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ITM Master 1. Sem. |
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3. 'Big Business' interests in tourism development
Domestic tourism development in Japan is closely related to the alliance between major companies and political parties. In the “Resort Law” of 1987, no less than 20% of all land was supposed to be developed into ski and holiday resorts by ‘3rd sector system’ companies (public-private partnerships). This accelerated massive hardware construction by big real estate and building companies with little regard for maintenance, quality or impacts.
The icon of this development is Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, according to FORBES the richest person in the world between 1987 and 1990 and a close friend and patron of former Prime Minister Koizumi. With the battle cry “I want to own all land in Japan that is suitable for tourism development” Tsutsumis Kokudo Corp. developed 81 hotels, 36 Ski resorts, 52 golf courses etc., infrastructure provided free of charge by national and prefectural governments. In 1998 he succeeded in bringing the Olympic Winter Games to Nagano, using almost exclusively Kokudo installations there. Arrested in March 2005, he pleaded guilty to insider trading and falsifying reports on the first day of his trial. On October 27, 2005, the Tokyo District Court sentenced him to 30 months in prison, suspended for 4 years, and a fine of 5 million yen.
4. Forms of Nature Appreciation in Japan
Nature in Japan is appreciated not for its ‘naturalness’ or ‘augustness’ but for its relation and submission to mankind.
(Kenrokuen)
Nature is appreciated not for itself, but through esthetizised filters at certain times in its predictable, optimised and eventisized form.
(Sapporo Snow Festival)
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Contact:
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt FRGS |
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