2018 Volume 16 Pages 96-114
This research aims to clarify characteristics of the recogniton of otherness from interview surveys for the farmers who have successfully accepted foreign tourists to agritourism in Semboku City, Akita Prefecture. The results of surveys show the reasons for their success and provide reference cases for most of the Japanese who can not avoid close contacts with foreigners in the near future, although they can neither have enough opportunities to interact with foreigners nor to learn foreign languages as preparations. Analysis of interview data shows that the farmers find special value in the otherness of tourists and this positive recogniton of otherness motivates them to keep communicating with and accepting the tourists. However, in this way of the recognition of otherness, no special weight is given to being foreigners. Willing to build relationships with others is not born from emphasizing particular categories. Nuturing the new way of recognition of otherness which does not push people into particular categories will be rased as the new challenge for the language and culture education.
