MINING THE PACIFIC RIM

Officials in the California Division of Tourism have a yen for Japanese tourists – or at least they hope Japanese tourists will have lots of yen for California. Last week, the office launched a $23-million effort to lure visitors from the Rising Sun to the Golden State. The joint promotion with Coca-Cola, United Airlines and other businesses features a contest offering 500 vacations as prizes. The effort comes as reports of natural disasters, crime and violence have tarnished California’s image and aggressive promotional efforts by other states such as Hawaii and New York have eroded California’s share of the market.