Who is ethnic neighborhood tourism for anyway? Considering perspectives of the dominant cultural group

Abstract Past studies regarding “ethnic neighborhood tourism” (ENT) have primarily reflected perspectives of the ethnic minority group whose culture is represented to tourists. Therefore, this study explored how members of the ethnic “majority” group who live in the ethnic neighborhood perceive ENT in their own community. The interpretive analysis of 31 interviews with Japanese residents in a Brazilian neighborhood in Oizumi, Gunma, Japan, revealed that the Japanese residents are reluctant and somewhat antagonistic towards ENT in their community. This study also illustrates that ENT reinforced the ethnic divide within the town rather than healing past tensions between the 2 groups.