Abstract
The concept of placemaking describes the transformation and development of a site directed by the local authorities. This longitudinal study examines the emergence of a fan pilgrimage site in rural Japan and the subsequent placemaking process to establish it as a popular culture tourism site. The study uncovers friction among stakeholders and backlash against the top-down placemaking approach from both residents and fans, whose attitudes are more critical and impactful than those of non-fan tourists towards making the place. The study contributes to a nuanced understanding of placemaking dynamics and complexity by drawing on a non-Western context and its particularities, highlighting that a longitudinal investigation provides in-depth insights into stakeholder conflicts and potentials.
RAS ID
78275
Document Type
Journal Article
Funding Information
JSPS Kakenhi Grant (19K20565)
School
School of Business and Law
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Identifier
Sangkyun Kim: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2746-9952
Eerang Park: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0495-7128
Comments
Thelen, T., Kim, S., Kai, T., & Park, E. (2025). Sacred or sacrificed placemaking: A contested fan pilgrimage site for rural tourism development. Tourism Geographies, 27(2), 356-379. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2025.2462234