Study Tour in Kyoto MiyamaLearn Japanese sustainable tourism in Kyoto Miyama

Kyoto Miyama is located in the vicinity of central Kyoto. The area has been selected as one of the Best Tourism Villages by UN Tourism in 2021, and acknowledged one of the leading sustainable tourism destiination.

Kyoto Miyama has over 40 years of experience in community development through tourism. Building on this rich foundation, we now welcome participants from around the world who are engaged in regional revitalization and sustainable tourism, and we offer a wide variety of  designed training and study tour programs.

Each program is custom-coordinated to reflect the specific interests, goals, and learning objectives of our guests.

If you are considering a study tour in Japan, we warmly invite you to contact us to explore how Miyama can support your learning journey.

In addition to on-site programs, we can arrange online pre-training sessions, immersive eco-tour experiences, and educational farm-stay programs in rural communities, all tailored to your needs.

Our association is supported by a dynamic and diverse team, with an average staff age of 42. The team includes professionals in their 20s and 30s who have chosen Miyama through I-turn, J-turn, and U-turn pathways.
During your program, we can also arrange paid interview opportunities with these young professionals as well as other local residents or business owners who are actively working in Miyama, offering valuable first-hand insights into rural life and regional development.

Programs are available in English and Thai.

Miyama has pursued a long-term approach to community development based on the conservation and sustainable use of natural and cultural resources for more than half a century. Beginning in the 1970s with community-based agricultural cooperation, the town has progressively advanced place-based rural development strategies.
From the 1980s onward, local government initiatives—such as the establishment of a dedicated Village Revitalisation Division—promoted community-led development by leveraging endogenous natural and cultural assets.

During the 1990s, these rural revitalisation initiatives gained national recognition, resulting in multiple awards from the central government.
In 1992, Miyama Furusato Co., Ltd., a public–private partnership organization, was established, followed in 1993 by the designation of the Kita district as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
These milestones supported the expansion of urban–rural exchange programs and laid the foundation for community-based tourism development.

In 2014, Miyama received national approval for its Comprehensive Ecotourism Promotion Plan, endorsed jointly by the Ministers responsible for environment, agriculture, transport and tourism, and education. This approval marked a transition toward structured sustainable tourism development, including capacity building through local guide training and the implementation of educational rural homestay programs for international students mainly from Taiwan.

In March 2016, the area encompassing Miyama was designated as part of the Kyoto Tamba Quasi-National Park, strengthening the institutional framework for nature-based tourism and landscape conservation. Subsequently, in July 2016, the Kyoto Miyama Tourism Association was established as an operational destination management entity. Grounded in market research and evidence-based analysis, the organisation was tasked with implementing the destination’s tourism strategy and facilitating local value creation through tourism.

In March 2018, the association was officially registered by the Japan Tourism Agency as a Destination Management Organization (DMO) (Registration No. 30022). This designation formalised a shift toward destination management and governance consistent with international best practices, emphasising strategic planning, stakeholder coordination, and sustainable destination competitiveness. These achievements reflect long-term, multi-stakeholder collaboration between local residents, public authorities, private enterprises, and external partners.

Miyama’s sustained commitment to community-led and sustainable tourism has received international recognition. In 2021, Miyama was selected as a UN Tourism Best Tourism Village, acknowledging its efforts in safeguarding cultural heritage, promoting inclusive tourism development, and enhancing community well-being. Further national recognition followed in 2023, when Miyama was designated as a priority area for inbound rural tourism by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and received the Sustainable Tourism Award (UN Tourism) at the 7th Japan Tourism Awards.

Despite these accomplishments, Miyama faces persistent demographic challenges, including an annual population decline of approximately 100 residents and continued population ageing.
According to official population projections, the area’s population is expected to decrease to 1,673 by 2045, representing less than half of its current population. These trends underscore the need for tourism to contribute not only to economic performance but also to social sustainability and territorial resilience.

Tourism in Miyama is fundamentally anchored in satoyama livelihoods and the rural landscapes shaped by long-standing human–nature interactions. Guided by a destination management approach, the area seeks to strengthen local social capital—understood in terms of trust, reciprocity, and networks—while fostering inclusive stakeholder engagement.
By integrating in-migrants, returning residents, and new entrepreneurial actors into destination governance, Miyama aims to advance collaborative value creation and resilient, sustainable community development in line with UN Tourism principles.

We are a travel agency registered with Kyoto Prefecture Governor No.3-687.
We can provide one-stop coordination for coach hiring, accommodation arrangement, interview coordination, as well as activitiy booking.
We are happy to accommodate a wide range of requests, including dietary needs and considerations related to diversity, equity, and LGBTQ inclusion.

Miyama offers a variety of accommodations capable of hosting group stays.
Based on your budget and program itinerary, we will recommend the most suitable lodging options for your group.

We are also happy to accommodate a wide range of needs, including food allergies, religious dietary requirements, and considerations related to LGBTQ inclusion, to ensure a comfortable and welcoming stay for all participants.