Since its registration as a World Heritage site in 1995, Shirakawa-go has attracted tourists from around the world with its beautiful gassho-style houses and natural scenery that changes with the seasons. However, its popularity has led to a new challenge: “over tourism. With up to 3,000 times more tourists than residents, the region has exceeded its capacity to accommodate them, impacting the livelihood of its residents1.
To address this problem, Shirakawa-go is shifting to “responsible tourism. This is a concept that encourages tourists to act responsibly in consideration of the local culture and environment. Specifically, tourists are encouraged to take responsibility for their impact on the local community and reduce waste by, for example, bringing their own bottles. The local community is also trying to provide a high quality tourism experience by selecting the tourists they want to have come.
Shirakawa-go has begun to address overtourism by limiting the number of visitors by making winter lighting fully reserved starting in 2019. This has greatly eliminated the problem of illegal street parking and waiting times for daily parking, and has also eliminated problems with residents. Furthermore, tourists are now able to relax and enjoy viewing the sites, and a number of other issues have been improved.
In addition, a new initiative, the “Mission Rally,” has been launched. This is a program that allows tourists to find enjoyment while learning about the local culture and history. By helping visitors learn more about the charms of Shirakawa-go, the program aims to shift the focus of tourism from transit-type tourism to stay-and-go tourism, thereby contributing to the creation of a sustainable tourist destination.
In this way, Shirakawa-go aims to create a sustainable tourist destination where inbound travelers can experience the charms of Japan and where local residents and tourists can coexist. If each tourist acts responsibly, the beautiful landscape and culture of Shirakawa-go will be preserved and passed on to future generations.
An Exemplar of Sustainable Tourism
The Shirakawa-go initiative offers a viable solution to the contemporary challenge of overtourism facing tourist destinations. According to the article, the shift to “responsible tourism,” which encourages tourists to act responsibly while protecting the livelihoods of local residents, is a model that other tourist destinations can learn from. In particular, the initiative to limit the number of visitors by requiring reservations for winter light displays, thereby providing a high-quality tourism experience without exceeding the community’s capacity to receive visitors, is a measure that should be adopted by other popular tourist destinations.
Coexistence of Culture and History
Programs such as “mission rallies” help tourists gain a deeper understanding of the local culture and history, thereby encouraging a shift from mere sightseeing to experiential tourism. This is very significant in that it allows tourists to participate in activities rooted in the local community, thereby contributing to the local economy and passing on culture. Another benefit is that tourists themselves can play a role as a member of the community, which makes for a more fulfilling travel experience.
Responsibility to the Next Generation
Shirakawa-go’s efforts are not just about satisfying current tourists, but also have a long-term perspective of preserving its beauty for future generations. The ideal of creating a sustainable tourist destination is demonstrated by the fact that each tourist, by acting responsibly, can protect the nature and culture of Shirakawa-go and pass it on to the next generation. This is an attitude that each of us should practice in our daily lives as well as in our tourist destinations.
The above comments are in recognition of Shirakawa-go’s efforts to create a sustainable tourist destination and the positive impact this has on the local community and environment. I feel that Shirakawa-go has much to learn for many tourist destinations in its efforts to preserve its attractiveness as a tourist destination while respecting the lives of local residents and preserving its beautiful scenery for future generations. The article also reminds us of the importance of taking into consideration the local culture and environment for tourists themselves.
