I don't think there is such a thing as a dull prefecture. Everyplace has something to offer, but quite often it's overlooked, even by locals. The locals take some things for granted and assume no tourists wold be interested, and tourists never discover these things because nobody promotes them.
I have seen so many places I thought I was the only person in the world who appreciated suddenly get discovered.
The challenge I have found usually lies with the prefectural tourist bureau people. They are stuck in their own way of thinking and fail to see things from a tourist perspective. Even when this is pointed out, they often fail to act on it. Instead, they promote things they think are great but hold no interest for tourists.
Kipling nails it here. No British person would claim injustice for a lack of tourism in any random part of Britain, say Shropshire. They would not try to guilt out tourists for not going there or claim it was a lack of information about Shropshire's wonders. If anything, lots of tourists not going to say Shimane is a completely natural state of affairs, and not affront or black mark on the people of Shimane. If anyone in Shimane wins one million yen windfall on the takarakuji lottery, they're not going to spend it on a trip to Tottori, Yamagata, or Saga.
I say this as a cyclist who loves going down little country roads where at least half the houses are kominka and you are unlikely to see two or three moving cars or kei trucks per hour. This usually involves climbing big hills, but that doesn't bother me. Note that none of the cycling promotion my prefecture puts out mentions such idyllic roads and instead sends people down roads with nonstop cars and big trucks because such roads go past a semi-famous shrine, semi-famous orchards, the michinoeki etc. etc. I never ride on such roads and do not consider it remotely enjoyable. I suspect no-one in tourism promotion has actually ridden a road bike.
If anyone in Shimane wins one million yen windfall on the takarakuji lottery, they're not going to spend it on a trip to Tottori, Yamagata, or Saga.
Saga is a good example of what I meant. It gets slagged off a lot, even in Kyushu. But there are several places in Saga that are memorable and well worth visiting (Okawachiyama, Karatsu, Arita, and numerous small villages that offer traditional foods and crafts, and more.). But the locals haven't gotten organized enough to promote them properly and provide the facilities needed.
My wife and I just spent a 2 days in hot spring town Ureshino, Saga while also doing a day trip to Hizen-Hama area to check out the old town area and sake breweries. This was late December and there were few tourists, domestic or otherwise in contract to nearby Yufuin in Oita which had plenty of Chinese and Korean tourists. Saga seemed not flashy but a nice, quiet place to live with Ureshino only being 30 minutes away by Shinkansen to Nagasaki.
One thing I notice is that most commercials for any given place spend an inordinate amount of time banging on about the food. For some tourists, that is not important, and they may want to know about other reasons to visit that place. But it's more like "visit (place X), food food food food food oh there's a mountain and a nice temple but food food food food food"
As others hinted to - a lack of vision in many cases.
The inability to see what prospects an area has and the desire to actively think of ways in which to enhance and promote.
My parents in law area is a good case. An old town stretched along a few kms of coast. Many shuttered businesses and akiya. I always thought the beach - 100mtrs away - was idyllic. For many summers - and other seasons too, my wife and kids were almost the only ones on the beach. It was a quiet calm sandy beach, protected and not suddenly deep water. Locals never went there. My mother in law has never been to this beach in the decades I've known her.
Fast forward to the past 2 years and an enterprising company from Kansai has come in and bought 4 blocks of cheap beachfront land and built 4 Air B&B detached cottages - up market style. They currently rent out for ¥40,000/night and ¥60,000 in peak times - and this is Inaka. They are occupied many days a week. Other businesses have been started from bakery to pizza restaurant to seafood ramen etc along the strip. Last year many people began to visit from outside the prefecture. SMS has allowed it all to progress and this year should be great for many businesses and visitors alike.
Point all being - the locals had no vision. Even now some are sceptical about the new businesses esp the B&Bs. Sad to hear neighbours say things like "who'd paid that money to stay there?"
Every region has it's own issues, but much of the attractions of an area are not understood well by locals or they think they know what outsiders want eg a big concrete hotel on a cliff.
It's not difficult to understand why foreigners are buying up properties big.
I suspect no-one in tourism promotion has actually ridden a road bike.
@kohakuebisu I also suspect so- as an avid roadie, there are so many great routes that I discovered just by going out myself- although perhaps its kinda good as it means we have the road to ourselves
Lack of accommodations, lack of advertisement, hard access with train or buss, however this is good. The local tourists are starting to flood those quiet tourist free areas so it's not all that bad.
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Mr Kipling
Some prefectures are stunningly dull with nothing of interest compared to others. They are also difficult and costly to get too.
Toshihiro
I second the difficulty with distance. But some areas really have not much to offer aside from peace and quiet.
commanteer
I don't think there is such a thing as a dull prefecture. Everyplace has something to offer, but quite often it's overlooked, even by locals. The locals take some things for granted and assume no tourists wold be interested, and tourists never discover these things because nobody promotes them.
