Otona Muse partnership inspires Japanese travelers to discover California

This summer, Visit California partnered with Otona Muse, a leading lifestyle magazine and digital platform reaching 1.43 million millennial women, and JTB, Japan’s largest tour operator, to inspire Japanese travelers to discover California.

The campaign featured popular Japanese singer, dancer and actor Takanori “Gan-chan” Iwata, one of Japan’s most recognizable celebrities. Through a series of travel experiences, Gan-chan showcases the diversity of Southern California, with stops in Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Greater Palm Springs, Anaheim and San Diego. Content from his journey was distributed across Otona Muse and JTB print, digital and social channels, including Instagram and YouTube, reaching consumers across platforms.

At the center of the partnership was a 100-page special edition of Otona Muse, “Fall in Love with California,” dedicated entirely to California travel and featuring Gan-chan’s experiences across Southern California. The special edition provides readers with destination inspiration and travel ideas while showcasing the breadth of experiences available across the region.

The collaboration also connects inspiration directly to conversion. JTB launched new bookable itineraries designed for millennial women and inspired by Gan-chan’s favorite Southern California experiences, providing consumers with a direct path from travel inspiration to booking.

Since launching in late June, the partnership has generated 15 million impressions, 120,000 video views and $2.2 million in media value. Additional content will roll out in the coming months, extending the campaign’s reach and keeping California top of mind with Japanese travelers. Building on the Southern California collaboration, Visit California is planning a second activation highlighting Northern California in 2027.