Yamanashi proposed the partnership to Shizuoka in a bid to take advantage of the popularity of Mt. Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, which straddles the two neighboring prefectures, in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries, informed sources said.
It is rare that municipalities in Japan collaborate to sell their local specialties overseas, according to a senior official of Yamanashi. Under the proposed partnership, Yamanashi would promote fruits from both prefectures at sales bases it will set up in Malaysia and Singapore this summer, the sources said. The two prefectures hope to win customers and expand sales channels especially in those countries, which have relatively large affluent populations, the sources said.
