Takayama City, as an established international tourist destination, is actively undertaking initiatives to help foreign travelers understand cultural and customary differences and to encourage them to follow local manners. To support a safe and comfortable stay in the city, the city has produced awareness videos featuring a welcome message from the mayor, an introduction to tourist resources, and showcasing how the city’s traditional culture and beautiful nature are maintained through the efforts of its residents. The videos can be accessed here.
Since January 4, the 6th year of Reiwa (2024), Takayama City has been publishing manner-promotion videos aimed at foreign travelers to foster understanding of Japanese culture and customs. This initiative addresses the issue that manners considered common in Japan may not be so for foreign travelers. Since declaring itself an international tourist city in the 61st year of Showa (1986), Takayama City has focused on inbound tourism for over 30 years, despite facing challenges such as population decline, aging, and economic contraction. The city boasts a history of tourism policies spanning over 60 years, developed in collaboration between the government and private sector.
In response to the decline in tourist numbers due to the pandemic and subsequent recovery, the city has created a 5-minute English video to address public manner issues such as adherence to traffic rules and littering by foreign travelers. The video includes the mayor’s welcome message, the attractions and accessibility of Takayama City, traditional culture, preservation of nature, and requests for rule compliance. The video is available for viewing through the city’s multilingual web page, official YouTube channel, and QR codes on walking maps, and it is also planned to be used for overseas promotion.
Takayama City aims to be a tourist city where foreign travelers can enjoy Japanese culture and manners, while also ensuring a comfortable environment for its residents. In the post-COVID era, with rapidly recovering inbound tourism demand, such initiatives are crucial for each tourist destination. Promoting tourism based on mutual understanding and respect will contribute to the sustainable development of the region. Accepting cultural diversity and creating an environment where visitors and local residents coexist will be key to the future success of tourist destinations.
