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<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThose were the questions behind Kyushu Roundtable #4, held on May 29 at CIC Fukuoka. The session brought together 41 participants, including long-term residents, newcomers, tourism professionals, business owners, accommodation operators, academics, and people working directly with visitors and regional communities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The session was moderated by Fukuoka Now\u2019s Nick Szasz, with commentary from Stephen Lyman, PhD, a scientist, educator, author, filmmaker, and advocate for Kyushu\u2019s food and drink culture, and Kirk Patterson of Konpira Yacht Services, former Dean of Temple University Japan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n But as with every Kyushu Roundtable, the value of the evening came not from the panel alone, but from the room.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Participants shared perspectives from Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Akizuki, Sweden, France, Poland, the Netherlands, the United States, and beyond. What emerged was not a simple argument for or against tourism. Most people in the room accepted that tourism is here to stay. The deeper question was how it should be managed, who it should benefit, and what kind of tourism Kyushu should pursue.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kyushu Roundtable #5 is scheduled for Friday, July 3, 2026<\/strong>, from 18:30 at CIC Fukuoka.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Participation is free, but registration is required and seating is limited.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Registration is now open<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The evening began with a scan of recent Kyushu news. Several stories pointed directly to tourism and regional development: Fukuoka City\u2019s reconstruction of the ancient Kourokan East Gate, Yame\u2019s rapid growth in foreign visitors, a new ferry linking Ishigaki and Taiwan, investigations into unlicensed minpaku lodging in Oita, plans for air taxi services between Beppu and Yufuin, and Fukuoka Prefecture\u2019s weekday accommodation discount campaign to encourage travel beyond Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Together, the stories showed how tourism is now touching nearly every part of regional planning: history, accommodation, transport, public space, rural revitalization, and even new mobility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For Stephen Lyman, the opportunity is clear. Kyushu remains under-recognized, especially internationally.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He pointed to Yame, where international interest in tea has helped draw more visitors. But for Stephen, the appeal is not only the tea fields. It is the combination of history, craft, architecture, and local culture that visitors discover once they arrive.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cIt was really reassuring to me that a place like Yame is getting the attention it deserves,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Stephen also highlighted Kyushu\u2019s shochu industry, ceramics, mythology, and historical sites as examples of assets that remain relatively unknown outside Japan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThe history here makes Tokyo look like a teenager,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The comment drew laughter, but it captured an important point. Kyushu is often marketed as a convenient gateway or a place for food and hot springs. But the deeper story is older, richer, and still under-told.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kirk Patterson made a similar point through the Kourokan story. The ancient guest house, once used to welcome envoys from mainland Asia, was part of a larger historical network linking Fukuoka, Dazaifu, Korea, and China.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThis was really not just Fukuoka\u2019s window on Asia, but Japan\u2019s window on Asia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For Kirk, the reconstruction matters because it reminds people that Fukuoka has a history many residents and visitors still do not fully appreciate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Mike, who lives in Ogori, expanded on that history, connecting the Kourokan to nearby historical sites linked to Japan\u2019s ancient customs and administrative systems. Carl, who works in Fukuoka City Hall\u2019s tourism division, added that the challenge is not simply whether history exists, but whether it is visible and legible to residents and visitors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The Kourokan ruins are important, he noted, but the site itself has not always been easy to understand. The new reconstruction is partly an attempt to make that history more visible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cOptics is everything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That comment pointed to a wider challenge. Kyushu does not lack stories. It often lacks the infrastructure, interpretation, and presentation that help people understand those stories.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Marisa returned to this later in the discussion. She argued that Kyushu\u2019s best tourism future may not depend on people who come simply to shop, try sushi, or follow the same standard Japan itinerary. The more meaningful opportunity is to attract visitors who want to understand the region itself.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cI\u2019d really like to see the Kyushu tourists be the people who really find the story in Kyushu,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That idea became one of the clearest visions of the evening.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Tourism can be more than movement and spending. It can be a way of connecting people to local stories, local producers, and local communities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n But only if Kyushu chooses to build that kind of tourism.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If the first part of the discussion highlighted Kyushu\u2019s opportunity, the next turned toward the costs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The strongest concern was not that tourism is bad. It was that tourism development often changes places before communities have fully debated what they are giving up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Carl raised this directly in relation to Kourokan and Maizuru Park.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The reconstruction may help create a clearer historical site and attract visitors. But it also takes up space in a public park used by residents.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He made a similar point about Aburayama, where new facilities have helped attract visitors but also changed the feel of a place many locals valued for its natural environment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The question, he suggested, is balance. Tourism infrastructure can generate attention and revenue, but it can also eat into the spaces residents use.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That issue is not unique to Fukuoka. Around Kyushu, local governments are trying to turn history, nature, and food culture into visitor experiences. But every new attraction raises the same question: who is it for?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Allison asked that question in relation to Yame. If foreign tourism there is growing quickly, is there already a backlash?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Stephen did not claim to know the specific situation in Yame, but he said the question was exactly the kind that needs to be discussed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kyushu has been overlooked by much of the world for a long time, he said, but that is changing quickly. Growth brings opportunity, but also responsibility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWhat can we do to encourage responsible tourism?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The conversation then moved into infrastructure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Laurie, a software engineer, linked two apparently separate topics: the Kourokan area and bicycle enforcement.