"Seeking the « Good » : Rethinking Solidarity through Tourism and De-tourism"
La Maison Universitaire France-Japon, en collaboration avec The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), a le plaisir de vous convier à la conférence du :
Professor, Kentaro, Azuma
Nagoya University, Professeur invité à l’Unistra
Sur le thème :
« Seeking the « Good » : Rethinking Solidarity through Tourism and De-tourism»
INSCRIPTION OBLIGATOIRE: mujapon@unistra.fr
Conférence tout public, en anglais
Mardi 5 mai 2026 à 17h30
À la Maison Universitaire France-Japon
42a, Avenue de la Forêt Noire à Strasbourg
Résumé :
This talk explores the positive potential of tourism despite its negative impacts, such as overtourism and modern social divisions. Rather than rejecting travel entirely, the speaker introduces the concept of « de-tourism, » which encompasses the reduction, cessation, and redirection of tourism, as a vital analytical lens. Tourism and de-tourism are inextricably linked, functioning as two sides of the same coin, much like the famous duck-rabbit optical illusion.
The talk presents two case studies to illustrate how de-tourism can foster unexpected solidarity. First, the sudden six-month closure of Boracay Island in the Philippines, mandated by the state due to severe environmental degradation, caused massive shock. However, a shared sense of nostalgia for the lost paradise served as a powerful catalyst, leading to accidental cooperation between locals and tourists, such as joint beach cleanups.
Second, the structural decline of Minamichita, Japan, after the bubble economy of the 1980s led to « alternative tourism. » Decaying resort facilities and a local Italian restaurant evolved into vibrant intersections for migrants, locals, and tourists, generating a « postal multitude » based on unpredictable, fleeting connections.
The talk ultimately concludes that these accidental, boundary-crossing encounters, emerging directly from the friction of de-tourism, embody the true « good » that can overcome the deep divisions of contemporary society.
