The theme for the first part of this session is “Possibilities for co-creation in luxury tourism”.
Professor of Keio University Seiko Shirasaka proposed a new concept of “JAXURY” as a way of Japanese luxury.
Shirakawa says, “The image given by the word ‘luxury’ in Japan is not necessarily match with the word’s original meaning.
In the Keio SDM laboratory,we explored whether there is a certain luxury in Japan’s authenticity, and created the concept of “JAXURY”(Japan’s Authentic Luxury). We asked diverse people to list products and services that can be JAXURY, and summarized and analyzed their commonalities to establish ten core viewpoints.
Currently, we are awarding products and services that are realized as JAXURY from 10 viewpoints by experts in each industry..
In the future,we will refine and systematize these viewpoints, and carry out initiatives to disseminate it to the world.”
According to Takaaki Umezawa,Chairman of A.T. Kearney Japan, there are two types of luxury. “JNTO(Japan National Tourism Organization) provides two definitions. One is Classic Luxury, which is more about status symbols and luxury in every element. The other is Modern Luxury, which prioritizes individuality and sustainability, and it has been increasing in the world in recent years.
People are looking for unique experiences, self-transforming journeys, such as ecotourism and sustainable tourism, rather than luxury, I believe that Japan should focus on gasto-tourism, art and architecture thamed tourism, and adventure tourism.
In Tochigi, we planned a two-night three-day touring (from Koga to Nasu to Oku-Nikko) with classic car tour and prestige cars, and it was a great success.”
Sakiko Yamada, president of the Academy of Gastronomy Japan, says, “As an international standard, sustainability is a prerequisite for luxury.” She continues, “Actually, food waste and loss is the third highest contributor of global greenhouse gases emissions.
Food is the number one reason for inbound visitors to Japan, We must be engaged in sustainability initiatives.
We are working with luxury brands on food loss and waste. As a recent topic, , ingredients that were to be thrown away were coated in chocolate and presented in boxes made from washi, a traditional Japanese paper with a rich history of more than 300 years. This project helped to both prevent food loss and waste and pass down a traditional Japanese skills. I think that collaborating with overseas luxury brands will be an effective way to transmit Japans authenticity.” Ryoten Hitomi is chief priest of Nikkozan Rinno-ji Temple, which was established in 776. For him, luxury means inspiration and satisfaction. “Every person who visit Nikko experiences its traditions and customs and feel deeply moved and satisfied—that is the luxury. Currently I’m working with The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko, to organize a rosary-making experience, a goma prayer, a zazen experience, as well as a sutra copying experience and a Buddha-copying experience. In a special place called the precincts of the temple, we’re working to make it possible for them to experience Japanese culture casually, and return home with satisfaction thoroughly the experience.”
Alex Bradshaw is the CEO of GOTOKU, a company that introduces Japanese culture to the world and helps to sustain regional cultures.
“I believe the future of Japanese tourism lies in rural areas, but many regions do not realize their own value,so regional branding from an international perspective is necessary. For example, samurai have an image of the chonmage and swords, but in fact, they also have an aspect of being a man of culture.
By focusing on that, we are working to provide experiences that are entirely unique to that area. I think it is necessary for each regions to reassess their own resources, what kind of value they have, and how they should promote. This will help them to develop truly valuable regional tourism.”

The theme for the second part of this session was “luxury tourism in Tochigi.” How are regional leaders working to develop regional attractions?
The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko, opened in 2020. Motoki Tanaka, director of sales and marketing at the Ritz-Carlton, Nikko, says, “I believe our role is to communicate attractions of the area as interpreted by the Ritz-Carlton. At the Ritz-Carlton, Nikko, we have sought to create mechanisms whereby we can contribute to and build connections with the region through our guests. For example, we are collaborating with regional craftsmanship, we offer seasonal menus using local ingredients, and we also provide activity programs that include sky watching and temple and shrine experiences. Nikko itself is full of authenticity. Working with the region, we are creating content to discover local attractions while securing the strength of the Ritz-Carlton brand.
Daisuke Fujii is director and CEO of Ohtawara Tourism. He says, “We are a farm village DMO. We create content in places that aren’t sightseeing spots to encourage people to gather in that area. One example is farm stay. Using regional industries and attractions, we have created more than 120 regional experiences and accommodation programs. This has helped to increase the number of people visiting and staying in the area. Further, as one effort to create a regional brand, we have renovated and transformed the tangible cultural property Iizuka-tei into an extended stay hotel complete with a living room and kitchen. Outside of our accommodation initiatives, we have also developed activities within the town to revitalize the overall economy. Instead of just focusing on luxury, I believe that using people to provide real experiences rooted in local culture can offer truly moving experiences.”
Japan World Link is a company engaged in regional branding activities based on the theme “from the North Kanto region to the rest of the world.” CEO Angus Miyaji says, “While the idea of unexplored regional areas can be a selling point for regional luxury tourism, it’s important to create special content that makes people want to visit that area, even if it takes several hours to get there. One brand we created was SAKE VOYAGE, a program for foreign visitors that involves visiting four sake breweries in Tochigi. In addition to developing, improving, and disseminating the program’s content, we reinforced the application and acceptance system by developing a reservation system and voice guidance software especially for foreign visitors. We also created a number of trial tours that would benefit the region, and the most popular one was an indigo-dyeing tour held at a special needs institution.
In addition to learning about indigo dyeing, participating in the program would help provide support to those with special needs. Participants could also try out organic ingredients grown with waste water from the dyeing process. I’ve no doubt there are many interesting experiences like this in Tochigi, and so moving forward we will look to uncover and develop them further.”
Kana Otowa is the manager of Otowa Restaurant in Utsunomiya in Tochigi Prefecture. “As a restaurant rooted in the terroir of Tochigi, we provide Tochigi-style French cuisine using ingredients and cooking methods that are unique to the climate and natural features of this region. In addition, we also support local food culture through food education for children and on-site cooking classes. Moreover, we are also a member of Relais & Châteaux, a global association of hotels and restaurants with strict admission standards. As a member of the association, our role is to disseminating the food culture of Tochigi to countries across the world.”