The Best Tourism Villages - Japan Chapter was established in November 2024, together with 11 recognized villages from Japan, namely Amagi, Biei, Hakuba, Miyama, Niseko, Nishikawa, Oku-Matsushima, Shirakawa, and villages under the Upgrade Programme - Asuka, Shirayama and Yamakoshi.

As a mission, the BTV Japan Chapter will work on the following goals:

1. Bringing together recognized Best Tourism Villages and villages under Upgrade Programme in Japan for cooperation, knowledge-sharing, and exchange. 
2. Collectively working to enhance efforts toward sustainable tourism in the villages and share these efforts globally.
3. Establishing the brand as leading rural destinations of sustainable tourism.

A commemorative symposium was held in Shirakawa during which the Principles of Action for BTV Japan Chapter was announced.

As written in the chapter’s Principles of Action, the Chapter commits to the preservation of its cultural and natural resources, while maintaining and promoting local values, products, and lifestyle; the villages will pursue the sustainability of tourism in all aspects—economic, social, and environmental and lead in sustainable tourism in Japan and will make tourism one of the drivers of rural development and community well-being by collaborating among members in the BTV Network. The Japan Chapter is currently working on collaborative projects, including sharing best practice and experiences, joint promotion, developing educational tours on sustainable tourism.