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Near Maizuru Park, he noted, there is one of the better separated cycle lanes in Fukuoka. Cyclists behave better there not because they are different people, but because the infrastructure makes good behavior easier.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cPeople want to cycle correctly,\u201d he said. \u201cThey want to follow the rules. But most of the time, they don\u2019t have any infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The point was larger than cycling. Rules alone do not solve pressure. Infrastructure matters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That applies to transport, accommodation, public space, signage, smoking rules, visitor behavior, and the daily experience of residents.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Marcus welcomed stricter smoking rules in central Fukuoka, especially around public spaces such as Kego Park. Stephen added that multilingual signage can help visitors understand expected behavior, pointing to the Fukuoka subway as a positive example.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The point was practical. If cities want more visitors, they need systems that help people behave well and reduce friction with residents.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Accommodation brought the issue into sharper focus.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n One news item concerned Oita Prefecture\u2019s investigation into unlicensed minpaku rentals. Carl explained that tourism-related licensing has become more important as visitor numbers rise and services expand.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kerry, who operates licensed accommodations, said the requirements can be strict, but they are largely about health and safety: water testing, fire safety, furnishings, toilets, and other standards.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cIt\u2019s expensive, but it\u2019s not difficult,\u201d he said. \u201cYou just have to follow the guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Patrick, from Poland, recalled being directly affected by Japan\u2019s 2018 minpaku rule changes when Airbnb bookings were suddenly cancelled before his first trip to Japan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Laurie added a resident\u2019s view. He had once lived next to an unlicensed minpaku and later in a building with a licensed one. In terms of noise and disruption, he said, the difference was not always clear.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That exchange revealed a difficult truth. Licensing is necessary, but it does not automatically solve the lived experience of residents. As tourism grows, management has to go beyond registration.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It has to address how visitors move, where they stay, how operators behave, and how local communities are affected.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The heart of the evening was not whether tourism should grow.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It was what kind of tourism Kyushu should want.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Paul Matsuda of JTB Kyushu offered an industry perspective. Japan\u2019s national targets remain ambitious, with the government aiming for 60 million foreign visitors by 2030 and \u00a515 trillion in spending.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He acknowledged issues such as overtourism and uneven regional distribution, but also warned against dismissing volume too easily.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cVolume is also very important,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For regional economies, visitor numbers help support hotels, transport networks, restaurants, and local businesses. Air routes, in particular, depend on volume. Without enough travelers, networks weaken.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n At the same time, Paul said the national conversation is shifting from quantity to quality.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That phrase became one of the central tensions of the discussion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n What does quality actually mean?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For some, it means high-spending visitors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kirk argued that high-value tourism can deliver economic benefits without overwhelming local communities in the same way as mass tourism. Drawing on his work in marine tourism, he described the difference between small cruising boats and superyachts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A few wealthy visitors, he said, can bring significant spending to local restaurants, services, ports, and suppliers without producing the same crowding effect as thousands of short-stay visitors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cA few rich people bring a lot of economic benefits,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He contrasted that with cruise tourism, where large numbers of passengers may arrive for only a few hours. If transportation, shopping, and tour operations are controlled by outside companies, he argued, much of the value can leak out of the local economy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Nick added that cruise passengers may create traffic and environmental pressure while leaving \u201cvery little residual benefit to the local area.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n But quality tourism was not only discussed in luxury terms.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For Marisa, quality meant depth. She wanted Kyushu to attract people interested in the region\u2019s stories, not just standard images of Japan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThe people who aren\u2019t coming to Japan just to have fun at a convenience store or to try sushi or matcha,\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n She pointed to shochu, Miyazaki mythology, Yame gyokuro tea, and other examples as the kinds of experiences that could attract visitors with a deeper purpose.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cDeveloping the stories and the programs,\u201d she said, is what matters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n David, who lives in Kumamoto, made a similar point. Japan needs to think more carefully about how it markets itself and what kinds of visitors it wants to attract.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Benoit, a new arrival from France, challenged the room from another direction. After hearing concerns about overtourism, he said his impression as a newcomer was very different.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n From his perspective, there seemed to be very few tourists in Fukuoka compared with parts of Europe. Having grown up in France, where visitors from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and elsewhere are part of daily life, he questioned whether tourism necessarily makes a place less itself.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cDoes it make France less French?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n His comment was useful because it prevented the conversation from becoming too inward-looking. Fukuoka may feel more crowded to long-term residents, but by global standards it may still be far from overwhelmed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Micaela, who previously worked in tourism in Sweden and has lived in Japan for nearly 20 years, also saw tourism as something that is likely to continue. She noted that Japan has become easier for different kinds of travelers to navigate, with better signage and more familiarity with foreign visitors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n But she also emphasized the need to help tourists understand how to behave responsibly in Japan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The discussion then turned to domestic tourism.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This became one of the most important and unexpected threads of the evening.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kerry argued that Kyushu should not think only in terms of inbound tourism. In fact, he suggested that international tourism may be less stable than many assume.