An Analysis of the Projected Destination Image of Ryukyu Mura as a Cultural Tourism Destination in Okinawa, Japan: Cultural Attributes, Staged Representation, and a Proposed Image-Formation Mechanism

Abstract

Destination image is conventionally understood as tourists’ perceptions, yet these perceptions interact with the image projected by destinations. This study focuses on the projected (supply-side) image of Ryukyu Mura, a reconstructed cultural village in Okinawa, Japan, examining how Okinawan heritage is curated and communicated through cultural attributes rather than measuring tourists’ perceptions. A qualitative visual-documentary design combined non-participant observation, analysis of interpretive signage, and systematic photographic documentation. Data were examined using six-phase reflexive thematic analysis supported by a written codebook, independent double coding, negotiated resolution of disagreements, and an audit trail. Three themes emerged: (1) traditional architecture and village environment, (2) cultural performances and activities, and (3) traditional lifestyle and material culture. Each attribute was further classified by heritage provenance and dominant mode of tourism mediation, distinguishing conserved heritage resources, reconstructed settings, cultural symbols, performative representations, and commodified tourism products. Drawing on staged, constructive, and emergent authenticity, the study proposes a five-stage mechanism: cultural attributes → curation and staging → cultural representation → visitor interpretation → destination image. Four interaction principles—redundancy, complementarity, symbolic condensation, and participation—explain how staged attributes may contribute to a distinctive and credible cultural destination identity. The study contributes an attribute-level, criteria-based framework for examining how reconstructed attractions assemble projected heritage images and offers a transferable analytical procedure for similar cultural tourism sites. The absence of visitor data remains the principal limitation and provides the basis for a planned second phase.