Japan’s booming tourism industry struggling to improve sustainability

Finding harmony with nature in the pearlescent waters of Oku-Matsushima’s oyster farms. Tucking into dishes made with unique alpine vegetables in the sacred hills of Dewa Sanzan. Forest bathing, imbibing in local sake and relaxing in wood-fired saunas nestled in Okutama’s lush mountains.

This is just a sampling of recent promotions for ecotourism destinations in Japan as destinations jostle to grab the attention of an annual influx of 40 million foreign visitors.

These destinations promise to immerse visitors in an “authentic” Japanese experience, all the while delivering sustainable experiences that minimize carbon emissions and environmental impacts.

But tourism is inherently a carbon-intensive activity. One U.S. dollar earned in tourism generates 1.02 kilograms of GHG emissions. Tourism’s footprint is four times higher than the service sector’s per-dollar emissions and 30% higher than the global economy’s average of $0.77 per kilogram of GHGs.

The story is no different in Japan.

In a 2020 paper that was released just as the tourism sector was beginning to shut down due to COVID-19, researchers with Tokyo City University estimated that Japan’s annual carbon emissions from the industry had reached 136 million tons per year. Meanwhile, Japan’s total emissions in 2019, the year before the study was released, totaled 1.1 billion, according to Our World in Data, highlighting the large carbon footprint of the sector.

A family is surrounded by wild deer near Todai-ji temple in Nara in January. Japan continues to see an influx of tourists, with over 40 million foreign visitors arriving last year. | REUTERS

Since Japan reopened its borders to tourists, the nation’s tourism boom has only accelerated.

Essentially, every year that brings more tourists accelerates greenhouse gas emissions and puts new strains on ecosystems, threatening to keep Japan off track from its 2050 goal of carbon neutrality.

To curtail emissions, a mix of government frameworks and entrepreneurial initiatives are underway, but with the current speed of tourism development, keeping up is proving to be a major challenge.

Emerging government frameworks

Temsegen Assefa, chief consultant at JTB Tourism Research & Consulting, says that Japan’s geography poses a particular challenge, given nearly all foreign tourists arrive by air.

“Because Japan is an island country, it relies heavily on aviation for inbound arrivals, and aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize,” he tells The Japan Times.

Every nonstop roundtrip flight from London or Chicago to Tokyo adds over 3,000 kg of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere per passenger in economy class, equivalent to 40% of the annual energy-related emissions of an average American home, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Although the majority of arrivals do come from nearby Asian markets, arrivals from the U.S., Europe, and Australia are increasing, where the emissions per journey are considerably higher,” Assefa said.

Yusuke Kitamura, a researcher at Waseda University, calculates that over 50% of the emissions of Japan’s tourism industry come from transportation — and reducing those emissions presents a “significant challenge.”

Instead, Kitamura says local destinations should start where they can: on the ground. In 2020, Assefa and JTB Tourism Research & Consulting worked on a project in support of the Japan Tourism Agency to develop the Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations, also known as JSTS-D. The standard provides local governments with a common framework for environmental protection and destination management, including cultural heritage preservation and benefits for local communities. It establishes benchmarks for emissions reductions, water use, pollution, resident attitudes, visitor volume management and more.

So far, dozens of approved destinations, ranging from ski towns such as Otaru and Niseko in Hokkaido, to Sumida Ward in Tokyo, to the entirety of Okinawa Prefecture, have signed on to the program. But using the guideline does not mean that the destination has achieved a particular level of environmental performance.

“Destinations need monitoring and implementation,” advises Assefa. He recommends that destinations also adopt the U.N. Tourism International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO). The system involves quantitatively monitoring a huge number of indicators, from water energy and water consumption to economic impact.

Visitors go for a paddle under cherry trees in full bloom in Chidorigafuchi Park in Tokyo in March. | REUTERS

Some destinations are going a step further.

Norikura Kogen, located in Nagano Prefecture’s Chubu Sangaku National Park, registered as the nation’s first “Zero Carbon Park” in 2021, for which stakeholders in hospitality, industry and local governments collectively agreed to advance zero carbon initiatives. “The community has decided to prioritize the environment, recognizing that it may come with some economic contraction,” says local guide and hotel operator Yuma Fujie. The area struggles with invasive species, rapidly expanding deer populations, and high emissions associated with the hospitality industry in a cold, snowy climate at 1,500 meters above sea level.

The Zero Carbon Park plan involves disseminating renewable energy from solar power and local biomass, reducing plastic use, and prioritizing the development of sustainable tourism. Fujie’s hot spring inn, Raicho, emphasizes long-term “workation” stays that minimize emissions by facilitating adventures on foot and bicycle, since Norikura Kogen restricts private vehicles. Fujie himself helped launch the Shinpi Trail, an 117-kilometer walking trail across the Japanese Alps from Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture to Takayama in Gifu Prefecture, in order to promote slower and more eco-conscious ways to experience the national park.

