Japanese Tourism ― Spaces, Places and Structures

The changing patterns of Japanese tourism and the views of the Japanese tourist since the Meiji Restoration, in 1868, are given an in-depth historical, geographical, economic and social analysis in this book. As well as providing a case study for the purpose of investigating the changing face of global tourism from the 19th to the 21st Century, this account of Japanese tourism explores both domestic social relations and international geographical, political and economic relations, especially in the northeast Asian context. Socio-cultural and geographical analysis form the research framework for the book, in three ways: first, there is an emphasis on scale as tourism phenomena and their implications are discussed both in a global context and at the national, regional and local levels; second, the discussion is informed by primary data sources such as censuses and surveys; and third, the incorporation of fieldwork and case studies adds concreteness to the overall picture of Japanese tourism. This book is a significant addition to an area of study currently under-represented in the literature.

Carolin Funck is Associate Professor in Human Geography at Hiroshima University (Japan) Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on the development of tourism in Japan and the rejuvenation of mature tourist destinations; machizukuri and citizen participation are her second theme of interest. She is the author of Tourismus und Peripherie in Japan and co-editor of Living Cities in Japan.