For more news visit ☛ http://english.ntdtv.com<br />Follow us on Twitter ☛ http://twitter.com/NTDTelevision<br />Add us on Facebook ☛ http://me.lt/9P8MUn<br /><br />You've probably heard of the children's book Anne of Green Gables. But what you might not know is that this Canadian book written a hundred years ago is so beloved by Japanese people today--that many of them travel halfway around the world just to see where Anne grew up.<br /><br />Prince Edward Island. The smallest province in Canada, its rolling hills and red-sand beaches have made it a popular tourist destination.<br /><br />But it's not just the red cliffs that bring tourists here by the busload. It's a also a girl with red hair--and a big imagination. <br /><br />She's Anne of Green Gables--the main character of the beloved children's book, and a major tourist draw for PEI and this house, where her story is set.<br /><br />[Mariko Iwase, Japanese Tourist]:<br />"When I was a child, I read the Anne of Green Gables books. So I dreamed one day I'd come to here. So today my dream comes true."<br /><br />Canadian author L. M. Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables in 1908. It's the story of an 11-year-old orphan who finally finds a home.<br /><br />Since its publication, the book has sold more than 50 million copies. It's been made into movies, musicals, and even cartoons.<br /><br />And it's been particularly popular in Japan since it was translated into Japanese in 1952. Anne is popular there because of her independent spirit and love of nature.<br /><br />[Kaori Hoshino, Japanese Tourist]: <br />"Anne is so cute and has a lot of imagination."<br /><br />And that's why every year thousands of Japanese tourists come here to visit.<br /><br />[Katsue Masuda, Operations Marketing Manager, PEI Select Tours]: <br />"Some people like 60 or 70 years old, they're dreaming of coming to PEI since they were kids...Just because of the book."<br /><br />[Mari, Japanese Tourist]:<br />"It was a very beautiful place, and it's the same place I imagined...I want to stay longer."<br /><br />Shelley Zhang, NTD News, reporting from Prince Edward Island.
