Overtourism in Japan has been a major point of tension — and even outright conflict — in 2024. But what if those tourists could help local communities rebrand, regroup and regrow?
That’s the thinking of the small seaside town of Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, located a few hours north of Tokyo. The area has an ancient history stretching back to the Kofun Period (250–552). In the waning days of the Edo Period (1603–1868), it was the site of armed conflict between loyalists of the shogunate and advocates of imperial rule in the 1868-69 Boshin War.
Futaba’s modern trajectory has been shaped by the energy industry. At first, nuclear power offered the promise of a bright future ahead. After the 1971 commissioning of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant at the border of Futaba and neighboring Okuma, the average local salary doubled.
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