S/ Kishida Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan / To realize turning national parks into world class, please implement projects to improve attractiveness by utilizing the private sector. 

Kishida made the remarks at a government meeting to discuss ways to promote Japan as a tourism nation. 

Plans presented during the meeting in Tokyo on July 19 included building luxurious resort hotels in national parks. 

Japan has 35 national parks including Nikko, north of Tokyo, and Towada-Hachimantai in the northeastern region. 

The country is aiming to improve the attractiveness of its rural regions to encourage more foreign tourists to visit such areas. 

Record numbers of foreign tourists are coming to Japan, but most of their destinations are in urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka. 

The Japanese government plans to implement projects to develop its national parks through 2031 while ensuring environmental conservation and gaining local understanding.