InsideJapan News Network

Japan's government has announced plans to recruit overseas workers to help improve tourist information for non-Japanese speakers.

It is expected that around 100 English, Chinese and Korean speakers will receive travel allowances in return for visiting various cities and suggesting ways to improve the experience for foreign visitors, reports Reuters.

An official from the Japan Tourism Agency explained: "What we hear is that there really isn't enough information on things like how to buy train tickets.

"It's hard for us Japanese to judge how prepared different parts of the country are - we need people to use as monitors who really don't know Japan at all."

Japan's National Tourism Organisation predicts the number of Chinese visitors to the country could reach 1.5 million in 2010.

Meanwhile, the Yomiuri Shimbun reports Japan and the US are discussing the creation of a new partnership that could encourage more Japanese teachers of English to travel overseas to improve their language skills.

Written by Mark Smith.