Ancestral tourism is flourishing across Europe—in countries such as England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, and Germany—and its economic benefits are increasingly recognized. Most visitors originate from the United States and choose to explore rural areas linked to their forebears rather than conventional tourist hotspots. Because these travelers approach their journeys with a strong sense of respect for their ancestry, ancestral tourism is generally considered less prone to overtourism. In Japan, however, the phenomenon has yet to gain comparable traction. While certain municipalities have introduced initiatives, a nationwide surge remains elusive. This study examines the contrasts between overseas and Japanese ancestral tourism to identify the challenges and potential pathways for expanding this niche in Japan.

This study used data from the period before the COVID-19 epidemic to analyze the destinations of foreign visitors in Japan. The analyses identified Japanese prefectures that foreign travelers choose to visit and stay, based on the their origins. While foreign travelers' destinations are generally concentrated in certain prefectures, travelers from Taiwan and Hong Kong show more diversity in terms of places to visit and stay. Visitors from Taiwan are choosing prefectures in the Tohoku region relative to other areas and those from Hong Kong select Fukushima/Ibaraki prefectures and their vicinities as their visit and stay destinations.

This study focuses on Karuizawa as a representative example of Japan's highland resorts. Using postcards as primary sources, it has two main objectives: (1) to identify and categorize the landscape characteristics of highland resorts through analysis of landscape elements, and (2) to examine the evolution of visitor engagement patterns and the intergenerational transmission of cultural values, by comparing postcard imagery with present-day landscapes. The findings reveal that Karuizawa's postcard imagery reflects a fusion of natural and man-made elements. These landscapes can be grouped into five typologies: "Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza streetscapes," "natural landscapes," "highland scenery," "forest and architectural landscapes," and "railway landscapes," each reflecting different aspects of the region's identity and historical development.

This study aims to clarify the changes between 1998 and 2020 in the Kutchan Station Shopping Street, a commercial district in a region undergoing the internationalization of its ski resorts, by comparing the industry composition and on-site Layout over that period. Analysis of residential maps and photographs from 1998 and 2020 revealed that, although there have been many new store openings and the area has not declined to the point of losing its function as a commercial district, the shopping street is transitioning a new spatial characteristic from its former state (shops stand side by side) to its new state (individual shops are scattered with parking lots around them). Furthermore, it was found that the industry composition has shifted to focus on shops used by tourists.

Focusing on the pivotal role of municipal employees in charge of tourism in promoting regional tourism development, this study analyzes and examines how their motivation can be enhanced by employing the framework of work engagement. The findings reveal that the sources of their motivation cannot be fully explained by conventional antecedents of work engagement alone; rather, there are unique, context-specific factors—such as a strong sense of contribution to the local community and satisfaction with their departmental assignment—that play a critical role. This issue is particularly significant given the increasing reliance on local governments to drive tourism strategies that align with regional revitalization policies. Understanding the underlying psychological mechanisms behind their motivation offers valuable insights for both policy design and organizational management in the public sector

This study aims to examine the development of beer tourism in hop-garden areas. Specifically, it elucidates the patterns associated with beer tourism in Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, and the social effects of beer tourism on tourism-related businesses and hop farmers in the city. The results of this survey confirmed that in rural hop-garden areas with few breweries, there is a pattern of tourism centred around farmers' inns and train station. It also became clear that beer tourism is recognised as a strategy for promoting agriculture and tourism. Moreover, this initiative fostered collaboration between private enterprises, thus creating opportunities for the development of tourism-related storytelling.

This study examines the potential for relationship-building and the role of points of contact between prospective migrants and local residents during visits to the region as tourists. The case study shows that connections with local residents emerged through places that visitors could casually drop into at any time, leading to the development of personal relationships and the sharing of local networks through chains of introductions. These relationships enabled access to the information on vacant houses and social networks even before relocation, which are typically available only after settling in. This resident-driven form of engagement, emerging through incidental encounters rather than institutional support, contributed to accelerating the migration process.

This study examines the determinants of high school students' intentions for settlement (continued physical residence) and sustained engagement (continued involvement from outside the community) in depopulated areas, analytically distinguishing between these two forms of attachment.It investigates how factors such as local awareness, attachment, and civic pride influence both intentions, and explores the potential of students aiming to leave their hometowns for further education or employment to become part of the anchored related population-individuals who, while not settling, maintain involvement with their place of origin and contribute to local community development.

This paper examines the characteristics of tourism research in Japan over the past 20 years. By comparing an international journal of tourism studies with Japanese tourism research journals and collections of research papers, the study identifies several concepts unique to Japanese tourism research: "Kanko-Machizukuri," "Kankeijinko," "Koryujinko," and "Fukko-Tourism." These terms are challenging to translate precisely into English. Research that utilizes these concepts reflects and indicates the current state and future direction of Japanese society, which is frequently affected by large-scale natural disasters and is facing a decline in population.

This study aims to reinterpret the concept of pseudo-events, originally proposed by American historian Daniel J. Boorstin, through an examination of his historical perspective on American society. Although Boorstin's argument has frequently been understood as a critique of mass tourism, this study reconsiders his theory in the context of his broader historical reflections on democracy and technological innovation in the United States. In doing so, it demonstrates that the pseudo-events concept should not be confined to tourism critique alone, but rather viewed as part of a more comprehensive historical analysis of modernity.

This study critically examines the popular image of oni (Japanese demons/ogres) and challenges the assumption that they are naturally suited for tourism promotion. It explores how oni, once symbols of fear and exclusion, have been reimagined in the postwar era as approachable figures within tourism contexts. Oni-themed destinations in contemporary Japan fall into two types: the “festival-type,” which utilizes regional events as tourism resources, and the “story-type,” which is based on folklore. Many of these tourist destinations are located in non-metropolitan areas and function as means of regional revitalization. The rising cultural value of oni as consumer symbols further drives their transformation into tourism resources.

Public skateboard parks have been developed by local governments following the selection of skateboarding as a new event for the Tokyo Olympics , but there are issues with poor user etiquette and management that does not understand the freedom of street skating. This study sought to identify solutions to these issues through local skater-led initiatives, analyzing activities at public skateboard parks nationwide based on a survey of local governments. The results revealed efforts such as improving user etiquette and installing sections with higher levels of freedom. It was found that organizing volunteer groups of local skaters is crucial for enhancing freedom and resolving issues, as it enables users and local government managers to collaborate in maintaining and managing the parks.