By Galina Khoikhina

In August 2020, I went to Hida Furukawa, located in Gifu Prefecture. I was an exchange student in Japan and travelled to this small city as a part of my term paper project about the relationship between anime pilgrimage and rural revitalization. Anime pilgrimage (anime seichi junrei) is a type of tourism based on people visiting places that appear in an anime. Hida Furukawa, became famous as a destination for anime tourism in 2016, just after the release of Makoto Shinkai’s animated film “Your Name (Kimi no na wa)”. 

The animated film “Your Name” tells the story of Mitsuha, a girl from the countryside and Taki, a boy from Tokyo. Although they are strangers, they begin to switch bodies from time to time, and through this experience learn more about each other’s life. According to the plot, Mitsuha lives in the small town of Itomori. It is a fictional town, but many locations could be found in Hida Furukawa and its surroundings. 

The goal of my project was to find out how the release of the animated film “Your Name” affected the tourism industry in Hida Furukawa. To answer my research question, I went to Hida Furukawa and visited tourist information centers, kumihimo workshops and the city library. I also talked with residents. 

First thing I found out was that the tourist information centers offer a map for anime pilgrims. It shows the locations of the places, which appeared in the film, and provides general information about the city. 

The release of the anime film “Your name” also influenced the souvenirs sold to tourists. In addition to selling official anime goods, souvenir shops also sell local products, which are adjusted specially for anime pilgrims. For example, local sake is sold in the same bottles that appear in the anime. 

Furthermore, kumihimo workshops were organized for anime tourists. Kumihimo is the Japanese art of making cords, and it plays an important role in the anime “Your Name”. These workshops allow residents to interact with tourists. 

Some restaurants have also changed their marketing campaigns to attract anime pilgrims. Eateries offer discounts to tourists who came to Hida Furukawa to visit “the sacred sites”. 

Another interesting location is the city library.  Since it played a big part in the anime, tourists began to visit it a lot. Some of them disturbed the readers, so the staff even had to introduce rules for anime pilgrims. However, the librarians are very friendly to properly behaved anime pilgrims. They created a special “Your Name” corner, where visitors can make photos and leave feedback.  

To conclude, Hida Furukawa is an example of how anime content can be successfully integrated into existing tourism strategies and provide citizens working in this industry with a high level of interaction with anime pilgrims. 

*Galina Khoikhina is a BA student in Freie Universität Berlin’s Japanese Studies program. She is currently working on her BA thesis about tourism in rural Japan. 

by Cornelia Reiher

During the Covid-19 pandemic, more Japanese than usual became interested in or actually moved to rural areas [1]. To those interested in relocating to the countryside, several events and fairs provide information about the relocation process, support programs and different areas and municipalities. However, due to the pandemic, many of these events were cancelled or held online. This includes events like the so-called ijū fea (relocation fairs) organized by national organizations like the Japan Organization for Internal Migration (JOIN) or the Furusato kaiki shien sentā (NPO) as well as events organized by prefectures and municipalities. The formats vary from presentations for a larger audience to individual online counselling.

Since Japan’s borders are still closed to foreigners, we cannot do onsite fieldwork in Japan. Therefore, participating in such online events turned out to be a great opportunity to learn more about our research topic and relevant stakeholders and to reflect about (future and digital) access to the field. In April, I participated in an event organized by one prefectural government in Kyūshū that introduced the Chiiki okoshi kyōryokutai (COKT) program. This program was initiated by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (Sōmushō) in 2009 and provides municipalities in rural Japan with resources to support people from urban areas to move to their communities and to promote revitalization activities. [2] The event was chaired by an employee from the prefectural office. Two COKT participants from different towns spoke about their experiences and two employees from the municipal halls of the respective towns introduced their municipalities.

