Illustrated Maps on Public Display in Japan In Regard to Domestic Tourism

Simon Potter 세계문화관광학회 2009 Conference Proceedings Vol.10 No.0

Focusing on how publicly displayed illustrated maps in Japan shed light on domestic tourism, this article has two main sections. The first notes how these maps are of practical value in regard to domestic tourism and makes some observations about their illustrations; topics include the top-ten leisure activities near the beginning and end of the "study period," the relevance of maps for four of these activities, publicly displayed maps as devices for locating places and as advertisements, four different types of non-standard cartographic illustrations that exist on such maps and precedents for them in the history of Japanese art, and the illustrations in regard to tourism. The second main section addresses how such maps provide evidence of the high-quality expectations that Japanese have; its topics touch on how the maps are generally of a high quality with trustworthy information, serve as courtesy offerings and/or advertisements with positive images, have as their main "consumers" tourists who are at least moderately wealthy, and include standard Japanese and images that meet contemporary expectations. Included in the article are thirteen maps which were photographed during the study period and a table which categorizes their illustrations according to content; following the text are the end notes, the first of which provides bibliographical information for eleven other publications about such maps.

Analysis of an Illustrated Map of the Aioiyama Upland, Nagoya

Simon Potter 세계문화관광학회 2010 International Journal of Culture and tourism Resea Vol.3 No.1

Nagoya, the fourth largest city in Japan in terms of population (roughly 2.25 million in October 2009), has many illustrated maps on public display and among them are "walking course" maps, from which is the untitled example analyzed in this article and referred to as the "Aioiyama Map." The first section ("The Aioiyama Map and Its Venue") after this abstractcum-introduction provides some information about the location of the map and the area shown in it, while the next two sections address the nine sites which are illustrated in offset circles and are connected to one or both of the walking routes shown on the map ("The Sites Illustrated on the Aioiyama Map") and most of the other pictorial and verbal information on the map ("Other Information on the Aioiyama Map"). Then comes an analytical section ("The Spirit and Purpose of Compositions Such as the Aioiyama Map") which addresses the mismatch of orientation and physical positioning in this case, the city-wide genre of "historical walking course" maps, how the routes on the Aioiyama Map relate to the 10,000 steps per diem exercise regimen, and the targeted audience of such maps. A two-paragraph concluding statement wraps up the article by noting that compositions such as the Aioiyama Map are examples of applied cartography and geography and can serve as devices to encourage viewers to visit places, explore areas, or engage in recreational activities.

A Qualitative Study of Kabukichō: Insights into the Possibilities for International Sex Tourism in Japan

Simon Potter 세계문화관광학회 2017 International Journal of Culture and tourism Resea Vol.10 No.1

Kabukichō, on the western side of metropolitan Tōkyō, was developed into an entertainment district after World War II and has been home to the best-known “red-light district” in Japan over the past several decades. Although many people who visit Kabukichō spend their time at such innocuous establishments as restaurants and bars, it is quite clear that services of a sexual nature are available and that there are a variety of people and establishments involved in this trade; the clientele are mostly Japanese males, yet the providers and enablers include not only Japanese but also people from several other countries. Over the past eight years, walks through Kabukichō and an adjacent area have revealed that some salient spatial divisions exist in regard to types of businesses connected to the sex industry and the people working at street level looking for custom, and these are highlighted in this paper. During the same period, the southern part of Kabukichō has become a popular destination for foreign tourists who mainly look around the area and take photographs, but some Japanese and African touts have been observed to approach Europeans and North Americans with references to businesses offering sexual services. Such activity raises the question of whether Kabukichō might become a center of international “sex tourism,” in the sense of foreign visitors being an important component of the demand side, something which this paper considers but concludes as not yet likely to happen.

Maps on Public Display for Tourists in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Simon Potter 세계문화관광학회 2012 International Journal of Culture and tourism Resea Vol.5 No.1

This article about publicly displayed maps in Ayutthaya has five sections of text, six photographs, and a list of printed references for further reading. It opens with two one-paragraph sections to explain how the research project of which this article is part came about and to provide a brief about the historical importance of Ayutthaya and why it might attract tourists. Then comes a lengthier section which discusses five maps-each of a different type and shown in a photograph-in regard to their content, symbolization, and illustrations of sites, and this in turn is followed by an analytical section which comments mainly about the usefulness of the illustrative material for advertising or explaining selected sites, their incompleteness in regard to content, and-by using a temple plan which represents the layout of the Buddhist universe as an example-how there can be more to an image than what initially meets the eye. The concluding comment which wraps up the text notes that although maps on public display are not a necessity, they do provide a public service which can be of help to tourists and thereby suggest that organizations such as the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the City of Ayutthaya are keen to make tourism a reasonably pleasant experience.

