THINKING THROUGH TOURISM IN JAPAN

Four major factors shaping Japanese tourism development
The following two quotes provide an interesting starting point for the discussion of Japanese
internal tourism and reveal some insight into the complexities of the prevailing mindset:
“Tourism Encourages Nation-building that Provides a Good
Living Habitat and a Good Place to Visit
The basic concept for a country built on tourism is the
realization of ‘nation-building’ that provides a good living

habitat and a good place to visit’ whereby the people living in
the region can have a stronger recognition of its ‘highlights’ and
the people visiting the region can also feel the ‘highlights’ even
more strongly. To this end, a tourism revolution is called for
(one that revitalizes cultural charm, re-polishes the ‘highlights’
and recreates a journey that is sound for the mind and soul).”
(Japan Tourism Advisory Council 2003, emphasis added WA)
“Now that we are able to benefit from material prosperity, we
need to abandon our traditional attitude of putting the economy
above all else. We need to step out of our workplaces and enjoy
nature and culture with our family and friends. We need to
regain our emotional wealth and spiritual prosperity.
Tourism provides us with opportunities to look at our land, our
history, our culture, and our way of life from new perspectives
and to build a nation that is truly rich and filled with creative
energy. If this ’faceless’ Japan is to gain the trust and
understanding of the international community, we must first
look inward and learn to understand ourselves.” (Keidanren
2000, emphasis added WA)
Given the tradition of tourism in the form of pilgrimages and the high international profile of
Japanese tourists, tourism in Japan is surprisingly underdeveloped. As the two quotes from
the Japanese government and the national employers association demonstrate, tourism is
furthermore laden with concepts quite different from other industrialised countries- an
assertion that can be rationalised by at least four important factors that can help to understand
the framework under which tourism exists in Japan:
· the unique circumstances of the ongoing ‘nation-building’ process of the imagined
community ‘Japan’
· the position of leisure and tourism in the Japanese society
· the strong influence of ‘big business’ interests in tourism development
· the forms of nature appreciation in Japan.
· Taking each of these in turn, we can now explore the factors in a little more depth.