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Inter-area/Border Crossing
Hiroaki Kawamura
University of Findlay, United States
Hiroaki Kawamura
University of Findlay, United States
Marissa Carruthers
Freelance journalist, Cambodia
Roy Tamashiro
Webster University, United States
Christopher Thompson
Ohio University, United States
Hiroaki Kawamura
University of Findlay, United States
John Hutnyk
Ton Duc Thang University, Vietnam
Session Abstract: Since Lennon and Foley (1996) coined the term “dark tourism,” it has received a considerable amount of attention in and outside of academia. In 2019, a Washington Post article entitled, “Dark Tourism, Explained: Why Tourists Flock to Sites of Tragedy,” reported on the growth of dark tourism worldwide. This interdisciplinary panel of scholars from anthropology, education and journalism aims to examine such questions as “How do human tragedies become sources of tourism?” “How does dark tourism impact local communities?” “Who contributes to the narrative construction of dark tourism?” “What are the roles of survivors in dark tourism?” Presenters will draw examples from their fieldwork in Southeast and Northeast Asia. Carruthers’ paper will examine how war, genocide, natural disasters and poverty become tourist attractions in Southeast Asia and analyze the roles travelers play in the process. Tamashiro explores the metaphysics of dark tourism by focusing on personal story telling at massacre sites in Vietnam, South Korea and Japan. Thompson and Kawamura shift the focus to local communities. Thompson will examine how the northeastern region of Japan that experienced the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami is engaged in the development of dark tourism sites through dynamic interaction among local, national and international stakeholders. Kawamura will present a historical analysis of narrative construction of “No More Hiroshima(s)” among different groups and its impact on local community development activities. This panel will shed light on the juxtaposing nature of dark tourism consisting of memories of suffering, universal humanism, hope, and business development.