I have seen so many places I thought I was the only person in the world who appreciated suddenly get discovered.
The challenge I have found usually lies with the prefectural tourist bureau people. They are stuck in their own way of thinking and fail to see things from a tourist perspective. Even when this is pointed out, they often fail to act on it. Instead, they promote things they think are great but hold no interest for tourists.
kibousha
I can't tell you what they can do without knowing which ones of these are grouped into the "some" prefectures category.
kohakuebisu
Kipling nails it here. No British person would claim injustice for a lack of tourism in any random part of Britain, say Shropshire. They would not try to guilt out tourists for not going there or claim it was a lack of information about Shropshire's wonders. If anything, lots of tourists not going to say Shimane is a completely natural state of affairs, and not affront or black mark on the people of Shimane. If anyone in Shimane wins one million yen windfall on the takarakuji lottery, they're not going to spend it on a trip to Tottori, Yamagata, or Saga.
I say this as a cyclist who loves going down little country roads where at least half the houses are kominka and you are unlikely to see two or three moving cars or kei trucks per hour. This usually involves climbing big hills, but that doesn't bother me. Note that none of the cycling promotion my prefecture puts out mentions such idyllic roads and instead sends people down roads with nonstop cars and big trucks because such roads go past a semi-famous shrine, semi-famous orchards, the michinoeki etc. etc. I never ride on such roads and do not consider it remotely enjoyable. I suspect no-one in tourism promotion has actually ridden a road bike.
commanteer
Saga is a good example of what I meant. It gets slagged off a lot, even in Kyushu. But there are several places in Saga that are memorable and well worth visiting (Okawachiyama, Karatsu, Arita, and numerous small villages that offer traditional foods and crafts, and more.). But the locals haven't gotten organized enough to promote them properly and provide the facilities needed.
K3PO
Parts of Japan, and the world, are overrun by tourists - maybe these quiet prefectures should just stay as such.
deanzaZZR
My wife and I just spent a 2 days in hot spring town Ureshino, Saga while also doing a day trip to Hizen-Hama area to check out the old town area and sake breweries. This was late December and there were few tourists, domestic or otherwise in contract to nearby Yufuin in Oita which had plenty of Chinese and Korean tourists. Saga seemed not flashy but a nice, quiet place to live with Ureshino only being 30 minutes away by Shinkansen to Nagasaki.
Tokyo Guy
One thing I notice is that most commercials for any given place spend an inordinate amount of time banging on about the food. For some tourists, that is not important, and they may want to know about other reasons to visit that place. But it's more like "visit (place X), food food food food food oh there's a mountain and a nice temple but food food food food food"
browny1
As others hinted to - a lack of vision in many cases.
The inability to see what prospects an area has and the desire to actively think of ways in which to enhance and promote.
My parents in law area is a good case. An old town stretched along a few kms of coast. Many shuttered businesses and akiya. I always thought the beach - 100mtrs away - was idyllic. For many summers - and other seasons too, my wife and kids were almost the only ones on the beach. It was a quiet calm sandy beach, protected and not suddenly deep water. Locals never went there. My mother in law has never been to this beach in the decades I've known her.
Fast forward to the past 2 years and an enterprising company from Kansai has come in and bought 4 blocks of cheap beachfront land and built 4 Air B&B detached cottages - up market style. They currently rent out for ¥40,000/night and ¥60,000 in peak times - and this is Inaka. They are occupied many days a week. Other businesses have been started from bakery to pizza restaurant to seafood ramen etc along the strip. Last year many people began to visit from outside the prefecture. SMS has allowed it all to progress and this year should be great for many businesses and visitors alike.
Point all being - the locals had no vision. Even now some are sceptical about the new businesses esp the B&Bs. Sad to hear neighbours say things like "who'd paid that money to stay there?"
Every region has it's own issues, but much of the attractions of an area are not understood well by locals or they think they know what outsiders want eg a big concrete hotel on a cliff.
It's not difficult to understand why foreigners are buying up properties big.
Peter Neil
i might disagree with food. domestic tourism seems to be all about the food.
zulander
@kohakuebisu I also suspect so- as an avid roadie, there are so many great routes that I discovered just by going out myself- although perhaps its kinda good as it means we have the road to ourselves
dobre vam zajebava
What are the biggest challenges faced by some prefectures to attract more tourists?
I believe depends up to place but...I believe its mostly about so called BUSINESS SENSE of people in charge...
Japan is very nice country with many nice places to see and definitely worth to visit.
DanteKH
Lack of accommodations, lack of advertisement, hard access with train or buss, however this is good. The local tourists are starting to flood those quiet tourist free areas so it's not all that bad.