74: Reimagining Japan’s post-pandemic tourism industry w/ Alex Kerr

Our guest today is Alex Kerr, best known for his books “Lost Japan” and “Dogs and Demons.” Through his work in Shikoku’s Iya Valley and Kyoto’s teahouse districts, Alex has become one of the country’s pioneers of new models of heritage-based and sustainable tourism.

On this episode we’ll be discussing what a sustainable future for Japan’s tourism could look like, and whether Covid-19 offers a space to reflect and reimagine the industry, or whether the country will regress to old habits and unsustainable practices as soon as it’s over.

Read more:

• Foreign visitors drop 99% from year earlier for sixth straight month • (The Japan Times)

• Getting the wheels back on Japan's travel industry • (Alex Martin, The Japan Times)

• Tourism's effect on historic cities and sites in focus as global conference kicks off in Kyoto • (Eric Johnston, The Japan Times)

• Japan is struggling to deal with the foreign tourism boom • (Philip Brasor, The Japan Times)

• Photo Essay: Tokyo without tourists • (Oscar Boyd, The Japan Times)

• Pandemic derails Abe's strategy to revive regional Japan with tourism • (Reuters)

On this episode:

Alex Kerr: Chiiori Trust | Website

Oscar Boyd: Twitter | Articles | Instagram

Finding the Heart Sutra

Alex Kerr's new book "Finding the Heart Sutra" will be published Nov. 26, 2020, by Penguin. This book brings together Buddhist teaching, talks with friends and mentors, and acute cultural insights to probe the universe of thought contained within the "Heart Sutra."

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Photo: Pre-pandemic, tourists walk along Matsubara-dori street approaching Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. | BLOOMBERG