Regional Revitalization through Sports Tourism

The Japan Sports Agency, or JSA, promotes sports tourism by supporting initiatives which combine regional resources and sports for visitors to enjoy travel. Sports tourism includes programs created to attract tourists to visit local areas to participate in or watch sports, with the aim of advancing regional revitalization through sport.

One of the basic pillars of the Second Sport Basic Plan is to boost the sporting industry and to promote regional and economic revitalization through sport. To this end, sports tourism is regarded as extremely important towards realizing these goals.

Sports tourism is anticipated to increase exchanges between visitors and regional communities and boost consumption in various sport-related areas. These include sporting goods and sportswear, and tourists visiting local areas to participate in or watch sports. Moreover, as an increasing number of visitors to Japan are shifting their focus from “things” to “experiences”, sports tourism has the potential to become a major force to boost the number of inbound travelers to Japan.

The JSA has identified two priority themes based on results from a marketing survey targeting domestic and overseas consumers with the aim of advancing the "New Strategy for Expanding Sports Tourism Demand" formulated in March 2018. They include “Outdoor Sports Tourism” and “BUDO Tourism.”

The JSA has released from December 2018 two new videos on its website with the aim of further promoting sports tourism. The promotional video, “Outdoor Sports Tourism Japan” aims to disseminate both domestically and overseas ways to enjoy Japan’s unique natural resources and environment. “BUDO Tourism Japan – The Spirits of BUDO” exhibits the rare fusion of martial arts, or “budo” which originated in Japan, with Japan’s traditional and spiritual culture.

As of March 1, 2019, “Outdoor Sports Tourism Japan” has been viewed 2,030,000 times, and “BUDO Tourism Japan – The Spirits of BUDO” 3,610,000 times.

Outdoor Sports Tourism Japan - Feel The Force of Nature

[Contributors]

• Canyoning
 Canyons (Minakami, Gunma Pref.)
 Forest Canyon (Ainan, Ehime Pref.)

• Rafting
 Canyons (Minakami, Gunma Pref.)

• Kayaking
 Minakami, Gunma Prefecture
 Field Nature Ishigaki Island (Ishigaki, Okinawa Pref.)
    Hitomi Takaku (kayaker)

• Surfing
 Kushima, Miyazaki Pref.
 Kujukuri, Chiba Pref.
    Shoji Ogura (surfer) and Riki Kondo (surfer)

• Snowboarding
 Ajigasawa, Aomori Pref.
    Kaishu Hirano (snowboarder)

• Standup paddle surfing
 Adventure PiPi, Ishigaki Island & Iriomote Island (Ishigaki, Okinawa Pref.)

• Cycling
 Cycling Shimanami (Imabari, Ehime Pref.)

• Trekking and trail running
 Shimogo, Fukushima Pref.

BUDO Tourism Japan - The Spirits of BUDO

[Contributors]

• Kendo
Toshogu Butokuden Hall , Nikko Toshogu Shrine (Nikko, Tochigi Pref.)
Tochigi Butokuden  (Tochigi, Tochigi Pref.)
Kitoden, Kashima-jingu Shrine  (Kashima, Ibaraki Pref.)
Aizu Butokuden  (Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Pref.)
   Butokuden, Miyazaki Prefectural Police (Miyazaki, Miyazaki Pref.)
Kirishima Tsuwabuki Budo Hall  (Miyazaki, Miyazaki Pref.)
Udo-jingu Shrine  (Nichinan, Miyazaki Pref.)

• Karatev
Wakayama Farm (Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref.)
Karate Club, Yamanashi Gakuin University (Kofu, Yamanashi Pref.)
   Yaeyama Branch , Okinawa Goju-ryu Karatedo Kyokai  (Ishigaki, Okinawa Pref.)
Kensyuukan Uechi Karate Dojo 
   Kosuke Komiyama (karate practitioner)

 • Judo
Judo Club, Asahi Kasei Corporation (Miyazaki, Miyazaki Pref.)
Judo Club, Yamanashi Gakuin University (Kofu, Yamanashi Pref.)

• Kyudo
Aizu Butokuden  (Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Pref.)

• Yabusame
Yabusame-shinji  (Ogasawara School ), Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (Kamakura, Kanagawa Pref.)

• Brush calligraphy
   William Reed

Data of Japanese sports tourism

-- Registration: March 2019 --