Abstract
This paper is an exploration of desirable relationship between tourism research and tourism education. It discusses recent trends of Western cultural studies of tourism and reflects on current educational methods employed at Ryutsu Keizai University (RKU)'s Department of Tourism in the Faculty of Sociology. Recently, Western cultural studies have accomplished notable works on tourist culture. Recent pubished research based on the fieldworks of RKU's tourism research majors engaged in overseas study tour programs may be seen as the beginning of indigeneous cultural studies of tourism in Japan. These study tours do not aim at intellectually sophisticated analysis, but are rather down-to-earth experiences designed to improve students understanding of tourism by trial and error. Heated discussions between students and accompanying faculty testify to the intensity of the learning experience. The author contends that this down-to-earth approach is the most vital factor in the steady improvement of education of future persons to practice the cultural tourism for themselves.
https://ror.org/008754496 
