TEACHER'S COLUMN

My specialty, environmental economics, is closely related to tourism, and I am researching environmental conservation and regional revitalization through agritourism, food tourism, and community development. In 2022, we conducted a field study on tourism and rural development in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, a World Agricultural Heritage Site. Traditional Japanese rural landscapes such as the Noto Peninsula face many challenges, including aging population and depopulation.

This program focuses on local community and government initiatives in the Noto Peninsula to learn about efforts to preserve the environment and traditional intellectual property, and to revitalize the region through agriculture and tourism. Before visiting the site, students will have a pre-sessional class to research the culture and economy of the area and explore its potential as a World Agricultural Heritage Site (GIAHS).

During the field study, students will conduct interviews with the Ishikawa Prefectural Government and local communities living in Noto related to the World Agricultural Heritage site, visit important areas, and write a report on their research. In the past, I visited the Amalfi Coast of Italy, a World Heritage Site known as "the most beautiful coast in the world," for a field study with my students. Colorful houses line the steep cliff slopes, attracting tourists from all over the world to enjoy the scenic view. While mass tourism stimulates the economy, it also causes environmental and traffic problems that affect the lives of local residents.

The program will look at ways to develop local communities while protecting their livelihoods and the environment and included a visit to the headquarters of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Madrid, Spain, where experts gave a lecture on how no other organization has as much accurate tourism information as the UNWTO.

Many of APU's faculty members are also active in international organizations, and I have been involved as a World Agricultural Heritage consultant for UNWTO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and have been able to utilize that network in my field studies. Students who participate in the field study experience many "one-of-a-kind" experiences. By sharing these experiences, local people are able to rediscover the value of their own culture, leading to the development of their culture and community.