The Effects of Westerners’ Presence on Japanese Evaluations of a Historic District: The Case of Takayama City

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects the presence of Westerners at historic districts in Japan has on Japanese evaluations of the districts. Sixty-three Japanese students rated 18 slide photographs with no people, photographs with mainly Japanese, and photographs with mainly Westerners. The presence of Westerners had positive effects on the subjects’ overall evaluations of the districts regarding a sense of activity and touristic uniqueness. Negative effects were found regarding a sense of calmness and harmony. These results imply the importance of the characteristics of tourist attractions and of the observable characteristics of foreign tourists for tourism promotion in historic districts.

KEYWORDS:

• Slide experiment
• characteristics of others
• place evaluations
• historic district
• Westerners

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Akihiro Araya

Akihiro Araya, is an undergraduate in Division of Nature and Culture-based Tourism, Faculty of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan (E-mail: [email protected]).

Taketo Naoi

Taketo Naoi, PhD, is Associate Professor in Tourism, Department of Tourism Science, Graduate School of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan (E-mail: [email protected]).

Shoji Iijima

Shoji Iijima, PhD, is Professor of Architecture, Graduate School of Tourism Sciences, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan (E-mail: [email protected]).