Japan Heritage Marks 10 Years; What Has It Achieved So Far, What Challenges Lie Ahead?
What has it achieved so far and what challenges lie ahead?'Japan Heritage has become an important pillar of the city's policies, and it has also led to the revitalization of the city,' said a Hachioji city government official in charge of promoting local Japan Heritage.
The city's story, 'Mt. Takao: Mountain of Spirits — Mulberry City spun with people's prayers,' was the only story in Tokyo that was designated in fiscal 2020. The story recounts the construction of a mountain castle built during the Warring States period (1493-1573), the flourishing of sericulture and silk weaving in the area and the worship of Mt. Takao. The official said the project has had a significant effect in promoting tourism to Mt. Takao and fostering children's love for their local community.
'Our long-cherished wish has come true. The joint efforts of the public and private sectors have borne fruit,' said a city government official in Otaru, Hokkaido, in charge of promoting sightseeing. The city was designated as a Japan Heritage site in February.Otaru had already been attracting tourists before the designation, but the designation has helped boost the city further, allowing it to show the whole story of its development, decline and revival since the Meiji era (1868-1912) to visitors, including those whose purpose is to enjoy the local cuisine.
Unlike conventional cultural property administration, which focuses on preserving cultural assets, the Japan Heritage system aims to revitalize local communities by utilizing tangible and intangible cultural properties. The Cultural Affairs Agency supports the efforts of designated regions with subsidies. In April 2015, the first 18 stories were designated, and by fiscal 2020, the total number of designated stories reached 104, which is around the 100 as initially planned.
To maintain the system's brand value, the agency introduced a system of comprehensive evaluation and continued examination in fiscal 2021. This new system evaluates revitalization projects utilizing Japan Heritage sites after a certain period of time and also allows for revocation of the designation. The system also allows for a replacement based on a comparative evaluation, in which designated areas compete with approved candidate areas.
While Otaru was newly designated under this system, seven cities and towns in Fukuoka and Saga prefectures were excluded from the designated regions for the first time and downgraded to a candidate region due to their regional story, 'The Western Capital of Ancient Japan — Exchange Hub with East Asia,' and their efforts to have tourists travel around the area being deemed insufficient.
'We heard disappointment from the residents. While the quality of the cultural assets that make up each story is completely different from one another, how can they uniformly evaluate all of them?' a related municipal government official said.
Several other areas have also voiced their opinion that the new system has changed the character of Japan Heritage by placing more emphasis on economic aspects, such as the number of tourists who visit the area, in the evaluation processes.
'The purpose of the system, which is to revitalize regions by emphasizing cultural aspects, has not changed,' a Cultural Affairs Agency official said.
However, a local government official from another designated region pointed out: 'The system is extremely strict compared to others in which very few certifications are canceled.'
Nevertheless, Akira Matsuda, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo, who specializes in cultural resources studies and is familiar with the Japan Heritage system, gave the program a positive evaluation.
'At first, I was concerned that this system would only certify [and not produce results]. However, I think the system is working to maintain a sense of urgency [among local governments] and growing in a positive way,' he said.
Whether the new system can maintain its viability depends on how many regions will apply for new designation in the future. However, according to the agency, there have been no new applications since fiscal 2022. An agency official said, 'Regions that were not designated previously may see Otaru's case and apply again.' However, the system may be reviewed if no applications are submitted.
Another problem is that the system is not well-known to the public. In a survey conducted last year by the agency, only 35.4% of respondents said they were familiar with Japan Heritage and the designated cultural assets.
Even now, 10 years after its establishment, it is often confused with World Heritage. Last year, the agency launched a project to have companies and other organizations that have formed partnerships to promote the attractiveness of Japan Heritage. In October, it launched a series of short videos that tell the stories of each designated area.
