The last time I went to Green Gables, there was a Japanese wedding party having their pictures done on the grounds, which is not uncommon. Japanese tourism is big business on the Island.
But how, you may ask, did a Canadian literary character become so well-known and popular in Japan? The answer is Hanako Muraoka.
With the onset of W.W. II. this translation became extremely difficult and dangerous because Japan banned the use of English and all Western literature. Hanako worked on the translation in secret, taking it with her to bomb shelters during air raids to keep it safe, knowing she would be arrested if she was caught with the book. It wasn't until 1952 that Anne Of Green Gables, or Akage-no-An was published in Japan and the rest, as they say, is history- thanks to a Canadian missionary and the bravery and determination of Hanako Muraoka.