Depopulation and Financial Collapse in Yubari: Market Forces, Administrative Folly, or a Warning to Others?

Evolving approaches to volcanic tourism crisis management: An investigation of long-term recovery models at Toya-Usu Geopark

“…A broad mix of socio-demographic causative factors precludes simple solutions. These include an ageing, shrinking domestic tourism market which is increasingly less willing or able to travel such long distances in order to access hot spring resorts in remote national park or geopark destinations (Fukami, 2014;Seaton, 2010). A global geopark could catalyse more international tourism, and the number of inbound visitors is indeed increasing rapidly, albeit still a small sub-segment that faces certain language and culture barriers (Jones & Ohsawa, 2016).…”

Culture driven policies and revaluation of local cultural assets: A tale of two cities, Otaru and Yūbari

“…The spectacular failure of Y ubari may be seen as the combination of many factors: adverse demographic trends and consequent population ageing, ineffective investment in the tourism industry and difficulty to compete with other tourist venues in Hokkaido, the shutdown of the mining industry and the related economic slump, and fiscal decentralization that left the burden of the adjustment ultimately in the hands of the local administration facing a shrinking taxpayers base and a disrupted economy (Seaton, 2010). The steady attitude of the city administration in failing to involve the resident population has amplified the problem, by preventing the local economy and society from developing its own self-organization capacity and initiative, that is to say, the most natural and generally effective antidotes to the overcoming of a long-term structural crisis.…”

The Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown: towards the (re)construction of a safe, sustainable, and compassionate society in Japan's shrinking regions

“…Within this emerging system, municipalities felt encouraged and then coerced into taking on more debt than they could sensibly handle in order to maintain their status as shrinking communities and continue receiving subsidies (Author, 2011;Feldhoff, 2002;Katayama, 2008;McCormack, 2002;Mizohata, 2010;MLIT, 2011;Yoshimura et al, 2005). The spectacular collapse of Y bari City in Hokkaido is but one, rather extreme, example of a nationwide crisis in which thousands of communities have either vanished entirely, been merged with stronger neighbours to avoid collapse, or even been sold by their residents for a better life elsewhere (Author, 2011;BBC, 2004;Seaton, 2010).…”