Leading Sustainable Destinations in Japan

Green Destinations

Green Destinations, one of the world's leading networks dedicated to sustainable tourism, annually selects destinations that meet key criteria and demonstrate outstanding sustainability efforts through expert evaluations. These destinations are announced as the "Top 100 Stories" and shared as good practice cases for tourism industry professionals and travelers. In addition, Green Destinations offers its own Award & Certification Program. Destinations that meet the Green Destinations Standard—which consists of 84 criteria—can achieve Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum awards in accordance with the level of conformity to the standard. Full compliance with all criteria also qualifies a destination for GSTC certification, accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

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“Certification Awards”

“Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories”

Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism

In 2021, the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) launched “Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism,” a global initiative to highlight the villages that are working to make tourism a driver of rural development and wellbeing and to advance the role of tourism in valuing and safeguarding rural villages along with their associated landscapes, knowledge systems, biological and cultural diversity, local values and activities.

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Japan Tourism Agency "JSTS-D (Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations)"

The “JSTS-D” provides sustainable tourism indicators for municipalities and DMOs so that they understand the current situation from various angles and manage tourism sustainably. The indicators are based on international standards outlined in the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destinations (GSTC-D). Each element of the various JSTS-D tourism indicators is organized in consideration of Japan and its unique characteristics and challenges.

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