Japanese resort town Atami, which was once popular with honeymooners, is now in the news for turning to a new breed of romance seekers—virtual sweethearts. A Japanese dating stimulation game named Love Plus, is allowing the players to experience young romance with a virtual girlfriend. WSJ reported that some people have even taken the new game to a real island resort.
The marriage rate is Japan declining and the population rate in the tiny Asian nation is also on the wane. Many of the country's remaining lovebirds are heading for Hawaii or Australia's Gold Coast, so Atami needed to come up with something.
The promotional campaign was launched on July 10 and since then more than 1,500 male fans of LovePlus+ have flocked to Atami to spend some quality time with their videogame character girlfriends.
Although the girls are virtual but the men are real. The trips are actual and expensive as it has been tried to re-create the virtual weekend outing featured in the game. The game is a product of Konami Corp. played on Nintendo Co.'s DS videogame system. "Atami has always been a romantic place, but it is now a romantic place for a modern generation," says Sakae Saito, Atami's mayor.
Konami Digital Entertainment is selling the Love Plus video game with wording reading: "Can't stop loving her ... 365 days. This love gentle, warm and strong like the sun. Together we sail out to the sea of love..."
In the game, the couple tours the local landmarks and the girlfriend changes into a yukata, a casual summer kimono. The couple then stay overnight at the Hotel Ohnoya, which is famous for its cavernous, white-columned Roman-style baths.
