Abstract
The purpose of this study is to discuss the role of ICT in cultural heritage tourism through a case study of the Hiraizumi world heritage site in Japan that was registered in 2011. As it promotes tourism through the world heritage registration, Hiraizumi is operating on the major premise that it will safeguard its cultural heritage while also placing importance on developing systems for accepting a diverse range of tourists using the universal design perspective. When doing so there are limits to facility refurbishment and infrastructure development so the town focused its attention on support for information aspects, or in other words support using ICT. Going forward as individual travel becomes more mainstream the ways in which new value is created in Hiraizumi tourism are likely to include (1) transmission of the value of the cultural heritage in collaboration with researchers and (2) development of tourist areas in which excursions on foot are possible. We discuss the possibilities for utilization of ICT in these measures and the utility of the participatory design approach.
Highlights
In June 2011 the cultural heritage of Hiraizumi was registered as UNESCO world cultural heritage under the name “Hiraizumi—Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land,” realizing an ardent wish of the town
As it promotes tourism through the world heritage registration, Hiraizumi is operating on the major premise that it will safeguard its cultural heritage while placing importance on developing systems for accepting a diverse range of tourists using the universal design perspective
Going forward as individual travel becomes more mainstream the ways in which new value is created in Hiraizumi tourism are likely to include (1) transmission of the value of the cultural heritage in collaboration with researchers and (2) development of tourist areas in which excursions on foot are possible
Summary
In June 2011 the cultural heritage of Hiraizumi was registered as UNESCO world cultural heritage under the name “Hiraizumi—Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land,” realizing an ardent wish of the town. Through registration as a World Heritage Site, various plans and operations were initiated to promote and vitalize tourism in Iwate prefecture and the Tohoku region centered around Hiraizumi. In order to register a site as a World Heritage site, it is necessary for the resource to have a “marked and universal value.”. In order to prove this, it is necessary to show that the site corresponds to at least one evaluation standard among six stipulated by the Word Heritage Committee, is authentic and complete, and possesses an effective conservation administration system. Hiraizumi was evaluated in categories “interchange” and “association” among the six evaluation standards: masterpiece, interchange, testimony, example, landuse and association
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
