This study examined the usefulness of text mining in analysing tourism behaviour by comparing and analysing electronic word of mouth (eWOM) concerning Shirakawa-go from both Japanese and foreign individuals posted on a travel review website. Comparison of Japanese and English eWOM, as clustered by the latent Dirichlet allocation, revealed a certain degree of commonality in the content of both versions on several topics related to sightseeing behaviours in the village ─ such as eating, walking and touring, and taking photographs ─ while significant differences were found between the two versions on the topic of World Heritage sites. Negative reactions to the rapid increase in foreign tourists appeared in the Japanese version, whereas the characteristic words in the English version showed that the target site was consumed as a place to enjoy a unique folk culture. Differences also emerged between the two versions on the topic of means of transport, reflecting the number of means of transport to Shirakawa-go available to both parties. The cooccurrence network analysis, stratified by the subjects’ place of departure, also provided findings that corroborate the existing interview survey results, and showed its effectiveness as a means of reinforcing the f indings from an existing qualitative survey.

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Shiroyone Senmaida, which has a landscape of rows of paddy fields on the slopes facing the Sea of Japan, is valuable as a tourism resource because it is used as farmland. However, rice cultivation in the current Shiroyone Senmaida is carried out by a local association of manias, which many volunteers support. In terms of funding, although an owner system has been adopted in which supporters are recruited from all over the country, subsidies from the local government are also required. In other words, securing farmers and funds has become crucial to rice farming. In this study, the status of Shiroyone Senmaida tourism and the relationship with those involved in cultivation were analyzed, and the history of development was investigated. Furthermore, we proposed measures to balance farmland conservation and tourism utilization by focusing on the relationship between traditional farming methods and land use that protects biodiversity, which is evaluated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. Specifically, the methodology of ecotourism was used to show how sustainable tourism development can be achieved. Ultimately, this study envisioned a new type of ecotourism initiative that focuses on traditional local farming practices and biodiversity conservation to ensure cultivators and funding.

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Although a restaurant’s name is important when seeking to attract tourists, few studies have been conducted of the factors involved. This paper investigated the names of farm restaurants and the factors that influenced their naming, focusing on the Kanto and Kinki areas. To do so, we collected data from the websites of 291 farm restaurants: 183 in Kanto and 108 in Kinki. First, we characterized the naming of restaurants by co-occurrence network analysis. We found that owners of Kanto restaurants prefer familiarity, while those in Kinki prefer names that remind readers of diversity and the connection between farms and food. Second, from an estimation of the logit model to identify factors causing differences between the two areas, we found that farm restaurants in Kanto feature imaginary words of the countryside and familiar words, while those in Kinki feature words emphasizing food quality and good service.

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Contents tourism is attracting growing interest as a promotion measure in community-based tourism. Particularly, amine fans are often attracted to the locale of an anime. Their visits are called “pilgrimages” and often carry excessive expectations for the economic benefits, despite the limited life span of that kind of tourism. From an empirical point of view, the perception among residents of the changes that take place after the occurrence of contents tourism has not been fully investigated. This paper addresses this matter by focusing on Chichibu, which has often been the site of popular anime and has attracted anime fans as tourists. The authors conducted on-site interviews with 52 residents, including shop owners, and quantitatively investigated the perception of socio-economic effects and factors influencing such effects. The results revealed that among residents, psychological effects were often perceived, such as enhancement of the self-esteem of the local community, which could outlast the short-lived economic effects. Although this psychological aspect is likely to be underestimated, it should be taken into account when we consider the effects of contents tourism, because it lasts longer in residents’ perceptions and becomes a factor that forms community pride.

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[in Japanese]

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To assist in the planning of tourist events and to gauge venue locations, the author crafted a device dubbed the Social Distance Portable Lantern （Distance Lantern）. This innovative tool identifies tourists passing near predetermined access points. An enhanced version of the Distance Lantern, using a navigation satellite system （NSS） such as GPS, can capture the precise locations of tourists. This data is then transmitted using a digital, low-power community radio, offering nearly real-time insights into tourists’ activities. The updated device tracks movements of tourists between access points and their transit routes within venues, a task with which the original version struggled. By analyzing movement data from this improved Distance Lantern alongside survey responses, patterns in routes chosen by tourists with varying attributes become evident. Operational results confirmed the significant advantage to event management of obtaining real-time movement information on tourists through wireless transmission of NSS location data. Furthermore, a correlation was observed between a tourist’s attributes and chosen routes. This suggests applications such as modifying venue guidance based on tourists’ attributes.

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The midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been relaxations in bilateral two-way tourism, facilitated by the easing of restrictions at international airports. However, individuals with disabilities, particularly those with mental health disorders or developmental disabilities, face complexities when crossing borders due to the use of psychotropic medications. This complexity is exemplified through issues related to overseas travel insurance and carrying medication certificates.This study aims to identify and articulate these issues and subsequently foster constructive dialogue among relevant stakeholders. The objective is to propose solutions that enable individuals with developmental and mental health disorders to undertake overseas travel and study with ease and confidence. The proposed solutions aim to not only benefit individuals with disabilities but also alleviate the burdens on facilities and mitigate the ‘psychological barriers’ experienced by stakeholders such as travelers, service providers, and institutions when crossing borders.The issues highlighted in this study are essential for the future of international tourism involving individuals with mental health or developmental disorders. Therefore, from the perspective of tourism studies, the points raised in this study hold significant value.

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