Abstract
Since 1995, when the Green Tourism Act was enforced, Rural-Inns Managed by Families Engaged in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery has been promoted as a part of rural agricultural policy. After 2003, when the Accommodation Business Act provided for future deregulation, the number or Rural Inns with 'less than 33 square meters room area' increased sharply. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has surveyed the number of such Rural-Inns every five years in the Census of Agriculture and Forestry and the Census of Fisheries. In addition, the Green Tourism division of MAFF also has surveyed the number of Less-Regulated Rural-Inns (defined as 'less than 33 square meters room area') every year. However, both of these data sets exhibit difficulties in illuminating the actual situation of these Less-Regulated Rural-Inns. In general, Rural-Inns have to get a license as a Restaurant Business as dictated by the Food Sanitation Act. However, there remain many Small-Rural-Inns that do not have the required restaurant licence all over Japan. This paper examines the problems of MAFF statistics, describing a new approach to obtaining an accurate view of Less-Regulated Rural-Inns, available by using the Information Disclosure System as it exists in Kyoto Prefecture.
