Watching the Light of the Nation and the Japanese Concept of Tourism

－Tourism as a Cultural Phenomenon－

Abstract

This paper explores the Japanese concept of tourism, comparing it to the Western idea of tourism. Previous tourism research has often contrasted pre-modern travel with modern tourism and experiences in everyday life with those at tourist destinations. However, this paper questions whether the same framework applies to analyzing modern tourism and pre-modern travel in Japan as it does in the West. In Japan, modern tourism includes group travel from schools and companies, and pre-modern travel is more focused on enjoyment. The paper argues that the commonly used dichotomy or contrast does not effectively capture the essence of tourism in Japan, emphasizing that tourism is a cultural phenomenon and can be culturally defined.