ABSTRACT
The purpose of this introductory chapter is to establish the context for the book through a review of the historical development of tourism in Japan to the present day combined with a discussion of relevant policies. Commencing with evidence of the remarkable growth in international tourism to Japan over the last two decades and a discussion of the policies underpinning such growth, it goes on to consider the evolution and growth of tourism in Japan, and associated policies and processes, in four distinct periods: the early years up to the Meiji Restoration (1868); the period of domestic tourism expansion up to the Pacific War; the post-war years through to the 1990s; and 1997 to the present, a period defined by the rapid growth in inbound tourism. The chapter concludes with an overview of the book’s content.
