This article addresses aspects of contemporary heritage orientation of Tanegashima and Yakushima islands in southern Japan in the context of their historical association; the status of adjacent Mageshima island; and the divergent nature of the tourism attractions and related industries that have developed on the islands from the late 20th Century on. The discussion involves two aspects of h…
This article examines the manner in which local identity can be constructed on small islands from the selective prioritisation and elaboration of exogenous elements that become localised by this process and can subsequently function as a brand within contemporary tourism markets. The particular analysis of identity motifs on Takarajima island that we expound examines aspects of the relation…