Abstract
Yoshio Kinoshita, a railroad innovator and one of the establishers of Japan Tourist Bureau (JTB), conceived of national parks of Japan while he was studying railroad transportation in the United States in 1905. After briefing American national parks in the National Park Committee of the Imperial Diet in 1911, he wrote letters to American national parks asking for information on the park management, and promoted national park movement using JTB's “Tourist” magazine. Reflecting depression, national parks were supported to gain foreign exchange rather than to foster international understanding of Japan. After Kinoshita's death, the access-oriented national park movement was promoted by Tsuyoshi Tamura through the “Tourist” magazine and other publications.
