The Fukuoka local government launched the Fukuoka Connection Support website on November 1 to promote the prefecture’s attractions, history and cultural appeal. However, a few days later, the Mainichi newspaper reported that local residents had started to complain about misleading content.

An attraction named Uminaka Happiness World does not exist, while the Kashii Kaen Sylvania Garden closed in 2021. The site also claimed that the “Koga sashimi set” was a local delicacy that every visitor should try, even if no one never heard of it.

The site recommends must-see sites in Fukuoka, including the Koinoura Coast, Kagoshima Bay and the Fukutsu Grand Nature Park, even though there are none in the prefecture.

This Week in Asia has contacted the city department overseeing the website’s launch for comment.

An official told the Mainichi that he had not been informed that the website operator would use generative AI for tourism information, adding: “Content accuracy and verifications are fundamental requirements. »