Abstract
Yufuin Town, located in Yufu City, Oita Prefecture, has long been attracting attention from commercial organizations and local governments nationwide as a successful example of tourism and community development. However, looking back at the history of the town, it is evident that there was a fierce opposition to large-scale development by external capital. Nowadays, the clear division of the town into a quiet hot spring area in the middle of nature and a densely populated area of restaurants and retail stores along the main street introduced by external capital shaped the “Duality” of Yufuin Town. The COVID-19 outbreak at the end of 2019 quickly spread all over the world and seriously damaged the Japanese tourism industry. Under these circumstances, the government of Japan has been implementing large-scale economic support measures to maintain domestic industry and sustain employment. This study reveals how the people operating businesses in Yufuin evaluate these measures as well as the points in common, differences, and challenges based on the “Duality” of this town.
