Crossing borders, an initiative uniting the public and private sectors. A nighttime activity that will captivate the world is born in the forests of Lake Akan.

Akanko Hot Springs, located on the southern side of Akan-Mashu National Park, offers majestic natural features including the volcanoes of Mt. Meakan and Mt. Oakan, the beautiful Lake Akan, which is home to the special protected species of algae ball called marimo, and the deep forests that have been preserved by local people. It is also a hot spring destination renowned for its cultural significance, having been used by the Ainu people for centuries. It is known as a hub of Ainu culture with locations such as Ainu Kotan1, Ainu Craft Center, and Ainu Theater Ikoro. The region has been developed as a place where the Ainu people and local residents have worked together to protect the nature of Lake Akan. While the area is a leading tourist destination in Hokkaido, attracting both domestic and international visitors, especially from Taiwan, it has faced challenges in recent years, such as the aging tourist demographic and declining visitor numbers. There was a growing concern that if efforts focused on international tourism were not strengthened, future development of the region would be at risk.
Mr. Furukawa, Executive Director of Akan Adventure Tourism, stated, “The Akan area aims to become world-renowned and Japan’s leading national hot spring resort (Lake Akan Hot Spring) by 2030. Various stakeholders, including DMO2, local governments, hotels and inns, tourism-related businesses, shopping streets, Ainu craft cooperatives, the Akan Lake Fishery Association, and the Maeda Ippouen Foundation, which manages the protection and maintenance of forests, have been working together to enhance tourism value by leveraging the location within the national park.”
The untouched nature that has been preserved by the people, activities that can be enjoyed year-round, and Ainu culture are key tourism resources in Akan. To further promote these resources for domestic and international visitors, the focus turned to Adventure Travel3, which is popular among wealthy western tourists. While exploring the development of nighttime content as a differentiator from other hot spring destinations, they discovered the “Night Walk Series” from Moment Factory (headquartered in Canada), a company that handles many global events. After talks between top officials, the ambitious effort to create the “world’s first night walk in a national park” began. In 2018, the Akan Adventure Tourism Co., Ltd. was established to promote this project and develop and expand adventure tourism products.
1Ainu Kotan: “Kotan” is an Ainu word meaning settlement or village. Akan is home to one of Hokkaido’s largest Ainu kotan (settlements).
2DMO: Destination Management Organization. It refers to an organization that draws out a region’s economic potential while fostering pride and attachment to the region. It plays a role in the management of tourism areas by collaborating with diverse stakeholders to create tourism regions based on clear concepts and developing strategies to implement them effectively (as per Japan Tourism Agency regulations.)
3AT (Adventure Travel): Defined as travel consisting of two or more of the following elements: activities, nature, and cultural experiences. It is a style of travel where people enjoy interacting with local communities while gaining a deeper understanding of the natural environment and culture of the destination.

Kamuy Lumina, an immersive night walk activity, brings to life the Ainu epic poem ‘Yukara,’ which depicts living in harmony with nature through a magical blend of light and sound. Participants walk along a 1.2 km forest trail carrying a ‘rhythm stick’ inspired by traditional Ainu walking staffs, becoming characters in the story themselves. Being the world’s first nighttime walk set in a national park, the project faced unprecedented challenges, including obtaining a variety of permits and approvals required to utilize the national park, ensuring respect for Ainu culture, and balancing environmental protection with cutting-edge digital technology.
Mr. Yamada, the Director of Business Planning, reflects on the experience: “Our biggest challenge was designing and operating an activity that wouldn’t impact the plants and animals living in the forests of Lake Akan. We conveyed our vision to and collaborated with the Environmental Ministry, the Forestry Agency, the Japan Tourism Agency, Kushiro City of Kushiro, and the Maeda Ippouen Foundation, which has been protecting Akan’s forests since the Meiji era. To minimize the impact on the wildlife, we set up and dismantled the equipment at the same time every day. We minimized the permanent equipment and camouflaged it during the day to avoid disturbing the tourists’ view, paying careful attention to the environment.”
The daily operations were entrusted to Prism, a company based in Sapporo, which was recognized as the technical partner by Moment Factory. They respond to daily changes in nature, such as lowering the volume when birds build nests or creating detour routes when there are fallen trees, ensuring beautiful images are delivered to tourists. During production, to accurately convey Ainu culture, they worked collaboratively with the Ainu people from the planning stages for things like the story and music.
“To move forward with the project, we needed to organize a lot of information, like the thoughts of many stakeholders, market trends, and national policies, and as the facilitators, we took on the role of managing this. Even though each direction was different, the ultimate goal was to make Akan the world’s best onsen destination. Kamuy Lumina is a manifestation of that collaboration, working towards a goal that benefits all parties involved,” says Furukawa.
Kamuy Lumina can be described as a story created with stakeholders of different nationalities and with points of view, all working together under the regulations of national parks, while protecting the forests of Akan and respecting Ainu culture.

Kamuy Lumina, now entering its sixth year in 2024, has received high praise, with 92% of customers satisfied according to an exit survey, and has attracted many repeat visitors. In addition to the already large number of tourists from Taiwan, visitors from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Germany, and Europe, as well as from Israel in the Middle East, have been increasing, making it a key pillar of new tourist content for Lake Akan.
To raise awareness of Kamuy Lumina, we have developed promotions using both digital and analog methods and actively utilized subsidies,” says Yamada. “In the first year, we started by making the local community aware of this new content for Akan. From the second year onwards, we used subsidies to promote inbound tourism. We set up monitors displaying information in English, Taiwanese, and Traditional Chinese, and developed a multilingual app with GPS functionality that shows story explanations when participants reach the first zone. We also worked with the local revitalization volunteers to share information in English on social media and used influencers from Switzerland, Japan, and Thailand to promote it.”
While utilizing digital methods, we also continued steady, analog approaches. We collaborated with the Akan Lake Onsen Ryokan Association to promote it through hotel monitors and brochures, and tickets were sold at hotel front desks. Data shows that 30% of customers purchase tickets at the front desk, so we reinforced this by distributing flyers and providing explanations in person. In local areas within Hokkaido, we used free newspapers for publicity, and overseas, including Taiwan, we conducted sales activities directly with agents. These steady efforts have led to fantastic results, with the number of visitors in 2024 increasing by about 14% compared to the previous year (with an inbound ratio of about 20%).
Kamuy Lumina has become an activity that many people of all ages and nationalities can enjoy,” says Yamada. “Kamuy Lumina takes participants on a 1.2 km, 50-minute walk along the Akan promenade, where they experience Ainu culture. Along the way, real deer may appear, and on clear days, the stars are beautiful and the wind can be felt. No special equipment is needed, making it a beginner-friendly AT. We hope it serves as a great opportunity for people to become interested in Akan’s nature and culture.