Abstract
In academic discourses, “night” or “night-life” tend to be connected to the urban and urbanity. Therefore, academic research and discussion about night in non-urban, namely natural or rural areas is in demand. Astronomical tourism in Ishigaki Island is a practice of commodification of night in a natural area and was started to be promoted by the city administration since 2011, contributing to the setting of a “International Dark Sky Places” in 2018. This study will examine how night tourism exists in a Japanese natural area.