Up north, Hokkaido’s ultra-popular ski resort town Niseko is seeing international luxury hotels popping up at an unprecedented rate as wealthy foreign investors purchase local forestland to build winter chalets and private resorts. One measure in response is a new decarbonization subsidy for local businesses and residents. The subsidy is available for solar panels, energy storage batteries, energy-efficient air conditioning and water heating systems, and new houses that meet certain high standards of sustainability.

Atsuko Matsui, from Niseko’s environmental planning department, says that 42 subsidies worth a total of around ¥24 million have been awarded since 2024.

“While we haven’t experienced a significant environmental impact yet, there are growing local concerns about tourism development regarding energy consumption, waste generation and wastewater discharge,” Matsui says. “Niseko’s plan expects tourism operators to reinvest a portion of their earnings into environmental conservation activities.”

Finding a green niche

Amid the significant headwinds, there is some good news when it comes to tourism and sustainability: Operators in the carbon-intensive industry are starting to care.

“We’re seeing sustainable certificates not only on the rise in the luxury market, but also in mass market tourism,” Assefa says. “The hospitality sector is facing considerable international pressure to become more sustainable, and hotels in particular are seeking the marketing appeal of sustainability certifications.”

The number of Japanese hotels certified by Green Key, an international eco-certificate for the hospitality industry, has grown to 41 facilities as of this month compared with just seven in 2024. The local Japanese certifier Sakura Quality has now certified 247 facilities, nearly triple the 2024 figure.

One high-profile representative of that shift is Hoshino Resorts, with properties including Hoshinoya Karuizawa, Iriomote Hotel and Risonare Nasu all promoting sustainability and ecotourism.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture produces the bulk of its energy on its own through hydropower and recycling heat from hot springs. | Hoshino Resorts

Hoshinoya Karuizawa general manager Kazuya Shuto says that his resort, not unlike Fujie’s locally owned inn, emphasizes extended stays that promote low-emissions activities. This helps reduce emissions-heavy travel, while also increasing the hotel’s revenue per customer.

“We want guests to immerse themselves in one area and fully appreciate its unique charms, rather than hopping around multiple locations,” he says.

Hoshinoya Karuizawa produces the bulk of its energy on its own through hydropower and recycling heat from hot springs. The hotel first achieved a 100% recycling rate in 2011 and transports food waste directly to farms for composting. It is also built around ecotourism activities, specifically in the Karuizawa National Wild Bird Sanctuary Forest that surrounds the hotel: Hoshino’s affiliate NPO Picchio offers nature tours and conducts wildlife research and conservation activities in the forest.

Combining ecotourism and conservation may prove to be a strategic path forward for the industry. In the village of Onna in the center of Okinawa’s main island, local operators have started to offer coral reef restoration experiences, combining scuba diving with restoration work.

The volunteers help counter the decline of coral numbers in Okinawa, which is caused by wastewater and sediment pollution attributable to tourism and development, in addition to rising sea temperatures.

In spite of the rising availability of such experiences, tourism industry insiders say that the vast majority of visitors aren’t concerned about having particularly sustainable experiences.

“I can’t specifically remember any client, or even a potential client, asking after a low-environmental-impact tour,” says Noah Oskow at Unseen Japan, a Tokyo-based tour operator.

People compost food waste at Hoshino Resorts' property in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture. A number of Hoshino Resorts' properties have put sustainability in focus through various initiatives, including by promoting low-emissions activities for guests. | Hoshino Resorts

The company’s tours target visitors looking for cultural integration and experiences off the beaten path, but that hasn’t coincided with requests for sustainability.

“I think the image of Japan, real or not, is that it’s a fairly environmentally sound country, perhaps driven by how clean urban areas appear,” Oskow says.

Japan faces a difficult balancing act: while the government is seeking to disperse visitors from overcrowded urban areas into smaller towns and rural destinations, reaching these places often involves additional emissions in the form of flights or car journeys. Visitors may find sustainable ecotourism activities in remote areas of the country, but they’ll have to emit a lot of carbon to get there.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all solution,” says Assefa. “I personally believe destinations need to consistently monitor local tourism conditions and impacts.”

Once destinations can actually identify their challenges, finding solutions becomes far easier.

Gifu Prefecture established the first INSTO observatory in Japan in 2023, monitoring over 10,000 square kilometers and 1,000 accommodation facilities. The initial report identified private car transport as one of the largest energy management crises, as over 80% of tourists traveled in the prefecture via private car. With data procured through the U.N. initiative, the prefecture could swiftly designate electric vehicle proliferation as a key measure and created a goal to expand its EV charging network.

On the long road toward decarbonization, Kitamura believes that tourists have an important role to play.

“I hope that visitors will understand the challenges that Japan faces, but also raise their voices about areas where further action is needed,” he says. “That will enable tourists to enjoy their experiences while advancing sustainability for local businesses and residents.”

Kitamura notes that it’s also up to operators to create environments and systems within which tourists can help lessen their impact.

Essentially, what’s needed is a tourism environment where operators offer green choices, and tourists choose them. When both businesses and consumers consistently prompt one other to take small steps toward sustainability, Japan might finally see great, green progress.