8 Japanese National Parks Picked To Attract Foreign Visitors

Above, a shrine at Mt. Aso Volcano National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The United States is known for having national parks that attract foreign visitors such as the Grand Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park and others.

Japan also has national parks, and the Japanese government is conducting a project to attract foreign visitors to several of them.

According to Japan Today:

TOKYO —A panel of experts for the Environment Ministry on Monday selected eight out of Japan’s 32 national parks under a model project aimed at attracting foreign tourists. 

The selected parks are expected to train special tour guides and improve hotels, while local authorities are expected to develop new tour courses featuring nature and traditional culture. The government envisions loosening regulations on large commercial complexes in the areas to attract such facilities. 

Among the eight parks is the Ise-Shima National Park in Mie Prefecture where the Ise Grand Shrine is located and which was the venue of the Group of Seven summit in May. 

Other parks are the Nikko National Park straddling Fukushima, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures, the Daisetsuzan and Akan national parks in Hokkaido, the Kirishima-Kinkowan and Aso-Kuju national parks in Kyushu, the Towada-Hachimantai national park in northern Tohoku, and the Keramashoto (Kerema Islands) national park in Okinawa Prefecture.

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