Japan Culture Event in Britain Attracts 40,000 Visitors

London, Nov. 18 (Jiji Press)--A major event for introducing Japanese traditional and pop culture to British youths has attracted some 40,000 visitors, according to organizers of the event. "Hyper Japan Winter," held in London for three days through Sunday, was one of the biggest events in Britain focusing on Japanese culture. It has taken place annually since 2010. Ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, the government of the western city of Kobe, a host of the upcoming games, as well as the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations and others, opened booths to promote tourism. A live public viewing event was held at the site for the Japanese national team's rugby match against England held Saturday in the suburbs of London. A lunar probe developed by Japanese space startup ispace Inc. came under the spotlight on Sunday. Yoshikazu Ikeda, who is in charge of project development at ispace's European operations, called for support for an organization scheduled to be launched early next year to help realize lunar exploration in 2020. "This rover is supported by the hopes and dreams of many people," Ikeda said. "We aim to succeed in the world's first lunar mission by a private company at all costs." END