I learned a lot about specific issues related to relocation via the COKT program and the individual experiences of the two former COKT members. Both talked about strong social networks in rural towns as a benefit of rural life and gave advice to future applicants to the program. They encouraged them to visit the place they want to relocate to before applying for the program. All speakers stressed that the application should be written with passion.  It was also very interesting to learn about how representatives from the two municipalities promoted their towns to people interested in relocating to Fukuoka prefecture. While one particular emphasized the convenient infrastructure and family-friendly atmosphere, the other promoted housing support via the local database for abandoned houses (akiya banku).

I approached this event as I would have approached any event during onsite fieldwork and took notes during and after the event. On the downside, this format only allowed for one-way communication. Because Zoom was set in a way that only speakers were visible, I didn’t know how many other people participated in the event and I couldn’t approach neither audience nor speakers after the presentations to introduce myself and ask for an interview. However, I gained valuable insights into the proceedings of such events, about some topics COKT members, municipalities and prospective applicants to the program are concerned with, I got to know people I can contact via email and received information about future events I can attend. And despite the fact that this fieldwork took place at my desk in my home office, it brought back some of the excitement about fieldwork. I even was a bit nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. I did not only feel closer to the field, but also inspired by learning about people’s experiences and perspectives on relocation to rural Kyūshū and the COKT program.

[1]
Motohashi, Atsuko and Daichi Matsuoka (2020), More people moving to rural areas across Japan as new lifestyles emerge due to virus, The Mainichi, June 14, 2020, https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200612/p2a/00m/0fe/016000c?fbcl (last accessed May 14, 2021).
[2]
Reiher, Cornelia (2020), „Embracing the periphery: Urbanites’ motivations to relocate to rural Japan”, in Manzenreiter, Wolfram, Lützeler, Ralph und Sebastian Polak-Rottmann (eds.), Japan’s New Ruralities: Coping with Decline in the Periphery, London: Routledge, S. 230-244.

By Maritchu Durand

While traveling Japan, I discovered and learned to appreciate guesthouses. They offer affordable and convenient accommodation and provide a welcoming and warm place for lonely travelers exhausted after a long day of discoveries. In Furano, a city in northern Hokkaidō known for its multicolored flower fields, I had an unforgettable experience in a small and cozy hostel. After an eventful and draining day, I was relieved to take a rest in a hammock on the wooden terrace overlooking the small town and later sit down with the other guests. We shared a meal cooked by our host: different seasonal salads and warm dishes, and as a highlight, rice cooked over a woodstove placed in the middle of the small dining room. The owner introduced us to traditions in Hokkaidō and hidden destinations and arranged a cheese-making experience for my delighted neighbor the next day. The sixty-year-old Tokyoite later said that she would definitely come back to the hostel to enjoy the home-like atmosphere, the shared meal with strangers and the warm welcome by the owners.  

Warmly welcoming guests, introducing them to local crafts and specialties and creating a unique experience for and bond with guests is the mission of many guesthouses across rural Japan. This is also true for a hostel in Taketa in Ōita prefecture, one of our field sites. The owners put their hearts into the creation of a kankei jinkō – people who don’t live in the respective cities and towns, but feel attached to the place and at home in the local community and come back several times.[1] The Ministry of Internal Affairs (Sōmushō) emphasizes the importance of kankei jinkō for rural revitalization and defines them as city-dwellers with multiple backgrounds who, while still living in the big cities, keep coming back to a place and contribute to its vitality in many ways. They do so through the promotion of local crafts, volunteering or simply by spending their holidays in their new hometown (furusato).[2]

However, kankei jinkō is not a new concept. A unique example is the village of Kawaba, in Gunma prefecture: An isolated mountain village facing depopulation and economic decline since the 1960s, it successfully reversed these negative trends by creating a unique partnership with Setagaya-ku, one of Tokyo’s wealthiest districts.[3] Thanks to this unique long-term relationship, it became a kenkō mura,  a health village with hotels exclusively reserved for citizens of Setagaya, yearly visits by school children from the capital to experience life in the countryside, and a direct retail-network to sell the local produce to the metropolitan population. Not only did Kawaba considerably boost its economic and tourism activities, the village also gained the whole population of a Tokyoite district as its kankei jinkō. While Kawaba profited from its relative closeness to Tōkyō and active political leadership it remains an exception. I will further inquire how other places in more remote areas can create a kankei jinkō via guesthouses and hospitality to find out how they might contribute to creating bonds with city-dwellers and to the sustainable revitalization of rural municipalities.

