Title: Constructing Idealized Communities in Japan's Countryside
Abstract:This paper examines the recent dramatic increase in tourists visiting Japan's countryside, specifically onsen (hot spring resorts). Citing government efforts to improve access to remote regions, the i...This paper examines the recent dramatic increase in tourists visiting Japan's countryside, specifically onsen (hot spring resorts). Citing government efforts to improve access to remote regions, the increase in passenger cars, and an underlying desire to escape the city, this paper describes Japan's new independent tourist and the recent popularity of small-scale onsen. In stark contrast to huge onsen resorts that were popular 20 years ago, these smaller onsen have become popular through tourist place-making, in which idealized rural villages are recreated for commercial purposes. Through the example of Kumamoto Prefecture's Kurokawa Onsen, this paper shows recent trends in Japanese tourism and highlights the problematic nature of tourist place-making in Japan's countryside.Read More