Japan sets 2031 target for luxury hotels at all 35 national parks

At a government meeting in July, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled a plan to bring luxury resort hotels to the country’s 35 national parks by fiscal 2031, when the national park system marks its 100th anniversary.

The government also plans to make national parks more attractive by renovating existing facilities and offering nature experiences.

“We are aiming for world-class national parks based on the understanding of local communities and the idea of environmental conservation, and to this end we will implement projects to increase the attractiveness (of national parks) by using private-sector resources,” Environment Minister Shintaro Ito told a press conference.

Since fiscal 2016, the Environment Ministry has been considering measures to increase the added value of national parks to meet the needs of foreign visitors to Japan as well as the diversifying needs of tourists.

Currently, the ministry is running a model project to attract luxury hotels in four national parks, including the Yasumiya-Yasumitai area of the Towada-Hachimantai National Park in northeastern Japan and the Nanbu area of the Chubusangaku National Park in central Japan.