Top 100: Obuse, Japan

A Healthy Way to Boost Off-Season Tourism

Top 100 submission by Naoaki Shinjo, Obuse Town Sustainability Coordinator 

Obuse is a rural town in Japan known for its delicious chestnut confectioneries, Katsushika Hokusai museum, and beautiful landscapes. Its charm is rooted in the town’s ‘open garden’ culture, where residents open their gardens to visitors to share their appreciation for nature. Over time, though, rapid visitation growth presented challenges for residents and local businesses.

During the autumn chestnut season, the surge in visitors congested the town center, making it difficult for residents to go about their daily lives. But once chestnut season ended, the visitors departed en masse. This led to sharp declines in business, and it threatened local economic viability.

In response, the town planned a summer ‘mini-marathon’ for visitors to immerse themselves in Obuse’s natural landscapes outside of chestnut season. Once the town’s initially reluctant neighborhood associations approved, local businesses embraced the idea, setting up aid stations with locally grown foods, performing green tea ceremonies, and playing traditional music with taiko drums, shamisen, and shakuhachi.  

The five-hour event has reached 8,000 visitors, 70% of whom were returning runners. Yet still the mini-marathon posed its own challenge with many participants traveling to Obuse in their own cars, which surged local CO2 emissions. To combat this, Obuse’s local train operators provided a train service for participants. The town also worked with Zero Waste Japan to reduce waste emissions at the event by targeting plastic packaging reductions at the aid stations, as well as tree planting. 

Ultimately, Obuse’s ‘mini marathon’ showed how interacting with local communities and nature can both contribute to the preservation and transmission of culture and support local ways of life. 

For more information, see the full submission (pdf).