WOMEN AND TOURISM IN JAPAN

Event details
Speaker : Ms Mari Shimamura
               Independent writer/author
Date      : Friday, 2 November 2007
Time      : 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Venue    : AS4/03-28 (JS Meeting Room)

Abstract

In 2006, more than 17.000.000 Japanese traveled overseas. Approximately 44% of them were female. With their high spending power and ‘adventurous' minds, young Japanese females in their 20s to mid-30s have long been the core target for overseas travel destinations. In recent years women travel overseas for diverse purposes including study, work, escape or romance. Some end up migrating or in intercultural marriages. More recently, however, the long-time dominance of young female travelers is rapidly being replaced by middle-aged or ‘senior' women. This seminar aims to explore the links between these women and tourism in Japan . The speaker, who has been following the transition in Japan's tourism for the last 35 years, will analyze the trends from the perspective of gender, society and culture in the context of Japan. Moreover, as female travelers of all age groups are also emerging in other East and Southeast Asian societies, primarily in urbanized cities, the discussion of the future of women and tourism will be made with reference to these societies, including Singapore. How will rapid demographic changes experienced in these societies change the style of tourism? Will the emergence of women traveling overseas for diverse purposes bring about a new dimension for the social identity of women in these societies?

About the speaker

Mari SHIMAMURA is an independent writer/author based in Tokyo. She obtained her undergraduate degree in the Spanish Language at Sophia University, Tokyo. Mari has published more than 20 books over the last decades in addition to an extensive career that has included work as a secretary and radio producer. Her past work has dealt with women's issues, such as women and work culture, women and popular culture, women and tourism, gender and sexuality, often in a humorous way. Her recent research interests have included Asian women and fantasy particularly in transnational cultural consumption of celebrities, focusing on so-called ‘auntie fans' (middle-aged or senior female fans of Asian celebrities). Mari is currently working on several projects including a book entitled “Romantic Virus”. She is also very interested in gender and mobility, especially with reference to the transnational movement of fans, travelers, migrations, romance and marriage within East, Southeast and South Asia .