Illustrated Maps on Public Display in Japan in Regard to Domestic Tourism

( Simon Potter ) 세계문화관광학회 2009 International Journal of Culture and tourism Resea Vol.2 No.1

Focusing on how publicly displayed illustrated maps in Japan shed light on domestic tourism, this article has two main sections. The first notes how these maps are of practical value in regard to domestic tourism and makes some observations about their illustrations; topics include the top-ten leisure activities near the beginning and end of the “study period,” the relevance of maps for four of these activities, publicly displayed maps as devices for locating places and as advertisements, four different types of non-standard cartographic illustrations that exist on such maps and precedents for them in the history of Japanese art, and the illustrations in regard to tourism. The second main section addresses how such maps provide evidence of the high-quality expectations that Japanese have; its topics touch on how the maps are generally of a high quality with trustworthy information, serve as courtesy offerings and/or advertisements with positive images, have as their main “consumers” tourists who are at least moderately wealthy, and include standard Japanese and images that meet contemporary expectations. Included in the article are thirteen maps which were photographed during the study period and a table which categorizes their illustrations according to content; following the text are the end notes, the first of which provides bibliographical information for eleven other publications about such maps.

Illustrated Maps on Public Display in Japan in Regard to Domestic Tourism - Vol.2 No.1

Simon Potter 세계문화관광학회 2009 International Journal of Culture and tourism Resea Vol.2 No.1

Focusing on how publicly displayed illustrated maps in Japan shed light on domestic tourism, this article has two main sections. The first notes how these maps are of practical value in regard to domestic tourism and makes some observations about their illustrations; topics include the top-ten leisure activities near the beginning and end of the "study period," the relevance of maps for four of these activities, publicly displayed maps as devices for locating places and as advertisements, four different types of non-standard cartographic illustrations that exist on such maps and precedents for them In th ' history of Japanese art, and the illustrations in regard to tourism. The second main section addresses how such maps provide evidence of the high-quality expectations that Japanese have; its topics touch on how the maps are generally of a high quality with trustworthy information, serve as courtesy offerings and/or advertisements with positive images, have as their main "consumers" tourists who are at least moderately wealthy, and include standard Japanese and images that meet contemporary expectations. Included in the article are thirteen maps which were photographed during the study period and a table which categorizes their illustrations according to content; following the text are the end notes, the first of which provides bibliographical information for eleven other publications about such maps.

Asuka, Japan, in its Historical Context -An Example of Cultural Tourism as Education-

( Simon Potter ) 한국문화관광학회 2014 문화관광연구 Vol.16 No.1

In the context of its value for cultural tourism, the Japanese village of Asuka is analyzed here as a location that offers informal educational possibilities, notably about its namesake historical period during which the foundation of present-day Japanese civilization was built. The first section explains the “context and background” of the article, categorizes it as a case study, and includes a tourist map for reference, while the second section focuses on three processes that provided the “historical essence” of Asuka. Following those is a lengthier section about some interesting sites that are linked to these processes, and an important theme within it is the role of Baekje, a kingdom in southwestern Korea, in cultural transmission. The final section of text comprises some “concluding comments” which note that Asuka is a good locale for the “educational” side of cultural tourism because it requires combining information with imagination to appreciate what the landscape offers.

A Qualitative Study of Kabukicho: Insights into the Possibilities for International Sex Tourism in Japan

( Simon Potter ) 세계문화관광학회 2017 International Journal of Culture and tourism Resea Vol.10 No.1

Kabukicho, on the western side of metropolitan Tokyo, was developed into an entertainment district after World War II and has been home to the best-known “red-light district” in Japan over the past several decades. Although many people who visit Kabukicho spend their time at such innocuous establishments as restaurants and bars, it is quite clear that services of a sexual nature are available and that there are a variety of people and establishments involved in this trade; the clientele are mostly Japanese males, yet the providers and enablers include not only Japanese but also people from several other countries. Over the past eight years, walks through Kabukicho and an adjacent area have revealed that some salient spatial divisions exist in regard to types of businesses connected to the sex industry and the people working at street level looking for custom, and these are highlighted in this paper. During the same period, the southern part of Kabukicho has become a popular destination for foreign tourists who mainly look around the area and take photographs, but some Japanese and African touts have been observed to approach Europeans and North Americans with references to businesses offering sexual services. Such activity raises the question of whether Kabukicho might become a center of international “sex tourism,” in the sense of foreign visitors being an important component of the demand side, something which this paper considers but concludes as not yet likely to happen.