'Lack of recognition is the biggest challenge. If a cap is set on the number of designated regions, people outside of those regions will not be interested unless they can join the system, and interest may taper off,' Matsuda said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SoraNews24
14 hours ago
- SoraNews24
The 8 most annoying things people do on Japanese trains, according to local commuters
In a country renowned for good manners, these are the train etiquette rules to watch out for. For many people who commute by train, rush hour is an unavoidable source of significant stress. In Japan, where you'll find the busiest train stations in the world, stress levels can reach breaking point, making good manners and proper etiquette more than a common courtesy but a vital necessity. However, there are still some behaviours on trains that stick in the craw of local commuters. Japanese media site Biz Hits Career Blog , which addresses common work-related challenges and anxieties, recently sought to find out exactly what types of behaviours get on the nerves of commuters in Japan. After surveying 500 people, ranging in age from 20 to over 60, they found that 91.6 percent of respondents experience irritation during their commute, and close to half of those surveyed, 48.6 percent, travel on trains between 8 and 9 a.m. Emotions can easily fray during these morning rush hours, and commuters identified 8 things passengers do that make tensions rise. 8. Not observing proper cough etiquette (4.8 percent) Commuters who display poor cough etiquette — coughing or sneezing without a mask or hand covering — are derided for showing disregard for those around them. Not only is it discourteous but it poses a health risk that causes discomfort to others. 6. Strong smells (8.2 percent) Odours are hard to hide in crowded enclosed spaces, and it's not just bad body and breath odours that are offensive, as respondents also showed a dislike for strong perfumes and the scent of fabric softeners, saying they can cause nausea or headaches for sensitive individuals. 6. Forcibly boarding crowded trains (8.2 percent) Tying for sixth place on this list is the act of cramming yourself into a train at any cost, which can prevent the doors from closing and lead to delays while the train is held up at the station. It also causes a problem for those already inside, as they're forced to squeeze even tighter together to accommodate the extra passenger, leaving them even more frustrated than they already were. 5. Bags getting in the way (11.8 percent) While all bags have the potential to get in the way of others, many respondents singled out backpacks as the big offender, saying that those who wear them can bump into others unwittingly. Those who cited this as a concern said they would prefer it if people carried their bags in front of them or placed them on the floor to avoid disturbing others. 4. Sound leaking from earphones (12.4 percent) This is commonly seen as a careless act as it forces those around you to listen to whatever music, video, or game that might be emanating from your device. A lot of people who use headphones assume nobody around them can hear what they're listening to, so it's always worth checking on your noise levels. 3. Not leaving room for others to sit (14.6 percent) Nobody likes the so-called 'manspreading' that occurs on trains, but a similar act of gobbling up space can be seen when people cross their legs or put their bag on one side of a two-seater seat while pretending to be asleep next to it. While this type of nonchalant behaviour is annoying at the best of times, it's even worse when it happens inside a carriage filled with people who are desperate to sit down. 2. Loud voices (15.6 percent) Talking loudly is generally considered bad manners in Japan as it doesn't respect the time and circumstances of others who are sharing the public space. One respondent said there are times on a commute when they need to think about work reports and things they need to get done when they get home, but when there's a person talking loudly near them they become distracted and can't get anything done. Other respondents said they don't want to hear others' conversations, particularly when it involves bad-mouthing gossip or everyday complaints. 1. Not moving (18.0 percent) At the very top of the list of annoying behaviours is passengers who refuse to move inside the train, particularly those who take up a spot in front of or beside the doors, even when it's very crowded. As people board and alight the train, it's expected that passengers in the vicinity of the doors will either move further inside and down the aisle, or step off to make room for the flow of people before stepping back on again. Those who don't do this are seen as inconsiderate and self-serving, which causes frustration for other passengers. After identifying the top 8 annoying passenger behaviours amongst respondents, the survey went on to ask how people deal with them. The most popular answer, at 58.2 percent, was to simply 'put up with it', with many venting afterwards with friends, colleagues and family members. The second most popular answer was to 'leave the situation' (24.4 percent) by changing carriages, followed by 'shoot a glare' (9 percent) at the offending person. Another coping mechanism was to 'push back' (7 percent) when being pushed by someone, and lastly, 'wear headphones' (3.8 percent) to escape the situation. ▼ When you're dealing with this many people on your commute, you have to have a coping mechanism. Only a very small minority of people said they would take any kind of action towards the person who is irritating them. Even when people were to act, they would prefer to use non-verbal actions such as glaring and pushing back rather than entering into a face-to-face confrontation. So next time you're on a train and someone is staring at you, they might not be admiring your good looks — they might be trying to convey their annoyance. But then, if you find yourself becoming annoyed by their glare, you could always adopt one of the popular coping mechanisms and move to another carriage, or simply pop your headphones on and imagine yourself far away in a deserted island paradise… as long as you remember to keep the volume down. Sources: Biz Hits Career blog, PR Times Featured image: Pakutaso Insert images: Pakutaso ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Asahi Shimbun
