On August 4, the Japan Ministry of the Environment selected national parks for their “Advanced Model Project for Enhancing the Appeal of Lodging in National Parks” based on their “Policy for Efforts to Enhance the Overall Appeal of National Park Activity Hubs Centered on the Accommodation Business,” which was released on June 29, 2023.
The Ministry will enhance the appeal of activity hubs by establishing a regional cooperative implementation system, formulating a master plan for hubs, instituting lodging facilities that provide unique and emotional experiences in conjunction with nature activities, and creating a mechanism for a virtuous cycle between conservation and use.
Selected National Parks
| Name | Reason for Selection |
| Towada-Hachimantai National Park (Towada Lake Area) |
To create new appeal through revitalization of activity hubs |
| Chubusangaku National Park (Nanbu Area) |
For a wide-area collaboration with high-value mountainous areas |
| Daisen-Oki National Park (Daisen-Hiruzen Area9 |
To create a hub for experiencing nature based on the traditional Japanese view of nature and historical culture |
Amid a rapid recovery in demand for inbound tourism, the Ministry of the Environment has decided to promote lodging and high-value tourism, focusing on emotional experiences in the national parks’ beautiful natural areas. The Study Group for Enhancing the Overall Appeal of National Park Activity Hubs Centered on the Accommodation Business has been studying the direction of high-value use of national parks, as well as how to proceed with advanced model projects to enhance appeal of hubs centered on lodging facilities that provide the unique emotional experience of national parks.
The Ministry of the Environment selected these 3 national parks for the “Advanced Model Project for Enhancing the Appeal of Lodging in National Parks” from a policy perspective, taking into account the opinions of the specialist committee, which included experts in the field.
The selection of the candidate parks was based on the 4 sections of the action policy with a goal for future expansion to other areas.
1. A standpoint of promoting utilization over a wide area
2. Estimated significance and effectiveness of the government’s coordination and implementation of initiatives
3. A framework for building of local consensus, and action plan for utilization, and a foundation for the Ministry of the Environment’s structure
4. Inclusion of specific potential activity hubs for lodging and high-value tourism
The feasibility of the project will be examined during the current fiscal year in the selected parks from the perspective of the promotion system status and the potential of each park to promote lodging and high-value tourism. 1 or 2 activity hubs will be selected from the examination.