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Small cities boost tourism amid aging population
Some small cities in Hyogo prefecture have suffered from decreasing revenue, and are thus taking measures to invigorate their tourism industries to bring money into the region.
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Pink season: Plum trees are blooming in Ayabeyama Plum Groove Park in Tatsuno city. The plum fruits produced in the grove are used as ingredients for plum wine and pickles. (JP/Callistasia Wijaya)
T
he falling birth rate in Japan has produced a rapidly aging and shrinking population, which has had significant effects on rural communities due to the shrinking workforce and soaring pension demand.
Some small cities in Hyogo prefecture have suffered from decreasing revenue, and are thus taking measures to invigorate their tourism industries to bring money into the region.
There are at least 16 relatively small cities in the prefecture, including Himeji, Kamikawa, Ako and Tatsuno, that have worked together to promote tourism in the region since 2014.
The cities are eyeing increased numbers of tourists, especially as Japan is set to host the Summer Olympics in 2020.
Himeji Regional Revitalization Division director Kojiro Fukuda said the city had set a target to attract more Indonesian tourists.
The number of Indonesian tourists visiting Japan has grown every year, with some 300,000 people visiting the country in 2017.
However, few Indonesian tourists had heard of Himeji, let alone visited it, Fukuda said.
As Indonesia was a Muslim majority country, Kojiro said the city had tried to become Muslim friendly for Indonesian tourists.
For example, several restaurants in Himeji provided halal food and prayer rooms, he said.
“Indonesian Muslims have a good image here as they are so tolerant and respectful of diversity,” Fukuda said.
The Kamikawa administration has also tried to boost its tourism amid the graying of society.
A representative of Kamikawa City, Tanikase Kazuto, said only 11,600 people still lived in the area as residents had moved to urban areas.
The administration has attempted to increase the birth rate through policies such as free healthcare services for children under the age of 15.
To increase the city’s revenue, Tanikase said the administration had opened a hotel in Mineyama Kogen Highlands in 2015 to attract more tourists.
“The hotel, called Mineyama Kogen Hotel RelaXia, also opened a ski resort in late December last year,” he added.
Some 50,000 people had visited the hotel since the opening of the ski hill, he said.