21 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Foreign tourists received tsunami warnings but need better alerts
The Sendai Tourism Convention and International Association posts information about tsunami alerts in easy-to-understand Japanese on its Facebook account on July 30. (Chika Yamamoto) When tsunami alerts went out across a wide area of Japan on July 30, many foreign tourists were left in the dark to the threat and the recommended course of action due to the language barrier. Eugénie Decaux, 21, who was visiting Shirahama in Wakayama Prefecture from France, said, 'I had trouble finding information about the tsunami because I could only find it in Japanese at first.' A woman from the Philippines who was visiting Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture said she received an emergency message about the tsunami warning. However, she said, 'The English announcement after the siren was very short and there was little information, so it was scary.' At first, she said she did not think it was a big deal, but after researching on the internet and seeing the staff at the temple she was visiting in a panic, she realized the gravity of the situation. The tsunami alerts issued after a powerful earthquake originating near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula sent foreign tourists scrambling for safety as well. On social media, multiple videos were seen posted by tourists from overseas, showing them heading to higher ground and evacuation centers alongside with residents. From the Japanese side, there were many initiatives to convey information to foreigners in multiple languages and in easy-to-understand Japanese. The Sendai Tourism Convention and International Association, located in the capital of Miyagi Prefecture on the Pacific coast where a tsunami warning was issued, posted evacuation calls on X and Facebook in English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Nepali. The organization also communicated in easy Japanese with warnings such as 'A big wave is coming' and "Please escape to a high place.' Television stations displayed subtitles in hiragana within their programs, using phrases such as "tsunami" and "run away." There were also examples of displaying English text reading "EVACUATION TSUNAMI." An app called 'Safety tips' provides disaster information for foreign travelers in 15 languages, including English, Chinese and Tagalog. The Japan Tourism Agency supervised the creation of the app. The Japan Meteorological Agency's website also disseminates the latest tsunami information in 15 languages. However, some tourists said such efforts were still not enough. According to the Immigration Services Agency, approximately 36.78 million foreigners entered Japan last year, the highest number on record. As of the end of last year, the number of foreign residents also reached a record high of about 3.77 million. Isao Nakamura, a professor at Toyo University specializing in disaster information studies, points out the importance of "push-type" information provision, such as area emails and emergency radio messages sent by local governments through mobile phone companies, which reach users without them having to search for it. He also said that there is a study indicating that emergency radios are effective as a medium for conveying tsunami information. 'In areas with many foreign residents, it is necessary to make disaster prevention radios multilingual,' he said. He also said that explaining the difference between tsunami advisories and tsunami warnings is difficult. 'It is important to use illustrations and think of expressions that are easy to understand,' he said.
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
In Hiroshima, a schoolboy keeps memories of war alive with guided tours
Shun Sasaki, 12, an elementary school student in Hiroshima, guides foreign visitors in English as a volunteer guide at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima on July 15. By Rikako Maruyama Since the age of seven, Japanese schoolboy Shun Sasaki has been offering free guided tours to foreign visitors of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with a mission: ensuring that the horrors of nuclear war do not fade from memory with the passage of time. Aged 12 now, Shun has conveyed that message to some 2,000 visitors, recounting in his imperfect but confident English the experiences of his great-grandmother, a 'hibakusha' who survived the atomic bomb. "I want them to come to Hiroshima and know about what happened in Hiroshima on August 6," Shun said in English, referring to the day the bomb was dropped in 1945. "I want them to know how bad is war and how good is peace. Instead of fighting, we should talk to each other about the good things of each other," he said. About twice a month, Shun makes his way to the peace park wearing a yellow bib with the words "Please feel free to talk to me in English!" splashed across the back, hoping to educate tourists about his hometown. His volunteer work has earned him the honour of being selected as one of two local children to speak at this year's ceremony to commemorate 80 years since the A-bomb was dropped -- its first use in war. Shun is now the same age as when his great-grandmother Yuriko Sasaki was buried under rubble when her house, about 1.5 km (0.9 mile) from the hypocentre, collapsed from the force of the blast. She died of colorectal cancer aged 69 in 2002, having survived breast cancer decades earlier. The uranium bomb instantly killed about 78,000 people and by the end of 1945 the number of dead, including from radiation exposure, reached about 140,000. The U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9. Canadian Chris Lowe said Shun's guided tour provided a level of appreciation that went beyond reading plaques on museum walls. "To hear that about his family... it surely wrapped it up, brought it home and made it much more personal. So it was outstanding for him to share that," he said. Shun said he plans to continue with the tours as long as he can. "The most dangerous thing is to forget what happened a long time ago… so I think we should pass the story to the next generation, and then, never forget it, ever again." © (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.