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n His concern was long-term. If global middle-class travel weakens in the future, due to economic change or disruption from AI, regions overly dependent on foreign tourists may be exposed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He argued that Kyushu should think seriously about Japanese travelers and residents who increasingly struggle with rising hotel prices in their own country.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cJapanese tourists just can\u2019t move around their country without breaking their budgets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kerry operates accommodation in Akizuki, a small community that receives large numbers of visitors relative to its population. He said that by keeping prices close to pre-COVID levels, he has been able to attract more domestic guests.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n His broader point was that tourism policy should not only ask how to bring more people from overseas. It should also ask what kind of travel remains accessible to people who live in Japan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Several participants discussed pricing models that might distinguish between visitors and locals. Ilya raised the idea of charging foreign visitors more in certain situations while protecting affordability for residents. Carl noted that Fukuoka\u2019s accommodation tax is already being used to fund tourism-related improvements, with signs around the city showing where the money has gone.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n These ideas were not resolved, but they revealed a larger question: if tourism raises costs, how can residents see direct benefits?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That question may become more important as tourism spreads beyond the major destinations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kirk Patterson pushed the room hardest on the broader economic question.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n His argument was deliberately contrarian. Tourism, he said, has become attractive to governments because it brings visible, short-term economic activity. But it does not solve Japan\u2019s deeper structural problems.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cTourism is not the solution to Japan\u2019s economy,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a temporary feel-good fix.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He argued that Japan\u2019s long-term challenge is demographic: a shrinking and aging population, declining regional towns, and the need to manage infrastructure, education, social services, and local economies with fewer people.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n From that perspective, tourism can help some places, but it cannot become a substitute for deeper reform.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kirk also questioned whether Japanese communities have fully bought into the national push for tourism.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cI don\u2019t think the Japanese people have really been part of the initiative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For him, tourism has often been promoted by government and business, while residents deal with the consequences: crowded destinations, higher prices, and reduced access to places they once enjoyed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWhere do we go to travel in Japan?\u201d he asked, voicing the frustration he hears from Japanese friends and family. \u201cIt\u2019s our own country.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Alan pushed back by asking whether tourism infrastructure can also benefit local children and residents by helping them learn more about their own history.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That question was important.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Tourism development is not automatically external. A restored historical site, better signage, improved transport, or a revived local craft district can also strengthen local identity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The issue is whether projects are designed with residents in mind, or only with visitors in mind.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n David from Kumamoto added that the issue is not black and white. Spain, he suggested, offers both good and bad examples. Some places have been overwhelmed, while others have distributed visitors more successfully and allowed people to feel they are still among local communities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n He also noted that Kumamoto is facing another kind of growth pressure from the semiconductor industry. Traffic and infrastructure problems are rising there too.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n His point was broader than tourism.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n By the end of the discussion, the room had moved far beyond simple tourism promotion. Participants were talking about governance, infrastructure, pricing, public space, local benefits, domestic access, cultural identity, and long-term regional strategy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That may be the real value of the conversation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Tourism is not only an industry. It is a test of what kind of region Kyushu wants to become.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The discussion never answered whether more tourists automatically mean a better Kyushu.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In fact, the strongest answer may have been: not automatically.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Tourism can bring new life to rural towns. It can support restaurants, inns, guides, producers, transport networks, craftspeople, farmers, brewers, and cultural sites. It can introduce people to parts of Kyushu that remain underappreciated even by residents.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n But tourism can also raise prices, strain infrastructure, crowd public spaces, generate resentment, and produce economic benefits that do not always remain in the community.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The question, then, is not simply how many visitors Kyushu can attract.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It is what kind of tourism Kyushu wants to build.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Stephen, returning to an optimistic note at the end, said he sees the challenge as one of responsibility and support.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cHow can we, as people who live here, help support tourism in a way that is responsible and sustainable?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n That question captured the spirit of the evening.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kirk reminded the room that tourism must be placed within Japan\u2019s much larger demographic and economic challenges. Paul reminded the room that volume still matters for regional businesses and transport networks. Kerry reminded the room not to forget domestic travelers. Carl reminded the room that public space and local opinion matter. Benoit reminded the room that Fukuoka may not be nearly as crowded as it feels to some long-term residents. Marisa reminded the room that Kyushu\u2019s future as a destination depends on the stories it chooses to tell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For us at Fukuoka Now, that is exactly why we launched Kyushu Roundtable. Not to reach easy conclusions, but to spark conversation and deeper thinking.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Kyushu Roundtable is a monthly in-person discussion series produced by Fukuoka Now, bringing together residents from diverse backgrounds to explore the issues shaping Fukuoka and the wider Kyushu region.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nJoin the next conversation<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Key Takeaways from Kyushu Roundtable #4<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Tourism as Opportunity<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTourism as Trade-Off<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Tourism We Want<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBeyond Visitor Numbers<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nA Conversation About Kyushu\u2019s Future<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nJoin the next Roundtable<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n