Online Symposium “Reconsidering Tourism―Japanese and German perspectives on challenges, trends, and sustainability”

Japan Foundation x Japan-German Center Berlin Joint Symposium “Rethinking ‘Tourism’ - Japanese and German Perspectives on Issues, Trends and Sustainability

Germans love to travel and have even been called the “world champion travelers”. Japanese tend to travel for short terms only with dense sightseeing programs. While the mutual images of these two countries might be shaped by such stereotypes when it comes to tourism, the nature of travelling and tourism in general is undergoing changes due to numerous economic, social, ecological, and political reasons. Since the end of the pandemic, interest in Japan as travel destination has soared and touristic destinations such as Tokyo and Kyoto face unprecedented masses of inbound travelers. In many places, “overtourism” has become a constant phenomenon.

This symposium will bring together Japanese and German experts from academia, government, and hands-on practitioners to exchange thoughts on the differences and similarities in the significance and shape of tourism in both countries and value change over time. With a focus on inbound and domestic tourism to Japan and Germany, current challenges and future developments will be discussed, and new trends towards more sustainable travelling such as “soft tourism” and best practice approaches to utilize tourism to revitalize local and regional cultures will be presented.

Outline
Date Wednesday, March 19th, 2025
Time 6:00 pm - 8:50 pm （JST) / 10:00am-12:50pm (CET)
Venue Zoom Webinar
Language Japanese and German (simultaneous interpretation available)
Admission Free (Registration Required)
Registration link
Organizer The Japan Foundation
Co Organizer Japanese-German Center Berlin

Program

Session 1: Keynote-Speeches
Speakers:
Prof. YAGASAKI Noriko, Professor, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University
Prof. Dr. Anna Klein, Professor, Professor for Tourism Economy, IU International University of Applied Sciences, Munich Campus
Session 2: Case Studies
Speakers:
Mr. Brad Towle, Destination Manager of the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau
Ms. Hsieh Fan, Inbound Business Manager for Kita Management
Ms. Daniela Wiese, Head of Marketing / MICE Marketing / International Marketing, Sustainability Officer at Regensburg Tourisms LLC
Ms. Lajana Gebhard, Program Officer for Sustainability at Allgäu LLC, City of Allgäu
Session 3: Panel Discussion
Discussants
Mr. WAKAMATSU Tsutomu, Executive Vice President, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)
Mr. Dieter Janecek , Coordinator of the German Federal Government for the Maritime Industry and Tourism

In the Panel Discussion, we will welcome the discussant and have a discussion with the speakers of Part 1 and Part 2.

Profiles of Panelists from Japan

portlait of YAGASAKI Noriko

Prof. YAGASAKI Noriko
Professor, School of Arts and Sciences, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University

YAGASAKI Noriko is Professor at School of Arts and Sciences, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University since April 2019. She received a master's degree in political science from Graduate School of Law, Kyushu University. After joining the Sumitomo Bank, Prof. YAGASAKI also held the positions of Senior Researcher at the Japan Research Institute, Counselor (Tourism Economics) at Japan Tourism Agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (Personnel Exchanges between the Government and the Private Sector), Specially Appointed Associate Professor at Faculty of Urban Environmental Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, and Professor at Faculty of International Tourism Management, Toyo University.

portlait of Brad Towle

Mr. Brad Towle
Destination Manager of the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau

Originally from Canada, Brad Towle has been the Destination Manager of the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau since 2006. He has spearheaded the regeneration and flourishing of the World Heritage Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes from a community-based perspective creating a new-model for sustainable tourism development in rural Japan.

portlait of Hsieh Fan

Ms. Hsieh Fan
Manager (Inbound Representative), Tourism Attraction, Business Division,

Born in Taiwan. After graduating from university majoring in Japanese, Hsieh Fan engaged in Arts Management in Taipei for three years. In 2016, she worked at various tourist destinations in Japan through the working holiday programme. Fascinated by the Japanese way of life, Hsieh Fan decided to move to Japan. Work experience at hotel in Osaka helped Hsieh Fan to appreciate the value of rural areas in Japan, which caught her interest in initiatives by Kita Management, a General Incorporated Association located in Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture. In 2021, Hsieh Fan regarded joining Kita Management as an opportunity to relocate to Ozu City. Currently, she serves as manager and takes part in sustainable tourism product development for inbound.

portlait of WAKAMATSU Tsutomu

Mr. WAKAMATSU Tsutomu
Executive Vice President, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)

Mr. WAKAMATSU graduated from Keio University (Faculty of Law) in 1992 and joined Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. in April of the same year. Afterwards, he worked in the Mexico Branch, the Corporate Strategy Department and General Administration Department in the Hokkaido Region, before being appointed as Vice President & Regional Manager of Southern Region, U.S.A., Mexico, Central America in May 2020, spending three years there.
As Executive Vice President, he oversees the Global Projects Department, responsible for theme-specific promotions such as Luxury Travel, Adventure Travel, and Sustainable Tourism, and the MICE Promotion Department, which attracts MICE events such as international conferences and incentive travel to Japan. Having participated in the international events, including the Adventure Travel World Summit 2024 (held in Panama City), and utilizes his diverse experience to promote Japan as a tourism destination for JNTO.

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