TANI Sahoko | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Reasons for Participating in the Program

A local community is an important place of belonging for me, yet I have long felt powerless witnessing communities disappear due to economic fragility. I entered the College of ST hoping to support communities through tourism, but I also learned how tourism can superficially reshape culture and exert a form of violence. This led me to focus on whether tourism development is grounded in residents’ own intentions. I became particularly interested in the Iida City Public Hall model, which institutionally supports community-led initiatives, and that is why I decided to participate to learn how resident-driven regional development can be realized.

How the Program Helped You Grow

From my fieldwork, I understood that tourism is merely a secondary means, and respecting the underlying factors that sustain local activities is essential. Speaking with people involved in Iida’s Public Hall activities, I realized the strength of practices that have passed down simply because they were part of everyday life. Their intention to pass these activities to the next generation is not driven by profit or tourism, but by protecting community life. This taught me that the key to sustainability lies in respecting the culture rooted in local communities and allowing it to naturally evolve into tourism, rather than imposing changes, with tourism emerging naturally as a byproduct.

Message for Students Interested in The Program

For those who have begun to question whether tourism promotion truly benefits local communities, like I did while studying tourism at the College of ST, this program is highly recommended. It offers experiences from multiple perspectives, including farm stays, puppet theater, the development associated with the Linear Chuo Shinkansen project, and participation in local festivals. By engaging with these various aspects, participants gain insight into the town’s overall character, which cannot be understood by focusing on a single element. These cross-cutting experiences provide a valuable opportunity to discuss and reflect on the sustainability of local communities.