[1]
Ong, Roger (2020), “Embraced by people and nature: Taketa Station Hostel Cue”, in: Zenbird, October 13^th, https://zenbird.media/embraced-by-people-and-nature-taketa-station-hostel-cue/, (last accessed May 13^th 2021).

[2]
Sōmushō (2018), “Kankei jinkō to wa” [What is a relationship population?], https://www.soumu.go.jp/kankeijinkou/about/index.html, (last accessed May 13^th  2021).

[3]
Kitano, Shu (2009), Space, planning, and rurality: uneven rural development in Japan, Victoria: Trafford Publishing. P.76ff.

By Tu Thanh Ngo (Frank Tu)

From shiny golden sand dunes to majestic snowy alps, from boundless paddy fields to deep green forests: rural Japan has so much to offer. Rural Japan is irresistibly charming, serene, picturesque, and fresh. This is quite a stark contrast to urban concrete jungles. Many urbanites enjoy a retreat in rural areas for a change after weeks and months of following ‘9 to 5’ schedules. Personally, while in Japan I always looked forward to a run-away trip over the weekend to escape the hustle and bustle of big cities.

So much of the charm of rural Japan comes from so-called amenities. Amenities are broadly defined as features of a region that make it an appealing place to live and work [1], which could be natural and cultural resources or job opportunities [2]. Having rich cultural and natural amenities is a factor to attract tourists as well as potential settlers.

In light of the many rural problems, some rural development scholars argue that one of the most successful strategies to help revitalize rural areas is amenity-based development [3]. They suggest that rural communities should capitalize on local amenities to attract newcomers, be it tourists or long-term migrants. Besides, newcomers play a significant role in rural revitalization by boosting consumption and the service industry in local communities. Moreover, young migrants – those seeking self-fulfillment and new challenges in rural Japan – can also help improve local amenities through activities such as developing local goods, working in local education, branding local products, or promoting the locality through their posts on social media [4].

This strategy to make use of local amenities is also reflected in the Japanese government’s Comprehensive Strategy for rural revitalization. In particular, “Tourismization and networkization of regional resources” is one of the tourism schemes included in the national version of the Comprehensive Strategy [5]. The scheme aims to capitalize on local amenities such as snow resorts, beaches, hot springs, gastro-tourism, geoparks, and cultural practices. Many municipalities follow this strategy. For instance, some focus on hot springs, others focus on traditional crafts such as pottery or bamboo art.

After a few years of travelling, I am still surprised that there are so many hidden gems in rural Japan, which are definitely as astonishing as the more mainstream spots. Should those places become more popular, it is likely that more newcomers and investors would come. I wonder how this would affect the charm of rural Japan.

[1]
Power, T. M. (1988) The Economic Pursuit of Quality. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe.

[2] [3]
Green, G. P. and Zinda, J. A. (2013) ‘Rural development theory’, in Handbook of Rural Development. Massachusetts, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc. pp.3-20.

Johnson, K. M. and Stewart, S. I. (2005) ‘Recreation, amenity migration and urban proximity’, in Amenities and Rural Development: Theory, Methods and Public Policy. UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. pp. 177-196

[4]
Klien, S. (2020) Urban Migrants in Rural Japan: Between Agency and Anomie in a Post-Growth Society. Albany: SUNY Press.

[5]
Prime Minister’s Office of Japan (2020a) ‘Chiiki Saisei Keikaku: Arita “Han’nō Hantō” Suishin Keikaku’. Prime Minister’s Office of Japan. Available at: https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/tiiki/tiikisaisei/dai49nintei/plan/y116.pdf.