PEOPLE

Ensuring the Future as a City of Tourism

Kato: As you mentioned, Nagasaki is well known as a tourist city, but what do you think about the so-called "over-tourism" problem, in which an excessive number of tourists have a negative impact on the lives of local residents, the natural environment, and the landscape?

Suzuki: We believe improving the quality of a tourist destination, not just the number of tourists is important. I think this coincides with the current policy of the Japan Tourism Agency, which is a guideline that we would like to take Nagasaki in the direction of increasing the consumption per tourist.

Kato: That is wonderful.

Suzuki: Regarding inbound tourists, where can we attract more people from? Currently, Nagasaki, like Kyushu as a whole, has a large number of Asian tourists. In Nagasaki, the largest number of visitors are Koreans, followed by Chinese, but the number of tourists from Europe and the United States is actually low.

Kato: Is that so? I thought Nagasaki was popular among Westerners. It is said that if the number of tourists from Europe, the U.S. and Australia increases, the unit price per trip will increase, so there seems to be room for improvement.

Suzuki: Of course, many people from Europe and the U.S. come to Japan, but since the total number of tourists is huge, the proportion is small. Including Europe, the U.S., and Australia, they probably account for about 10% of the total. In Hiroshima, about 40% of the tourists are from Europe, America, and Australia. The reason for this is thought to be that Hiroshima is an A-bombed city. If that is the case, then Nagasaki, which is also an A-bombed city, should be able to increase the number of Western tourists.

Kato: We have a map called the Pink Map that we have created at the National Congress of Industrial Heritage. It is a useful map for touring the component parts of the Sites of the Industrial Revolution, and we have prepared a Nagasaki version as well as versions translated into Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese. We have also created a Vietnamese version of the app and plan to create a Thai version in the future, so we hope you will make use of it.

Suzuki: It is good news for foreign visitors that they can use the Pink Map even without a translator, isn't it?

Kato: Currently, they are available at the airport, hotels and other facilities in the city, but they run out so quickly that we can't print them in time. Still, I am surprised at the popularity of Hashima Island. I often visit various places to give lectures on energy, and recently I have had people in Takamatsu, Osaka, Mie, and Kyoto tell me that they have been to Gunkanjima. Some presidents of small and medium-sized companies told us that they had visited Gunkanjima on a company trip, which made us very happy.

Suzuki: Certainly, the tourist content of Gunkanjima is strong, and we are very grateful for that. It is unfortunate that the landing rate is affected by the weather, and I wonder if there is any way to improve this situation.

Kato: At the Industrial Heritage Information Center, there is a Liquid Galaxy exhibit that shows Hashima Island and Takashima on a large screen. For example, if you click on "Takashima," the first thing that comes up is a picture of Takashima at its peak, followed by an image of the islanders campaigning "Let's protect the mountains too!” and then the final decision to close the mountain and destroy it.

When I first visited Takashima, there were still many high-rise houses, and the harbor was still there, but now there is nothing. Therefore, the information center presents the transition of the island within a entire history.

Suzuki: It had a very big impact. I am ashamed to say that this was my first visit to Takashima since I became mayor, and I was surprised at how nice the place is. It is hard to convey the charm of the island and what it looks like at its peak just by reading about it in documents. I marveled at this groundbreaking attempt to directly convey the value of the industrial heritage by immersing the viewer in a time-traveling sensation on a large screen.

Kato: In the future, we are also planning to open an exhibition space with Liquid Galaxy in Nagasaki. When the Industrial Heritage Information Center celebrates its 10th anniversary, we also plan to upgrade the smartphone app so visitors can more easily follow the island’s history. I think we can make this happen, at least within the common UNESCO app, and we would be happy to collaborate with Nagasaki City at that time.

Suzuki: We would be happy to collaborate with you not only on Hashima Island and Takashima but also in disseminating information on the industrial heritage of Meiji Japan. There are many things that need to be done, but in reality, we can only move forward one step at a time. However, as a tourist city, we are determined to ensure that we are looking to the future and look forward to your continued support.

Kato: I know it is not easy to strike a balance between being a tourist city and protecting our component parts, but I am convinced that there is a way forward. Thank you very much for the meaningful time you have given me today.

Composition and Text by Akane Maruyama