Establishment of the Culture, Tourism and Urban Development Practice Team

1. Purpose of Establishment

Throughout Japan, each region has a unique history, culture, nature, and way of life which offers remarkable value and deserves global recognition. However, support for protecting and utilizing this value in a sustainable manner, and linking it to tourism and community development, is still insufficient.

 

Culture, tourism and urban development are complex areas and intertwined with diverse issues such as finance, governance, intellectual property, and even systems and regulations, making them difficult to solve by the government or private sector alone. In addition, temporary advice or partial support is not enough. It is essential to face these challenges alongside those directly involved and adopt a supportive stance throughout the process.

 

From system design to practical support, our attorneys have been working with the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Japan Tourism Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, Ministry of the Environment and Tourism, and local governments in a cross-disciplinary manner while making use of their respective expertise, conducting field trips, interacting with various regional authorities and businesses with an awareness of the issues, and  being mindful of their aspirations.

 

The Culture, Tourism and Urban Development Practice Team was established to integrate these diverse efforts as a strength of the firm as a whole, rather than as individual experiences, and to develop a system that will enable comprehensive and strategic support for all interested parties.

 

 

2. Services we provide

We provide the following services to meet the needs and positions of (1) ministries and local governments, (2) DMOs(Destination Management Organization) and regional organizations, (3) financial institutions and funds, and (4) private businesses.

 

 

(1) For ministries and local government

Support from policymaking to implementation

- Support for the formulation of master plans and basic concepts for tourism and urban development

- Assisting with rulemaking and research for implementing ordinances and guidelines

- Advice relating to the utilization of national parks and cultural assets, etc. and promotion of the nighttime economy

- Contract drafting and support for public-private partnership projects including PPP/PFI

 

(2) For DMOs and regional organizations

Support for both management systems and on-site promotion

- Design of governance structures for DMOs, etc.

- Support for designing funding sources such as lodging taxes and establishing operational rules

- Protection and utilization of intellectual property rights for local resources (trademarks, copyrights, designs, etc.)

- Legal support for data utilization (including the implementation of privacy policies, etc.)

 

(3) For financial institutions and funds

Finance structuring to support regional management

- Structuring investment schemes and providing contract support for tourism-related businesses

- Legal support for project finance and risk allocation agreements

- Legal support for various funding methods such as community-based venture capital and crowdfunding

 

(4) For private businesses

Utilization of local resources and support for new business development

- Protection and utilization of intellectual property rights for local resources (trademarks, copyrights, designs, etc.)

- Contract and licensing support for domestic and international business development

- Support for legal compliance and contract assistance in facility development and operation, and support for PPP utilization

- Legal support for data utilization (including the implementation of privacy policies, etc.)

- Business succession and M&A support (succession of local resources and tourism assets)

 

 

3. Experience

We have worked with ministries and local governments, as well as local businesses and organizations on various initiatives, including the following:

 

(1) Initiatives with ministries and local governments

Japan Tourism Agency

- “Tourism City Planning Promotion Project Utilizing Historical Resources” (2022-2025)
- “Rediscovering Regional Charm to Attract New Inbound Tourists through Adventure Tourism, etc.” (2021)
- “Project to Create a New Nighttime Market by Utilizing Nighttime and Early Morning” (2020)
- “Tourism Content Creation Project Utilizing Nighttime” (2019)

Agency for Cultural Affairs

- “Roundtable Conference on Regional Development through the Promotion of Cultural Tourism Utilizing Cultural Resources“ (2024)
- “Project for Enhancing Cultural Tourism Content for the Resumption and Expansion of Tourism” (2022)
- “Project for the Promotion of High Value-Added Cultural Resources in Response to Covid-19” (2021)
- “Project for Promoting High Value-Added Cultural Resources to Encourage Tourists Seeking High-Quality Tourism Services to Visit Japan, etc.” (2021)

Ministry of the Environment

- “Basic Concept Review for High Value-Added Use of National Parks” (Daisen-Oki and Lake Towada, 2023-2024)

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

- “Working Group on Utilization and Management of Public Spaces Owned by the Public and Private Sectors” (2025)
- “Working Group on Financial Resources and Human Resources Necessary for Sustainable Area Management” (2025)

Tokyo

- “Nighttime Tourism Subcommittee, Expert Committee on the Promotion of Tourism in Tokyo” (2024)

 

 

(2) Support provided to private businesses and organizations

Support for urban development utilizing technology and local resources

Provided advice on the establishment of public-private partnership schemes, contract design for land acquisition and land use, support for the establishment of financing schemes, and compliance with relevant laws and regulations for urban planning companies to realize urban development utilizing cultural and natural local resources and cutting-edge technology.

Support for designing organizational structures enabling non-profit corporations to conduct profitable business

Provided advice to non-profit corporations involved with historical culture on how to design organizational structures and fundraising methods to achieve both cultural significance and profitability in conducting businesses utilizing cultural assets.

Support for the development of activities of organizations dedicated to preserving traditional culture

Provided support to implement various rules, regulations, guidelines, as well as preparing various contracts to enable organizations involved with the preservation of traditional intangible culture to conduct activities to preserve traditional values in line with current times.

Support for designing self-financing systems for tourism business associations

Provided support to tourism business associations in designing a self-financing system for the purpose of maintaining sustainable cultural and natural resources, and in establishing rules and guidelines to ensure appropriate use of funds.

Support for implementing regulations for the utilization of tourist data

Provided support to tourism associations and DMOs in implementing and establishing privacy policies and terms of use for the acquisition and utilization of customer data in compliance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information etc., to enable the formulation and implementation of effective tourism strategies utilizing data.

Support for drafting various cross-border contracts

Provided support to entities responsible for exporting locally produced goods in developing cross-border contracts for international trade. Supported the development of economic models that connect local regions directly with overseas markets, thereby contributing to the formation of sustainable regional economies that are not overly reliant on central authorities.

Support for regional startups regarding intellectual property and contracts

Provided support to platform startups that link local primary industries with processing and distribution businesses by establishing intellectual property strategies and contracting frameworks. Provided legal support to integrate digital technologies, distribution and processing as part of building a sustainable local industry.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Main participating members