Responsible Travel in Japan

It should go without saying that Japan is a modern and vibrant country. The challenges it faces are different to those of many other destinations, and there are different strategies that can be used.

One problem is that travel within Japan has been too concentrated on a small number of areas, making those too crowded at peak times and having a detrimental effect on that environment. Windows To Japan has a list of areas that it will actively avoid for that exact reason, but this channelling also keeps visitors away from areas where they could do good for the communities.

Many areas in Japan have seen a movement of people from the countryside to the cities, especially by the younger people. This causes those rural areas to suffer and fade, it is also one of the reasons that many heritage skills and artisan crafts are being lost. The younger generation just can’t see a future in taking over the family business.

Avi and the Windows To Japan team are on the ground, based in Kyoto, but constantly touring the length of the country, visiting the cities, towns, villages, countryside and national parks, and looking for the opportunity to take travellers away from the beaten track.

Each month Avi meets local people in different parts of Japan and gives them training in how to become guides. Of course, he selects the best for his guests, but this creates a new revenue stream for those communities, allowing people to see an industry there.

Avi and two partners also founded a new organisation, Dento. With support from the Japanese government, Dento is working with artisanal craftspeople, helping these experts and their wider communities to find an international stage, opportunities to develop, new clientele, and a future through mentorship programs and college courses. There are many they have started working with so far, all over Japan and in a wide and diverse array of different specialities, taking in everything from pottery to textiles, to fans, to whisky – all being given a new lease of life.