A Japanese region has launched a bizarre tourism campaign comparing itself to Australia to try to attract domestic tourists.

The campaign for Yamaguchi Prefecture even offers up local version of Australian icons such as Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

But tourists who head to Yamaguchi instead of Australia for the attractions may be disappointed, if the marketing images are anything to go by.

The Japanese version of Uluru is shown as some grey rocks in a field, the bridge attraction is a pedestrian walkway and the sporting arena compared to Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium is a local park.

Spot the similarities: Australia (left) has much in common with the Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan (right) according to a website advertising the Japanese area

The tourism website for Yamaguchi claims it has many sights similar to iconic Australian locations such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge

One of those is the more than 300-year-old Kintai Bridge, pictured here, which is claimed to be the region's answer to the Sydney Harbour Bridge

One of Australia's most famous icons is Uluru, in the Northern Territory

According to the Yamaguchi website, Akiyoshidai park (pictured) is their version of Uluru, and features many rock formations and caves - including the longest in Japan

On a website for the area, a page describes how people can 'Enjoy the Australian mood in Yamaguchi Prefecture'.

In what is perhaps a translation error, the page is titled 'Special delusion Australia journey'.

The idea appears to have been triggered when someone noticed a vague resemblance between Yamaguchi's shape on a map and that of Australia.

Yamaguchi is in the south of Japan's main island on Honshu and is much smaller than Australia - it can be driven across in about two hours.

Strangely, the website chose to compare Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium (left) to the park pictured on the right. From the image, they don't quite seem the same

One thing that Yamaguchi definitely does have that Australia does too is Emus

WHAT'S IN YAMAGUCHI? The prefecture is at the south-west end of Japan's main island, Honshu

About 1.5 million people live in Yamaguchi (at May 2011)

It covers about 6,111 square kilometres - compared to Australia's 7.692 square km

The average high temperature in January is about eight degrees, and about 31 in January

January's average low temperature is about about negative one degree, compared to about 22 degrees in August

Yamaguchi city was reportedly the first city in Japan to celebrate Christmas

Two of its impressive temples - Pagodas - are considered Japanese national treasures

About $290,000 can buy an eight-room home in Yamaguchi city. Compare that to Sydney, where last year, the median house price topped $1 million. Advertisement

But, according to the website, there are a lot of comparable sights.

First up on the list of attractions in Yamaguchi, which is home to about 1.5million people, is the Hachigamine 'stadium' on its eastern side - compared to Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium.

Where Suncorp Stadium can host more than 52,000 people to watch sports, the picture of Hachigamine provided by the tourism website shows a forlorn field of grass.

Just south of the park, however, is Yamaguchi's answer to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Instead of one large steel arch, the Kintai Bridge was built in 1673 - more than 300 years ago - and is made up of five smaller arches of stone and wood.

While not as large as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it is beautiful and detailed, and pictures show it looking stunning in any season, surrounded by forest-clad hills.

Next up is Yamaguchi's version of Uluru. Instead of being a single large rock formation, Akiyoshidai is a park consisting of many rock formations and caves - including the longest cave in Japan.

Sydney has the Opera House, but Yamaguchi has got an alternative to it

The building in the centre background is Shimonoseki Aquarium - supposedly Yamaguchi's expressionist architecture answer to the Sydney Opera House

Even the trees in Yamaguchi are similar to in Australia, according to the website.

Where Australia has Baobab trees in parts of WA and NT, Yamaguchi has Camphor trees, similar in appearance and up to 1,000 years old.

While translation makes some of the website hard to read, there even appears to be emus in Yamaguchi as well.

Finally, the area has what it sees as its own version of the Sydney Opera House - an aquarium boasting 'expressionist architecture', and and answer to the Great Barrier Reef - the world's largest reef of Japanese Daisy Coral.

Australia has Baobab trees (left) while Yamaguchi has 1,000-year-old camphor trees