Overtourism: How to Create Towns That Are Not Consumed by Tourism

2020/06/16

Currently, I conduct research and studies on regional economic and social policies at a private think tank, but my major at Keio was political science. At Hiyoshi, I was drawn to political dynamics such as decision-making and power theory, and at Mita, I chose Japanese diplomatic history as a field where these could be concretely observed. Upon publishing my first book, I realized once again that the training I received back then is still relevant today.

Overtourism, also known as "tourism pollution," is a phenomenon where noise, littering, and other issues caused by a rapid increase and concentration of visitors damage not only the nature and atmosphere of tourist destinations but also the lives of local residents. While seen worldwide, it has become serious in some Japanese cities like Kyoto since the mid-2010s, when efforts to attract foreign visitors gained momentum.

By the time I started writing, several reportages on this theme had already been published, forcing me to differentiate my work from preceding books. What I focused on was "emphasizing historical context" and "presenting concrete solutions."

In the first half of the book, I introduced domestic and international cases, paying attention to the origins of tourist destinations and industries, as well as the relationship between sending and receiving countries. Through these, the unique circumstances of each region and the long-standing factors hindering the resolution of overtourism were revealed, which shared commonalities with the study of diplomatic history.

In the second half of the book, I covered new trends in addressing overtourism, such as the use of ICT and "responsible tourism"—a travel style where tourists also strive to prevent overtourism. While it is not easy to present solutions for an ongoing phenomenon, the reason I dared to challenge it lies in my memories of my master's program. Please forgive me if my memory is incorrect, but in one seminar, the professor gave a harsh comment to a student who was merely explaining observation results. He said, "An analysis that does not consider solutions to reality and the provision of costs is not a social scientific study." I still remember the strong and stern tone of the professor, who was usually full of humor.

Even though my university days are long ago, I feel that the influences received in one's youth do not easily leave. While I am grateful for everything I was taught, it also feels like evidence of a lack of progress, leaving me with somewhat mixed feelings.

Overtourism: How to Create Towns That Are Not Consumed by Tourism

Akiko Kosaka

Gakugei Shuppansha

272 pages, 2,300 yen (excluding tax)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.