Abstract

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. 

Malcolm Cooper was Vice-President, Research and International Cooperation until 2011 at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Beppu, Japan. He is currently Professor of Tourism Management and Environmental Law. He is a specialist in tourism management and development, environmental planning, water resource management and environmental law. He is co-editor of the books Volcanic Tourism – Geo-Resources for Leisure and Recreation, Biomedical Knowledge Management: Infrastructures and Processes for E-Health Systems and Information and Communication Technologies in Support of the Tourism Industry, and co-author of Health & Wellness Spa Tourism and River Tourism.

“The volume's scope suggests how daunting the editors' task was, and they do a credible job, addressing issues ranging from governmental policy to heritage tourism to the possibilities of virtual tourism in the 21st century.  This is a good introduction to the subject… what the authors do accomplish is significant, particularly for comparative tourism studies…Highly recommended.”  ·  Choice

"The authors have set an ambitious aim when attempting to cover such a large area as the development of Japanese tourism, but this is a well written book full of useful information, which reflects the obvious deep insight of the authors into Japanese tourism, past and present… This market is very important but has remained, until now, to a large extend, unexplained."  ·  Monika Rulle, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald

“Japanese Tourism is a much welcomed and needed contribution to the field of tourism studies. Japan has long been a major source of international tourists, and is an increasingly more important destination, as well. This is one of the few books on Japanese tourism available to an international audience, and may be the only one that gives a comprehensive view of both domestic and international travel, including historical, economic and cultural perspectives. Funck and Cooper’s insights are must reading for anyone interested in the role of tourism in contemporary Japan.”  ·  Alan A. Lew, Northern Arizona University