one would imagine.

Well as an outsider I thought it was a great add for tourism .

uh, its just really poorly done and weird. I guess all the money went into paying the bimbo and the 'special effects'.

pacinct: "Wasn't that already covered here some time ago?"

Yes, but at that time it was flat out rejected by the Governor (hence in the article it says, "despite keeping the video online previously"). This time I guess the pressure had increased and it was clear the case had become public (not as a PR video, but as sexism).

So, again, YES, a lot of people saw the video -- because the spotlight was put on it after the original complaint. That the guy is self-satisfied and using the number of hits as some sort of "proof" of its effectiveness shows he is not fit to lead.

YadotNajap: Yes, there is a connection between her being a former porn star and the sexism and sexual innuendo in the video. First and foremost she is a recognised face -- BECAUSE of her porn movies. They used her keeping that at least partly in mind, and knowing she would have fans and attract potential customers. That's one link. The second link is that through her porn work she knows how to appeal, on camera, very sensually and sexually; not the "Kimochii?" and the wet lips parted slowly, etc. She knows what she is doing alright, and it's isn't a coincidence it's her doing it.

And come on... the turtle's head being kissed? You guys are nuts if you can't see any symbolism.

I guess none of us would have ever watched (and paid attention to) this video if it wasn't "news".

... and I even got a kanji lesson out of it thanks to Mike.

A few years ago a commercial video was made to promote the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It was not like those traditional promotional videos you see. It was like a serial killer wandering the valley eating fine food. However, it was well received. Tourist numbers went up. It even won some award. It is still on YouTube. Just search "Barossa. Be consumed". And for this one, it is wicked and funny. I do not speak Japanese but started laughing when I saw the rice head and laughed even harder when they are riding the turtles. Too bad it is now taken down.

The elephant in the room here is that many Miyagi onsen ryokan still employ onsen geisha. Interesting that neither the critics nor the prefectural government would admit to it.

To spend 23 million yen then receive 380 complaints can hardly be money well spent when the aim is to promote and showcase the area tourist locations.  To argue that a degree of negative publicity is a a method of judging whether a promotional campaign is successful  or not, little wonder female assembly members are close to organizing a lynching,

Best advice for Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai is to climb on top of one of the turtles and make a quick getaway.

I like it I do. Write an irrelevant script, employ a hot erotic actress and some flying turtles, get some bloke with a rice ball for a head and pay $200,000 to sexually suggest that Miyagi isn't as tedious as people think. I'm on my way! Nagoya & Saitama should do the same, I might actually visit there too.

The government has received about 380 complaints or negative comments about the video via phone calls, emails and letters.

380, is that it?! Not quite the tsunami of complaints some were anticipating which shows most ppl were fine with it and/or didn't give a s...e

Again a faceless government worker and talentless agency conspire to spend tax payers money on an inappropriate add that demeans women and turtles for that matter although mostly women, as a turtle like most tax payers they have no idea they are paying for their own demise. Please sexually portray old men with taxpayers money, let's see how that goes.

The only plausible complaint I can see arising would be that the Video is so terrible and the person who wasted Public money upon it should be fired!

This woman is something of a meretrix... beautiful, but risque for this gig.

Turtle's head 亀頭 is the kanji for the head of the penis in Japanese.

Brilliant.

part of which came from a fund for reconstruction from the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster

Seriously? Who is in charge of this money?

Dan Mitsu has done pornography, and as such must be a very risqué ambassador for a prefecture. She also graduated from Showa Women’s University in Sangenjaya, which is likes to be seen as anything BUT that.

Never heard of her before. My god she's beautiful.

Never had a dream before of being a flying turtle. Maybe tonight.

Wasn't that already covered here some time ago?

Recall some posters showed the same reaction at that time.

they actually used money from the disaster reconstruction fund to make this bizarre rubbish?

A bit wired but not sexist. Maybe the complainers have a naturally dirty mind?

Tamarama, agreed.

I remember that Masamune chibi from when I visited Sendai last year, I never expected it would turn out like this for him.

On that note, you have to wonder what old Masamune himself would have thought of being used as a commercial for the city he founded like this..... I'd like to know definitely.

It wasn't offensive, unless you count, "Can I get on top? Does it feel good?"

I just thought it was horrible. Certainly wouldn't make me want to visit Miyagi. It had very little to do with Miyagi, unless Miyagi is full of half asleep chicks who think they are sexy.

Oh my jeez, that is one whacked out video. If you knew no Japanese, you would think it some bizarre hallucinatory animated fantasy.

On the other hand, it really perfectly frames contemporary Japan and where it is at.

Weirdness.

""We need to be considerate toward those who are unhappy and have negative feelings about it,"

Didn't need to yesterday! Funny that.

"But I have no doubt the video played its role of attracting visitors to Miyagi Prefecture,"

Sex tourism and the promise of it brings in hundreds if not thousands of people to certain countries every year, but does that make it good? This sick man is obviously thumbing his nose at the protesters and believes that he's smart. He should be canned.