A Study on the Various Experiences of Inbound Tourists in KOYASAN

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K01955
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Tourism Studies
• Research Institution: Osaka Prefecture University
• Principal Investigator: Uemura Takahiro 大阪府立大学, 経済学研究科, 教授 (70244621)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 花村 周寛 大阪府立大学, 経済学研究科, 准教授 (00420430) ; 尾家 建生 大阪府立大学, 研究推進機構, 客員研究員 (30441124) ; 原 一樹 京都外国語大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (90454785)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 高野山 / 聖地 / 宿坊 / インバウンド / 観光体験 / 精進料理 / 外国人来訪者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to investigate the motives and experiences of inbound tourists visiting Koyasan-temple (Wakayama, Japan).According to our questionnaire survey, tourists' motivations to visit Koyasan are (1)lodging experience in Koyasan, (2)Buddhist experiences, (3)spiritual experiences (e.g. meditation). Questionnaire survey revealed that foreign tourists are interested in Japanese cultural items, Buddhist ceremonies and Shojin cuisine.
In addition, we compared the experiences of lodging in Koyasan and other religious places abroad (in Europe and Korea).While the power of religion is said to be declining, the significance of experiencing traditional life and religious experiences of different cultures is becoming more meaningful.
As for the structure of narrative, we found the existence of lots of discourses which strengthen the master narrative of Koyasan and the diversity of meaning-making of Koyasan experience by tourists.

Free Research Field

社会学、観光学